*Elio*

I sighed as my phone screen lit up with Caterina’s mother’s name. Caterina had an uncanny ability to need me right when I was in the middle of important work.

I had been just about to call an important contact and press them on whether they had made the decision to deal with us. It was a phone call that had taken me over an hour to prepare for, but I never ignored Matilde’s calls.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey, Elio, I’m sorry to ...