JEROME POV

The atmosphere in the room is thick with tension, an unspoken discomfort hanging heavily in the air. 

“You never mentioned you had a brother,” Julia says, her brow furrowing as she turns her gaze toward me, her curiosity piqued. I hold her stare, my silence betraying the complexity of my feelings.

Ciro shifts slightly in his seat, a hint of weariness in his voice as he tries to ease the moment. “Love, don’t let it bother you. It's not you, it’s us. That’s ...