ELENA

By the time we were done arranging all my things in Dominic’s room, two hours had already passed. The maid—whose name I learned was Lucia—had kept her end of the deal and given me good conversation, making the time pass quicker than I expected. She was lighthearted, easy to talk to, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I had someone to genuinely connect with. It was almost like she was the sister I wished I had grown up with, instead of Rachele. But that was all in ...