My breath seized the moment the chandelier came crashing down.

It couldn’t have lasted more than a second, but time distorted stretching into an eternity as shards of crystal exploded across the marble floor like scattered stars. A gust of cold air brushed past my skin, and for one gut-wrenching moment, I feared I’d just witnessed a death. My gaze darted through the cloud of glittering dust until I spotted Gelsomina on the left of the staircase dazed, but miraculously alive.

Relief came ...