Vera

New York rose beneath the jet like a memory she never asked to relive.

Steel. Glass. Noise. The city that had swallowed her whole once and dared her to disappear quietly.

She stood by the window as the plane descended, arms folded, heartbeat steady—not because she wasn’t afraid, but because fear no longer ruled her.

Fear had already had its turn.

“Last chance to stay in Italy,” Nicolas said softly behind her.

Vera didn’t turn. “If I don’t face this city, Antonio will ...