**Stefano’s POV**

Martina opened her mouth, the words hovering on the tip of her tongue. Then she snapped it shut.

The silence rushed back in, thicker and more suffocating than before. It pressed against my chest until my ribs felt like they were going to crack. I could hear the steady tick-tick-tick of the grandfather clock in the hall, with each second feeling like a small hammer pounding in my head.

“I can’t,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Not tonight. You’ve already been ...