**Stefano’s POV**

I sat on the couch with my head shoved back against the headrest. My eyes were shut tight, but my mind was a battlefield. Every second of silence in this house felt like another piece of my soul slipping away into the dark.

The front door opened, and I recognized Luca’s footsteps before he even crossed the threshold; they were hesitant and uneven. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, as he always did when he was carrying news he knew I wouldn't want to ...