**Stefano’s POV**

After I cut the call on Elena, I stood in the middle of my study. The room was dark, lit only by a single lamp on my desk. I was clutching Martina’s phone so hard that my hand began to cramp. I thought the screen would shatter in my palm.

I didn't mean to snap at her. In the hollow space of my heart, I knew it wasn't her fault. I knew she had tried to save Martina. She had called to warn us, but I was the one who didn't listen. But the rage was a living thing inside me. It ...