**Stefano’s POV**

I slammed the office door shut behind me and dropped into my chair, feeling as if my bones had given up.

The room was filled with the familiar scents of the office: expensive leather, aged wood, and the bitter scent of espresso. Usually, this office was my sanctuary, the place where I felt in control. But tonight, my chest wouldn't stop tightening. Every breath felt like a struggle.

My mother.

The thought had taken root in my mind and was growing like a weed, suffocating ...