**Lucia’s POV**

I stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.

I was wrapped in a thin, scratchy white towel that barely reached mid-thigh. I stopped in front of the vanity mirror and let out a long, shaky sigh, staring at my reflection. My skin looked like wax, pale and bloodless. Dark, bruised-looking circles sat under my eyes, making me look a decade older.

I looked like a woman who hadn't slept in days, and the truth wasn't far off. Raffaele ...