**Lucia’s POV**

The moment I stepped through those heavy iron gates, I knew I had entered the Lion's den.

The noise of Milan vanished. It was as if someone had slammed a door on the world: no sirens, no shouting, no life. The silence pressed against my ears until my own breathing sounded too loud.

I stood on a path of large, flat concrete stones. It led directly to a massive glass door that cut through a wide courtyard. Low-trimmed hedges lined both sides, sharp and neat. In the center, an ...