Lia’s pov

Lia remained with Luca well after Dante had gone, his hand resting on the boy’s shoulder as a silent vow. The impact of his words lingered in the atmosphere, dense and still. She yearned to intervene—wanted to mend this situation, to delve into Luca’s thoughts and extract the fragments that seemed foreign to him. However, she was unable to. Her only choice was to stay here. Luca leaned toward her, drawing his knees closer to his chest. "Mother?" Lia closed and opened her ...