It shifted, opening with a soft sound.
A sound that betrayed me instantly.
The conversation inside stopped.
Enrico turned sharply.
His face twisted with surprise—then horror—when he saw me standing there.
Our eyes locked.
His were filled with a panic I had never seen in him before.
“Valentina…” His voice came out rough—almost pleading.
I didn’t want to hear a single word he had to say.
I turned and walked fast down the hallway.
Behind me, footsteps—quick, urgent.
“Valentina, wait!”
His voice cracked with desperation.
My pain was too sharp to contain.
“Don’t come near me!” I shot back, voice trembling. Tears burned behind my eyes.
“You’re a coward, Enrico,” I said, and the words came out like truth tasted like blood. “You always have been.”
I needed to get away. From him. From this. From the ache ripping open inside me.
“Valentina, please—wait!” His voice echoed behind me as I moved faster, nearly running now, trying to suffocate the storm inside my chest.
“Don’t you dare come closer!” I spun around abruptly, facing him with every ounce of fury and revolt I had left. My hands shook uncontrollably at my sides.
Enrico stopped immediately.
He looked devastated—like he’d finally seen the size of the damage he’d done.
His breathing was uneven. His eyes wide, bright with fear and something that might have been genuine regret.
But I wouldn’t let myself believe it.
“Please,” he tried again, voice breaking. “Listen to me. I can explain—”
“Explain what?” I exploded, every word ripped straight from pain. “Explain that you found proof I was innocent? That you know you destroyed my life for nothing—and you still decided to hide it?” My voice rose, sharp and shaking. “Is that the explanation you want to give me now?”
He went still.
Like my words had stripped him of speech.
“You don’t understand… I was trying to protect you,” he murmured weakly, taking an uncertain step toward me.
“Protect me?” I laughed—bitter, incredulous. “You still think you can use that excuse?” I wiped at my face with a trembling hand. “You were protecting yourself. Your pride.” My voice dropped lower, deadlier. “You’d rather preserve your ego than admit you were wrong—admit you destroyed everything between us. You never tried to protect me, Enrico. Not once.”
My chest rose and fell too fast.
