Miscarriage. Kidnapping. Guilt.
I knew Ezio's tolerance of Bianca wasn't about feelings. I thought I knew why. But I didn't know this.
I walked to the window, sat in the chair, and pulled my knees to my chest.
Outside, I heard Leo and Juliet's voices. They were in the backyard. Juliet was teaching Leo to jump rope. He tripped after two jumps. Juliet laughed. Leo insisted he just wasn't ready and wanted a do-over.
I listened to those sounds and stared out the window. My head was a mess.
Last night was real. What he said was real.
But what Bianca said—that was real too.
He owed her. He knew it.
Could I replace that kind of guilt?
I didn't know.
After what happened this morning, I spent the whole day distracted.
And what rattled me most—Ezio was gone all day. Elsa explained he was handling urgent family business, but I couldn't stop spiraling.
Bianca showed up, and he disappeared. Was he avoiding Bianca?
Or avoiding me?
Emotions piled up like snow on my chest, crushing me until I couldn't breathe.
God, please. Cut me a break.
After dinner, Carmen took the kids to bathe. The hallway went quiet. I sat in my room without turning on the lights. The sky outside hadn't gone completely dark yet—just a thin line of blue.
Someone knocked.
"Come in."
Ezio pushed the door open, saw me sitting in the dark, paused, and reached for the switch. "Why aren't the lights on?"
"Don't," I said. "I'm thinking."
He pulled his hand back, walked in, sat in the chair across from me, and looked at me. "What's wrong?"
Not a question. A statement. Like he already knew.
I didn't answer right away.
"Olivia," he said. "Elsa told me you were out of it all day. Didn't talk at dinner." He paused. "Did I do something?"
"Not you," I said.
"Then who?"
I looked at him. That line of blue outside was fading. His face was all angles in the dim light, eyes fixed on me, direct, waiting for me to speak.
"Bianca came today," I said. "To my room."
His expression didn't change, but something in his eyes sank. "What did she say?"
