Page 92 of Beneath the Shadows

I blink, surprised by her words. “Into your house?”

“Giovanni and I made many happy memories in that home,” she says, her voice catching as she blinks back tears. “You remind me so much of him, Anton. I know you’ll find someone to love, someone to share your life and home with.”

She reaches into her pocket, pulling out a small, worn box. Her hands tremble slightly as she opens it. “This was your grandmother’s wedding ring. Giovanni gave it to me when we married, and now I want you to have it.”

Silence falls between us as I take the ring from the box, its weight far heavier than the gold it’s made of. This isn’t just a ring—it’s a legacy, a promise carried through generations. For a brief moment, I picture it on Alessia’s finger, the life we could’ve had if everything hadn’t been shattered. But now, it feels more like a chain, binding us both to a future we don’t want.

I swallow hard, my throat tight. “I’ll miss you, Aunt Domenica

“And I’ll miss you, Anton,” she replies, cupping my face with hands full of love and loss. “But you have your own path to walk now. Make your uncle proud.”

I nod, barely keeping the flood of emotions at bay as she hugs me one last time. “Now, go see your mother. She’s been waiting.”

I find my mom in the kitchen, humming softly to herself as she prepares dinner. When she sees me, her face lights up. “Anton. I’ve been so worried about you.”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I say, kissing her cheek.

She studies me, her eyes full of concern. “You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” I lie. “Just a lot going on.”

“You won’t be any good to anyone if you run yourself into the ground,” she says, her voice full of motherly reprimand. “Can you stay for dinner?”

“That would be great,” I reply, glancing around the room, my mind still weighed down by Draco’s demands. “Where’s Alessia? I need to talk to her.”

My mother’s smile fades slowly, confusion clouding her face. “Alessia?” she asks, her voice uncertain. “I thought you arranged for her to leave.”

Her words catch me off guard. “What? No. I didn’t arrange anything.”

“Cecilia told me you and Alessia decided it was best for her to leave Philadelphia. She said Alessia was too emotional to say goodbye.” Mom sets the spoon down carefully, turning fully toward me. “The poor girl’s been through so much, I didn’t think anything of it.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Cecilia slipping quietly out of the room. “Excuse me,” I mutter as I follow her upstairs.

“Cecilia,” I say sharply, pushing the door open. “What do you know about this?”

“I’m sorry, Antonio,” she whispers.

“What have you done?”

Tears well up in her eyes. “I helped her get away.”

“Why?”

Her voice trembles. “She felt trapped. Alessia told me how awful her life was, how Valentino abused her.” Her voice cracks. “She was desperate and I just wanted to help her.”

My anger surges, but I force it down, my mind replaying Draco’s demand. I grab the back of my neck, trying to rein it in. “Do you know the amount of problems you created for me?”

Cecilia flinches. “I just wanted to help,” she whispers.

“How long has she been gone?”

She hesitates. “Almost three weeks.”

I curse under my breath.Three weeks.The words hit me like a punch to the gut, a wave of anger rising fast, threatening to spill over. I exhale sharply, trying to get a grip as my mind races. Draco’s already closing in, and now this—everything’s unraveling faster than I can contain.

“Where did she go?” I ask, my voice tight, barely keeping the frustration in check.

“I don’t know,” Cecilia admits, shaking her head, her eyes pleading. “I dropped her off at the bus stop. She promised she’d call when she figured out where she was going, but she never did.”

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