The morning after felt heavier than most, though the sun shone bright against the glass walls. It should have been an ordinary day, with breakfast shared, quiet laughter, and a few stolen kisses before Luca disappeared into meetings. But the tension in his shoulders as he dressed told Aria that the peace they had built was already slipping through his fingers.
She stood by the bed, watching him knot his tie. "You're leaving early."
He met her eyes in the mirror. "Something came up."
"Something… or someone?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light but failing.
Luca turned, the tie still hanging loose around his neck. "You know I'd tell you if I could."
"That's what you said before everything fell apart the first time," she said softly.
The memory hung between them like smoke, the lies, the kidnapping, the blood. She didn't want to revisit it, but she couldn't pretend it didn't shape the way she looked at him now.
