Chapter 17 Midnight Encounter

• "Don't mistake duty for devotion, child. It never ends well."
• Marcella's words echo in my head hours later as I lie staring at the ceiling. The dinner ended without bloodshed, which in this family counts as a victory. But sleep refuses to come. Every time I close my eyes, I see Matteo's calculating smile, hear the undercurrent of threat in his seemingly innocent questions.
• The clock on the nightstand reads 2:17 AM. Luca never came to my bed, not that I expected him to. After his performance just yesterday, I'm surprised he even bothers maintaining the pretense of sharing a room.