Chapter 25

• The sun in the afternoon streamed through the mansion windows, stretching the tiled floor into shadows. Evelyn walked down the hallway, her aching shoulder from Matteo's accident still throbbing. Everything that had happened the night before was playing in her head more than she would have anticipated, like his apology, her incredulity, and that inexplicable feeling of peace that fell over her some minutes before dawn. Matteo wasn’t in bed when she woke up this morning, and she still hasn’t seen him. She turned and saw two of Matteo's men lug a huge wooden box to the front door. It was heavy-looking. The men were gritting their teeth, faces scrunched into small furrows.
• "What is in the box?" Evelyn demanded with an authoritative tone.
• The men stopped and looked at each other, then back to her, but still remained silent.