Page 19 of Silent Night with Massimo

I turned to look at her, wanting to tell her everything on my mind, but scared to trust her.

I'm too conflicted.

"We need to find our son." She says, begging me again.

I nod, swallowing hard.

Then I stand up and walk out.

I can't find my words. I can't tell her what I'm thinking. I can't let her I know that being with her now has flooded me with the memory of how much I am in love with her.

I can't allow myself to remember that either.

Chapter 9

Vera

He pauses at the door of the cellar lockup, his hand lingering on the handle as if he's unsure of his own decision. The silence stretches between us, thick with unsaid words.

"Tomorrow, I'll have you moved to a room in the main house," he says, his voice flat, distant. He doesn't turn to look at me, his back rigid, as though he's struggling to maintain control.

I swallow, trying to keep my voice steady.

"What does that mean?" My throat feels tight.

"What about my exile? The others—what will they say?"

He exhales, a heavy sound, like the weight of the world is pressing down on him.

"They will do whatever I tell them to do. They trust me."

I hesitate, the next question burning on my tongue, but I'm scared to ask it. I ask anyway.

"Do you trust me?" My voice is small, trembling.

He freezes, the tension in his shoulders visible even from behind. For a moment, I think he might answer, but then, without a word, he turns and walks away, leaving me alone in the cold cellar. His footsteps echo down the hallway, growing fainter with each passing second. The silence that follows is deafening, and my heart sinks with it.

The next evening,Adrian barges in to fetch me, his face twisted in clear frustration. He tosses a handful of fresh clothes onto the bed, the fabric landing in a crumpled heap.

"Get dressed," he snaps, his tone sharp, eyes narrowed.

I scoop up the clothes and make my way to the small open-plan bathroom. But when I feel his gaze burning into me, I pause.

"Do you mind?" I ask, raising a brow. His eyes flicker, and he turns his back to me with an exaggerated sigh.

Sighing myself, I begin undressing and slip into the fresh clothing, the tension thick in the room. Even though he's turned away, his presence is still suffocating.

"I don't know why the hell he's letting you out of here," he mutters under his breath, clearly more to himself than to me.

I can't help the smirk that tugs at my lips. "Because heknows something's going on. I'm not the only one sensing it now."

Adrian spins around, his expression darkening. "Elio?" His voice drips with disdain. "He told me about your fucked-up theory on Elio. You're digging yourself into a deeper hole. All that's going to happen is we'll prove, once and for all, that you're a traitor. And next time?" He steps closer, eyes gleaming with menace. "There won't be an exile. You'll be removed permanently."

"Adrian," I say his name quietly, hoping to break through the wall of hostility between us.

"Don't bother," he cuts me off, his voice hard as stone. "That might work on my brother, but it won't work on me. I'm only here because he asked me to do this."

His jaw clenches, his eyes locking onto mine with cold precision.

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