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Riccardo shrugs, folding his arms. “Don’t give me that face. You want to play along with this little charade? Fine. But I’m not buying it.”

I stare at them both, trembling.

My voice shakes as I speak. “I… I love him.” I don’t know why I say it. It tumbles out of me like a lifeline I’m clinging to. “He doesn’t always know how to show it, but he… he loves me, too.”

Riccardo chuckles darkly. “Really? So you fuck him, then?”

The glass in my hand rattles.

My throat tightens and no words come out. I look down, jaw trembling, shame burning like fire up my neck.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” he sneers. “Or are you just a little liar?”

“Enough!” Enzo snaps, stepping between us, shoulders tense.“That’s enough, Riccardo.”

Riccardo scoffs.“I’m not doing this shit,” he mutters, rolling his eyes at both of us. “I have actual work to do. You drive Vieri’s toy around.”

His boots hit the floor as he storms out, the door swinging shut behind him.

Enzo sighs, offering me a crooked smile as if to say sorry about him. “He’s... not really a people person.”

I try to return the smile, but mine feels weak, wobbly at the edges. My throat is dry. I drink the last of my water before setting it down quietly.

“I’m ready,” I whisper.

Enzo stands, patting down his pockets. “Right. Just one thing.”

He pulls out a small black device—sleek, curved, with a blinking red light at the center.

My stomach drops.

“He wants you to wear this,” he says gently.

I watch as he lowers himself in front of me and gently fastens the monitor around my ankle. The strap is snug, not tight, and it locks with a quiet click. I glance down at the blinking red light.

“I’m sorry,” Enzo says, not looking at me. “My brother can be—”

“Protective,” I murmur.

His eyes lift to mine, surprised, but I force a small smile again, even though my heart is aching.

You know why you're doing this, I tell myself.

For Bea. For Nonna.

God would understand. He’d forgive a lie told for love. But there were so many lately. Lying to the sheriff. To Nonna. To Bea. Now this.

I’ll confess it all someday, I promise silently, blinking back heat from my eyes. Pour everything out to the Lord, do my penance. Accept whatever punishment He gives me.

Enzo clears his throat, standing. “Let’s go, then.”

I follow him outside into the blinding afternoon sun. The mansion looms behind me and for the first time in what feels like months, I am outside. A sleek black Audi waits by the driveway. The engine purrs as Enzo opens the door for me.

Inside, the leather is cool.

He pulls out onto the road, and soon we’re weaving into town. But traffic thickens almost immediately. Red lights. Honking. Impatient drivers yelling out their windows.

Enzo glances over. “So…” he starts, then hesitates. “How did you meet my brother?”