Chapter 53

Isabella

The moment the doors groaned open, a wave of dread rolled down my spine.

The air in the hall was suffocating. Not because it lacked oxygen, but because it held something far more dangerous: fear. It was raw and heavy, and it pressed strongly against my chest. I could hear my heart beat so fast even as beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I couldn’t understand how the room beneath my feet began to spin, or if it was just me.

My breathing was far more than shallow; it was a little less than faint even. My own lungs ached, constricted with tension I couldn’t quite place.

Then came the sound, and I hated how I didn’t have to ask who it was.

Heavy footsteps scraped against the marble tiles, dragging something—no, someone—across the glossy floor. Two guards flanked him on either side, with Matteo following behind, his expression sharp, unreadable, but my gaze drifted to someone else.

Federico. Or what was left of him, rather.

My h