Chapter 45. Stay

Dinner was quiet.

Too quiet.

The low clink of glass and the hum of the stove were the only sounds filling the room. The safe house always felt smaller after dark—the kind of silence that made every breath sound louder than it should.

Ezio sat at the dining table with Dario, a half-finished bottle of whiskey between them. Rosa moved about the open kitchen, her sleeves rolled, the kettle just beginning to steam.

Ezio swirled the amber liquid in his glass, eyes fixed on the far wall but not seeing it.

“She didn’t come out again,” he said quietly.

Rosa didn’t turn from the stove. “She’s resting.”

Before he could answer, Gabriella stepped inside, her face pale in the kitchen light, a full tray balanced in her hands.

She set it on the counter. The soup was untouched. So was the bread.

Rosa frowned. “She didn’t eat?”

Gabriella shook her head. “Said she’s not hungry.”

Rosa clicked her tongue. “Nonsense. The girl must eat to g