*VINCENZO*
Time paused in that tragic instant, each tick of the clock stretching like a rubber band ready to snap. I had always been the one to protect Adeline, to shield her from the stormy skies lingering over our world. Yet, here we were: my heart—her heart—shattered into a million pieces, as fragile as the glass that scattered around us. My thoughts blurred, much like the flickering neon lights of the club outside.
"Vincenzo," she whispered, her voice barely louder than the dying beats of the music still raging inside. I cradled her closer, my tears mingling with the slick warmth of her blood seeping against my hands, which were trembling and unable to hold her steady in the chaos.
"Stay with me, Adeline," I pleaded, panic flooding my veins, quickening my heart. "You're going to be
