Luca POV
Bianca arrived without cameras.
That alone made the visit feel different.
No photographers waited near the gates. No publicist followed her through the entrance. She wore dark trousers, a plain blouse, and sunglasses that she removed the moment James closed the door behind her.
She looked tired.
Not the polished kind of tired that disappeared beneath makeup and careful lighting.
Real tired.
The kind created by too many lies repeated in public.
I met her in the sitting room.
“You came alone.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because this is not a performance.”
Her answer made my chest tighten.
Bianca glanced around the quiet room.
“The children?”
“At school.”
“And Riley?”
“Upstairs.”
Packing.
I did not say the word.
Bianca understood anyway.
She sat near the window and placed h
