CASSANDRA'S POV~
I’d buried myself in lab notes for days, trying to outrun the silence Adriano left behind. But today, the white walls of the center felt too loud, so I found myself in the town’s dusty little archive, flipping through old medical journals like they held the answers to something bigger than research. The place was empty, save for the ticking of an old clock and the soft rustle of paper under my fingertips. I didn’t notice anyone else come in. Not until a shadow fell over my table… and a photo slid across the desk toward me. A photo of me—as a child.
My heart nearly launched out of my ribcage the moment I looked up and saw Claudia.
That damned smile curled on her lips like she'd just found something precious. Or someone.
I clenched my jaw so tight I thought I might c***k
