CHAPTER 256
KATYA POV
My steps slowed without me meaning them to. I stopped entirely. The portrait hung slightly apart from the others, larger, framed in dark wood worn smooth at the edges by time.
It wasn't outrageous. It didn't demand attention. It simply held it and I stared. I stared hard.
Nonna sat at the center, younger but unmistakable, her posture straight, her expression calm and composed even then.
There was a softness to her eyes I hadn't seen before. Less guarded. Almost… hopeful. Beside her sat a woman with delicate features and warm eyes, one arm cradling a baby against her chest.
She was so beautiful in a quiet way, the kind that didn't try to be seen but was impossible to miss.
A man stood just behind them, one hand resting on the chair's back. His jaw was strong, his gaze steady. The resemblance hit me instantly.
Romeo.
