Chapter 180 – Raffaele POV
"Don't die, okay?" Grace whispers, her fingers threading tightly through mine. Her hands are cold. Not from the temperature—we're indoors, the suite softly lit with golden hues from the crystal chandelier overhead—but from fear. From the unbearable weight of what could come next.
I smile, even though it feels like something is cracking behind my teeth. I lean down and press a kiss to her forehead, lingering there longer than I should.
"I won't," I murmur against her skin.
Whether I'm saying it to her or myself… I don't know.
She lets out a shaky exhale, presses her cheek briefly to my chest, then steps back. Her eyes, always sharp even when clouded with tears, bore into mine like she's trying to memorize me—just in case.
Regina steps forward next. Still barefoot, a silk robe wrapped around her like a sash of armor, she stands tall and scowls like it's a defense mechanism. Like her glare alone can shield her from what she's afraid to say.
