Luca entered the bathroom and saw Alessia holding it.
Her hands, delicate yet trembling, wrapped around the forbidden book like it was both salvation and poison.
She didn't flinch, didn't hide it.
The cat was out of the bag, and the truth between them could no longer be buried beneath walls or whispered excuses.
The steam from the shower curled around her, making her look ethereal fragile, yet burning with a strength that dared him to look away.
He didn't.....
Instead, Luca stepped forward and kissed her face, his lips grazing her damp skin with a tenderness that clashed against the fire in his eyes.
His voice was low, but every word carried the weight of a vow.
