Isabella's heart hammered against her ribs. Maria Santos another false identity her mother was using. How many names did she have? How long had she been running?
"I don't know what you want me to say."
Matteo stood up slowly, walking around the desk to lean against it directly in front of her. Even sitting, she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes.
"I want you to tell me the truth," he said softly. "I want you to trust me enough to let me help you with whatever's wrong."
The gentleness in his voice nearly broke her. She could see the hurt he was trying to hide, the confusion and fear that she was slipping away from him. Every instinct screamed at her to tell him everything.
But Vittorio's threat echoed in her mind: Everyone you've ever cared about dies.
"Nothing's wrong," she whispered.
Something flickered in Matteo's eyes. Then his expression shuttered completely, becoming the mask she'd seen him wear with his enemies.
