The Moretti house at night was a maze of noise and silence. Somewhere down the hall, laughter spilled from a card game. In another corner, low murmurs carried the weight of business that Ava didn't dare ask about. Yet, above it all, the house itself creaked like it had secrets buried in its bones.
Mia pulled Ava upstairs, past walls lined with dark paintings and shelves stacked with books Ava couldn't imagine Ethan reading. "You'll stay in my room," Mia whispered, like it was a secret they had to protect.
But Ava's attention drifted. At the end of the hall stood Ethan, leaning against a doorway. He wasn't looking at her directly, but she could feel the intensity of his presence, quiet and constant. The memory of their car ride still lingered, his words pressing against her chest.
Mia closed the door behind them. "Don't let Dante get to you," she said, flopping onto her bed. "He's all bark, but… well, you saw. He tests people. That's his way of deciding if you belong."
Ava sat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded tightly in her lap. "And do I?" she asked softly.
Mia studied her, then smiled faintly. "That depends on you. This world isn't like school or family dinners. If you stay, you'll see things you can't unsee. You'll hear things you can't ever repeat."
Ava didn't answer, though her silence spoke louder than words.
Hours later, long after Mia had fallen asleep, Ava lay awake staring at the ceiling. Her mind replayed the night—Dante's warning, Marco's amused grin, Ethan's unreadable stare. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd stepped through a door that could never be closed again.
A sound outside pulled her from her thoughts. Soft footsteps in the hall. The faint click of a lighter. She slipped out of bed and padded to the door, cracking it open just enough to see.
Ethan stood at the balcony down the hall, cigarette glowing between his fingers. He looked carved out of shadow, the smoke curling around him like something alive.
For a moment, Ava considered retreating. But something stronger than fear tugged at her.
Barefoot and silent, she stepped into the hall.
And Ethan turned—like he'd been waiting for her all along.