ARIA’s POV

 The weight of the phone seemed to multiply in my hands, the cool metal of the receiver suddenly becoming a painful, heated brand that I could no longer bear. I let it clatter to the floor, the dull thud a mere echo of the anguish that tore through me like a ravenous beast. Turning to face Matteo, I was met with a cold, impenetrable mask of indifference, his unshaven face, and sunken eyes betraying a darkness that chilled me to my very core.

 “Why did you do it?”. I asked, and he furrowed his eyebrows.

 “Yeah, I do not have an idea what you’re saying”. He said to...