Chapter 67

The scent of warm bread and spices hung in the dining room as I walked in, hoping the day would feel a little more normal—less like the shadow of war loomed over us all.

But the moment I saw him, I knew.

Dante stood near the head of the long table, phone still gripped in his hand, though the call had clearly ended. His broad shoulders were stiff, tension rising like a second skin over him. But it