The Price of Silence

The hospital room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of the bedside lamp and the steady blinking of medical monitors.

The smell of antiseptic hung heavy in the air. Chiara’s father lay propped up against the pillows, thinner than before, his skin a bit pale.

Massimo and Arturo both entered the room, dismissing the doctor inside.

Massimo stood near the window, crossing his arms, his presence fillin