Chapter 35

Dario

The harsh, too-sterile smell of cleaning chemicals clung to my clothes as I paced the hospital waiting room. How long had I been here—an hour, a day? I couldn’t remember. Time had lost its meaning since Rocco and I had brought Clara in.

I kept replaying those last moments—Dante rising from behind the couch. Clara diving to protect Leo. Me, frozen by an instant of surprise that, clearly, hadn