Chapter 165

• Ellis woke up startled by the intensity of the lightning that illuminated the room and the accompanying thunder. She turned to the side and found Vittorio sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the storm's noise outside. She looked at the clock on the corner table and saw that there was little time left until the agreed-upon hour.
• Determined to move forward, Ellis got up carefully so as not to wake Vittorio and put on a black robe over her pajamas. She knew there was no more time to waste and that she needed to act quickly.
• As she left the room, she found her mother-in-law, Antonietta, waiting for her in the kitchen. Antonietta's gaze was serious and questioning, but Ellis didn't hesitate to respond.