Chapter 215

• Giovanni's Perspective
• I sat on the couch in the living room, a cigarette dangling from my fingers, my eyes staring blankly out the window. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass, the fading light of the setting sun bathed the courtyard, and a faint serenity lingered in the air. But I knew this calm was merely a brief pause before the storm. Today, I had made a decision—a decision that could change the dynamic between Fern and me, or perhaps alter everything completely. I exhaled slowly, watching the smoke curl and dissipate, my mind a tangle of conflicting thoughts.
• Daniel stood before me, his eyes burning with hatred and disdain. Despite his youth, there was a sharpness to him, an unyielding resolve that belied his age. I wasn't surprised; I had known for some time that Daniel possessed a resilience much like his mother's—a strength that never wavered, even in the face of danger.