**CHAPTER 19**

**ISABELLA'S POINT OF VIEW**

The door closed behind me with a soft, final click that pierced the silence like a gunshot. My legs trembled as I braced myself against the hallway wall, afraid they might give way completely. The bruise on my wrist throbbed beneath the long sleeve I'd panicked and pulled down before going inside. Matteo was still awake, and I could feel his thick presence in the air, heavy as the moment before lightning strikes.

I took a deep, trembling breath, tr