The following days pass in a whirlwind. I focus intensely on my music, making significant progress on my next album. It helps me think about something other than Ezio, even though he is present in some of my songs. Working on my music does me a world of good, allowing me to escape and forget my troubles. Honestly, it's also a hidden excuse to delay the moment when I'll have to see Ezio to ask him where Mario is and discuss revenge.

I've managed to hold out and haven't sent him a message since I left. It hasn't been easy, especially since I've been living with Andy. Our nights are filled with parties, and alcohol in the bloodstream quickly becomes the little devil on our shoulder, urging us to contact our ex. Even in the press, I haven't seen any more covers with Ezio and Paola—radio silence.

Each passing day, I try to lull myself into the illusion that I'm getting over him and that I don't miss him, but the truth is quite different. Every little thing, even insignificant, reminds me of him. I want to wean myself off, but I know I won't be able to until I've exacted my revenge. Conversely, it's still too early for me to face him. I'm afraid of what I'll discover when I go to his place; I'm scared I'll fall back into his arms the moment I see him; I'm terrified of the pain he can still cause me. In short, I'm scared, and I want to protect myself, but I know I can't avoid it forever.

"Are you ready ?" Andy's question pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm good to go."

We leave her apartment and head to the recording studio. Suddenly, I hear Andy scream and jump. My heart nearly explodes as I turn to see Salvatore behind her, bent over with laughter.

Their relationship has evolved over the past few days. Since Salva accompanies me everywhere, he has been present at the parties, and Andy has managed to start loosening him up. Still as serious about his work, he knows how to relax around her. Gradually, they are getting closer, teasing each other, which increases their complicity and complicates Andy's mission as she grows more attached to him, compromising her objectivity. Despite our efforts, we haven't managed to uncover any leads. No slip-ups, no forgetfulness, no words have betrayed him. Andy has never managed to get hold of that famous phone, and even though she remains on the lookout for the slightest clue, many details still elude her. The longer it takes, the more the obvious answers fade away, sinking us further into the depths of suspicion.

"Salva, you scared me, you idiot !" she exclaims, hitting him with her bag on the shoulder.

He continues laughing and hugs her, apologizing. Then he looks at me and gives me a warm, smiling "Good morning, May," to which I respond.

The three of us continue walking, chatting—well, mostly Salvatore and Andy. I deliberately lag behind to give them time to get to know each other and strengthen their bond. Even though my mistrust of Salva remains, I can't ignore how happy Andy is around him. Her past relationships have rarely made her feel this good. Her bombshell looks—long blonde hair, full lips, ample chest, long legs—attract the wrong kind of guys and give her a bad reputation, even though she is far from that. More than just a body, she is intelligent, generous, funny, and honest; she deserves a sincere and respectable love. I don't know if she'll find that with Salva, but if their story has to end, I hope it won't be her heart that's broken.

"May ? May Torre ?"

I turn at the sound of my name and see a younger man, a few years my junior, with hazel eyes shining with admiration.

"May, is it really you ? I can't believe it," he rejoices.

Realizing he's a fan, I smile.

"I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you. The fire, the attack... you don't deserve any of it. I hope my messages brought you the support you needed."

My expression freezes as I realize he's the "G." A shiver runs down my spine, and my heart races.

"Thank you... It's kind of you to be concerned," I say through my discomfort.

"No, really, it kills me to know you're suffering. I think about you all the time. If I could do something to protect you, I would, without hesitation," he continues, his voice trembling with emotion.

He steps closer, breaking personal space, his eyes scrutinizing me with an almost unsettling intensity.

"I... I'm really fine now, truly. I have a lot of support around me," I assure him, turning my head towards Andy and Salva, impassive but menacing at my side.

I take a step back to reestablish some distance between us, maintaining my smile to avoid alarming him.

"Okay, but if you ever need anything, anything at all, I'm always here. Always."

"Thank you. Take care," I say as I back away, then turn around, erasing my smile under a sigh. Despite the increasing distance, I still feel his piercing gaze on me until I disappear around a corner.

"Damn, who was that guy ? Out of all the crazy fans you've had, he's by far the most disturbing."

"He's just a little obsessed," I downplay.

"I'm going to keep an eye on him anyway. This kind of behavior often precedes drama."

"Don't make a big deal out of it, Salva. Like Andy said, he's not my first troubled fan, and they've never crossed the line. It'll probably be the same with him," I say, more to convince myself than them.

After about ten minutes of walking, we finally reach the studio where I begin my long day's work. The hours fly by. Focused in the recording booth, it takes me a few seconds to hear the knock at the door.

I open it and lower my headset.

"What's up, Andy ? I'm in the middle of recording."

"I know, but she insists on seeing you."

"She ?"

"It's Paola. She's here."

Surprised and curious, I stop my recording, put down my headset, and follow Andy to the mixing room where Paola is waiting.

"Hi, May. Can we find a place to talk privately ?"

"Follow me."

I lead her to the break room across from the mixing room and close the door behind us. In the heaviest of silences, we take seats around the table.

"I was lucky to find you here. You've been quite off the radar lately," she says, visibly uneasy.

"I'm always off the radar; I don't like people knowing where I am," I reply with a faint smile. "Why are you here, Paola?" I add, not wanting to beat around the bush.

She fidgets and clears her throat, then goes to pour herself a glass of water before sitting back down in front of me.

"I'm here about Ezio."

I raise my eyebrows, surprised and curious, determined to play along.

"Ezio? Why do you want to talk to me about your boyfriend?"

She looks me in the eye, then at her glass.

"I know about you two."

"What do you mean ?"

"Ezio told me everything the day we ran into each other at the elevator. You need to know that our relationship..."

"Why are you telling me all this ? You can go about your business now without anyone interfering," I cut her off.

"Because ever since you left, Ezio hasn't been the same. He's drinking even more than before and ruling his affairs with an iron fist, attracting a lot of trouble. Some allies are abandoning him, and new enemies are emerging. He's lost his zest for life and is just a shadow of himself. If he keeps going like this, I don't think he'll last long."

"What do you expect me to do about it ? He has you now. He chose this path by lying to me. He wasn't honest for weeks and led this double life with you. Now I'm supposed to go back to him and forget everything ?"

"I lied to you."

"Oh, how convenient. Sending his girlfriend to plead his case and say everything his ex wants to hear to win her back. If he wants to say something to me, he should come himself," I snap, not wanting to waste more time.

I start to leave, but her voice stops me.

"May, wait. He doesn't know I'm here."

I turn back, puzzled, and look at her.

"How can I know you're telling the truth ?"

"Because before I came to see you, Ezio left me a message, and that's what made me decide to talk to you."

She takes her phone out of her bag and plays a voice message.

"Paola, hi, it's Ezio. I'm sorry, but I can't keep pretending. I know I made a commitment to your father, but I didn't think it would last this long or cost me this much. Please, once you get this message, come to my office so we can find another arrangement."

At the sound of his voice, my heart races and my pulse quickens. His mere tone is enough to make butterflies flutter in my stomach. The alcohol no longer clouding my feelings, I can't deny it: I'm hopelessly in love with him.

"I decided to talk to you before going to see him."

"What commitment did Ezio make to your father ?"

"Please sit down, May. This will take a bit of time."

I comply and watch her closely.

"My last name is Bartoni. My father, Sergio, is also a mafioso. Years ago, he did a favor for the Madini family. As you know, in the mafia, it's a favor for a favor. We needed to remind them of their promise a few weeks ago. The Guzzo family is our rival. But they have a truce with the Madini family. So, my father asked Ezio to pretend to be in a relationship with me, to be seen with me at social events or during private outings like cafes or parks, etc."

"I don't understand the connection."

"I'm getting there. Seeing our two families linked by my alliance with Ezio, the Guzzo family can't do anything against my father. It would indirectly breach the peace contract with the Madini family, and we all know what that means. Sergio wanted us to stay together long enough for him to have some respite from his enemies and infiltrate their family to kill the chief and his sons."

"But by doing that, the Madini family becomes complicit in the assassinations and breaches their peace contract," I point out.

"Sure, but they knew from a reliable source that the Guzzo and Condore families were forming an alliance to later betray the Madini. So allowing my father to kill the Guzzo family benefits both our families—Ezio's and mine."

I sink into my chair, trying to digest all this information. This revelation echoes our search for this Moriarty. What if all this was just a scheme orchestrated by the Guzzo and Condore families to harm us? Could Salva or Valentina or whoever else be mere puppets in their theater of revenge?

"And between you and Ezio, it was..."

"Just an act. We were pretending, and I tried to be as convincing as possible to give credit to our story. We never did anything, but I did kiss him once, and he gently pushed me away, saying he didn't share my feelings. Now I understand why. Actually, I understood it at the gala."

"What do you mean ?"

"Your love is obvious, no matter how much you try to hide it. He couldn't take his eyes off you. No matter what I did, it was you he was looking at. I tried to distract him, to entertain him, but nothing worked. That's why I decided to bring you to my table to be sure of what I thought, and it became evident. You were devouring each other with your eyes despite the fury in them. Your bodies sought only one thing—to find each other—even if your minds were at war. It was the first time I saw it in real life."

"Saw what ?"

"Soulmates," she concludes with a sad smile.

I sit silently for a few minutes while my mind races and my emotions overwhelm me. Torn between joy, sadness, euphoria, and anxiety, I no longer know how to think or what to make of this conversation. I don't know whom to trust anymore or what to believe.

Dizzy from all these questions, I decide to get some fresh air to calm my racing mind. After a few minutes, I hear heels clicking behind me.

"What are you doing here ?"

I don't need to turn around to know that it's Andy behind me.

"I need to get some air. Paola just told me everything."

Andy rushes in front of me, taking my arms in her hands. She locks her gaze onto mine, seeking answers.

"And what does your heart tell you ?"

"I don't know, I'm lost."

"May, don't think, just answer instinctively."

"It tells me to go find him."

"Then what are you still doing here ?!" she exclaims, a wide smile spreading across her face.

"It's complicated."

"Oh no, none of that. Keep your excuses to yourself! You've been dying to go back to him. Since you've been at my place, it's been work, work, work. It's a good thing I drag you out occasionally, or you'd smell like mold from curling up on yourself without any life. May, you're not the same. Your joy is gone, you want nothing, and you're cutting yourself off from the world. You love him, and he loves you—that's obvious. So, grab your things and go to him! When you have the chance to live this kind of passion, you don't turn your back on it! You embrace it passionately and milk it for all it's worth!"

I laugh at her out-of-nowhere but meaningful expressions. I nod, grab my things, and inform Paola of our departure to Ezio's place. Salvatore follows to drive us there.

Arrived at the base of the building, I enter the elevator alongside Paola, leaving the lovebirds behind us. As the elevator ascends, I feel my heart pounding so hard it might burst from my chest. Both excited and anxious to see him again, I dread his reaction, not knowing what to expect.

Before I have time to think about anything else, the doors open to Ezio's apartment. My pulse quickens, and I try to calm my breathing before stepping out, letting Paola go ahead of me. Ezio stands with his back to us, his hands resting on the fireplace mantel, head bowed toward the crackling fire.

"Hey Ezio, I came as soon as I could."

"Paola, I'm sorry but I can't continue like..." 

He turns around before finishing his sentence and freezes when he sees me.