Rising From Ashes: The Architect's Comeback

n pacing outside the glass. My friend told me he was Dante Moretti, the Unde

ttered me faster

chose to save Valeria-the widow of a soldier he felt guilty about-leaving me to bur

curse, but it was a gift. It st

taking my job and my place. When she set a room on fire to frame me, Dante saved her again, leaving me

be there, the obedient sta

as w

his sworn enemy, Enzo Falcone. A man who didn't just p

uth and crawled back to me in the rain, begging

was the only pea

etting Dante see exac

irmed that you are a mista

pte

Vitie

me the President, the cur

ng outside the glass like a caged tiger, I felt no

m, syncing perfectly with the shrill

at the

e kind of dark, suppressed power that usual

han a surgeon's annual salary, but it was ruine

ld kno

or fear, or adrenaline. Anything othe

d, my throat feeling raw, as i

mething on his clipboar

o specific emotional connections

en before he coul

t of wild curls and tear

my God, yo

to avoid the bandages wrapped around m

stiffening instincti

name floating up from t

her eyes wide,

emembe

in my side. "You're Giulia Moretti. We went to boarding

ed laugh, wiping her nose

thought you fo

he glass wall, where th

o you know w

owed h

Who i

ure of pity and disbelief

ante. My

meant not

," she whispered, leaning closer as if th

at the

anc

e perfect statue for him. You learned his enemies, his scotch preferences, his kill

, but they felt like a

etic s

ked, gesturing to the

voice dropping to a hush. "A hit on

ed to the glass. "H

biting her lip unt

exa

ll

words heavy in the air. "The car was spinning. Yo

ler

widow of a soldier

kle of warning at

t my eyes. "The car caught fire before he could get back to yo

d at my

raw, the nails b

e in a burning car t

grabbed

enna. He has a savior complex

sound co

like I was

ked smartphone sitting

the passcod

ia n

irthday. Oc

ed in

reen u

mach t

did photo of him lookin

lery, and bile r

s a s

drinking coffee. Him walking

he app, a manifesto o

he color yell

to shellfish. Ch

s anniversary-b

the list of m

n ye

ars bowing to a man

my throat, bit

eel love f

t the evidence of a crime s

a asked softly.

n clear for the first time i

id, my voice unn

d the fir

le

se

le

ttings and selec

r a heartbeat, then refr

an through the gl

ing and locked

, like the surfac

t look r

that I was taking

d away

iulia," I said. "I ne

you goin

dding is still on," I said, s

ia g

d you don't r

ng the ghost of a headac

aks a contract. I will ma

ers brushing the

done lo