Pressure of Love and legacy

iamonds. I say it crushes

euro empire, means every part of my life is calculated. Every de

an excellent city view. But the higher you go, the colder it get

ularly nauseating "coffee date" arranged by my mother with the daughter of some inter

ncel

miling stranger having

the building quieted down, when the boardroom lights di

e

clea

I'd seen her before, maybe three or four times. Always alone,

d up. Never not

ticed ev

The calm in her movements. The distance in her

earn, was Rossy. No last

reason, she

ly empty. The sky outside had turned a soft o

lk past the boardro

ndow. A vase must've tipped over. Her back was to me. Ha

t," I sa

slightly

readable. Something flickered

n." Her voice was quiet, not shy-just

, stepping into the

nod. "Ye

the towel. "How long

eight

noticed her until recen

er seeing you b

hifts. I prefe

hy

en said simply

tly. "I know

bout to leave when something dropped from her front poc

dove for it, bu

ked i

ng girl, maybe five, smiling in front of a stone bu

hadn't seen in two decades.

nor E

r. My aunt. Dead

oat we

get this?" I

went pale.

pointed . is E

shaky breat

ow

a long

got

ted. "I ne

the photo, but

hanage-wh

It burned down

to her slowly.

Just took the pho

top her. I

g inside me was s

I poured a drink, stared out at Milan's beaut

e ever mentioned my aunt's connection to an orphanage? A

ne and called Lu

swered groggily. It

dig into some

ka

ll the records you can find-staff, donors, closure reports. A

use. "That's a

t any

ll call in a

a question just

s had my fa

dy waiting in my office. I could smel

behind his back, gazing

g," I m

ize the engagement plan. The

d not

his is not a matter of emot

was again

d what if I'm n

'd grown horns. "You a

sped

the gala. And be the man t

before I cou

I didn't realize

there, relentless. But n

ss

t, Luca c

somet

al

Family Holdings. Especially in its final years. Th

cou

bitious, and relentless. Always smiling at the

the donation f

g else?"

No clear cause. But...

w s

te account. Then the orphanage goes up in flames. And shortly

fr

n't a co

was she in t

cking. But it

ence fell

ay?" Lu

I wa

igging,

my office, there lay a small envelope on the flo

urn ad

ened

nage engulfed in flames, and a single

s are meant t

eat shook

round, sud

longer jus

was watc

n't want the tr

Ro

just a girl

a secret my family

o over again, my

zzed with a text fro

s, Ethan. Or you'll e