“That’s not Sophia,” Luca said, his voice suddenly tense.

He stood up quickly and walked to the window, parting the thick, dusty drapes just a fraction of an inch.

The snow outside was falling harder now, thick white flakes swirling against the dark glass.

“Can you see anything?” I asked, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“Nothing yet,” Luca said. “But the road is narrow. If anyone is coming, we’ll see the headlights on the trees first.”

I stood up, holding my coat tightly around my middle.

The cold seemed to seep through the floorboards, wrapping around my ankles.

“If Marcus wanted to protect me, he should have let me go a long time ago,” I said.

“He couldn’t,” Luca said, still looking out the window. “He was waiting for the lawyers to finalize the trusts. If he transferred the properties too early, the government would have seized them.”

“And now?”

“Now the paperwork is done,” Luca said. “He just needs your signature. He needs to see you sign it so he knows you’re safe.”

I looked at the small black phone in my hand.