Marcus closed his eyes for a long moment, the silence returning to the room.

The wind howled outside, throwing wet snow against the glass windows.

When he opened his eyes, he looked at Luca.

“Get her out of here,” Marcus said.

Luca nodded once, a look of profound relief washing over his face.

“Come on, Elena,” Luca said, reaching out a hand to me.

I took a step toward Marcus, stopping just inches from him.

I reached out and touched his cheek, his skin cold and rough with stubble.

“Goodbye, Marcus,” I said.

“Goodbye, Elena,” he whispered.

I turned and followed Luca and Sophia out of the office.

We walked down the grand staircase, our footsteps echoing in the empty, dark house.

The cold air hit me like a physical blow as we stepped through the front door.

The black SUV was idling at the steps now, its exhaust billowing in the wind.

Luca opened the rear door for me, and I climbed inside, the leather seat cold.

Sophia got into the front passenger seat, while Luca took the wheel.