That earned another round of laughter. The stylists resumed moving around them. Carol looked at the two girls again, two stunning, loveable women too pure for this world and also with a streak of craziness just right for this world.
This was madness. But it was theirs. And if Bianca had to hear the sound of Luca laughing with Veronica downstairs while the whole family gathered to celebrate what could never be hers, well—
Perhaps that was not cruelty, perhaps that was justice.
*****
Marco was still searching for something to wear and already hated the entire process with a depth that felt spiritual. He hated suits, genuinely despised them. They were too stiff, and every formal occasion seemed to require him to wrap himself in one and pretend he was not thinking constantly about when he could take it off again.
