POV: EVE
The kitchen smelled like fresh herbs and simmering tomato sauce when Marco arrived.
Eve knew it was him before she even heard his voice, she'd learned to recognize the subtle shift in the penthouse's atmosphere when different people entered. Marco had a heaviness to his presence, a weight that came from years of carrying other people's secrets and burdens.
She was helping Nonna chop vegetables, something she'd started doing without being asked, settling into the domestic rhythm of the penthouse in a way that felt both foreign and right.
"Buonasera," Nonna said when Marco appeared in the kitchen doorway, his expression carefully neutral. "You look like you have not eaten. Sit. I will make you a plate."
"I appreciate that, Nonna," Marco said, but he didn't sit. His eyes were on Eve. "Is the boss in his office?"
"Yes," Eve said, feeling the shift in the room's energy. Something had happened. Something important enough that Marco needed Dimitri immediately.
