Chapter 78: The Shattered Illusion

The villa was eerily quiet. Teresa was bustling in the kitchen, Matteo was absent, and Alessandro had taken an important call in his office. 

In the living room, I sat with a lukewarm cup of tea in my hands. Leo was on his playmat, engrossed in a wooden toy Mila had given him. His chubby little fingers clumsily tried to stack the colorful pieces, his mouth slightly open in deep concentration. His furrowed brows gave him an almost stern expression, and despite his young age, that look reminded me instantly of Alessandro. 

His son. His miniature portrait. 

The same dark, intense, and deep eyes. That same instinctive way of furrowing his brow when he was thinking. Even his posture, sitting upright, already exuded a natural, unconscious authority. 

Mila, sitting beside him, was flipping through a storybook while stealing occasional glances at him. She watched over him like a caring big sister, ready to intervene at the first sign of frustration.