Episode 16: TORN BETWEEN BLOOD AND FIRE

Evelina’s POV--

Sleep never came.

I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, my mind caught in an endless loop of questions and half-formed answers. No matter how many times I tried to rationalize it, the truth was inescapable.

My father had known.

The massacre that shaped Cassian’s life, that turned him into the cold, ruthless man he was today—it could have been prevented.

If only my father had spoken up.

A bitter laugh escaped me.

For years, I had believed Cassian Moretti was the villain in my story. That he was cruel, merciless, a monster born from revenge.

But now…

Now, I wasn’t so sure who the real monster was.

I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes, willing myself to breathe.

What was I supposed to do? Confront my father? Demand the truth? And if he admitted it—if he really had let Cassian’s family die—

What then?

A sharp knock at the door made me jolt upright.

My pulse jumped as I glanced at the clock. It was well past midnight.

I swallowed hard, my body stiff with unease as I approached the door. “Who is it?”

Silence.

Then—

“Open the door, dolcezza.”

I froze.

Cassian.

Of course.

Because who else would come for me in the middle of the night?

I hesitated, my fingers curling around the doorknob. A part of me wanted to ignore him. To pretend he didn’t exist.

But another part—the part that had started to see the truth lurking in the shadows—needed answers.

Needed him.

I unlocked the door.

Cassian stood there, his frame bathed in the dim glow of the hallway light. His dark eyes met mine, unreadable, assessing.

I lifted my chin. “What do you want?”

His lips twitched, just slightly. “To talk.”

I hesitated, but finally stepped aside.

Cassian walked in, his presence filling my tiny apartment like he belonged there. He didn’t sit. Didn’t move beyond the doorway.

His gaze swept over me, sharp, knowing. “You didn’t sleep.”

I crossed my arms. “Why are you here, Cassian?”

He tilted his head, his expression unreadable. “Because you’re breaking.”

I stiffened. “I’m not—”

“Yes, you are.” His voice was quiet, but it cut straight through me. “You spent your entire life believing your father was a good man. And now, you don’t know what to believe.”

I swallowed.

Because he was right.

I hated that he was right.

“I don’t need your pity,” I said, my voice shaking.

Cassian’s smirk was humorless. “I don’t pity you, dolcezza. I envy you.”

That made me pause. “What?”

His gaze darkened. “I never had the luxury of questioning my father’s sins. He died before I could. But you—you still have a choice.”

A choice.

I let out a hollow laugh. “What choice? To turn my back on my own blood?”

Cassian stepped closer, his presence intoxicating, overwhelming.

“To stop lying to yourself,” he said, his voice softer now. Almost dangerous in its gentleness. “You already know the truth, Evelina. You’re just afraid to say it out loud.”

I looked away, my throat tight.

He wasn’t wrong.

But saying it—admitting it—meant letting go of everything I thought I knew.

Cassian watched me for a long moment. Then, without another word, he turned to leave.

Panic surged through me.

“Wait.”

He stopped, his back to me.

I swallowed hard. “What happens now?”

He glanced at me over his shoulder, something dark flickering in his gaze.

“Now?” His lips curled into something wicked. “Now, you decide whose side you’re really on.”

And then he was gone, leaving me standing there—

With the weight of a decision I wasn’t ready to make.