~Alessia~
I stared at the second vial in my hand, the label blurring under the bathroom light. Cardiomax—for cardiac issues.
Lorenzo's New York "check-up" wasn't nothing. My brother had spilled just enough to terrify me last week, but not enough to confront him fully.
I tucked the bottle back, heart pounding, and got into bed beside him, his breathing steady in sleep.
The next dawn, sunlight slanted through the blinds as I brewed coffee, the aroma filling the kitchen. Lorenzo shuffled in, hair tousled, his robe loose.
"Morning Alessia," he mumbled, pouring a cup. "You're up early."
I handed him sugar, keeping my cool.
"Couldn't sleep because I found another bottle in the cabinet yesterday." I held up the vial, casual as if it were aspirin. "Old meds?"
He froze mid-sip, then set the cup down, his expression neutral. "Yeah, from a while back. Some flu thing, toss it out."
"Flu?" I echoed, arching a brow. "Says heart on the label."
He waved it off, grabbing toast.
