Isabella wanted to argue, but even she couldn't deny the unease.
Maria had vanished, appeared again, whispered truths about her mother… and held secrets Isabella wasn't prepared to face.
Sophia slipped into the room, arms crossed.
"We'll watch Maria," she said, answering the tension. "I'm not letting anything happen to Isabella or the baby."
Maria approached the bedside, her eyes dark with something complex: guilt, fear, maybe devotion.
"My loyalty is to you," she whispered. "Not to Antonio. Not to Alessandro. Not to any of them."
Isabella searched her face, desperate to know if that was true… but Maria's expression was unreadable.
"Rest now," Maria said softly. "The child needs your strength."
As Isabella lay back, Luca remained seated beside her, refusing to leave.
Sophia took position near the door, hand resting near her hidden blade.
Maria dimmed the lights, her silhouette lingering longer than necessary.
Everyone had chosen their place.
The protector.
The watcher.
