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No one was around when we finally entered his side of the castle. I hadn't been here before, and the bare walls surprised me. No family photos. No drawings Giulio had made at school. No famous paintings or posters. Just a blank surface everywhere, as if someone had recently moved in. Didn't your family live here for over a hundred years?

Worn oriental rugs covered the stone floor, with the same elegant lights above our wing. He walked to the end of the hall and opened a door, not letting go of my hand as we entered. The door closed and then I was lifted, my legs dangling as he carried me across the living room and into the bedroom.

It was nothing like I expected. If I had to guess, I would have imagined black sheets, dark walls, and a mirror over his bed. This room was... romantic. Soft, almost feminine. With pale walls and an enormous bed that bordered on ornate. Plants dotted the windows, a vase of fresh flowers sat on a small table. The furniture looked old, but it was made of stur