Chapter 76

Chiara

Everyone in the whole area steps back in shock when they heard what Alessio just said. It’s almost like the entire party deflated in one go, like someone just ripped out something important from the inside and ran away with it, leaving everyone bereft.

Amari especially looks gutted. She actually staggers back as though Alessio’s statement was a dagger that stabbed right into her soul. She propped herself against the tree, clutching her heart. When I come up next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, she looks up at me, and from there I can see that she has tears shining in her eyes.

“That means we are here for nothing,” she murmurs, and the pain in her voice is so strong that for a while I can’t breathe. “I can’t believe this.” She rakes through her hair and looks at Alessio. “Are you sure you checked everything? Are you sure this is really the case?”

I can tell that Alessio is disappointed by her line of questioning, but he extends a hand and pats her shoulder, looking a