Chapter 3

Genevieve gazed quietly out the car window as the cityscape of New York blurred past. The dazzling glow of neon signs and towering skyscrapers lit up the night sky, yet she sighed softly, her mind drifting back to the tranquil star-filled evenings of her childhood. New York had never been a place she felt at home in. When her father uprooted her to this sprawling metropolis during her teenage years, he had promised excitement and adventure. But for Gen, it had only ever felt stifling, a concrete cage that pressed down on her spirit. She had escaped as soon as college was behind her, fleeing to Boston—a city that, while still bustling, carried an air of history and a slower, more respectful pace. Here, people didn’t glare or scowl if you hesitated at a crosswalk.Her eyes flicked to the driver beside her. Matteo seemed lost in his own world, his presence almost invisible to her in that moment. She noticed the tension in his hands, knuckles pale and strained as they gripped the steering wheel tightly.“Your knuckles are bleeding,” she finally said, her voice gentle but curious.His grip relaxed slightly, and he glanced down with a detached expression before returning his gaze to the road ahead.“It’ll stop soon,” he replied quietly.Gen studied him for a moment longer. What kind of man could be so accustomed to pain that he barely noticed his own bleeding hands? She guessed it was someone familiar with hardship, someone who didn’t flinch at bruises or wounds. A shiver ran through her, involuntarily, and she folded her arms against her chest. Turning back toward the window, she realized they were driving into a charming, leafy neighborhood near Central Park, the kind of place where old brownstones stood proudly, their facades rich with history.Without a word, Matteo pulled the car to a stop at the curb and stepped out. Gen followed, her gaze drawn to the pristine white brownstone he approached. She watched as he produced a keyring, unlocking not one, but three separate locks on the heavy front door. Then, with practiced ease, he entered a code and pressed his thumb to a scanner, the door clicking open.