Espionagé

iv - masked men

After my romantic weekend with Cristiano Bianchi, I returned home with a heart full of dreams. Instead of focusing on my usual tasks, like practicing calligraphy, my mind wandered to thoughts of our future together. I imagined the life we could lead as a married couple—me, the belle of Venice, admired by all. What more could I ask for? It seemed like nothing could spoil my happiness.

"Azra? Where did you go?" Diana, my little sister, stomped into my room with a sour expression. She crossed her arms and glared at me.

"I wanted to play dolls with you, but I had to play alone," she complained.

I couldn't help but laugh at her grumpy little face. "I'm sorry, Diana," I said, smiling. "I was busy... doing things."

"Doing things?" Diana raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. "Were you with Cristiano Bianchi? I saw him walk you home."

My cheeks flushed, and I quickly interrupted her. "Hush, Diana! You didn't see anything!" I said, panicking. The last thing I needed was for her to start gossiping about Cristiano. What if our parents found out? That would be so embarrassing!

Diana shrugged, twirling her braid between her fingers. "Just saying what I saw," she said casually.

"Why don't you go play at Isabella's house? Or even Vanozza's? You don't always need me," I suggested, hoping to distract her.

"Isabella's mad at me," Diana pouted. "It's probably your fault."

I sighed, suddenly remembering that Isabella was Vittoria's younger sister. Unlike Vittoria, Isabella was kind and sweet, but she was still influenced by her older sister's bad behavior. Both Isabella and Diana were ten years old, so it was only natural for them to have little arguments. They were still young and innocent.

"Alright, Diana," I said softly. "But listen, you can make new friends easily. You're Diana Romano! In a few years, you'll have your own debutante ball, and then you'll meet lots of nice young gentlemen. But before that, you need to get invited to all the right parties and events. To do that, you'll need friends—good friends."

Diana thought for a moment and then nodded. She waved at me before leaving the room. I smiled, watching her go. Little sisters could be exhausting sometimes.

...

Later that night, I climbed into bed, still thinking about Cristiano. The thought of him made me so happy. I hoped my dreams would be filled with visions of him and the future we might share.

I pulled the soft blankets up to my chin and stared at the ceiling for a while, feeling peaceful. But then, I noticed the wind picking up outside. A storm was coming. The curtains by my window started fluttering wildly, and I sighed, annoyed by the noise. I was too comfortable to get up and close them, though. Maybe I should just hide under the covers instead.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I heard something strange—a loud crash. It came from downstairs, in the parlor. My heart skipped a beat, and I froze, trying to make sense of the noise. My first instinct was to run to my parents' room, but something made me stop. Instead, I crept down the hallway and stood at the top of the stairs, looking over the balcony.

What I saw made my blood turn cold.

Three masked men were standing in the entrance hall.