Shadows of Silence

Charlotte Monet has always been the quiet one-the perfect student, the dutiful daughter of a powerful mafia family. But beneath the glamorous life, she's been hiding a darkness no one sees: depression that has haunted her since she was twelve, the devastating loss of her triplet brother, and a predator she calls her tutor.

For years, Charlotte suffers in silence, trapped between the violence outside her doors and the abuse within. Haunted by her dead brother, isolated from the only people who care, and pushed to the edge, she must fight to survive-both the shadows of her past and the enemies who would use her pain against her.

---

"You did so good," I whispered into her hair.
"You tried. That's everything. You don't have to go further than this. Ever. Not until you decide."

A shaky breath left her. "It doesn't feel like enough."

"It is," I said firmly. "It's more than enough. You tried in spite of every ghost screaming in your head. That's strength, love. That's yours."

She tightened her grip on my hoodie, burying her face deeper. My hand found the back of her head, fingers gliding gently through her hair-slow, steady strokes, never trapping, only grounding.

"You're safe," I murmured. "Here with me. Just us."

Her reply was a whisper against my chest. "Me and you."

"Always," I said. "Me and you."