Matteo POV
Matteo had woken up at five in the morning when one of the guards alerted him to his parents' arrival. He slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to wake Sophia or Elizabeth, who still slept soundly next to each other. His chest tightened with a wave of protective instinct—these were his girls now, and the events of the past day still haunted him.
After grabbing his robe and phone, he headed downstairs to meet his parents.
"Grazie a Dio!" His mother’s voice broke the morning quiet as she rushed toward him, her arms already outstretched. Francesca's embrace was tight, her perfume faint but familiar. She pulled back just enough to search his face, worry lining her features.
"Matteolino, I was so worried about you! How is my little stellina?" she asked, her voice softer as she
