Chapter 156

Aurelio. The name was just a sound. Letters. Noise. But the weight behind it? That wasn’t noise. That was pressure. Gravity. Like I’d been dropped into a life that expected me to perform, to remember, to be this person they were mourning like he was already dead. Aurelio Verticolli. Everyone in this room knew who he was. Except me. And the worst part? I felt like I was disappointing them just by existing. Sofia hadn’t let go of my hand. Her grip was gentle, but I could feel the tension in her fingertips—like she was holding onto hope with every fiber of her being, and the second she let go, she’d fall apart. That made my chest ache. Even if I couldn’t remember her. I studied her profile—soft lines drawn tight with exhaustion. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Weeks, maybe. Her eyes were red-rimmed but fierce. Protective. She was a fighter. I didn’t need memories to know that. Sofia Verticolli. My sister. “Why are you all still here?” I asked suddenly, voice rough, a little crac