Matteo's sleep was anything but peaceful.
Fragments of the past resurfaced in his dreams—the darkness, the helplessness, the pain.
However, this time, the woman who had always stayed by his side was gone.

"Eve…" he murmured her name, frowning. His chest rose and fell erratically, trapped in a nightmare.
In his dream, he groped his way forward, desperately searching for the person who was supposed to be there. But no matter how loudly he called, the silence around him remained unbroken.
A wave of fear crashed over him, and suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
His forehead was drenched in sweat.
The blackout curtains kept the room in complete darkness. His heart pounded wildly in his chest, and for a moment, he couldn't tell if he was still dreaming.
He sat up, his voice unsteady. "Eve?"

Silence.
He tried again, louder this time. "Eve!"
It was still nothing.
Stumbling out of bed, he groped for the light switch, nearly tripping over his own feet.

The room was instantly flooded with light.
Only when he could see everything clearly did he finally let out a breath.
The suffocating dread from his nightmare slowly began to fade. Matteo rubbed his temples, but when he realized that the person he was looking for was nowhere in sight, he froze in place.
Where was Evelyn?
His heart, which had just started to calm down, began racing again.
Gasping for air, he flung open the bedroom door.
The house was eerily quiet except for the sound of the household staff cleaning the living room.
When they saw him, they all greeted him politely.
"Where's Eve?" he demanded, unable to contain himself.
"Ms. Walsh?" One of the housekeepers looked confused. "We haven't seen her. Wasn't she supposed to be resting with you, sir?"
Before Matteo could say another word, his phone chimed with a familiar notification.
Instinctively, he pulled it out and checked the message.
It was a voice note from Rebecca, sounding soft and pitiful.
"Matty, the light in my living room broke. There's no one home right now. Can you come over and help me?"
Matteo frowned and was about to decline when another voice message came through.
"Matty, I know you're bringing Ms. Walsh to the Gallagher family dinner tonight. I'll be all alone tonight, and without the light, I—"
She didn't finish her sentence, but the message ended with the sound of quiet sobbing.
Matteo clenched his jaw.
"If Eve comes back, call me immediately. I have something to take care of," he said, grabbing a fresh set of clothes and his car keys before heading out the door.
When Matteo arrived at Rebecca's place, he pushed the door open and saw her sprawled lazily on the couch, wearing nothing but a thin silk robe.
The fabric barely covered her, revealing a large expanse of pale skin.
She blinked sleepily at the sound of the door opening as if she had just woken up.
"Matty, you're here." She sounded delighted, immediately running toward him and throwing herself into his arms.
The softness of her body pressed against him, sending tingles up his spine.
"Why are you dressed like this? You'll catch a cold."
Out of habit, he held her close, letting her bury herself against his chest.
"I was scared," she murmured pitifully. "If you hadn't come, I would've been all alone tonight…"
Her voice trembled with vulnerability.
Without thinking, the words slipped out of his mouth. "Then, come to the Gallagher family dinner with me tonight."
The moment he said it, regret crashed over him.
He opened his mouth, about to take it back, but Rebecca had already lifted her head, her eyes red and filled with hope. "Really, Matty?"