Chapter 203

　　Fern's Perspective 　　I never imagined I'd be standing in front of Giovanni at a moment like this. Six years had passed—six years enough for me to almost forget that painful memory, those deep and tangled emotions. But today, fate had brought me face-to-face with those eyes, eyes that once pierced so deeply into my heart. 　　My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might jump out of my chest. Instinctively, I hid Daniel behind me, doing my best to block Giovanni's view. Even though I knew Giovanni's gaze was far sharper than I'd ever anticipated. My body tensed, frozen, barely able to move, and the clash of reason and instinct sent a wave of vertigo through me. 　　Giovanni didn't speak right away. His gaze sliced across my shoulder with the precision of a blade, cutting through my tight grip on Daniel's hand. I was sure he could see me hiding my son behind me, because the brief flicker of emotion in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by an icy coldness that almost took my breath