21 • No Congratulations

• Valle Astra, Italy •

◆ MAXIMILIANO ◆

"What kind of questions did they ask?"

"Nothing important." I scratched my forehead as my mother and I walked past the quiet and dim living room.

Before reaching the bottom end of the stairs, Mamma turned around to give me a perplexed gaze. "Did they ask about her staying over?"

"Yeah. Just some stupid questions about her address and last job."

"That's it?" she muttered with furrowed brows.

"It's fine. I handled it."

"They didn't ask about anything else?"

"No. They're just being paranoid." Although the chances of Adreana being a spy for the DEA or some other government agency remained kinda high, I shouldn't give my mother another reason to worry about me. About us.

Eleana Falco had enough problems to deal with on a daily basis, in and out of work.

I was one of those problems. "Sorry, Mamma."

My mother frowned. It drew fine lines on her small, naturally tan face and pale lips. "What? Why're you apologizing?"

"You didn't have to get up," I