Romano's POV
It's like the world had still, the pain was sharp and fiery, and every nerve screamed a raw chorus of agony. My hand instinctively clamped over my stomach, an futile attempt to cage the torment that sent me folding onto the ground. My face was a mask of sheer grimace, a cold sheen of sweat coating my forehead, and my jaw clenched hard enough to splinter.
“When did she...” The word was a useless wheeze, cut short by the pains.
It took only a minute or two for the searing intensity to recede to a throbbing ache. I shoved myself up, staggering forward, my hands instinctively curling into aggressive fists.
“How did she become so brutal and merciless?” I mumbled, fighting to draw a shallow breath as I stumbled to the nearest wall and leaned heavily against it.
A few more min
