It was the thud of a body making contact with the wall that finally tore his attention from Claudia. Ezio shoved himself back from her, his nails beginning to leave scratches in the wood floor. How could he explain something he was only just coming to realize himself?

"Claudia, per l'amor di Dio, don't come any closer. Please!" He waved at her to stop when she came after him, ready with an argument.

"Ezio, what kind of a thing to say is that!" And so it began.