“You’re a monster,” she whispered.
After the final curtain, she went not to the dressing room, but to Scarpia’s box.
That night, Flavia did not sleep. She walked to the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, where Luca often prayed. The moon cast blue shadows across the marble floor. “You’re a monster,” she whispered
He smiled. “Luca Rinaldi was seen near the Porta del Popolo last night. At the same time, Angiolotti slipped past the guards.” He pushed a sheet of paper toward her. It was a death warrant, signed but unnamed. “Tell me where the consul is hidden, and Luca lives. Refuse, and I will fill his body with more holes than a colander. Then, tomorrow night, you will sing Tosca for me. Alone.”
That night, during the Te Deum , Flavia felt Scarpia’s gaze from the royal box like a knife between her shoulders. She sang the final, defiant cry—“Tosca! Finally, I am Tosca!”—but in her heart, she was Flavia, and she was terrified. She walked to the church of Sant’Andrea della
“Why?” Flavia asked.
But this time, when she sang “Vissi d’arte,” she would mean every word. “Luca Rinaldi was seen near the Porta del
But outside, soldiers were already dragging Luca into the courtyard. Scarpia had given orders before the performance: If I do not send a signal by midnight, shoot the captain.