Chapter 23 The Interrogative Dinner

• Alessia'
• I followed Luca into the dining room, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor. The room was grand, with towering ceilings and a chandelier that seemed to drip with diamonds. At the center of it all sat Madam Claudia, her posture regal, her piercing eyes watching us like a predator sizing up its prey.
• "Come, sit," she said, her voice as smooth as velvet yet carrying an undertone of steel. She gestured to the two chairs opposite her at the long, mahogany table. The air felt thick, and my stomach churned as Luca pulled out my chair.