Chapter 44 So You Married An Old Man

• Sophia
• The morning sun streamed softly through the large windows of the Ricci dining room, casting golden beams that danced across the beautifully set table where I sat with Christian and his mother, Eleanor, the warmth of the light doing little to ease the tension in my chest as I nervously twisted my napkin between my fingers, pretending to be more focused on the food in front of me than I really was.
• Christian sat to my right, looking sharp and serious in his suit, while Mrs. Ricci sat across from us, her sharp, knowing eyes moving between us like she was reading all the things we weren’t saying, and I could tell she sensed that something was off, that we were holding something back.