Chapter 25 Conversations Over Wine

• The private bar was dimly lit, the warm glow of amber lights reflecting off the rows of expensive bottles lined up behind the polished counter. Sofia leaned against the bar, swirling a glass of wine in her hand. She was restless, her thoughts tangled in the events of the past weeks, and the silence of the penthouse had become unbearable.
• Lorenzo sat a few stools away, his posture relaxed but his sharp eyes ever-watchful. He had been tasked with escorting her tonight, as always, but she could sense his unease at being relegated to a role so far removed from the danger and violence she now understood to be his norm.
• “I don’t want to drink alone,” Sofia said, breaking the quiet. Her voice was soft but carried a faint edge of vulnerability. She gestured toward the empty glass in front of him. “Join me. It’s not like you’re going anywhere.”