Chapter 15

• The dining room was alight with warmth and grandeur, the clinking of silverware against plates filling the air as conversations hummed around the table. Maya sat stiffly in her chair, her eyes flicking between Victor Castellano and the polished, intimidating guests who filled the room. She felt like a fish out of water, the outsider amidst a sea of power and opulence.
• Victor, seated at the head of the table, exuded authority. His presence alone seemed to command the attention of everyone in the room, including Maya. He leaned back casually in his chair, sipping his wine as he observed his guests with a calculating gaze. Every now and then, his sharp eyes landed on her, making her stomach twist.
• “Tell me, Maya,” Victor began suddenly, his smooth, low voice cutting through the chatter. “What was it that brought you back to Country Z after all these years?”