39. ATHENA
"Dad! Athena!" Claudia’s voice rang out behind us, sharp and impatient. I felt Lorenzo tense beside me, his grip tightening around my wrist. We both froze mid-step, his irritation radiating like heat.
"What is it?" Lorenzo turned slightly, his voice edged with frustration, his jaw clenched tight. He clearly wasn’t pleased by the interruption, and neither was I. He had been pulling me along, intent on taking me somewhere I still wasn’t sure of.
Claudia, unbothered by his tone, was practically beaming as she bounded up the stairs toward us, her steps quick and light. "I asked the guards to bring in the shopping... for Athena," she said, smiling wide, her excitement contagious.
I blinked, confused, as Lorenzo turned fully, his annoyance briefly masked by curiosity. "Shopping?"
