THIRD PERSON POV
Valentina was the first to break the silence. She offered Aria a smile that was just a little too polite, her voice smooth, practiced.
“Aria,” she said, dipping her head in a greeting. “It’s been a long time.”
Aria’s lips curved faintly, but her eyes didn’t soften. “Has it?”
Valentina’s gaze flickered—something unreadable there—before she turned back to Matteo. “We’ll talk another time,” she murmured, her tone laced with implication only he would catch. Then she slipped past Aria, her heels clicking against the marble as she disappeared into the crowd.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Matteo exhaled, turning fully toward his wife. His hand reached for hers, warm and steady, his smile practiced perfection. “Aria, that was nothing. Just business.”
Her brow a
