Dante walked back inside, leaving Celia and Thomas standing at the door, frozen and confused. Their expressions were a mixture of disbelief and humiliation, but Dante didn’t spare them another glance. He simply shut the door and let the silence swallow them.
When he returned to the living room, Emilia looked up immediately.
“Who was that?” she asked, curious but relaxed, her hand still wrapped around a cup of warm tea.
Dante didn’t even miss a beat. “It’s nobody important,” he said casually. “Just someone asking for directions.” He waved a hand dismissively, as if brushing away a speck of dust.
Emilia narrowed her eyes slightly. Something felt off. He had spent a little too long outside for it to be “nobody important.” But Dante gave her a small smile, and her suspicions softened thoug
