The breakfast was winding down, and I felt relief wash over me. It had gone smoother than I expected, despite the formal stiffness in the air. The servers moved swiftly, clearing the plates and dishes until only the wine bottles remained. The men continued talking, their conversation now more relaxed, but still over my head, with words like "territories" and "expansions" being thrown around as if they were discussing stock market trends.
I leaned back in my chair, taking a sip of my wine and trying to stay invisible. The last thing I wanted was to get pulled into any part of this. I’d done my part—hosted, poured the wine, and smiled when necessary. I was about to mentally check out when everywhere went silent and Luca turned to me, his voice cutting through my thoughts. “Valentina, why do
