*ADELINE*
We made our way toward the dining room, a comfortable chatter flowing between us, but my mind kept slipping back to Vincenzo. Would he be there? Would he look at me with those same smoldering eyes? I barely felt my heart speeding up with anticipation as we entered the dimly lit room, filled with flickering candles and a sumptuous spread of food.
And then it hit me like a wall—the moment I stepped in, my bubble of hope burst with a single glance. Vincenzo sat at the head of the table, a towering figure among the guests, but he looked different; cold as ice, utterly detached. Unfamiliar faces surrounded him—people I had never seen before, their conversations buzzing with ease as I felt like an outsider in this elegant gathering.
It felt unsettling to join a dinner with peopl
