- Luca
The dining hall was exactly what I expected—long tables decorated with expensive centerpieces, and people who talked about business while they ate.
Aunt Camilla cornered me almost immediately.
“Show’s over, I take it?” she murmured, her eyes scanning the room. “The damsel is safe.”
“I took her to the hospital,” I said. “She’s dehydrated and stressed.”
“Or she’s an expert at knowing exactly when to collapse.”
I grimaced. “Aunt—”
“Don’t ‘Aunt’ me,” she said. “You’re a smart boy, Luca. Don’t play dumb now.”
She had a point.
“I saw Aria,” Camilla added. “She looked like she was attending a stranger’s funeral.”
There it was again—that silent strength Aria always carried. She had been pushed to her limit, but she hadn't snapped.
That was worse.
Someth
