Alessia Mancini
Vitale's gaze darted between us, and I saw the exact moment she realized she had miscalculated. The air in the casino seemed to grow heavier, charged with potential violence.
I stepped forward, aligning myself perfectly with Giovanni. His arm slid around my waist, warm and possessive. The weight of it grounded me, steadying my nerves even as adrenaline coursed through my veins.
"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider your standing and perhaps be more truthful, Vitale?" I asked, keeping my voice soft but lacing it with steel. "Why are you really here?"
The casino's lights glinted off Vitale's silver-streaked hair as she tilted her head, studying me with newfound wariness. I could almost see the gears turning behind her carefully composed expression.
"My dear," she sa
