The evening had arrived, and Giana stood in the mansion’s expansive kitchen, her hands busy with the ingredients spread out before her. The aroma of fresh garlic and herbs filled the air as she sautéed vegetables, the rhythm of her movements offering a moment of peace in the otherwise tense household. For the first time in days, she felt somewhat in control—something familiar and simple she could focus on.
Cassio had been distant since their conversation earlier, his mind preoccupied with the ominous shadows of his family’s business, but Giana couldn’t let it linger. Not tonight. She’d planned to prepare a quiet dinner for the two of them—a small escape from the chaos that constantly hovered over them.
The kitchen, with its polished marble countertops and gleaming silverware, felt like a
