ALEX POV
“Alex, we need to talk.”
The moment the words left my father’s mouth, I could feel the weight of them hanging in the air, thick and suffocating. I glanced around the table, trying to gauge everyone’s reactions. Paolo was avoiding eye contact, staring down at his plate like it held the answers to the universe, while my mother’s lips were pressed into a tight line. The only one oblivious to the mounting tension was Alice, but even that wouldn’t last long. She was sharp—sharper than most gave her credit for—and it wouldn’t take much for her to figure out something was wrong.
“I can feel the tension in the air, Dad,” I said, trying to keep my tone light, even as my insides twisted. “But maybe this isn’t the best time. Let’s just enjoy dinner, and we’ll talk afterward.”
My father’s
