The silence that followed Elia's departure was thick, making a ringing sound across the air. Fiore was left standing in the corridor with Lance, the quiet stretching between them. She couldn’t help but wonder why Lance hadn’t left yet. He seemed rooted to the spot, as if there were words caught in his throat that he couldn’t quite bring himself to say.
Internally, Fiore remained unsettled by Elia's question, which had clearly been a veiled reference to Lance, just as Dominic had been during their first meeting. The question seemed to carry more weight than she initially realized, but she pushed the thought aside, determined not to let it cloud her mind further.
Fiore shifted awkwardly, her hand brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she tried to find something to break the tension. "S
