The dining hall wasn’t a meal setting.
It was a stage.
Elize understood that the moment she stepped in.
Luca was already at the head of the table. Enzo stood near the side. Sofia sat with her usual detached calm. Two unfamiliar men completed the arrangement—both silent, both watching too much.
No one here was just “present.”
Everyone had a purpose.
“Elize,” Luca said calmly. “Sit.”
No tone. No warmth.
Just control.
She did.
Immediately.
That alone shifted something in the room.
Enzo noticed.
So did Sofia.
Good.
Let them notice.
The conversation started lightly—political alliances, business talk, territory discussions disguised as dinner conversation.
But Elize wasn’t fooled.
Nothing here was light.
Every pause was measured.
Every glance had weight.
She stayed quiet unl
