ARIA
“Luca, what are you doing?” I whispered urgently, my fingers tightening around his as panic crept up my spine.
I tried to pull my hand away, my instincts screaming at me to disappear, to undo the moment before it grew teeth and claws. But his grip tightened slightly, steady and warm, and he leaned closer, his lips barely brushing my ear.
“Stay still,” he whispered back. “Please.”
Then he turned fully to the press, his expression calm but firm, the kind of calm that carried authority.
“This is not the right place to do this,” Luca said clearly. “Today is the grand opening of my girlfriend’s business, and I would appreciate it if everyone respects that.”
The silence that followed was heavy and unreal.
Phones slowly lowered. Camera lights blinked off one by one. Whispers died in t
