JENNIFER
As we arrived at the mansion, I noticed how relaxed and happy my mom looked, which was a stark contrast to the worried image Luca had painted of her when he came for me. She was there, her laughter mingling with Marco's, sounding carefree and youthful. Her appearance belied any hint of the concern that Luca had suggested she harboured for my whereabouts. The cold that had gripped me earlier had subsided, thanks to Luca's unexpected gesture of offering his coat, which I still wore draped around my shoulders as I stepped into the living room.
"Hey, honey," my mother greeted me with a warm smile as I entered. "You're back. How was it?"
Before I could muster a reply, Luca brushed past us, his presence like a gust of cold wind. He ascended the stairs without a word, his indiffere
