Giovanni POV

I took a long deep breath before speaking. “Let’s attend—since we’re not spending more time,” I told Gray.

He turned to me, his eyes sharp, searching my face.

“Are you sure about this? We can go home if you don’t want to be here.”

I forced a small smile and nodded, knowing fully well I had no choice—not after Cole had cornered me in front of everyone.

“Thank you so much, Giovanni. Such a sweet soul,” Cole said smoothly, his eyes glinting with ...