Author POV

The clinking of cutlery filled the long dining room, the sound too sharp against the thick silence between them. Luca barely touched his food. His jaw was tight, his expression darker than the coffee cooling in front of him.

His wife, unable to ignore it any longer, finally spoke. “Why have you been so angry since last night?” she asked carefully, studying him. “Your mood’s been terrible. What happened this time?”

Luca’s gaze snapped up, cold and cutting. “Why ...