"Do I know you?" Theo asked, his voice firm, his eyes narrowed. He didn't wait for a response. With a swift, decisive movement, he reached for his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. "Security," he called out, his voice sharp and commanding, cutting through the restaurant's low hum.

The woman's mouth snapped shut, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Stella, completely bewildered by the sudden escalation, felt a knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach. "Hey, calm down!" she urged, her ...