At the expansive dining table, Hazel and Francisco sat at opposite ends, a tense silence lingering between them. The room echoed only with the clinking of cutlery against plates as they consumed their meals.

Lily, the silent servant in this grand mansion, served them with a demeanor that hinted at her reluctance. Once done, she discreetly left them alone in the vastness of the dining room.

Francisco's gaze lifted from his plate, fixing on Hazel. She wore a pink knee-length ...