Anna froze, her heart pounding. The air grew heavy, thick with tension. She didn’t dare look up, but she could feel Vincenzo’s stare burning into her. Her entire body trembled now, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

For a long moment, no one moved. Then, slowly, Vincenzo leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. The silence stretched, suffocating.

Anna didn’t know if she should apologize, pick up the mess, or run. All she knew was that she had made a mistake and Vincenzo had ...