Chapter 16. The Dinner

The morning began like all the others—the clink of porcelain, the scent of coffee, sunlight spilling through the tall windows.

After setting the breakfast tray on the table, Gabriella stepped out, humming under her breath. She returned a moment later, balancing two large boxes in her hands, her eyes bright with curiosity.

“Signorina,” she said, setting them on the table. “These arrived for you.”

Margherita glanced at them, a slow smile tugging at her lips. Two boxes—both elegantly wrapped, discreetly expensive.

“From him, I suppose,” she murmured, stirring her coffee.

She hadn’t seen Ezio since that night—the night she offered him her deal. He hadn’t come to gloat or to tease. Nothing. And yet, here was his answer, sitting on her table in silk paper and ribbon.

Gabriella, too curious to resist, hovered as Margherita untied the first box. Inside, beneath tissue paper, lay a dress—sleek, black, impossibly soft beneath her fingertips.

“Dio