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CHAPTER 33

Author: Nancy Grey
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-21 00:03:19
Dahlia’s POV

The hum of voices dipped lower the second Luca stepped into the room. It wasn’t silence, but it was close enough to feel strange, like someone had turned down the volume of the world just for him. Heads turned, conversations slowed, and I could feel the shift in the air. Some people whispered behind their glasses of wine, others simply stared openly, their gazes following us like shadows that refused to let go.

I wasn’t sure if they were staring at him, or at me. Maybe at both of us together.

“Remember,” Luca’s voice brushed against my ear, his breath warm enough to send goosebumps crawling down my skin. “Stand tall.”

I swallowed and nodded, my throat tight, but I lifted my chin just the way Mrs. Cruz had taught me. Shoulders back, eyes steady, no fidgeting. You are Mrs. Romano. Never forget it.

People came closer in waves. The first few greeted Luca with handshakes and smiles that looked sharp and rehearsed, not warm at all. Some of them laughed a little too loudly at his
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