Chapter 97
ELODIE’S POV~
Harry and Sienna were close. Everyone knew that.
And it was obvious that compared to me, people like Harry and Levi would much rather see Dante with Sienna. Someone who fits. Someone who made sense.
If anything, they probably hoped I would have something ambiguous going on with another man. Give Dante an excuse. Give him an easy out.
Why would they care about protecting his marriage when they wanted it to end?
I got in my car and drove away.
By the time I reached the old Wilson estate, it was fully dark outside.
The house was quiet. Just servants moving around, preparing for dinner. And Nonna.
She came out herself when she heard I’d arrived. Her face lit up with that warm, genuine smile she always had for me.
Then she looked past me. Toward the empty driveway, searching.
“Where’s Liora p>
Her smile faltered. Just slightly.
She didn’t ask about Dante. That wasn’t unusual, he rarely came home with me anymore. But Liora? Liora usually came with me whenever I visited.
The thing was, I didn’t know where Liora was.
After my ankle healed, after that one dinner at the villa, I’d barely heard from her. Didn’t know what she’d been doing over the weekend. Didn’t know who she’d been with.
Didn’t ask.
Couldn’t bring myself to.
“They should be here soon,” I said. Smiled like I meant it.
Nonna seemed satisfied with that answer. Assumed I knew their plans. Assumed everything was fine.
We sat in the living room and talked. She asked about work, about how I was feeling, about whether I was eating enough.
Normal grandmother things.
I answered on autopilot. Smiled when I was supposed to. Laughed when she made jokes. Perfectly pretending. Always pretending.
By 7:30, there was still no sign of Dante or Liora.
Nonna’s brow furrowed. “What time is it now? Why aren’t they here yet p>
She paused. Something flickered across her face, a memory, probably. Thinking about the hot spring resort. About how Dante had been absent then too.
Her expression darkened.
“Elodie,” she said, turning to me. “Could you call him? Remind him at all p>
I didn’t want to.
The last thing I wanted was to call Dante. To hear his voice. To be reminded of everything that was broken between us.
But Nonna was watching me and waiting.
So I picked up my phone and dialed his number.
He answered quickly. Like he’d been expecting it.
“We’ll be there in twenty minutes p>
No hello. No greeting. Just straight to the point.
I opened my mouth to respond but froze when I heard—
“Goodbye, Auntie Sienna p>
Liora’s voice, so bright and cheerful and was coming through the phone clear as day.
My heart stopped.
They were with Sienna.
Of course they were.
I should’ve known. Should’ve expected it.
But hearing it, actually hearing my daughter say those words p>
“Goodbye, Liora p>
Sienna’s voice came through the phone now. So Soft and warm and gentle. The voice of someone who’d become part of my daughter’s life without my permission.
Then, quieter, now to Dante, I think. “I’ll head upstairs first p>
Dante’s response was simple. “Mm p>
A casual, intimate sound.. The kind of acknowledgment you gave someone you were comfortable with. Someone you cared about.
The line went silent for a beat as though Dante wanted to make sure I listened to every conversation that was going on in the background to remind me of my place in their lives. Hah!
Then Dante’s voice came again. This time to me, it was cold and flat.
“Is there anything else p>
I stared at the wall across from me.
Is there anything else? I expected my eyes to start brewing with fresh tears at Dante’s flat tone but the new me now had no emotions and didn’t give two fucks if he still loved me or not. I felt extremely numb right now.
He sounded like I was a nuisance. Like this phone call was an inconvenience he needed to get through as quickly as possible.
Like I didn’t matter at all.
“No,” I said. My voice came out steadier than I felt. Emptier if you ask. “Just that Nonna is waiting p>
“We’ll be there p>
A click sound resounded and then he hung up.
I lowered the phone slowly and set it on my lap.
“Well?” Nonna asked. “Are they coming? Dante is really something else. That child gives me a lot of headaches!” Nonna was beginning to fume.
“Twenty minutes. They’d be here in twenty minutes.” I said, trying to force a smile that felt shaky on my lips. “Don’t be angry, Nonna. There’s a lot of traffic, that’s why they’re stuck. They’ll be here soon p>
She relaxed. “Good. Good p>
I smiled.
But inside, I was crumbling.
Nonna’s face had softened a bit after I told her they were coming, but she was still annoyed. I could see it in the set of her jaw.
“Well,” she declared, “let’s eat first. We won’t wait for them. He can have the leftovers p>
My eyes then shifted to the butler, who was standing quietly by the doorway, clearing his throat. “Miss Liora is still in the car, Madam p>
Nonna paused and her expression flickered.
Then she snorted. “Fine. Fine! For my great-granddaughter’s sake, I’ll let him off this time p>
I smiled at her but didn’t say anything.
What was there to say?
Twenty minutes later, the front door opened.
Nonna didn’t even look at Dante when he walked in. Just turned her attention to Liora, her whole face lighting up.
“Liora! You’re here p>
Liora ran toward her, her small feet pattering against the marble floor. “Great-grandma p>
Nonna scooped her up, and hugged her tight, and rubbed her head affectionately. The kind of unconditional love that grandmothers gave so easily.
Then she set Liora down and nudged her toward me. “Go say hello to your mother p>
Liora came over. “Mom p>
“Hey, sweetheart p>
I pulled her into a hug.
And caught it immediately.
That scent. The familiar, expensive and familiar and floral scent.
Unmistakably Sienna’s perfume.
It clung to Liora’s clothes. Her hair. Like she’d been wrapped in it all day.
My chest tightened.
I didn’t say anything. Just held her for a moment longer than necessary, then gently let her go.
“Did you have a good weekend p>
Liora nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! It was really fun p>
Fun. With Sienna, probably.
I didn’t ask for details. Didn’t want to hear them.
Dante had settled into the chair next to Nonna. He was holding out a small, elegant and clearly expensive box.
“A gift,” he said. “To apologize, Nonna p>
Nonna took it, and opened it. Inside was tea. Snow tea, specifically, the rare kind she loved. It was hard to find and ridiculously expensive.
Her way of knowing he was sorry about missing the hot spring trip.
She examined it for a moment, then snorted. “At least you remembered to bring something for your grandmother p>
She set the box aside.
Then her eyes narrowed.
“But what about Elodie?” She looked at Dante. “Did you prepare an apology gift for her p>
The room went still.
Dante smiled. That usual polite, empty smile he used for situations like this.
Then he glanced at me.
Just a look. Giving me a brief and meaningless look that was filled with no warmth, no guilt, no anything.
Just that silly acknowledgment that I existed in the same room as him.
He didn’t answer Nonna’s question.
Didn’t offer an apology. Didn’t pretend he had a gift hidden somewhere.
Just looked at me like I was furniture.
And then looked away.
Nonna’s expression tightened.