Chapter 110
ELODIE’S POV~
I barely had time to process what he’d said before the line went dead.
I stood there in the hallway, my phone still pressed to my ear, staring at the blank screen. Typical Dante. Dante never wasted words, never lingered on a call longer than absolutely necessary. Especially not with me.
I shook it off and headed back to the meeting room. Johnny glanced up when I walked in, his expression shifting to concern.
“I need to go,” I said, already reaching for my bag. “Something came up p>
He started to ask, but I cut him off before he could. “Can you compile everything we covered today? Notes, issues, all of it. Send it to me later and I’ll go through it tonight p>
I didn’t want to be the reason we fell behind. Not when we were this close to finalizing everything.
Johnny studied me for a beat, then gave a small nod and waved me toward the door. “Already done. Now get out of here before I change my mind p>
I managed a grateful smile and left.
Thirty minutes later, I pulled into the driveway of the villa.
Dante’s car was already there, that sleek black SUV he preferred, parked perfectly as always.
So he’d come home early.
I sat in my car for a moment longer than necessary, my hands still gripping the wheel, trying to steady the strange flutter in my chest. Nonna was inside. That was good. That was safe. But it also meant I’d have to sit through dinner pretending everything between Dante and me wasn’t falling apart.
I took a breath and got out.
The moment I stepped through the door, I saw Dante, Nonna, and Liora, all sitting together on the sofa, in mid-conversation. They looked so natural, so comfortable, like a real family.
Dante noticed me first.
His eyes lifted, meeting mine for the briefest second before he looked away, his expression giving nothing.
But Nonna… Sweet Nonna’s whole face lit up. She rose from her seat with that warm, familiar smile that always made me feel like I mattered. “Mag, there you are! We’ve been waiting for you p>
“Sorry I’m late,” I said softly.
She crossed over and took my hand, her touch gentle and reassuring. “Don’t apologize, sweetheart. You must be starving. Come, dinner’s ready. Let’s eat before it gets cold p>
“Alright p>
We moved into the dining room, and this time Dante didn’t wait for Nonna to tell him what to do. He pulled out the chair beside him without a word, his movements was smooth and automatic.
I hesitated for just a second, then sat down.
Nonna immediately began piling food onto my plate, her brow furrowing as she looked me over. “You’re getting too thin, Mag. Don’t tell me you’ve been skipping meals again p>
She shot a pointed look at Dante as she said it.
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink. But a moment later, he reached for the serving dish and added more vegetables to my plate without being asked.
I blinked, caught off guard. “Thank you p>
He said nothing. Just picked up his fork and started eating like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Nonna wasn’t done. She launched into a lecture about how she’d brought half a pharmacy’s worth of supplements from the Bellini Pack and how both Dante and I were going to take them whether we liked it or not. She went on about bone broth and herbal teas and all the remedies she’d learned during her time in the Yonsei Pack, back when she was young and adventurous.
I didn’t have the heart to refuse her. I never did.
So I nodded along, murmuring agreement, even though I knew most of those supplements would probably end up forgotten in the back of a cupboard somewhere.
After dinner, Nonna insisted on heading into the kitchen herself to sort through everything and prepare the first batch. I offered to help, I wanted to help, needed something to keep my hands busy but she waved me off like I was being ridiculous.
“You’ve been working all day. Go sit down and rest. I’ll call you when it’s ready p>
There was no arguing with her.
So I found myself back in the living room, sinking into the sofa with nothing to do but sit in the strange, heavy quiet.
Liora was on the floor, bent over a mechanical puzzle, her little fingers working carefully to snap the pieces into place. Dante was on the opposite end of the sofa, scrolling through something on his phone, his work emails, probably. His face was unreadable, his posture relaxed but distant.
No one spoke.
I pulled out my own phone and pretended to be busy, but I wasn’t really looking at anything. My mind kept drifting, my eyes wandering between Liora’s focused expression and the sharp line of Dante’s jaw as he read.
My phone buzzed with a message from Johnny. I glanced down, skimming through the details he’d sent over, and fired back a quick response.
I was so absorbed in typing that I didn’t notice Nonna coming out of the kitchen until she was already standing in the doorway, wiping her hands on a towel.
Dante had already set his phone down by then, his attention shifting toward her.
I quickly put mine away, straightening up. “Nonna p>
She looked at the three of us, me on one end of the sofa, Dante on the other, Liora still lost in her puzzle on the floor and let out a long, weary sigh. “You all p>
She trailed off, shaking her head like she didn’t even know where to start. Then she walked over and settled down beside me, her eyes curious. “What’s keeping you so busy p>
“Just some things at work,” I said vaguely.
Nonna let out a short, disapproving huff and jabbed a finger in Dante’s direction. “If you’re drowning in work, why don’t you ask *him* for help? What’s he doing just sitting there like a statue p>
I froze.
I didn’t bring up the fact that I’d already left Wilson Group. That I didn’t work for Dante anymore. That asking him for help wasn’t exactly an option.
Instead, I glanced over at him.
He was watching me, his expression unreadable but… not cold. For once, he didn’t look annoyed or indifferent. If anything, he seemed almost relaxed. And when Nonna made her comment, he didn’t correct her. Didn’t mention that I’d resigned.
It hit me then. He was probably worried that if he brought it up, Nonna would launch into a lecture and insist I come back to Wilson Group. And neither of us wanted that conversation.
Nonna moved on quickly, changing the subject and suggesting we all take a walk through the garden with her.
We did. The evening air was cool and pleasant, the garden lit softly by lanterns along the pathway. Nonna walked slowly, her arm looped through mine, talking about everything and nothing, about her trip here, the weather, how the jasmine was blooming beautifully this year.
It was peaceful in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.
When we came back inside, Nonna stretched and yawned, clearly exhausted. “I’m going to take a shower and lie down for a bit. The soup will be ready soon, make sure you both drink it while it’s hot p>
I opened my mouth to agree, then stopped.
The way she said it, ‘you both’ implied I’d be staying here tonight. I looked over at Dante, uncertain.
He caught my gaze and waited until Nonna had walked a little farther down the hall before saying quietly, “She’s planning to stay for a while p>
“What?” I blinked, caught completely off guard.
He didn’t elaborate. Just said, “I’ll be in the study,” and headed upstairs without waiting for a response.
I stood there for a moment, processing, before Liora came bounding down the stairs and grabbed my hand, tugging me toward her room. She wanted help with her Rubik’s Cube, and I couldn’t say no.
We spent over an hour working on it together, her little brow furrowed in concentration, until Sabina appeared in the doorway holding a bowl of steaming soup.
“Madam, the soup is ready p>
“Thank you,” I said, taking it from her carefully. The bowl was warm against my palms.
“Mrs. Wilson said to make sure you drink it while it’s still hot p>
“I will. I’ll drink it now p>
Sabina nodded and left to bring the other bowl to Dante.
I sipped the soup slowly, savoring the rich, earthy flavor, while gently nudging Liora toward the bathroom for her bath.
Once she was settled with Sabina’s help, I realized something with a sinking feeling.
Since Nonna was staying, I couldn’t sleep in Liora’s room tonight.
Which meant I’d have to go back to the master bedroom.
After Liora finished her bath and was tucked into bed, I made my way down the hall, my stomach twisting into knots.
Dante wasn’t there. Probably still in the study.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
I still had a few things to finish up from Johnny’s earlier messages, some tricky issues I needed to think through, so I sat on the edge of the bed and worked through them on my phone. But my brain felt sluggish, and I kept hitting dead ends.
Frustrated, I decided a shower might help clear my head.
I grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom, letting the hot water wash away the tension in my shoulders. I stayed under the spray longer than I needed to, letting my mind wander, trying to solve the problem piece by piece.
When I finally stepped out and dried off, slipping into my sleepwear, I realized with a jolt of panic that I’d forgotten to bring my sleep pants.
The ones I’d taken off earlier were draped over the counter, slightly damp from when I’d washed my face.
I stood there for a moment, debating.
Dante probably wasn’t back yet. He usually spent hours in the study when he was working.
After a beat of hesitation, I cracked the door open and stepped out.
And immediately locked eyes with Dante.
He was standing near the dresser, his tie loosened, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar. He’d clearly just come in.
We both froze.