Chapter 116
Elodie’s POV
I felt my stomach twist. “Nonna, I already brought my own p>
“Don’t worry, tesoro. It’s nothing inappropriate. Open it and see for yourself p>
I lifted the lid slowly, like the box might bite me. And there the Lingerie was.
My face went hot immediately. Of course it was lingerie. What else would Nonna put in a fancy box and tell me to wear to the hot springs?
But as I looked closer, I realized it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. It was actually… pretty similar to what I usually wore. A simple, elegant set. Nothing over-the-top.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.
Nonna’s smile widened, like she could read every thought racing through my head. “Make sure you wear it, cara p>
I hesitated, the fabric soft between my fingers. Alright p>
The door opened.
I looked up, and there was Dante, standing in the doorway, his eyes immediately landing on the box in my hands.
I slammed the lid shut so fast I nearly caught my fingers in it.
Dante paused. Just for a second. Then his expression smoothed over into that infuriatingly blank mask he always wore, and he turned to Nonna like he hadn’t just walked in on the most awkward moment of my life.
“Nonna, did you need something p>
“Yes! I came to hurry you both along.” She swatted at his arm, shooing him toward the bathroom. “Go change into your robe. We’re going to the hot springs p>
Dante didn’t argue. He just nodded, grabbed something from his bag, and disappeared into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, he emerged wearing a bathrobe, his hair still damp from a quick rinse, the belt tied loosely around his waist.
I didn’t look at him. I just grabbed my own things and locked myself in the bathroom before my brain could spiral any further.
I stared at myself in the mirror.
The lingerie Nonna had given me looked… fine. At first glance, it seemed almost identical to what I usually wore.
But when I looked closer, really looked, I realized the fabric was thinner. Way thinner. Almost sheer in certain lights. And the underwear? It was barely there.
It wasn’t inappropriate, exactly. But it was different. More sexy.
And it was red. Bright red.
And against my pale skin, it looked… I don’t know. It looked like something a woman would wear if she was trying to get someone’s attention.
I felt my cheeks heat up as I stared at my reflection.
Nonna, what are you doing to me?
But I didn’t hate it. And that was the worst part.
I didn’t hate the way it looked. Didn’t hate the way it made me feel, like maybe, just for a second, I was someone worth looking at.
So I pulled the bathrobe on over it, tied the belt tight, and stepped out before I could change my mind.
Dante was gone by the time I emerged.
I stood in the empty room for a moment, clutching the edges of my robe, trying to steady my breathing.
Then Nonna appeared in the doorway, practically glowing with satisfaction.
“Dante’s already in the small pool on the left, cara. Go join him p>
I blinked. “The small pool p>
“Yes! It’s very cozy. Private. Perfect for the two of you p>
Oh no.
I knew exactly which pool she meant. I’d seen it when we checked in. It was a tiny, intimate space tucked away from the main baths. Barely three square meters. If two people sat in it, they’d be close enough to touch without even trying.
Nonna was setting me up.
And she wasn’t even being subtle about it.
“Nonna, I don’t think p>
“Go.” She gave me a gentle push toward the door. “Don’t make him wait p>
I wanted to argue. Wanted to tell her this was a terrible idea, that Dante didn’t want me anywhere near him, that this whole thing was pointless.
But Nonna was already steering me down the hallway, and I didn’t have the energy to fight her.
The pool was tucked behind a bamboo partition, steam rising from the water in lazy curls.
And there was Dante, sitting in the pool, his bathrobe discarded on a nearby bench, his back against the stone edge. His eyes were closed, his head tilted back slightly, droplets of water clinging to his neck and collarbone.
He looked… relaxed. Almost peaceful.
Until he heard my footsteps.
His eyes opened, and his gaze landed on me.
I froze.
For a second, neither of us moved. He just looked at me, his expression unreadable, and I stood there like an idiot, clutching the edges of my robe.
Then his eyes dipped lower, just for a second and I realized what he was looking at.
The robe had shifted slightly when I walked, and the red fabric underneath was peeking through.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Damn it, Nonna.
I quickly adjusted the robe, tying the belt tighter, and forced myself to move forward.
Now, standing at the edge of the pool with my bathrobe still on, I could feel his gaze on me still.
And all I could think about was what I was wearing underneath.
Don’t be weird. Just act normal.
I put my things down on the stone bench, took a breath, and untied the robe.
The fabric slipped off my shoulders, pooling at my feet.
And there I stood. In Nonna’s carefully selected red lingerie. Fully visible.
Dante went still.
I could see the way his eyes tracked over me, briefly. Taking in the thin fabric, the color against my skin, the way it clung to me in the humid air.
I knew what he was thinking.
He probably assumed Nonna had put me up to this. That I was trying to seduce him or something equally ridiculous. That I’d worn this hoping something would happen between us.
But that wasn’t it at all.
I wore it because I liked it. Because for once, I wanted to feel like something other than invisible. And if Dante wanted to read into that, twist it into something it wasn’t, that was his problem, not mine.
I wasn’t going to avoid wearing something I actually liked just because he might misunderstand.
So I didn’t flinch. Didn’t cover myself or make excuses. I just stepped into the water like it was the most natural thing in the world, settling onto the stone seat two spaces away from him.
Dante’s gaze shifted away.
The silence stretched between us, and I could see him out of the corner of my eye, the water lapping just below his collarbone, his chest lean and defined, droplets sliding down his skin.
I looked away.
This is fine. This is totally normal.
I was trying to convince myself of that when Dante’s voice cut through the quiet.
“Do you want something to eat p>
I blinked, surprised. He pushed a small bowl of snacks toward me that was filled with pastries, fruit, things the resort had left for us.
He didn’t respond. Just leaned back against the edge of the pool, his eyes half-closed like he was already retreating into his own world again.
I picked up one of the pastries and took a small bite. It was good, flaky, sweet but I had no appetite. After finishing one piece, I pushed the bowl back toward him.
The water was so clear I could see everything beneath the surface.
And as I slid the bowl across, my eyes accidentally, just accidentally dipped lower to Dante’s lower body.
And I realized, with a sinking, humiliating certainty, that there was no reaction. None. Not even a flicker.
If it had been any other woman sitting here in red lingerie, maybe she would’ve thought he just wasn’t capable. That something was wrong.
But I knew better.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t. It was that I didn’t do anything for him. Never had. Probably never would.
This had nothing to do with what I was wearing. It had everything to do with who I was.
Or rather, who I wasn’t.
I’m not Sienna.
The thought hit me hard, but I swallowed it down and pulled my gaze away before he could notice.
I’d already known this. We were getting divorced. There was no future here. No point in wanting something that was never mine to begin with.
I wore the lingerie because I knew it wouldn’t affect him. Because I knew I was safe from the heartbreak of hoping.
The water was warm, soothing, and after a while I started to feel drowsy. My body melted into the heat, my eyelids growing heavy.
But I didn’t let myself fall asleep.
Instead, I stood up, water streaming off my skin, and reached for my robe.
“I’m going to head out,” I said quietly.
“Mm p>
That was it. One sound. No are you okay or *
see you later or even glance in my direction.
Just… mm.
I tied the robe around myself, grabbed my things, and walked away without looking back.
I was heading toward the elevator when I nearly collided with Nonna.
She looked surprised and a little disappointed.
“Finished already, cara p>
I forced a smile. “Yeah. I was getting a little tired p>
Her eyes searched my face, like she was trying to read between the lines. “And Dante p>
“Still in the pool p>
“Hmm.” She frowned, clearly unsatisfied with how things had gone.