ELODIE’S POV~
A wave of embarrassnt hit , but I forced myself to stay calm.
We were still married, after all. And even though things had been strained between us lately, it wasn’t like we hadn’t shared a bed plenty of tis before.
I’d never actively tried to seduce him, despite the foolish hope I used to carry that maybe, just maybe, he’d fall in love with soday.
But I’d always known it was pointless. So I never acted on it.
My usual sleepwear was modest, which was a loose, two-piece set with a simple collar. Today was no different. I was wearing a similar style, an oversized shirt that hung long enough to cover decently.
Even without the pants, I didn’t think it looked inappropriate.
Still, to avoid any awkwardness or worse, him thinking I was trying to pull sothing, I quickly said, "I just forgot to grab my pants..."
What I didn’t realize was that my top, as modest as it seed to , didn’t quite account for the rest. My legs that were long and bare were on full display from mid-thigh down. And the loose fabric, instead of hiding my shape, seed to accentuate it in all the wrong ways. The way it skimd over my hips, the way it shifted when I moved.
My skin was still warm and slightly flushed from the shower, and my hair was damp, clinging to my neck and shoulders.
I looked like I’d just rolled out of soone’s bed wearing their shirt.
And that realization hit a second too late.
Dante’s eyes lingered on for a mont, just a mont, before he looked away, his jaw tightening slightly. "Hmm."
That was it. Just a low hum of acknowledgnt.
I let out a quiet breath of relief. At least he didn’t seem to think I was doing this on purpose.
Without another word, I walked past him toward the walk-in closet, acutely aware of how exposed I felt under his gaze, even though he wasn’t looking anymore.
I grabbed a pair of sleep pants and pulled them on quickly, my hands fumbling slightly with the waistband.
When I ca back out, Dante was still in the room.
I paused, unsure if he had sothing to say. But he didn’t look at , didn’t acknowledge at all.
So I didn’t say anything either. I just walked past him and sat down at the vanity, reaching for my skincare products.
Behind , I heard him move. He got up, crossed the room, and disappeared into the walk-in closet. A mont later, the bathroom door closed.
I exhaled slowly and focused on my reflection in the mirror, smoothing serum onto my skin in slow, deliberate motions.
By the ti I finished, it was already late. I climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin, and stared at the ceiling.
I was exhausted, physically, emotionally but sleep wouldn’t co. My mind kept replaying the day. Nonna’s unexpected visit. Dante agreeing to help with the villa situation. The way he’d wiped the tear from my cheek last night.
The night before, I’d slept peacefully beside Liora, her little body warm and comforting next to mine. But tonight, lying in this bed, knowing Dante would be here soon, my emotions were a tangled ss.
I heard the bathroom door open. A few monts later, the lights clicked off, plunging the room into darkness.
The mattress dipped slightly as Dante settled onto his side of the bed.
I could feel the distance between us that was vast, even though we were only a few feet apart. He didn’t say anything. Didn’t move closer. Didn’t acknowledge at all.
The room was silent except for the faint hum of the air conditioning and the sound of our breathing.
It took a long ti, longer than I wanted to admit before my thoughts finally blurred and I drifted off to sleep.
---
The next morning, I woke up to find myself alone in the bed.
The space beside was empty, the sheets cool to the touch. Dante had already gotten up.
I rubbed my eyes and sat up slowly, my body still heavy with sleep.
After washing up and getting dressed, I headed downstairs.
Nonna was already awake, sitting in the dining room with a cup of tea in her hands. She looked up when she saw , her face brightening.
She was about to say sothing when the front door opened.
Dante walked in, dressed in a gray athletic outfit, his hair damp and slightly disheveled from sweat. He must have just finished a morning run.
He nodded at Nonna, his voice calm and even. "Morning."
Nonna looked at the two of us with clear displeasure. "You both woke up so early?"
I blinked, surprised. I would have thought waking up early was a good thing.
But before I could think too much about it, Dante, his expression calm and unbothered, spoke up. "I’ve studied pharmacology. That soup you made last night? It doesn’t work on ."
Then he turned and walked upstairs without waiting for a response.
I stood there, frozen, as the aning of his words slowly clicked into place.
The soup.
Nonna had put sothing in it. Sothing to... encourage things between us. And Dante had figured it out. Worse, from the sound of it, he hadn’t even drunk his.
I hadn’t expected Nonna to do sothing like that.
My frown deepened, and I opened my mouth to say sothing, anything at all but Nonna let out a long, dramatic sigh before I could.
"Sotis knowing too much ruins everything," she muttered, shaking her head. "I just want another grandchild, is that so wrong? Mag, if you get the chance, you and Dante should really try harder, you know?"
I stood there, completely speechless.
Try harder?
Even if Dante had agreed to help last night, I knew better than to think there was any romantic possibility left between us. That ship had sailed long ago, if it had ever existed at all.
If sothing had actually happened between us last night because of that soup? That would have been a disaster. A humiliating, awkward disaster.
And as for having another child?
Absolutely not.
Before I could spiral any further, Liora ca bounding down the stairs, her backpack already slung over one shoulder.
When she saw , her expression softened just a little, though I could still see the shadow of her admiration for Sienna lingering behind her eyes.
During breakfast, Dante once again sat down beside without a word. We ate in silence, neither of us initiating conversation.
Yesterday, I’d taken Liora to school. But today, she turned to Dante with hopeful eyes and asked if he could take her instead.
He didn’t even hesitate. "Sure."
Nonna glanced at , then back at Dante. "Take Elodie with you. You’re both heading in the sa direction anyway."
I jumped in quickly. "No need, Nonna. He has too many etings and social engagents. He’s barely at the office. I don’t have a car there, so it would be inconvenient."
Nonna waved off like I was being ridiculous. "He can go to his etings. And if you need a ride ho, just call the driver."
Before I could protest further, she nodded decisively. "It’s settled."
I stood there for a mont, looking at Dante.
He said nothing. But his silence spoke volus, he’d agreed.
After breakfast, I had no choice but to follow him and Liora out to the car.
Liora, familiar with the routine, happily climbed in. The fact that both Dante and I were taking her today seed to make her especially cheerful.
But for ? I couldn’t rember the last ti I’d ridden in Dante’s car. It had been months. Maybe longer.
As Liora settled into the backseat, I moved to follow her in but Dante suddenly spoke up.
"Sit on the other side."
I froze, heat creeping up my neck.
I hesitated, then walked around to the passenger side, where the driver opened the door for .
The car felt cramped with Liora between us in the back, wait, no. She wasn’t between us. I was in the front. Alone.
Dante was in the back with Liora, already pulling out his phone and typing away at sothing. He looked completely absorbed, his expression unreadable.
I stared straight ahead, trying to ignore the awkwardness pressing down on .
Behind , I heard Liora shift, and a mont later, her voice piped up. "Ah, it’s Auntie Sienna!"
My stomach clenched.
Dante responded with a casual "Mm," not even looking up.
I could feel Liora glance at from the corner of her eye, gauging my reaction. But she didn’t say anything else about whatever conversation Dante was having with Sienna.
After a while, Liora seed to grow bored. I heard her fidgeting, then the sound of the storage compartnt clicking open.
I wasn’t trying to snoop, I really wasn’t to be honest but as she rummaged through it, my peripheral vision caught a glimpse of what was inside.
A lipstick.
A small designer handbag.
And a little backpack that Liora used to carry around.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the lipstick and handbag belonged to Sienna.
The realization hit like a punch to the gut.
That’s why Dante had told to sit on the other side.
That seat, the one I’d almost sat in, was Sienna’s seat. The one she always occupied when she rode in this car with him.
He didn’t want sitting there.
He didn’t want anywhere near it.
I turned my head and stared out the window, my jaw tight, my hands clenched in my lap.
I told myself it didn’t matter.
But the ache in my chest said otherwise.
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