hey saw three people were alr

stern and dressed impeccably. Her p

le. Next to her, a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties lounged in his chair with a s

now who he was. She greeted everyone polit

nd she sat stiffly on the seat res

Isabella said blandly, referring

vy murmured,

I had some very important business to attend to yesterd

response to Ken, but she remained silent. The guy was

s to be evolving," Ken said with a catty gr

"Is that supposed t

sipped his coffee

could freeze water. "Ken," she

nversation," he

id out a full breakfast: fresh fruit, butte

breakfast. Heck, she was a cereal-and-coffee

ing everything into perfect bites. Ivy did her best to imitate

g the silence, "what are yo

on her orange ju

ly. You're a stranger to us, yet you now carry our name. I want to understan

ith a napkin. "Mother, we should pr

enzo. I asked her

h all due respect, ma'am, I'm not here to prove myself to any

fully aware of that. Nobody in this family will tolerate any sort of disrespect or disor

Ivy respo

oftly. "Feisty

ister-in-law at breakfast?" Ivy

her coffee, cough

meal. The rest of breakfast

vy made eye contact, and Isabella looked li

r suite, Ivy collapsed onto the vel

, and filled with landmines. An

e opening her texts. Still nothing. No me

is arrangement because she thought she could handle it, but so far, all sh

-----

artinelli mansion. Ivy, once a woman of humble means and noisy mornings, now w

rs, gold-gilded furniture. Yet each ornate detail only mad

l. She would enter each morning with a gentle knock, draw the curtains to let

g she had worked here, and whether she liked it. But Anna only responded with po

at a long, glossy table that could seat twenty, but most mornings it was just her, Isabella, and o

uld scroll through her phone, occasionally commenting on fashion trends or pop-cult

drunk or high, or both. He oozed the kind of arrogance that d

ed at her and his consistently rude remarks. He once called her "Lo

ng daily rituals. This morning, she excused herself fro

out at the garden. Lorenzo was still a ghost in her ne

e. Then she rationalized that he must be busy. But n

ess luxury that surrounded her, Ivy felt like

hly perhaps, hoping he might c

sten. She knew Lorenzo came home late. She heard his voice in the hallway someti

, and his voice floated in like a secret. He laughed lightly at something som

footsteps never approached her do

ing insane. The library became a refuge. Giulia had shown

xplain that she used to devour books at t

didn't whisper. Still, none of i

It was decency. Acknowledgment. Proof that sh

n the morning. She hadn't heard him come in, but she sensed his pre

n curls back, and slipped on the satin robe Anna ha

confront her husban

more time in the mirror before leaving her suite. Her bare feet padded ac