Chapter 24

• Chapter 24: Avoiding Her II
• The smell of tomatoes and coffee lingers in the air, cozy and inviting—a delicate harmony of aromas that promises comfort and warmth. It's the kind of atmosphere that should welcome conversation, connection, perhaps even the tentative beginnings of understanding. But that fragile warmth dissipates instantly the moment he walks in, replaced by a chill that has nothing to do with the temperature.
• Luca enters the kitchen like a ghost—silent, expressionless, eyes locked determinedly on the refrigerator. His face is carefully composed into a mask of indifference, jaw set tight enough that a muscle twitches near his temple. He doesn't say a word. Doesn't even look at them. Just walks in as if the space contains nothing but appliances and furniture, as if human presence is merely an inconvenience to navigate around.