Chapter 0195

The party is already in full swing when we get there, which makes sense. Even though Kent is technically the host, there’s no

way he’s not going to make an entrance. I walk in on Daniel's arm and find my breath almost immediately stolen at the beautiful

scene before me — though I’m not sure why I’m so surprised. When Kent does something, he does it right.

“Wow,” I breathe, pulling a little closer to Daniel as I look around. “Incredible...”

Daniel shrugs, less impressed than me. But then again, he’s been coming to parties like this since he was a kid. I nudge him with

my arm, making him look at me, and then I whisper “so jaded,” teasing him as I wrinkle my nose. Daniel just laughs at me and

shrugs, looking around and trying harder to appreciate it.

The party is being held in a beautiful rooftop garden in the center of the city so that buildings rise tall beyond the delicate arcs of

greenery artfully placed along the rooftop’s waist-high brick walls. The entire place is lit by candlelight and a quartet of musicians

sit in an alcove, giving us a little music to pair with the night.

Kent, Natalia on his arm, moves away from Daniel and I to speak with a group of people who come forward to greet Natalia, and

Alessi is likewise snapped up. Daniel nods towards the bar, raising a questioning eyebrow my way, and I happily nod. Halfway

there, though, we’re intercepted by a couple of young men around our age who Daniel introduces as his “cousins,” though I know

that can’t be right —- Kent doesn’t have any siblings. But these Italian families are so sprawling that I doubt they bother with

differentiating second- and third-cousins from firsts.

The boys’ conversation is chatty and cheerful, talking about old memories and childhood vacations, but there’s not much room

for me in it. So I tug on Daniel's arm a little and nod towards the bar again, indicating that I'll go get us some drinks. Daniel nods

to me encouragingly, letting me go.

I quickly walk over to the bar and place our order — a red wine for me, a Manhattan for Daniel — when suddenly I feel a presence

by my side. I turn and am shocked to see Natalia standing close, looking at me rather than the bar tender.

“What did you order?” she asks, cold, not bothering with a greeting.

“Um,” I hesitate, suddenly on guard and doubting the order — even though I know it’s what we want. The bar tender is back with

our drinks before I can answer, though, so I nod towards the glass of wine and the whiskey.

“Red wine,” Natalia sneers, looking at the glass with distaste. Then, she turns the look on me. “In the summer?”

“Um,” I say again, hating myself in this moment for not having a better retort. But I love red wine...

“Take this back, per favore,” Natalia orders the bar tender. “The girl will have prosecco, and so will I.” The bar tender doesn’t

hesitate, doing as Natalia says, and I sigh discreetly through my nose. I don’t look at Natalia, a little pissed at being countered

like that, but she places an elegant finger under my chin and obliges me to turn my face to look at her.

“You will like it better, eh?” she says,

nodding to me and taking back her

hand once I meet heaves. “eel!

7G MUst drink light. Red

wine is for winter nights. Unless it is

sangria, and then it is for day.” She

shrugs, as if this is obvious. Please

read the original content at

.

“I can handle my own drinks, Natalia,”

I reply, working to keep ypy veiga\\ \

en sent deer two

An ing glasses of prosecco.

Please read the original content at

.

“Clearly,” Natalia remarks, smirking at me. “You cannot.”

I roll my eyes a little and reach for my

and Daniel's glasses Be siden

tag reqghesifor ny fe t hand,

quick as a whip, a little hiss on her

breath. Please read the original

content at .