In this house, even lunch was never truly just lunch.
And whatever business the D'Negro family brought with them, it would wait, exactly as Santiago decided.
After a few minutes, Daniella pushed her plate aside, the food only half-eaten. "I'm full," she said, her tone sharp and edged with desperation. "Now, where's the money?"
This was the money Santiago had promised her, the payment for everything she had endured, for the success he claimed she had delivered. Yet here she was, forced to ask for it like a child begging for allowance.
Santiago continued eating without looking up, each bite slow and deliberate. "I'll accompany you later," he replied lazily.
"You don't have time," she protested, rising from her seat as frustration boiled over. "You have guests waiting!"
"There's no need for you to go out," he said, the switch in his demeanor sudden and absolute. "Just tell Mateo what you need. He'll get it for you."
