Chapter 15 I'm Proud Of You

The estate’s dining hall had never been this full. The long tables groaned under the weight of platters stacked high with roasted meats, steaming pasta, and golden loaves of bread. Wine flowed freely, and the warm, rich aroma of spices filled the air. Laughter and conversation mixed with the clinking of silverware, but beneath the surface, I could feel it—the watchful eyes, the silent judgments.