Outside, dusk had begun to swallow the island, the sky streaked in bruised purples and dying gold. The open air should have eased the tension.
But It didn't.
The moment they cleared the mausoleum doors, Yannis moved forward again, slipping neatly to Lara's other side with polished grace, as though the earlier hostility had never happened.
"May I invite you to dinner?" he asked, his tone warm, cultured, perfectly charming. "Someone recommended an excellent place nearby. They specialize in home-cooked local cuisine."
Lara's face lit instantly — genuine, unguarded delight breaking through the heaviness of the day.
Yannis' breath caught. A flicker crossed his blue eyes.
"Really?" Lara's eyes sparkled in the fading light. "I haven't had the chance to explore Laguna at all. I've basically been confined to the mansion."
She glanced at Ares as if expecting objection.
None came.
His silence felt heavier than refusal.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony," she said, smiling.
