~Livia's POV
I was still standing there when Salvatore walked away from me that night, and I did not move immediately because the moment felt heavier than I wanted to admit. He did not just walk away in a normal way, he dismissed me.
It felt deliberate, like I was not worth the effort of a second glance, and that alone was enough to make me lose my cool. His words stayed with me longer than I expected, repeating themselves quietly in my head as I stood there trying to act like I was not affected.
He had said he did not care what I did with my life and added that I should stay away from the man I was dancing with, and that part refused to leave my mind. It did not sound like a concern or an advice. It sounded like control, as if he thought he still had a right to tell me what to do, and that increased my anger. I could feel it building slowly, and I hated that feeling. So I decided I was not going to stand there and let it show.
