CHAPTER 87: EXCUSE ME

Standing in front of the restaurant, the sign on the roof read, Da Vinci’s Table. A strong indication it was an Italian restaurant. What were the odds of finding one in such a quiet city?

Luckily, pasta was the Italian delicacy, and she was craving it. What better place to go for a good plate of pasta?

"I never doubt any Italian restaurant," Zara said, staring up at the signboard with a hungry gaze.

"Let’s go in," Silas urged, already out of the car and standing beside them. Roman soon arrived at their side too. Patricia’s gaze briefly met Roman’s, and her heart skipped a beat, goosebumps rising across her skin. She quickly looked away before those mixed feelings started creeping back again. But why was he staring at her like that, like he wanted something? It felt like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

"Let’s go," Zara’s voice broke through her thoughts, and she and Patricia walked in first, leaving the rest to follow behind.

They all took their seats at a VIP round table upstairs, sitting awkwardly until Zara broke the silence. "What? Never been to an Italian restaurant before?" She asked with a disgusted look, glaring at Violet as the latter looked around in awe.

With a wide smile, Violet began, not the least bit bothered by Zara’s tone. "Oh yes, I grew up in a broken household, so I had to depend on my siblings. We survived on scraps and leftovers from our whore of a mother. But you know, things are getting better now." As she spoke, her eyes fell on Roman, staring at him like he was dessert.

For some reason, Patricia felt bad for her and wondered if she was overreacting. Violet and Roman could have done other things in his room besides sex. Now that she thought about it, they had come out well-dressed. She had been too annoyed to notice earlier, but it didn’t look like they had done anything when she saw them. And she spent thirty minutes in the kitchen; even if they had done something, they would need more time to freshen up to look that decent again. Was she just overthinking? Her doubts returned the moment she caught Violet smiling brightly at Roman.

Maybe she was overanalyzing what had happened in the room, but there was no doubt Violet was interested in Roman in a romantic way. And why was she even worrying? She caught him kissing Silver and didn’t overthink that one.

"Everyone will need tissues once they hear my story," Zara mocked, rolling her eyes at Violet. Just because others weren’t telling theirs didn’t mean they hadn’t had it rough. And besides, that was no excuse to cling to a married man.

At the mention of her story, Silas turned to Zara, genuinely curious. He had tried everything to get her to open up, but she was always so careful, making it hard for him to know her past. It seemed all she truly wanted from him was a bed partner whenever she pleased.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Da Vinci’s table. This is our menu. What would you like to eat?" A waiter stepped forward, handing over two menus.

Zara reached out for one, and Violet took the other.

"Hmm, this looks nice. Check it out," Zara muttered as she flipped through the menu, then slid it in front of Patricia so she could see better.

"Ermm... I will start with the spaghetti alla carbonara. For my main course, the saltimbocca alla Romana with roasted potatoes on the side. For dessert, tiramisu, please. And I would like a glass of Chianti Classico. Thank you." Patricia gave her order smoothly, causing Violet’s jaw to drop. She could barely make sense of the words, yet Patricia pronounced them effortlessly.

"Got that," the waiter said quickly, jotting it down.

"I will take the same," Roman suddenly spoke up, eyes still glued to his phone.

"Right away, sir." The waiter scribbled again.

Patricia raised a brow at him, but his gaze was already back on the screen.

"Okay, for me... this looks nice... alright! I will have the risotto alla Milanese to start. For the main course, the branzino al forno with grilled vegetables. For dessert, panna cotta. And a glass of Pinot Grigio...with a T," Zara ordered, then winked at the waiter, making his cheeks flush red and a certain someone grit his teeth.

"Alright, ma’am," the waiter replied, writing it down.

"I will have the same as hers," Silas said, his hard gaze locking on the waiter until the man gulped and quickly looked away, lowering his head in respect.

"Wouldn’t you make your order?" Zara asked Violet, who was still struggling with the menu.

"Ah! I just..." she stammered, fumbling for words.

"It’s fine, I struggled my first time too. Why don’t you pick from ours? We didn’t order anything you won’t be able to eat," Patricia said with a half-smile that made Violet relax. She smiled back, relieved, since saying it herself would have been so embarrassing.

"Then I will have what he’s having," Violet said quickly, handing her menu to the waiter and pointing toward Roman.

"Why not ask for help when you need it?" Zara scoffed under her breath, shaking her head as she poured herself a glass of water.

"I..." Violet began, but Roman cut her off. "You have made your order. There’s no need to escalate things." He looked at Violet, who fell silent immediately, pouting at Zara, who stuck her tongue out mockingly. Violet could not understand why Zara seemed to hate her when they just met for the first time today but for some reason, she felt like she knew the reason. If it was as she assumed then she would understand and step back, never to be seen near Roman again. After all, she has helped him and he has upholded his part of his deal. They owed each other nothing.

When Roman’s eyes lifted, they met Patricia’s, and she quickly looked away, as if she hadn’t already been caught staring.

"Excuse me," Silas muttered, and stood up from the table.

Standing in front of the restaurant, the sign on the roof read, Da Vinci’s Table. A strong indication it was an Italian restaurant. What were the odds of finding one in such a quiet city?

Luckily, pasta was the Italian delicacy, and she was craving it. What better place to go for a good plate of pasta?

"I never doubt any Italian restaurant," Zara said, staring up at the signboard with a hungry gaze.

"Let’s go in," Silas urged, already out of the car and standing beside them. Roman soon arrived at their side too. Patricia’s gaze briefly met Roman’s, and her heart skipped a beat, goosebumps rising across her skin. She quickly looked away before those mixed feelings started creeping back again. But why was he staring at her like that, like he wanted something? It felt like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.

"Let’s go," Zara’s voice broke through her thoughts, and she and Patricia walked in first, leaving the rest to follow behind.

They all took their seats at a VIP round table upstairs, sitting awkwardly until Zara broke the silence. "What? Never been to an Italian restaurant before?" She asked with a disgusted look, glaring at Violet as the latter looked around in awe.

With a wide smile, Violet began, not the least bit bothered by Zara’s tone. "Oh yes, I grew up in a broken household, so I had to depend on my siblings. We survived on scraps and leftovers from our whore of a mother. But you know, things are getting better now." As she spoke, her eyes fell on Roman, staring at him like he was dessert.

For some reason, Patricia felt bad for her and wondered if she was overreacting. Violet and Roman could have done other things in his room besides sex. Now that she thought about it, they had come out well-dressed. She had been too annoyed to notice earlier, but it didn’t look like they had done anything when she saw them. And she spent thirty minutes in the kitchen; even if they had done something, they would need more time to freshen up to look that decent again. Was she just overthinking? Her doubts returned the moment she caught Violet smiling brightly at Roman.

Maybe she was overanalyzing what had happened in the room, but there was no doubt Violet was interested in Roman in a romantic way. And why was she even worrying? She caught him kissing Silver and didn’t overthink that one.

"Everyone will need tissues once they hear my story," Zara mocked, rolling her eyes at Violet. Just because others weren’t telling theirs didn’t mean they hadn’t had it rough. And besides, that was no excuse to cling to a married man.

At the mention of her story, Silas turned to Zara, genuinely curious. He had tried everything to get her to open up, but she was always so careful, making it hard for him to know her past. It seemed all she truly wanted from him was a bed partner whenever she pleased.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Da Vinci’s table. This is our menu. What would you like to eat?" A waiter stepped forward, handing over two menus.

Zara reached out for one, and Violet took the other.

"Hmm, this looks nice. Check it out," Zara muttered as she flipped through the menu, then slid it in front of Patricia so she could see better.

"Ermm... I will start with the spaghetti alla carbonara. For my main course, the saltimbocca alla Romana with roasted potatoes on the side. For dessert, tiramisu, please. And I would like a glass of Chianti Classico. Thank you." Patricia gave her order smoothly, causing Violet’s jaw to drop. She could barely make sense of the words, yet Patricia pronounced them effortlessly.

"Got that," the waiter said quickly, jotting it down.

"I will take the same," Roman suddenly spoke up, eyes still glued to his phone.

"Right away, sir." The waiter scribbled again.

Patricia raised a brow at him, but his gaze was already back on the screen.

"Okay, for me... this looks nice... alright! I will have the risotto alla Milanese to start. For the main course, the branzino al forno with grilled vegetables. For dessert, panna cotta. And a glass of Pinot Grigio...with a T," Zara ordered, then winked at the waiter, making his cheeks flush red and a certain someone grit his teeth.

"Alright, ma’am," the waiter replied, writing it down.

"I will have the same as hers," Silas said, his hard gaze locking on the waiter until the man gulped and quickly looked away, lowering his head in respect.

"Wouldn’t you make your order?" Zara asked Violet, who was still struggling with the menu.

"Ah! I just..." she stammered, fumbling for words.

"It’s fine, I struggled my first time too. Why don’t you pick from ours? We didn’t order anything you won’t be able to eat," Patricia said with a half-smile that made Violet relax. She smiled back, relieved, since saying it herself would have been so embarrassing.

"Then I will have what he’s having," Violet said quickly, handing her menu to the waiter and pointing toward Roman.

"Why not ask for help when you need it?" Zara scoffed under her breath, shaking her head as she poured herself a glass of water.

"I..." Violet began, but Roman cut her off. "You have made your order. There’s no need to escalate things." He looked at Violet, who fell silent immediately, pouting at Zara, who stuck her tongue out mockingly. Violet could not understand why Zara seemed to hate her when they just met for the first time today but for some reason, she felt like she knew the reason. If it was as she assumed then she would understand and step back, never to be seen near Roman again. After all, she has helped him and he has upholded his part of his deal. They owed each other nothing.

When Roman’s eyes lifted, they met Patricia’s, and she quickly looked away, as if she hadn’t already been caught staring.

"Excuse me," Silas muttered, and stood up from the table.