Chapter 0195
The party is already in full swing when we get there, which makes sense. Even though Kent is technically the host, there’s no
way he’s not going to make an entrance. | walk in on Daniel''s arm and find my breath almost immediately stolen at the beautiful
scene before me — though I’m not sure why I’m so surprised. When Kent does something, he does it right.
“Wow,” | breathe, pulling a little closer to Daniel as | look around. “Incredible...”
Daniel shrugs, less impressed than me. But then again, he’s beening to parties like this since he was a kid. | nudge him with
my arm, making him look at me, and then | whisper “so jaded,” teasing him as | wrinkle my nose. Daniel justughs at me and
shrugs, looking around and trying harder to appreciate it.
The party is being held in a beautiful rooftop garden in the center of the city so that buildings rise tall beyond the delicate arcs of
greenery artfully ced along the rooftop’s waist-high brick walls. The entire ce is lit by candlelight and a quartet of musicians
sit in an alcove, giving us a little music to pair with the night.
Kent, Natalia on his arm, moves away from Daniel and | to speak with a group of people whoe forward to greet Natalia, and
Alessi is likewise snapped up. Daniel nods towards the bar, raising a questioning eyebrow my way, and | happily nod. Halfway
there, though, we’re intercepted by a couple of young men around our age who Daniel introduces as his “cousins,” though | know
that can’t be right —- Kent doesn’t have any siblings. But these Italian families are so sprawling that | doubt they bother with
differentiating second- and third-cousins from firsts.
The boys’ conversation is chatty and cheerful, talking about old memories and childhood vacations, but there’s not much room
for me in it. So | tug on Daniel''s arm a little and nod towards the bar again, indicating that I''ll go get us some drinks. Daniel nods
to me encouragingly, letting me go.
| quickly walk over to the bar and ce our order — a red wine for me, a Manhattan for Daniel — when suddenly | feel a presence
by my side. | turn and am shocked to see Natalia standing close, looking at me rather than the bar tender.
“What did you order?” she asks, cold, not bothering with a greeting.
“Um,” | hesitate, suddenly on guard and doubting the order — even though | know it’s what we want. The bar tender is back with
our drinks before | can answer, though, so | nod towards the ss of wine and the whiskey.
“Red wine,” Natalia sneers, looking at the ss with distaste. Then, she turns the look on me. “In the summer?”
“Um,” | say again, hating myself in this moment for not having a better retort. But | love red wine...
“Take this back, per favore,” Natalia orders the bar tender. “The girl will have proso, and so will I.” The bar tender doesn’t
hesitate, doing as Natalia says, and | sigh discreetly through my nose. | don’t look at Natalia, a little pissed at being countered
like that, but she ces an elegant finger under my chin and obliges me to turn my face to look at her.
“You will like it better, eh?” she says,
nodding to me and taking back her
hand once | meet heaves. “eel!
7G MUst drink light. Red
wine is for winter nights. Unless it is
sangria, and then it is for day.” She
shrugs, as if this is obvious. Please
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“| can handle my own drinks, Natalia,”
| reply, working to keep ypy veiga\\ \
en sent deer two
An ing sses of proso.
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“Clearly,” Natalia remarks, smirking at me. “You cannot.”
| roll my eyes a little and reach for myPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.
and Daniel''s sses Be siden
tag reqghesifor ny fe t hand,
quick as a whip, a little hiss on her
breath. Please read the original
content at NovelDrama.Org.