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I was sitting in my office late at night, the only light coming from the tablet showing Gabriella pacing back and forth in our living room. She looked upset, taking deep breaths, clearly bothered by something serious. It was hard to watch. Knowing I was part of her stress made it worse. Annoyed and frustrated with myself, I slammed the tablet down.

"Enough of this," I muttered to myself, pushing the tablet aside to tackle the stack of paperwork on my desk. But before I could get started, Mia barged into my office. She was wearing one of those flashy, cheap dresses that screamed for attention.

"Not now, Mia," I snapped, hoping she'd turn around and leave. But Mia wasn't the type to take a hint.

Ignoring me, she walked up to my desk with that too-confident smile. "We need to talk, Gio," she insisted, her voice too casual.

"Mia, seriously, I'm not in the mood for games," I said, trying to keep my voice calm but firm.

She just laughed and, before I knew it, she sat herself right down on m