SURPRISE AT THE BEACH

Cleo's POV

The announcement of the family trip had come out of nowhere, catching me completely off guard. Nonno had declared it over breakfast, his tone final and his gaze sweeping over everyone at the table. “We’ll all head to the private beach this weekend,” he’d said, his voice brokering no argument. “It’s been too long since the family spent time together. It’s time we remember what matters.”

My heart had skipped a beat at the news. A beach trip meant wearing swimsuits, relaxing by the ocean, and being surrounded by Russo’s family, the very people I was still trying to convince of our perfect, loving marriage. But it wasn’t just the pressure to keep up the act that bothered me; it was the fact that I hadn’t come prepared for any of it. I had packed the basics when I was taken to Paris, but beachwear? Not a chance.

After breakfast, Russo had caught me staring out at the city from the balcony, my mind racing with the logistics of this unexpected getaway. “You seem lost in thought,”