Giovanni Romano slowly rose from his seat. The subtle movement alone was enough to silence the room further, as though the very air itself bowed in deference.
The head of the Romano family did not need to raise his voice to command absolute attention. Power sat naturally on his shoulders, heavy, immovable, and ancient, like a crown no one in the room dared challenge. His tailored suit accentuated his imposing frame, and his dark, piercing gaze swept across the table before settling first on the Blake family, then finally locking onto Seraphina with calm, unyielding intensity.
"Mr. Elias Blake," Giovanni began, his voice calm yet laced with steel that was impossible to ignore, "I have always respected your family greatly."
He let the words linger for a calculated pause.
"But I will not sit in my own house and allow someone...." he pointed directly at Seraphina without hesitation, "...to speak down to my daughter under my roof."
