"I…" Isabella began, her voice barely audible, but Alessio interrupted her, his tone suddenly dark and biting.
"Stop," he said coldly, his eyes narrowing. "Stop trying. It only makes you look pathetic."
Isabella recoiled as though she'd been slapped, her breath catching in her throat.
"You have no confidence," Alessio continued, his voice low but cutting. "That's why you cling to Evelina. It's not because you admire her—it's because you're jealous of her, aren't you?"
Isabella's hands tightened around her napkin as her vision blurred with unshed tears. "That's not true…" she whispered, though even she wasn't sure if she believed it.
"Is it not?" Alessio pressed, his gaze piercing. "You watch her, you follow her, but it's not admiration. You want to be her. To have her confidence, her presence… her ability to draw people in without even trying."
Isabella shook her head weakly, her voice breaking. "You don't know what you're talking about."
