As Luigi concluded his speech, his final words reverberated through the hall. The host stepped up to thank him, her voice ringing out:
"Thank you, Mr. Luigi Gio—"
Before Lily could catch the rest of his name, her phone vibrated on the desk beside her. Annoyed, she glanced at the screen, only to see the name "Felix" glaring back at her.
Her mood instantly soured. What does that cheat want now? she muttered under her breath. Without hesitation, she declined the call and tossed her phone back into her bag, forcing herself to focus on the stage again.
But Luigi was no longer there. The podium stood empty, and he had seemingly vanished. Lily sighed, a mix of irritation and regret washing over her.
Luigi, she thought, the name swirling in her mind. She didn't catch his last name, thanks to Felix. "Nice name for a handsome man," she muttered to herself before shaking her head. Stop this, Lily. Get it together.
---
The seminar wrapped up quickly, and the room began to empty as students and faculty streamed out. Lily looked around, hoping to catch sight of Nico, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Her phone buzzed again, and she let out a frustrated groan, thinking it was Felix calling to bother her once more. But when she glanced at the screen, relief swept over her—it was her mother.
"Hey, Mom!" Lily greeted warmly, stepping out of the crowd to take the call.
Her mother's voice was a comforting presence, and they exchanged greetings before her mom asked, "How was the seminar, sweetie?"
Lily hesitated. What was it about? she wondered. She realized with a pang of guilt that she hadn't absorbed a single thing. Instead, she'd been too distracted by her chaotic morning and the presence of two men she couldn't stop thinking about.
"It was good," she lied smoothly. "You know, medical stuff and all that."
Her mother sounded pleased. "That's great, Lily. I'm glad you're settling in. Have you made any friends yet?"
Lily paused again, another fib on the tip of her tongue. "Yeah, a few," she said, forcing a smile she hoped her mother could hear through the phone.
"That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you," her mother said, her voice brimming with happiness. They chatted about other things—updates from home, her siblings, and what they had for dinner—before saying their goodbyes and hanging up.
---
By the time Lily returned to her dorm room, she was determined to make up for lost time. She freshened up quickly, tying her hair into a messy bun, and pulled out her laptop and study materials.
She opened the class group chat Nico had created earlier and downloaded the PDFs he had shared. They were detailed notes from the seminar, filled with diagrams and references. She let out a breath of relief—at least she could use these to cover for her lack of focus earlier.
Just as she began to immerse herself in the notes, her phone buzzed again. She tensed, half-expecting it to be Felix. Sure enough, his name flashed across the screen.
"Not again," she muttered, declining the call. This time, she wasn't going to risk being interrupted. She put her phone on flight mode and tossed it onto the bed.
---
With Felix silenced and her distractions set aside, Lily dove into her studies. She read through the PDFs, taking notes and cross-referencing with her textbooks. The room grew quieter as the hours passed, her focus finally sharpening.
But in the back of her mind, two figures lingered: Nico Giovanni, with his charming smile and casual elegance, and Luigi, with his commanding presence and piercing blue gaze.
As much as she tried to push them out of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder about them both. One thing was certain—her time in Italy was shaping up to be far more complicated than she had ever imagined.