Harbinger Of Glory

Vittoria made her way back towards the entrance with a faint flush still visible across her cheeks, something she seemed only vaguely aware of as she tried to settle herself back into the rhythm of the evening.

She had barely taken a few more steps when Signora Bellini noticed her.

The older woman looked at Vittoria for a moment before her eyes narrowed slightly.

”Why is your face so flushed?”

Vittoria’s hand immediately rose to her cheek.

She touched it almost as if checking for herself, then looked back at Bellini.

”It’s nothing.”

Bellini studied her for another second, clearly unconvinced but unwilling to press the matter.

”Then we should make our way inside. The stream of guests coming in has decreased after you left.”

At that, Vittoria nodded.

”I’ll be following.”

Bellini gave her a small nod, then turned and walked toward the entrance.

Vittoria watched her go for a moment, her gaze following the older woman until she disappeared through the doors.

Only then did she turn back, finding Leo already making his way towards her.

He came to a stop beside her, slipping his hands into his pockets as he looked towards the entrance.

”I still don’t know how you’re here,” Vittoria muttered.

Leo gave a small shrug, as though the answer were obvious enough.

Then he gestured towards the doors.

”Should we?”

Vittoria looked at him, then nodded.

”Yes.”

And just like that, the two of them made their way inside together.

The first thing Leo noticed was how different the room felt from the entrance.

There was no single focal point to the gathering.

People were spread naturally throughout the large reception room, standing in small groups or moving between conversations, some with glasses in hand and others simply talking.

Older guests occupied the more comfortable areas around the edges while younger members of the families had gathered closer to the centre, where the noise was slightly louder and the conversations less formal.

Staff moved quietly between them, collecting empty glasses and making sure nobody was left waiting for anything.

The tall windows reflected the lights inside, while the old walls and restored furnishings gave the place an understated elegance as the two walked.

A few moments later, Vittoria glanced towards Leo.

”Do you see anyone you recognise?”

Leo turned to her after she said that, and then slowly looked around the room.

His eyes moved from one group to another, taking in unfamiliar faces, expensive suits, evening dresses and the occasional person he vaguely remembered seeing in photographs or on television.

After a few seconds, he shook his head.

”No.”

He continued looking for another moment before turning his attention back towards Vittoria.

”Wait, I do see one. You.”

When he said that, Vittoria gave him a look and then pinched his forearm.

”Stop flirting.”

Leo smiled, brushing off her annoyance.

”I was answering the question.”

”That wasn’t what I asked.”

She shook her head, though the smile that appeared on her face made it clear she wasn’t particularly bothered.

They continued forward with Vittoria naturally keeping pace beside him as she guided him through the room.

A few moments later, they came across Jolie.

The woman looked up as they approached, her attention first settling on Vittoria before drifting towards the man walking beside her.

”Are you finally done with your post?”

”For now.”

Vittoria answered, but she noticed Jolie’s eyes lingering on Leo, and she turned slightly toward him.

”Leo, this is my cousin, Jolie.”

At that, Leo inclined his head politely.

”And Jolie, this is Leo.”

Jolie extended her hand, and Leo took it with a courteous smile.

”È un piacere conoscerti.”

(It’s a pleasure to meet you.)

Then he added, slightly sheepishly, ”My Italian is still rough. I’m learning.”

Jolie smiled and shook her head.

”It could pass.”

Leo laughed softly and then nodded.

”I’ll take that.”

Jolie released his hand before turning back towards Vittoria with a knowing little smirk, glancing past them, and then addressing them again.

”Then let me leave you two for now.”

Vittoria opened her mouth to respond, but Jolie was already walking away.

She watched her cousin disappear into another conversation before turning back towards Leo as they continued through the room.

It did not take long for the attention to begin.

At first, it was only an occasional glance.

Someone would look up while speaking to another guest, notice Leo, then look back again.

A few people stared at him like Leo, trying to jog their memories to see if they knew him, while others seemed to know they had seen his face somewhere before but couldn’t place it.

But the longer Vittoria walked beside him, the more obvious it became.

The two weren’t strangers.

Their familiarity was obvious in the small things.

The way she occasionally leaned towards him to say something over the noise.

The brief smiles between them when they caught each other’s eyes.

And that was enough to make people curious.

”Who is he?”

”Is he also in the industry?”

”He seems familiar.”

”Do you know him?”

Leo heard more than enough of it and just smiled to himself.

It amused him more than anything else, especially when some of the people whispering seemed convinced he couldn’t hear them.

He kept walking beside Vittoria as though none of it mattered.

They had only made it a little farther when a familiar voice came from somewhere ahead.

”Vittoria.”

She looked up, and her mother, Sienna, had appeared almost out of nowhere.

Before Leo could properly greet her, Sienna crossed the remaining distance and gave him a small hug, holding him for a moment before leaning back to look at him.

Her expression carried genuine surprise as she glanced over the boy.

”You actually came.”

Leo smiled awkwardly as Sienna looked between him and her daughter.

”Vittoria went through all that trouble to get you an invitation, only for her to tell us you wouldn’t be able to make it.”

”It was a spur-of-the-moment thing with today’s appearance.”