Chapter 33 Conditions

Dinner was eaten in silence, with only the two of them at the table. Neither of them spoke, quietly eating their meal with impeccable table manners, not even the sound of cutlery touching the plates. These days, Arianna had been eating alone. At first, she felt uneasy, thinking that having someone to accompany her would make it better. But reality proved otherwise. It felt even more unbearable now than eating alone, and she feared she might develop indigestion from the awkwardness if it continued. To hasten the end of this discomfort, she hastened her pace of eating. As soon as she finished, she thought of getting up to leave. Her little scheme, Nick couldn't possibly be unaware of it. He stopped her before she could rise from her seat. "Wait a moment, let's talk," Nick said. He set down his utensils, wiped his mouth leisurely, then stood up and made his way to the study on the second floor. Arianna had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to discuss. She took a deep