CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE - THE BREAKING POINT

One evening, about two months after Mari's arrest, Eloise approached Amelia and Alessandro with an idea. "I think it's time we had a family dinner," she said, her eyes bright with determination. "A proper one, where we can all be together and start to move past this ordeal." The idea was met with enthusiasm, and plans were quickly made. Invitations were extended to the entire family, including those who had been keeping their distance in recent months. Eloise threw herself into the preparations, determined to make the evening special. On the night of the dinner, the De Laurentis mansion buzzed with nervous energy. The dining room had been transformed, the long table set with the family's best china and crystal. Flowers from the garden adorned the center of the table, their soft fragrance filling the air. As guests began to arrive, there was an initial awkwardness, an uncertainty of how to interact after everything that had happened. But Eloise, ever the gracious hostess, smoothed ov