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After greeting us, one of the waiters steps forward and pours wine into our glasses before retreating a few steps, giving us some privacy.

I look at Roman, surprised. “You organized this?”

“I thought we could have dinner together.” He gestures toward the ocean. “Somewhere quiet. We could enjoy the beach instead of being stuck inside the hotel.”

Something inside me softens. The anger I’ve been holding onto begins to dissolve, leaving me with a warmth I don’t quite know what to do with. I take out my phone and take a picture of the setting. This is so romantic.

Fine, I shouldn't think Roman is like Lorenzo. Not in a million years would Lorenzo ever do something like having a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach.

The waiter returns with our first course, setting down plates of seared scallops with a light lemon-butter sauce and a side of crisp asparagus before stepping back.

For a while, neither of us speaks. We simply eat, surrounded by the soft music and the sound of the waves. Then Roman finally breaks the silence.

“You don’t have to be jealous of me and Katerina.”

I nearly choke on my drink. “I wasn’t jealous.”

His lips twitch. “You were.”

I glare at him. “I was making an observation. You and Katerina are always standing so close to each other, and that's an undeniable fact.”

His amusement grows. “I told you earlier, Katerina is nothing more than a business partner,” Roman says, his voice calm as he looks at me across the table. “Or, more accurately, the daughter of one. I’m going into business with her father, and he decided to put her at the front of the deal. That’s all there is between us.”

I lift my glass, take a slow sip of wine, and set it down carefully. “If you say so.”

We eat in relative quiet after that. It's a relief to know that Katerina is only a business partner. Though it might seem naive, I chose to take Roman at his word.

Gradually, our relationship is getting better, but part of me still feels like we can’t truly move forward until I get an answer to the question that’s been bothering me.

“Something else bugging you?” Roman asks when I look up from my plate and our eyes meet.

I set my cutlery down. “I know I’ve already asked you this,” I say, keeping my voice even. “But I’m asking again. And this time, I want you to be honest with me.”

Roman leans back slightly in his chair, watching me. “Okay. What is it?”

I take a breath. “Why did you really switch brides? Why not marry my sister? I haven’t stopped thinking about it. And to be honest, I still haven’t been able to forgive that you did that to her. It’s kind of a scorn on her now. A blemish. That you passed her over for the younger sister. Why did you do that?”

He goes silent.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” I add after a moment. “But just so you know… if we’re ever going to be able to move forward, if we’re ever going to have any kind of real relationship, this is something I need to know. You need to clear the air with me on this.”

Roman leans back slightly, his eyes fixed on me. When he finally speaks, his voice is quieter. “I never intended to ruin your sister’s reputation.”

He exhales. “The plan was to marry Audrey because of the alliance. Your father came to me with a proposition that would benefit both our families, and marrying his eldest daughter was part of the arrangement.”

He pauses. Something shifts in his expression. “But that was before I saw you.”

I stare at him, now feeling a little embarrassed. “You changed your mind because of the video call?”

He gives a shake of his head, smiling. “No. Although that did cement my decision. But I already saw you before then. I saw you for the first time two years ago. At an art exhibition.”

My pulse kicks hard against my throat. “What?”

My mouth falls open as Roman tells me he saw me for the first time at my very first art exhibition, two years ago. I can’t seem to move.

“You… you knew me two years ago?”

“Yes.”