She stood silently beside the two men, displaying no discomfort from not being the focus of attention. On the contrary, it seemed she found listening more natural than being the center of attention. Her cousin, Julian de Marco, continued the conversation with her companion after their handshake.
"[The thrill is unparalleled, especially traversing the Tau region brimming with hostiles. Fortunately, our freighters are faster and more agile than anything attempting to catch us, or we are better armed, creating a breach in their patrols and vanishing before they can regroup and send in reinforcements.]"
"[But back to you, Damien - How do you find Malta? Does it align with your expectations?]"
Fiorella oversaw the interaction between Damien and Julian, almost as if ensuring everything proceeded as planned. An increasing wind that tousled her long black hair into her face eventually prompted her to turn away and seek shelter behind one of the larger fruit trees.
Then, her gaze was drawn to a tall, athletically poised, mature man observing them from a window of her villa. It was Salvatore de Marco, her father.
