“He’s clearly not here for the festivities,” Sophia muttered, her eyes narrowing. “But who’s that he’s talking to? I don’t recognize him from the DOJ.”

They watched as Roma gestured animatedly to a man in a camel overcoat - someone who carried himself with the rigid posture of old money or old power. The stranger’s face remained carefully blank as Roma spoke, but his occasional nods carried the weight of authority.

“The way they’re positioned,” Daniel observed quietly, “using the statue as cover from the main square… this isn’t a casual conversation.”

“And not a single potential witness in sight,” Juniper added, her stomach tightening. “This is something else entirely.”

Roma moved with calculated grace through what was clearly a business meeting poorly disguised as a chance encounter, his confident stance and subtle gestures making it clear he owned not just the conversation, but the entire narrative playing out before them.