Learning about Luigi

The word "business" rolled off my tongue with a venomous edge, my tone coated in a mix of disbelief and outrage.

"Business?" I repeated, my voice laden with anger. "You sneaked away, knowing full well that I would be here to face the music for you? That I would have to explain your absence.

The book's pages snapped shut with a quiet, yet definitive, sound as Damon finally put it aside, his fingers gently brushing the worn cover.

His smirk, however, remained steadfast, a smug look that taunted me despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Oh come on, don't be like that," he said, his voice dripping with a false innocence that only further aggravated my already frayed nerves

In that moment, a harsh realization washed over me, a sobering truth that hit me with the force of a tidal wave.

No amount of reason, no logical argument, no matter how sound, would penetrate the wall of arrogance that Damon had erected around himself.