Varietta let out a tired yawn, the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains casting a warm glow on the room. With sluggish steps, she made her way to the open kitchen, craving some banana pancakes. And maybe some parfait. Chocolate flavoured cake parfait. Contrastingly, Sofie, as always, was engrossed at her study desk, surrounded by a sea of textbooks and notes, typing away in her metallic silver-coloured MacBook.“Why are you up so early?”, Varietta said, dragging her words. “It’s 8.30, Varietta”, Sofia said, coldly.“What time did you get up cause when I got up to pee at 5.00, you weren't even in bed”Sofie didn't answer.She went over to her cousin's desk and closed her MacBook.She gave her cousin a death stare.“Vari!”“You, my dear cugina, need a break”“No, I don't. What I need is to finish sorting out these files”Sofia picked up a pile of papers and positioned them on one edge of the desk. Varietta picked one paper up, uninterested in its content, for sale of someth
Sofia trembled all over as she sat on the dining table at her boss's mansion. Asher had taken them in to live in his secret mansion when he heard what happened. He still had to drug them to get there though because he just couldn't risk it.Sofia clutched her head, her fingers entwined in disarrayed strands of hair as she struggled to regain composure, trying to calm down but too knocked back by what had just happened. The fact that someone could actually want her life weakened her. Even worse, she had almost lost Varietta today. The tremors of fear continued to ripple through her and soon she couldn't help it. Asher stood in the dining room also making some rounds of phone calls. He paced up and down, his hands in his joggers.“Yes.”. “Yeah”. “Send anything they were able to salvage”He hung up the last one and turned to Sofia.“Hey, are you good?”How could she be good? Sofia continued to hug herself, rocking back and forth. She let herself slide off the chair, breathing in and o
An oppressive hush enveloped the room like a shroud, a frightening kind of silence. Wisps of smoke diffused languidly, weaving through the dimly lit living room, their tendrils ascending towards the oppressive silence that clung to the air. Paolo, his gaze obscured by the haze, exhaled, sending out more wisps of smoke, the cigarette dangling from his fingers like an extension of his brooding demeanor. A palpable tension lingered. Paolo, seated on his couch, stared lethally at his kneeling staff lined up before him.He stood up suddenly, putting out his cigarette on the ashtray by his side. He rubbed his moustache slowly and the room was caught up in tension.“I have looked all over”.. he said, pausing momentarily. He looked at his staff.“I have looked all over for my wife and my Godforsaken daughter! I have searched every inch of this town. No one has claimed to even as much as to have sighted any of them.”He walked back and forth, taking each step slowly. He held up a small disk ta
Sofia sat, legs crossed inwardly in the bed. She waited for the network to return, quite bored already of the rolling symbol. Sooner enough, the connection returned."Hey mamma"Her mother smiled slowly, a gesture that warmed her daughter's heart."Hey, Darling, how are you?""I'm fine. How are you feeling today? ""I'm ok. Getting better". Her mother's voice came out weak and hoarse but Sofia was grateful that she'd regained consciousness and could even say a few words now. Sofie managed to smile, fighting to hide her worried look.“So when are you coming to visit darling? Nobody really comes around since Vari left.”Sofia felt her heart break. Once again, she was neglecting her mother. Too focused on work. Too scared of the future. Like she couldn't risk it to slack for a moment. And now not only was she busy but her life was in potential danger."Aren't you supposed to be at work, dear?"Sofia scratched the back of her head softly."Well...""Is everything alright?""Of course mum
Luna poured the hot water over her custard mixture, carefully. She stirred it, holding her breath, praying that it thickened thickly. “Ahhh…”, Luna breathed out in relief. She added the milk from the jug and mixed it in the bowl evenly. Placing some cornetto by the side, she set up the plates. Her mother sat on the verandah, listening to the early chirping of the birds.Isabella had helped herself onto a normal chair in the morning which meant she was recovering fast. The pain on her side still hurt though, but it was healing fast and she didn't even feel the need to take the pain killers. Isabella closed her eyes, taking the beautiful natural scenery before her, the serenity of it all, the calmness it provided to her spirit. Not once, in her over ten years of marriage, had she experienced such rare tranquillity. She'd needed a therapist to give her only a temporary glimpse of this. It was a feeling she hardly ever dreamed of.The creaking sound of the opening of their front door
“He's not still dead?”“Of course he isn't. It would have been all over the news.”Finn rubbed his temples in frustration. Peter paced up and down the room. Andrea kept his calm, sipping the liquor. He cleared his throat to speak.“He’s only lucky. He has higher power here. He can play smart all he wants here, but one thing is certain. He will not partake of my inheritance”, Andrea said, “So how do we break his power? What do we need to defeat him?”“Relax, Peter. You are not the only one here seeking revenge”“What's wrong with wanting to get rid of him now?”Finn scoffed. “You are just broke”“What did you say?”“I said…”, Finn said, rising to his feet.“Gentlemen. Gentlemen. Leave the business to me. I, like Peter, want to get rid of the bastard too. But we must plan well. Meanwhile, I leave for Italy today. And I assure you gentlemen, a mission accomplished. I have it all under control”But Peter, proud as a peacock, wasn't quite content with Andrea handling it. After all, he'd
The curtains, adorned with a quiet elegance, hung in graceful folds, allowing a gentle cascade of sunlight to filter into Luna's bedroom. The luminous rays painted complimented her bedroom walls, their colour transforming into a dazzling spectacle as they absorbed and reflected the brightness. In contrast to the cheerful ambiance that enveloped the room, Luna's demeanour remained unchanged, an expressionless face on her. Luna sat in front of the mirror, a stark contrast to the vibrancy surrounding her. Her gaze, distant and cold, met the reflection that stared back at her, her face as pale as a ghost. Her eyes, once vibrant orbs, now bore the weight of deep, haunting circles that served as silent witnesses to countless sleepless nights. The circles etched beneath her eyes, circles that told stories of insomnia, a relentless companion that refused to grant her the solace of rest. She'd cried but her tears had lacked the tumultuous surge of emotion; instead, they traced a solitary pat
The frigid droplets of the shower cascaded down Asher's back, a chilling embrace that seemed to mirror the iciness creeping into his situation. With one hand pressed against the cool surface of the shower wall, he surrendered to the relentless downpour, allowing the water to weave through his hair and trace a delicate path down his spine.Things had only just gotten tougher and his life was in ultimate danger. Totally. Completely. He replayed the close encounter, the near miss that could have spelled the end. They'd tried to kill him today. Again. They had been this close to getting him and assuming he'd entered that plane… Boom! Mission accomplished. Today's attempt on his life had been more than a mere warning; it was a stark revelation of the lethal stakes now at play.He shook off the thought. He had to be careful now. He had literally entered the lion's den and he had only Garfy and his personal driver in Italy here. Asher rest assured himself that they were all he needed.In his