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In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 35 : Intro to Théo 2.0
•"Where are your parents from?"Théo smiled at the older woman awaiting his answer. He sat opposite her while Anastasia sat next to him, quietly swirling her creamy pasta. The head of the family, Ana's father, sat at the end of the table and seemed more focused on his daughter at the moment."My mother is Canadian, my father Parisian. They're both living in France," Théo replied."And you have siblings as well?" Alissa Valtieri took a sip of her water and maintained a modest smile. Her questions for the past ten minutes had been focused on his background more than anything else.Hugo Valtieri, on the other hand, was busy trying to coax some straight answers out of his daughter. Apparently, Anastasia didn't make a habit of updating her parents about her itinerary for the past few weeks. The two spoke in fluent Italian, almost conversing in hushed tones.Théo pretended not to eavesdrop. Acting like he didn't understand the language was easy enough. But then again, maybe they were only a
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 36 : Enigma
•Veronica unlocked the passenger door and put on a smile while she waited for her ex's best friend to get in her car.Tomek stepped inside the vehicle the next second. Wearing a plain gray shirt and dark pants, he gave her a quick hug and smiled timidly while she drove away from the sidewalk."Want something to go? Coffee?" She focused on the busy road and stepped on the gas. It was barely nine in the morning and the band's schedule was a bit crazy this week. But when Tomek called to inform her he wanted to meet up to talk about something, she couldn't decline. Based on his tentative tone over the phone last night, she knew it was something pretty urgent and important.Tomek never was the one to call to meet up, much less meet up with her alone. It was either Théo who would call him to hang out with them, or one of their close friends."Yeah. Coffee's great." Tomek cleared his throat and buckled up in the passenger seat. "No shows or shoots today?" Veronica glanced at his profile w
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 37 : Damper
•"What'd he say?" "About what?" Tomek didn't bother to glance at her and kept his gaze focused on his phone screen."I never told him I need money," Veronica replied in a rather hushed voice. Her brain was still busy figuring out why her ex, who was probably busy canoodling with his new girlfriend somewhere in Rome, just gave her a lot of money she didn't even ask for.Did he think it was a good enough apology? What the heck was wrong with him?It wasn't merely jealousy, though. It was the fact that he didn't even tell her anything about it, and now she couldn't even call him to ask about the money because he had already blocked her number. "She's with him, huh?" She scoffed at the thought. At her assumption, Tomek finally put his phone away and made an effort to smile. It looked awfully fake. "Don't know for sure.""They went to Rome together.""What'd he tell you?""Lying piece of shit." She shook her head, recalling bits and pieces of her last argument with her ex. "Didn't even
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 38 : Pleased To Meet You
•The art auction was a success.A total of 175,000 euros worth of art sales and donations in check had been raised by the event.The funds would go into the Valtieris' new foundation dedicated to helping and rescuing refugees from war-torn nations such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.Hugo and Alissa Valtieri seemed to be earnest in achieving their philanthropic goals as much as they were proud of their contributions to society.The Valtieris, along with another well-known, well-connected Italian family, the Falcos, pledged to help the young migrants and refugees receive early education, as well as build supplemental housing and feeding centers for the refugees here in Italy.Or at least that's what they said in their meticulously prepared speeches before the host and hostesses got busy selling overprice
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 39 : Suck It Up
16 days left• Folic acid.Vitamin D.Iron supplement.Proper diet, rest, and enough sleep daily.Less stress.Well, the first three, she already got them covered. Easy. Just pop a pill every day, and done. No hiccups.The last two...not so much. Her appetite had been sporadic, sometimes nonexistent, while avoiding stress and getting more than six hours of sleep every day had been a bit challenging.Especially since the band was already running behind schedule on some tasks and professional commitments they had scheduled for this season.It didn't help that Kyle, the band's main guitarist and her co-songwriter, was still in the hospital, not even halfway through his full recovery.If she could just undo the past few months, or reverse time in some way, she would. In a heartbeat. But real life didn't care about undoing mistakes, or best laid plans. That much she knew now.An unexpected pregnancy at this crucial time in her career and adult life just didn't sit well with what she ha
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 40 : Excess Baggage
15 days left• Rome, Italy •"Where's she now?""Bre and J's apartment.""How long's she staying?" Théo played with his lighter and stood still while he waited for his best friend to answer the question.If he recalled correctly, Tomek just arrived back in Paris two days ago after weeks of working in New York. He had also found out five minutes ago from Tomek that his ever-busy ex-girlfriend was in Paris, too.According to Tomek, Veronica was in the city for her cousin's wedding preparations and to take care of some work commitments as well. The band must have finished recording their fifth record already."Till the weekend. She's taking a few days off. Not feeling well." Tomek yawned on the other line."Why not?" Théo pulled a face. At times, he hated that Veronica was such a workaholic, like him. Also on
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 41 : Work, Work, Work
• Lyons Stadium, Paris • Veronica looked up from her phone after she read another text message from their manager. They had to check on the guys now.Veronica pocketed her phone as her eyes squinted at the glare of the late-afternoon sun. She grabbed her sunglasses that hung from the collar of her plain shirt, which she matched with a pair of dark jeans after she breezed through the last interview. An hour later, she left the hotel with the band's tour manager and drove to the concert's venue.She was stuck at the hotel all day. She needed to get a whiff of the familiar Paris air and the nice sights. The guys, to the contrary, had left her and their manager back at the hotel this morning to head on to the venue and get on with the prepping. Veronica kept up her slack gait in the direction of the wide-spanning platform.The stage was currently being tacked together by a flock of men dressed in jeans and T-shirts. Most of them were scuttling on what looked like a huge mare's nest.At t
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 42 : BFFs
13 days left• Piazza di Valtieri, Roma •Théo slouched beside a lamppost as he pressed on the metal grinders of his lighter. He lit his second cancer stick for the hour, dismissing the guilt-inducing thought that his ex would be disappointed that he still hadn't quit smoking.He would someday, but the stress and the increasing pressure were getting on his nerve again. The good thing was: this would be his last job under the agency."Last one. Then you're good to go. You and Via can stay in America, and live your life as you please," was Gillaume's rather convincing speech last week. It convinced him, alright.After this last assignment, he wouldn't owe the agency anymore, and he would get the freedom and the security he wanted for him and his family. Freedom to start afresh, do so
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