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44 : Faulty Wiring
• Columbia, NY •
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In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 45 : Mother's Touch
11 days left • Philadelphia, PA •"Tell him or I will.""Don't.""Today.""Whatever. Just—" Veronica let out a groan and shut her eyes, anxious and feeling indecisive as ever. The short vacation she'd planned wasn't shaping up to be an enjoyable one. "Don't tell him; I'll talk to him," she muttered, getting more annoyed.A dead serious expression now on his face, Mick got to his feet. "Tuh-day," he repeated with widened eyelids and a raised finger, as though warning her. He started backtracking to the door. His fingers stayed enclosed around the glossy doorknob while he glowered at her and murmured, "I'm not kidding."Veronica reclined in the armchair, sighed, and raked her fingers through her ponytailed hair. The throbbing in the back of her head was starting to worsen. "Just...tell Mom I'll be down in a minute," she croaked, giving him the stink eye.A while after exchanging grimaces with her, Mick yanked the door open, making way for Floofie, who had been perching in the doorway fo
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 46 : I Lie, I Cheat, I Feel
10 days left• Piazza di Valtieri, Roma •The study.It was the only important room in the mansion he couldn't sneak into no matter how many times he tried for the past week. The room was always locked. First floor. Almost always empty.It was also Hugo's office and the door was always closed, especially since Hugo had been out of town and absent in the estate for days now.Out of desperation, Théo hatched a new plan. He had less than two weeks left, so time for Plan B. He couldn't exactly climb into one of the windows come nighttime.The estate's security staff were on shifts all day, all night. Too risky. If he got caught by one of the security detail, he might get shot dead. On the spot. So he had to be smart about this one.The property had CCTV cameras installed in every corner and floor as we
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 47 : Maternal Instincts
• Piazza di Valtieri, Roma •Making sure the listening device he just installed under Hugo's desk was working and a hundred percent functioning took him another five minutes or so. Théo double-checked if the device had successfully linked to his phone.He accessed the audio feed after entering a two-factor authentication code sent by the agency's server. Cloaked by a VPN of course. Or a few. Never hurt to be extra sure.To avoid detection, he then deleted the messages with the authentication codes sent to his phone and accessed the secure app that let him browse through and listen to the audio feeds. It was disguised as a puzzle game on his apps list. The agency's tech guys had been pretty imaginative lately.Opting to move along his task list with caution, he had only installed two listening devices in the mansion: one in the living room and one in Hugo's office slash study room.
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 48 : Lasting Impressions
• Philadelphia, PA •"Enchanté. Enfin.""C'est si bon de te voir, Madame." After exchanging cheek-to-cheek greetings, Veronica pulled away to let the older woman inside the house. She opened the door wider. Although kind of shell-shocked, she had to be polite and welcoming.Théo didn't even know her mother's address here in Philadelphia but it seemed his mother had her means. Veronica tried not to look blown out of the water. Biggest surprise of her week so far."Call me Claudia." Théo's mother smiled at her again and thanked her for taking her coat. Her accent sounded posh. Not a tinge of French. Very English, as she expected.How exactly did Claudia Reynaud know this address? Google Maps? Unlikely. Her mother's clinic address could easily be searched on the internet, but not this residential address."How
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 49 : More Than Meets The Eye
9 days left• Rome, Italy •It was another pleasant weekday morning. The sun was up, the sky was clear, traffic wasn't bad, and the ambiance in the small restaurant wasn't much worse than the inviting weather outside.Théo would prefer to stay in the Valtieri estate all day to do more spying but since Anastasia wasn't at all comfortable being cooped up in her parents' mansion for days on end, he suggested they get breakfast alone outside to ease her recent anxieties somewhat.He didn't know exactly what were her triggers but he had a few ideas. Being stuck indoors with her own family didn't provide her enough relaxation and security. He had noticed it after the first few days he was invited and allowed to live with the Valtieris.Although, most days, it was only her mother who stayed in their mansion most of the time becaus
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 50 : All Or Nothing
• New York City •So he was doing better now.Apparently, he had moved on to better things, was happier with his new girlfriend now, and he no longer gave a crap about the break-up. Such a big, bitter pill to swallow.It hurt her, of course. But his own mother confirmed it. So it must be the whole truth. Why would Claudia Reynaud lie to her, anyway? It wouldn't make any sense.Veronica tried to sleep it all off after a good cry last night, and after hours of contemplating what to do next."If he doesn't acknowledge it or denies it's his baby, then sue him," was her mother's pragmatic advice last time they were in Philadelphia."He won't. Come on, Mom...he's not that stupid," was her brother Mick's only reaction to the issue that night.Although Veronica feared another blatant rejection from Théo, neverthele
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 51 : Precauzione
9 days left• Piazza di Valtieri, Roma •Time to get to the bottom of the issue.Théo proceeded to the bathroom with his phone in his pants pocket, eager to find out more about the Valtieris. He would have checked the recorded audio feeds an hour ago the same time when he and Anastasia arrived back here in the estate, but he had to act like the dutiful boyfriend and listen to her rants about her parents for a good half hour or so.Nothing new, but, this time, Anastasia seemed profoundly indignant she practically burst into tears. He had to console her, of course, until she'd fallen asleep on her bed five minutes ago after all the crying.Now that he was alone in the bathroom again, Théo locked the d
In Wounded Rhymes [Mafia Games X] 52 : Amber Alert
• Milan, Italy •"I'm gonna end up pregnant again just by being around all this testosterone all day."Tomek chuckled while he stirred his hot coffee, his gaze centered on the woman to his left.Behind her sat a group of rowdy 20-something guys who were enthused by their phones and watching a basketball match while enjoying coffee, pancakes, and cigarettes."You want another table? They're all smoking." Tomek shook his head faintly, worried she might get nauseous again from the smell. Plus, she was two months pregnant.The drab look on her pale face after glancing at the group of hot-blooded males just tickled his funny bone. "Please." Veronica sighed as they got up from their chairs.Tomek carried her handbag for her. They moved to the corner table for two to avoid the cigarette smoke.He drove her to the city from the airport in Milan an ho
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