7 days left
• Rome, Italy •
It was probably still dawn, but when a faint buzzing noise beside his head drew him out of his much-needed sleep, Théo quickly sat up on the bed.
Hotel room. With his tired ex still asleep beside him. Not even sunrise yet.
He rubbed his eyes for a second and recalled the tasks on his to-do list, despite the groggy haze his brain was still fighting off. He glanced to his side.
Veronica snuggled to her pillow, her breathing light and steady, the thick covers hiding her slender and lithe body from the waist down.
With caution and care, he pulled the covers
7 days left• Rome, Italy •It wasn't supposed to be Raffaele. The agency didn't say that the son was the target. Well, the guy was one of the subjects of interest, but Théo certainly recalled he wasn't tasked to dig up dirt on Raffaele Valtieri that would put the guy in jail or prison.He wasn't supposed to focus on Raffaele, but now he felt absolutely triggered to find enough incriminating evidence to rattle the jerk's cages.Although his mission objectives didn't say he should focus on Raffaele Valtieri and temprorarily put the magnifying glass away from Hugo, the patriarch, Théo now felt compelled to keep investigating into Raffaele's recent affairs. He had to gather evidence to prove that the Valtieri heir wasn't the squeaky-clean golden boy or the overachieving firstborn his family portrayed him to be.His gut feeling wasn't enough. Gillaume's bosses didn't care fo
•It shouldn't be easy.After all that happened, she shouldn't expect everything to turn out okay overnight. Relationships were never that easy. They both knew they weren't going to solve their pre-existing issues just by sleeping together again.Nothing but unrealistic optimism would be a good enough band-aid solution for now. It wasn't even a solution...more like, a temporary distraction from the harsh truths of their situation. She just had to look forward, like her mother always said.Veronica sighed to herself. She had the answers to her questions, so now she had to go back to her normal routine: make music with the band, play music, tour around the world to earn a living while trying to deal with her personal life, and then repeat.Whatever Théo had to in the coming days and weeks and months...she had no control over it. The way she saw it now
• Rome, Italy •Her attempt at humor didn't make him laugh or crack a half-meant grin. Not even for a split-second.Even after they'd had breakfast thanks to room service, Veronica could tell his mood hadn't shifted for the better. She was merely poking fun at his drab behavior earlier, but, it seemed her ex took it as an insult or something.Maybe he now thought it was her way of telling him what happened the previous night was nothing but another mindless one-night stand. It kinda was, but...she definitely didn't feel like what they shared was just a night of plain stupidity and senseless sex.She particularly felt last night was more than that when he brought it up half an hour ago, and then apologized for having been "too rough" again in bed. It wasn't entirely accurate, but she appreciated his honesty and apology.Strange that he was acting like it was the first time they'd had sex...instead
•In a coma? Brain aneurysm?What the heck? After all that time Kyle had spent in recovery, now he was back in the hospital again and in a comatose state?After she called their manager, her biggest fears were confirmed once again. Now a part of her chest wouldn't stop aching, and she even felt like throwing up.But they had to keep going. She seriously had to get to the airport now. She wanted to get back to New York before something worse happened to Kyle. Veronica kept repeating the pleading prayers in her head, desperate to hear better news in the next couple of hours.She wouldn't get the definite details unless she was physically there at the hospital, talking to Kyle's doctors again. So, she really had to hop on a flight back home now. Before the worst happened.Dear God... Why...She wou
•A concrete barrier.Gray, thick, solid, and almost murderous.For about a second or two, she imagined it would be the end. Their untimely demise. How their life stories would be written off...It took her breath away, seeing it all happen before their eyes. She just didn't think a boring stretch of cement would almost end her and her baby's life today—instead of the loaded gun she held the first minute she'd woken up.Nor did she imagine she would get into a car accident with Théo behind the wheel...and in a foreign country, at that. He never drove recklessly. Never.This morning, though, he was just distracted all throughout, acting oddly rattled by something and the mere sight of that SUV tailing them eventually became too much for him to handle.Veronica exhaled a delayed sigh of relief amid the numbing shock. Her unease doubled as she
• Lido di Ostia Beach, Rome •It wasn't a simple detour.The armed and masked men drove them farther from the airport until she saw the beach. She didn't need to use Google Maps to confirm they were driving into Ostia, a beautiful beach town near the city.She'd seen the road signs and some photos online the other night while she was Googling tourist spots here in Italy and near Rome. Too bad she didn't have her phone right now.She would do much more than look at photos if only she kept her cellphone in her coat pocket. As in call the cops, an ambulance, or someone nearby who could get them out of here, and let them know she and her ex got kidnapped by armed men who might just be drug dealers and mobsters...Darn it. Her purse and luggage. It all got left behind. Her handbag was in the passenger seat of the rental car.
•What did he mean? Why ask if she knew what Théo did to Anastasia?What exactly did he want or expect to hear from her?"I don't...know what you want me to say," Veronica murmured while she tried not to scowl at the guy again.Still sitting before her, Rafa continued to stare at her face and into her eyes, as if gauging whether she had the guts to lie to his face. "Did he tell you where he met Ana?""No.""Where do you think they met?"She scoffed and turned her face away from his, her hands itching to shove him so she would no longer have to put up with his alcohol and cigarettes-smelling breath. It was making her quite nauseous already. "I don't know. We don't talk about your sister.""Again, I find that hard to believe, Via." Rafa stroked her hair and leaned even closer to her. "Look. I don't hurt people, especial
•Being treated like a helpless hostage in a foreign country was starting to trick her brain into thinking the experience wasn't so bad. The supposed mastermind of it all wasn't so bad, either.Maybe it was just Stockholm syndrome kicking in. Maybe not. Too early to tell. Maybe she was just overwhelmed with relief that she was still breathing on her own, with her body parts still intact and not chopped into ugly, unrecognizable pieces.Her hands were cuffed and her mouth was duct-taped shut to keep her from screaming for help, but at least the guy wasn't physically torturing her or giving her a deadly beating.Plus, he didn't blindfold her this time. Was it a sign that he trusted her to some degree? It seemed so."Don't run off."With her lips shut tight by thick, sticky stape, Veronica could only give him a slight nod in reply.&nb