I have to join Eva today and help her with plan her fundraiser like I promised instead of hanging out with my friends, so after my morning swim I enter the kitchen wearing a robe and a towel around my neck. “Laura can you please send my breakfast-“ I’m cut off by the sight of a woman sitting on my favourite stool for when I have breakfast in the kitchen.        The woman turns at my entrance, she is wearing a navy blue pantsuit, instead of a camisole, I can see a hint of lacy black bra underneath. Her nails are painted a blood red, the same shade that colours her lips, with chocolate brown eyes against tanned skin. She looks beautiful, her only accessory an expensive watch on her wrist and a pair of diamonds on her ears, even from her seated position I can see that she is a tall woman at least six feet. Her jet-black hair is pulled into a low ponytail. She wears a cunning look in her eyes, a small smirk tugging

What is she doing on my chair? I want to laugh out loud but I’m  too annoyed. The seat to Nikos’s right is often taken by Vincent, as his right hand and consigiler. His left is taken by Matteo or Mr. Gerco during Sunday dinners because they’re usually discussing the family business or sports or other manly things that I don’t need to be a part of, so I tend to seat a few chairs down with Tommy those times. But most nights when we have dinner as a family, I sit at his side, his left is mine by right.  She’s either trying to act clueless or being downright disrespectful. Guest or no, she’s was born in the family like me, she knows the rules. No one else seems to find it weird, just keeps the conversation going. Hmm.   I’m distracted by a chripping sound from my pocket. I continue moving into the room, Fishing out my phone, I see that I have a text from Lydia and the sticker she sent me. Smiling softly, I message her a reply,

***  I fell asleep on the couch last night, I tried calling Niko a number of times last night, I didn’t know what I would say to him, that I’m sorry? That I’m just jealous that his ex is hanging around the house? I don’t even know why I’m being so irrational about this. This isn’t like me, but his line went straight to voice mail so I gave up. He came back during the night though,I remember being wrapped in his arms as he carried me to the bed. “Niko, you came back” I mummered sleepily.    He doesn’t say anything, I wasn’t expecting him to, Niko communicates more with silence than words, if he isn’t saying anything to me it’s probably because he doesn’t have anything to say to me. He just undressed and laid down. Sleep claims me a moment later.     When I wake up Niko is gone and I feel like shit. But I decide not to dwell on that. I might be going off the handle because Niko is making me feel th

       He looks calm when I see him, sitting on a couch his legs crossed and looking at something on his iPad. “Niko?” I clasp my hands in front of.  “Do you want to get yourself killed, sneaking away from your guards?” He doesn’t look up as he speaks, his eyes never leaving his iPad. “We had a deal and you have gone against it repeatedly, you’re no longer allowed out of the house” he says calmly.

   I knock once then push the door open, balancing the tray on my palm I walk inside the room pushing the door close with my butt. This afternoon I had intercepted the tray Laura was bringing Niko while he worked in his study, I expect to see him working away on his computer but instead he is leaned back against his throne like rolling chair on the table, bits and pieces of metals scattered in front of him.          His head tilts up when I come in and he motions me to approach. I cross over,