Novel & Cerita Barnaby X Fantoccio

“Well, you should’ve seen you. You were like Bambi skating on that ice. It was so freaking funny.” Caleb stops and turns steely eyes onto me. “Who the fuck is Bambino?” he asks in a dangerously low voice, his expression instantly hardening. A crease forms between his brows as he glares down at me. “Don’t compare me to your lame-ass boyfriends, Songbird.” “It’s Bambi,” I correct, unable to stifle a laugh. “And chill, dude. Bambi’s a cartoon character from my childhood. You know, the Disney one?”

I lost my balance and almost fell down, but May quickly caught me. "And the thing is, they’re collaborating with COVAS, as they are the ones who provided all the jewelry to them, and it's exactly the ones that we ordered." Liam added, and I let out a small scoff as it's now clear to me why this baboon told me that the designs I ordered for are not available. I tightened my fist as I tried to regain my composure, left May's grasp, and then faced the son of a bitch who just keeps on babbling gibberish.

Leonardo Franco POV Just before twelve, we exit the lobby. Bart, his wife, and Robinson, that pretty boy with the soft, white, piano hands whom Luna Belle calls her best friend, are outside. Bart and Robinson are loading bags into the trunk of Bart’s BMW. Bart’s wife, Celeste, looks the worst for wear with a pair of oversized sunglasses shielding her eyes. She’s sitting on a bench next to the entrance, her face whiter than porcelain, sipping green slush that must be some miracle hangover remedy in a takeout cup.

Julianna asked, her voice a small, tentative murmur that barely reached the table. ​Maya stopped the tractor. She looked at the yellow clip in Julianna’s hair, then looked down at the stuffed animal Toby was holding. Slowly, without saying a word, she stood up on her bare feet, walked over to Toby, and pulled the gray rabbit out of his grip by its ears. ​"Her name is Barnaby," Maya said, holding the creature out by one leg. "She doesn't like the apples." ​"Martha has three apples in the bin," Julianna said, taking one small step away from Bella, though her hand didn't let go of the sweater wool. "They have the spots."

I was about to say something to make up for it when he raised his left hand. A faint scar ran along his ring finger. I stared at it for a long moment. Suddenly, it clicked in my mind. "No way…" Barnabas ruffled my hair. "You silly girl. Finally remembered?" Barnabas was the only son of a family that had been close to mine for generations. When we were young, he always liked to follow me around. One year during a New Year's Eve celebration, we were playing with fireworks. I got so absorbed that I forgot to throw one away after igniting it.

“Then what is the point?” I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.“The point is, I told you—explicitly—that the card attached to the dress should state that it came from Santa. To humans, Santa is an old man with a kind heart who grants wishes no matter how hard. I wanted her to believe the dress came from him—not the damn CEO she thinks she’s supposed to fall for. But now… she knows, Caleb. Because of your screw-up, she knows Santa and the CEO are one and the same.” Caleb blinks, then scratches the back of his neck. His hesitation is all the confirmation I need.

I'd barely sat up when the door opened, and a woman in a bathrobe walked in. [Just accept it, man. There's no way out now. Might as well relax and enjoy it. By the way, do we have to pay to watch what's about to happen?] I took a slow breath. Then, following the lead the messages had given me, I reached out and started undoing her robe myself. Seeing my resigned expression, the old woman burst into laughter, the fats on her body shaking.

The camera framed her in some kind of industrial cathedral, stone walls, iron beams, candles flickering like it was a grotesque chapel, and behind her stood Bianchi. His white suit was immaculate, his silver hair combed back, but his skin sagged, sallow, as though time itself was devouring him alive. Machines beeped faintly at his side, wires running from his chest to a black, humming unit on wheels. His smile was the smile of a man with nothing left to lose. “Talana Fabrizio,” his voice drawled, amplified through the speakers of their SUV as if mocking distance itself. “The world’s new saint. The Dona. You wear the fire well, girl, but saints don’t last long in a world of devils.”

“You look like, um… Mirabel from Encanto! Right? The one with no gift but ends up being powerful because of the doorknob!” Jarvis and I looked at each other, silently asking who Mirabel was, but I just shrugged. I didn’t really know who that was… from a movie, maybe? I turned toward Sir Preston, who was already looking at me. I cleared my throat awkwardly. “A-Ah, Sir, I’m just taking Jarvis to the barbershop in town. The, um, haircut Ma’am Chantal gave him wasn’t very… even. I’ll just have it fixed. And we’ll stop by the church afterward.”

STARTED : NOVEMBER 2016 FINISHED : 01 JANUARY 2018 - Antonette Liebermann I*******m @antonxtte