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32 : Prep

Penulis: M.Z. Mauve
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2020-10-13 12:50:37
• Piazza Di Valtieri •

Grand. Spacious. Bricks and stone. Freshly trimmed grass. Well-maintained. For aristocrats.

As part of his preparations, he had to study the blueprint of the entire lot and villa for days—which he had already done a week ago. Théo already knew what to expect, but of course he would pretend as if this was his first time ever seeing the property.

The estate's security setup was also quite impressive. Familiar with the basic rigs, he glanced at the security cameras obscured by lampposts towering above the tall, shiny white gates welcoming their vehicle and their escorts. Well, Anastasia's security escorts, to be specific.

The thick iron gates ostentatiously showed who owned the entire place. "Piazza Di Valtieri"—which basically meant "The Valtieri Estate"—was etched in eye-catching golden letters in the middle. It immediately reminded him of the last time he'd been in a private property as secure and extravagant as this prime real estate.

That time, he had been
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    •"Dammi il telefono."The heck? He hadn't even gotten past the backdoor yet. And now this prick was already itching to snoop on his phone?"Why?" Théo squinted at the guy with the slicked back hair and watchful eyes that looked as dark as his demeanor.The guy had on a leather jacket and tight black jeans. Like every other henchman in a mafia flick. What a cliché. It wasn't one of Anastasia's bodyguards. Probably her parents' head of security, or something, tasked with looking after the entire estate's security systems. "Cellulare. Per favore." The guy dared to take a step forward after glancing at his phone again.The dude's grating voice was as authoritative as much as it annoyed Théo. The goon's breath smelled like an ashtray, and his aftershave just worsened the scent. Théo gripped the phone and stared back at the guy. Of course the prick was just doing his job, and since he was the outsider here, Théo knew he had to cooperate. Otherwise he'd look like he was hiding something

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    •"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

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    •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

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2020-10-20
  • 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

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2020-10-21
  • 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

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2020-10-22

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    • Despite some misgivings, Veronica didn't push him aside or leave his bedroom. She didn't want to leave him yet. She came back here to do radio interviews and promo shoots, but Théo was the main reason she decided to hop on a flight to Paris. She hadn't seen him in months. More importantly, they had a lot to hash out: 1) Anastasia Valtieri 2) Everything that happened in Rome 3) The real reasons he went to Tuscany The list went on and on... But she didn't plan to stay the night here in the loft. They didn't have much privacy; Théo was still living with his best friends. The rest of the two-storey house seemed quiet, though. Where did Tomek and the guys go? "Why didn't you tell me you're gonna be here?" Théo leaned against the closed door with his arms crossed, eyeing her with a curious squin

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    • Paris, France • "How many times a month d'you gotta see your shrink?" "What?" "Like every week?" "As often as necessary." Théo glanced up from his phone after his best friend's question sank in, distracting him from composing a new message for his ex. Veronica just texted him an hour ago. After weeks of radio silence. It wasn't unexpected behavior from her, considering the circumstances the last time they saw each other in person. Why did she decide to reach out to him again? Just because his grandmother died? Or because it was almost his birthday? Perhaps both convinced Veronica that it was time to rekindle their friendship again. "You're paying for everything? Every session?" Tomek sat beside him and pouted, his pale hand clutching a can of root beer. "Or your insurance covers half at least?" Théo scoffed and almost laughed. "I wish." The a

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    • Disobeying a direct order. Obstruction of an investigation. Impeding the course of justice. Whichever was most applicable to his case, he had no choice but to face the music. His luck just kept running out lately. Saying he "meant well" wouldn't be enough for any of the big bosses, but at least his mother had his back this time. Well, somewhat. A judge might be more sympathetic, actually. Théo shifted on the hospital bed as he watched his mother wrap up another phone call. Perhaps her 20th for the day. Just part of her job. Like cleaning up after his mess. "Not like it's the first time," she would say. He most probably embarrassed her after what happened, but at least she showed up today. It must be just another debriefing. Or she only came over to reprimand him for disobedience and his defiant actions that almost ended in a vendetta.

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    •About half an hour of begging and tears eventually granted her wish. Raffaele obviously hated to say yes to her request, but he gave in when she didn't stop pleading for him to take her to Castiglione.Such an impulsive decision on her part—a choice that might put her life in serious danger, but she just couldn't stay behind. Wait. Do nothing. No thanks. She had to be there. See Théo with her own eyes.This would be the last time she would be risking her own safety for him. Seriously. The last time. Her mother didn't even know she was back here in Italy, begging for help from strangers just to find her ex. Raffaele didn't treat her like a stranger, though. For the past 24 hours, he had been indulging her, consoling her, helping her to the best of his ability as though they were old friends.Did it mean he already forgave Théo? F

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