Chapter 20

~NOAH'S POV~

Maria's weekend house had big windows that let in plenty of light in the morning. I had tried to keep my feelings of paranoia aside because of Ciara. But still, I felt windows were a little too many that I always felt it would be easy to be spied on. I pushed aside my concerns, smiling contentedly, I took a sip of my coffee and relished the quiet environment. Maria laughed at something Ciara had said as she sat across from me.

"You should have seen the look on his face!" Ciara laughed. Maria answered with a smile. I grinned, pleased that my friend and mate were getting along so nicely. Our outdoor brunch was the ideal way to begin our day in Italy.

At that moment, Maria's phone began to ring from inside the house. She got up from her chair and apologized, saying, "Excuse me, I'll just go grab that." While she was gone, Ciara and I carried on our conversation. It was barely a minute later that Maria was back, her brow furrowed and she was still holding the phone in one h