Esztar Is Falling

C H A P T E R 07

She was thinking.

That means she was nibbling her bottom lip. Can't she just get rid of that habit?

I don't remember the last time I've ever been so fucking frustrated. Forget about touching her, these two hard headed brothers won't even let me see her for more than two seconds.

"What are you thinking, muffin?" Oliver nudged her.

Liam grumbled groggily. "Don't move, Vi." He held her arm, adjusting his head on his shoulder.

"You know what, that's enough." Mason peeled him apart from her. "Go sleep in your room or wherever the hell you like. If I see you near her-"

"Mase!" Allegra sighed. "This way she'll remain single forever. Besides, look at that face." She pinched Liam's cheeks. "You'd understand if you were gay."

"Did Allegra Tanner just flirt with me? Or am I dreaming? Someone pinch me." Liam blinked several times.

"Gladly." Toby pinched him hard, earning a slap from his twin.

"Don't you dare encourage him, Alli." Mason sneered. "The guy had seventeen girlfriends."

"Don't exaggerate!" Liam jumped up to his feet. "It was just sixteen."

We all grumbled in unison.

"Why do you sound jealous, Mase?" Vittoria smirked, mocking him.

"Oh please." He scoffed.

"How do we manage to get sidetracked every two minutes?" The grandpa banged his fists on the table.

"Oh yeah, about that." Vittoria blurted, back to being serious. "Luca is planning something big." She proclaimed.

"How do you know that?" Toby asked.

"He told me today."

"WHAT!" The two brothers and Toby screamed while Liam, Vittoria and I exchanged secret glances.

They weren't aware of the panic attack episode. She asked us not to tell them because then Oliver would throw back Travis as her bodyguard and she didn't want that.

Guess she was right about it. She was way more confident when she returned back by herself. She'd have to step out alone to know the fear was unreasonable.

"You know the usual five minutes he spares from his life to mess with us before we enter the building." She shrugged.

"What exactly did he tell you?" I asked, not knowing about this part either.

"He asked me to be ready." She looked out, a slight tremor evident in her voice.

"For what?" Liam asked impatiently.

There was a pause. A rather long one. She raked her eyes over each one of us before answering in a shaky whisper.

"The grand finale."

And then there was silence.

"We'll have to be more careful." Toby said warily.

"And quick." Liam added. "What if Raymond's death wasn't just a distraction. What if it's a warning about Camila being next?"

"What exactly happened on your wedding day?" Mason stressed over the word as if the existing tension wasn't enough.

"Camila's room was ransacked. She was missing. There was this familiar copper seal. That's what happened on the wedding day." I spat.

"Did you find any threat or an ultimatum of any sort?" Allegra asked, her brain working in full speed like Vittoria's.

"None." Oliver stated.