Temptation of her Flame ✔️

chapter twenty

this chapter is just ✨🖕💝💎 infer what you will

(friends by chase atlantic)

VINCENZO

I took the day off to celebrate her birthday.

It was a decision I would've never understood a month ago. I called a professional team to decorate the house according to Aria's tastes—gemstones and gold. She advised me to keep it simple, just a cake and a song, but it wasn't a hassle to go a step further.

Emma was first to wake up, and her squeal alone could've startled the entire earth. "I love that she's now a part of this family tradition," she remarked, gazing at the glimmering stones in amazement. "You decorate only because Mama coerced you to do it, but you're willing this time. You're crazy for her."

"I am not," I opposed, brewing myself a cup of coffee.

"Don't lie to me," she tutted. "I've seen the viral post of both of you. You have that face."

"What face?" I rolled my eyes, settling down around the kitchen island. Peace in the morning was nonexistent when Emma was present. "When are you flying back?"

"That 'I'm going to die without her' face. It's so cute."   She held up a piece of rose quartz on the counter and tossed it at me, but her aim was embarrassing. "And don't be rude. I can stay for as long as I like," she said. "But I'm leaving in three days."

I nodded, taking a sip of my drink. "Damon been absent in the mornings recently. Am I right to guess that it's your doing?"

A blush coloured her cheeks, and with a scowl plastered on her face, she bit back, "Don't mention that son of a gun. He is deranged, irrational, and I don't know how anyone could like him, even remotely. It's sickening. I hate him."

I hummed, my eyes scanning the decorations around the house. I imagined the glint that might appear in Aria's eyes.

"You should fire him. It would help if you let him live his miserable life on his own. You'd do that for me, right?"

"Sure." I hadn't the slightest clue what I agreed to.

"Wait. You aren't actually going to—"

Three consecutive knocks on the door and a rough voice belonging to my head of security interrupted her. We exchanged a glance; then, I moved to unlock the door.

"Found him trying to sneak in," my head of security notified me, his face permanently unfriendly.

"I wasn't trying to sneak in, holy crap. You're shockingly bad at your job. I was invited, by the birthday girl, no less," Cole refuted. His gaze landed on me as if challenging me to prove him right. He was such a pain, but his arrival was terrific news for me.

"Are you armed?" I asked.

"A gun," my security responded for him. "He is a threat. I'll remove him from the property right away."

"No, just removing his gun will do," I instructed.

When Cole entered my house, he treated it as his own. The man invited himself into my kitchen, shooting me a snobbish look before taking a sip out of my coffee. I was fuming.