It took Vera, Vale, and Elias an hour to pack up everything they’d set up in the massive Corleone kitchen. The once-organised space now felt like a battlefield of scattered props, caras, and half-unpacked ingredients.
According to Sofia and Bianca’s snide orders... relayed through a servant... the helpers who had assisted them earlier weren’t allowed to lift a finger now.
"Misses’ instructions. We’re not to help you," the servant had said, shrugging before disappearing. So, the three of them were left to handle it all alone. Vera grumbled under her breath as she dismantled the cara tripods, folding them carefully into their cases. "This is ridiculous. We co here for a collab, and now we’re treated like intruders."
Vale nodded, wiping sweat from her forehead as she boxed up the lights. "Yeah, and after what happened to Elias? They should be begging us to stay, not making us do manual labour." She glanced at Elias, who was quietly wrapping cables, his face still a bit pale from the blood donation. "Are you okay there? Sit down if you need to. Vera and I can handle this."
Elias shook his head, managing a small smile despite the fatigue tugging at him.
"No, I’m fine. Really. I can’t just sit while you two work. Let help... It’s my stuff too, kind of." He reached for a bag of fresh herbs, carefully placing them into a cooler to keep them from wilting. His arm ached where the needle had been, but he pushed through, not wanting to be a burden.
Vera paused, setting down a microphone stand with a clank.
"Elias, seriously. You just gave blood to save their grandpa. The least we can do is pack while you rest. You’re too nice for your own good."
He chuckled softly, but there was a tiredness in his eyes. "It’s okay. Moving around helps feel better. Besides, if I sit, I’ll think about... everything that happened." He trailed off, rembering the flashes in his mind... the old man laughing with a child. It still unsettled him, but he didn’t want to bring it up again.
Vale sighed, stacking empty crates.
"Fine, but don’t overdo it. We should’ve never co here. Those girls... ugh. Acting like their grandpa’s collapse was no big deal."
They worked in a rhythm, chatting to pass the ti and ease the frustration. Vera folded aprons while Vale sorted spices. "Rember that one shoot we did at the park?" Vera said, trying to lighten the mood. "The wind knocked over the cara three tis. This feels like that, but worse."
Vale laughed. "At least the wind didn’t yell at us. Hey, Elias, what do you think we should do with all these veggies? We bought way too much for nothing."
Elias thought for a mont, tying off a bag. "We could save them for sothing fun at ho? Don’t waste them."
After finally getting everything together... caras, lights, unused pots, and all the fresh produce... they lugged it all out to the car in multiple trips. The palace grounds felt eerily quiet now, the grand facade mocking them as they loaded the trunk. No sign of Sofia or Bianca coming down to say goodbye or apologise. Not that Vera or Vale expected it; they’d seen enough of the sisters’ attitude. "Good riddance," Vera muttered as she slamd the trunk shut. "Let’s get out of here."
Elias climbed into the back seat, leaning his head against the window as Vale started the engine. The drive back to the safe house was long, the winding roads blurring past. Vera turned in the passenger seat to face him.
"Elias, we’re so sorry about today. We dragged you into this ss. If we’d known..."
Vale glanced in the rearview mirror, her eyes soft with regret. "Yeah, seriously. We thought it would be a fun collab. Not... whatever that was. You didn’t deserve any of it... the guards, the guns, donating blood. Are you really okay?"
Elias waved it off, though his voice was quiet. "I’m fine. I’m just a little dizzy, but it’ll pass. Just need so rest, as I said. You don’t have to apologise... It’s not your fault. Bianca left to wander, but I should’ve been more careful."
Vera handed him a bottle of water from the front. "Here, drink this. You should stay hydrated. And it is partly our fault—we pushed for the collab. But hey, at least we got out in one piece."
Elias took the bottle, gulping down half of it gratefully. The cool water helped clear his head a bit. As he capped it, he listened to the sisters talk about the ingredients again.
"So, what are we doing with all this stuff?" Vera asked, gesturing to the back. "Tomatoes, basil, onions... they’re fresh, but they’ll spoil if we don’t use them soon."
Vale nodded, keeping her eyes on the road.
"Yeah, we spent a fortune. We can’t just throw it out. Any ideas, Elias?"
Elias finished his water and set the bottle down, thinking.
"What about avatar cooking? Like, get the twins and Lila involved. They do the cooking, but you two guide them from the side. Tell them step by step how to make sothing simple, like pasta or a salad with these veggies."
Vera’s face lit up. "Avatar cooking? That’s genius! Continue... tell us more."
Elias leaned forward a bit, getting into the idea. "Well, the twins are kids, so it’ll be cute and fun. They can chop veggies... with supervision, of course... and stir things. Lila can help keep them on track. You two narrate, like ’Now add the tomatoes, boys!’ People love family stuff on your channel."
Vale smiled, glancing back. "I love it. But the boys are so young... what if they ss up with the gas or sothing?"
Elias nodded. "That’s easy. Make it clear in the video that adults handle the dangerous parts, like lighting the stove. Kids get help from grown-ups. It’ll teach safety too. Fans will eat it up... wholeso, educational."
Vera and Vale exchanged excited glances. "Yes!" Vera said. "We can film it tonight if we’re not too tired. The lighting at ho is perfect."
Vale sped up a little, eager now. "Totally. And Elias, you have to be in it too. Maybe do the tasting at the end?"
Elias hesitated, then shrugged. "Sure, I can taste. Maybe with Viktor, if he’s around."
Vera caught the tone. "Ooh, Viktor in a video? That’d be hilarious. He’s so serious."
Vale chuckled. "Yeah, but it’d be cute. Family tasting session."
Elias went quiet for a mont, staring out the window. "Well, that’s if he’s not busy with soone or sothing else."
The sisters shared a knowing look. Vera smiled gently. "We’ll convince him. Don’t you worry about it."
They kept talking, teasing Elias lightly. "You know," Vera said, "you should consider being our manager again. Your ideas are gold. We wouldn’t have gone to that Corleone ss if we’d thought of this first."
Elias laughed, shaking his head. "No way. I’m good with just helping out. Managing sounds stressful."
Vale grinned. "Fine, but think about it. We’d pay you in free food."
The conversation flowed easily, easing the tension from the day. By the ti they pulled up to the safe house, the sun was dipping lower, casting a warm glow over the familiar building.
Just as they got ho, Vale and Vera started unloading the car, pulling out bags and boxes. More servants and guards appeared to help, making quick work of it... Unlike at the palace. "Thanks," Vale said to one guard, handing over a cooler. "Oh be careful with that."
The front door burst open, and the twins ca running out, their little faces lighting up. "Aunt Vera! Aunt Vale! Elias!" They crashed into hugs, wrapping arms around legs and waists.
Elias knelt down, pulling them close despite his tiredness. "Hey, you two. I really missed you guys."
"We missed you more!" one twin said, bouncing. "Lila made us pancakes for breakfast. And we drew pictures!"
The other nodded excitedly.
"Yeah, and we played tag with the sitter. But it was boring without you."
Elias ruffled their hair, smiling genuinely for the first ti since the incident. "Sounds fun. What did you draw? Superheroes?"
"Yep! And a big house like ours," the first twin said.
"And what did you eat for lunch? Did Lila make sure you finished your veggies?"
They nodded vigorously. "Sandwiches! With cheese. And apples."
"Good job," Elias said, standing up slowly. "You two are growing so fast."
Just then, a voice ca from the side... Viktor, stepping out from around the corner, dressed in a sharp jacket and pants, as if he were heading out. "You’re back early. How was the shoot? Did everything go okay?"
Vera opened her mouth, ready to spill about the disaster. "Well, actually..."
But Elias cut in, raising his head. "Nothing happened." He paused, then changed his mind, eyeing Viktor’s outfit. "Where are you going? You’re all dressed up."
Viktor stuttered a bit, caught off guard. "I, uh, have sowhere important to be. Business stuff."
Elias’s expression hardened slightly. "The war isn’t starting until tomorrow. You don’t have to go anywhere. Spend so ti with your kids before... whatever."
Viktor opened his mouth to respond, but one of his n approached quickly. "Master, they’ve found her."
Elias’s eyes narrowed. "Her? They’ve found her?" He smirked bitterly. "The woman with the lipstick?"
Viktor shook his head. "Elias, wait... It’s not what you think."
But Elias ignored him, turning back to the twins with a forced smile.
"Co on, boys. Let’s go inside and change your outfits. Aunt Vera and Aunt Vale are including you in their video today. It’ll be fun... You get to cook!"
The twins looked between their dad and Elias, noticing Viktor’s sad expression. "Okay..." one said hesitantly, taking Elias’s hand.
They followed Elias into the house, chattering about what they’d wear. Viktor groaned in frustration, running a hand through his hair as he turned to his sisters.
"Did anything happen? Why’s he like that?"
Vera folded her arms. "Long story. But first... is the ’her’ Camilla?"
Viktor nodded, glancing around to make sure no one else heard. "Yeah. We tracked her down."
Vale leaned in, lowering her voice. "Then tell Elias the truth. As long as you have nothing going on with her, he’ll understand."
Viktor looked around again, then whispered. "I can’t. The couple Camilla killed in that accident... they were Elias’s parents. If I tell him, it’ll break the deal I have with her. She’d co back into my life... as my wife, the twins’ mother. I can’t let that happen."
Vale shook her head slowly. "That’s bad, Viktor. Really bad. It’s between Elias and Camilla now. If you don’t tell him, he won’t trust you. And if he leaves..."
Viktor’s jaw tightened. "It won’t happen. I’ll make sure. Elias will never leave my side."
The sisters exchanged worried glances as Viktor walked away.
"This feels like so kind of drama... Right?" Vale asked.
"Yeah... But we’re just the side characters. Well... Not bad." Vera smirked and tapped her sister’s shoulder as they entered the house.
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