21-year-old Florence Ivelle struggles through college to claim freedom but gets trapped into a deal with her brother, Alastor, leaving her at his mercy until she graduates. She doesn't expect to be kidnapped into breaking it.
Three masked men take h...
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"We had someone transfer over to Elsteria's bakery," Taehyung said at breakfast the next morning. It was Sunday—he and Keon would go to Killian's shop tonight. "Nevian set it up."
Yoongi nodded as he cut into his sausage. "Who?"
"Matteo," Taehyung revealed, half immersed in his book, half involved in the conversation, and completely dismissive of the plate of food Toska kept nudging toward him.
Toska glanced at him from her seat beside me. "Who's that?" She handed him his fork, pushing his fingers to hold it.
Out of instinct, he pushed it into his eggs, picking them up and taking a bite. Around a mouthful, his eyes still on his book, he said, "Keon's cousin."
"Keon has a cousin?" She guffawed. "I bet he's better than Keon in every way."
Yoongi sipped his coffee. "Matteo is a woman."
Toska pushed her eggs around distastefully, only slightly interested in Matteo's gender reveal. "Well, my point still stands," she said. "Keon is annoying. Do you know why?"
"Why?" Yoongi and Taehyung asked without their full attention on her, but still somehow completely engaged.
"He thinks he's funny," Toska revealed with an irritated sigh. "And that makes him unbearable."
"His renditions of why the chicken crossed the road aren't funny to you?" Taehyung turned the page of his book. "I'll have so many new ones to tell you after tonight."
She groaned, shoving her plate away. "Don't remind me. Yoongi," she complained. "I don't want eggs. Can I make French Toast?"
"You can have French Toast tomorrow." He finished his coffee, standing to get another. "When the rest of us have it."
She groaned again, resting her forehead against the table in defeat. "I hate Sundays and eggs and chicken jokes."
"Eat your eggs," Yoongi instructed, his back to us as he poured coffee and retrieved his phone when a notification rang through. "You need energy for class."
"Yes, Dad," she mocked, flipping him off before catching my watchful eye. She squeaked her surprise at being caught, smiling sheepishly. "He's annoying," she explained in an undertone.
Yoongi said, "I heard that."
"See?" she grumbled. "Annoying."
"Eat, Toska."
She grumbled some more but did as she was told, making numerous disgusted expressions while choking down her breakfast.
Thinking a distraction would be helpful, I tried, "You told me about Elsteria's bakery, right? The one with the cappuccinos you like?"
She perked up, saying around a mouthful of eggs, "The best cappuccinos. We'll go there once this has settled, me and you."
I couldn't manage a smile when I thought this might never end, but I told her, "Sounds good."
