Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 31 - Escapade

May 10, 2024

Friday

Dear diary,

Let me tell you about my day.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1/2]

"How's it going there?" I ask Em as I FaceTime her, my fingers flying over the keyboard of my laptop. I'm sitting at the dining table in the living room, working from home. The office is deserted today, and the thought of sitting there alone again was too depressing, so I opted to stay home. When I mentioned it to Taj, he suggested I take the day off entirely, but after cleaning the entire apartment—including Emily's room—I found myself bored and restless. So, yeah, I am working.

Em's face appears on the screen, a bright smile lighting up her features. "It's so amazing here. Vinny's apartment is amazing, and he is going to take me shopping," I see that she wants to freak out, but then look up, as probably someone wandered into the room. "How about you? How's the hermit life treating you? Are you still in your pajama?" she teases, as she notice my typical sleeping wear. A thin strap top and some booty shorts.

I chuckle, leaning back in my chair. "Who is going to see me, other than you." I say as I look down at my outfit. It's not the most charming but Emily sees me walking around like this daily, so I am sure she won't be too shocked to see my nipples through the shirt. "It's not too bad. Managed to get a lot done around the apartment. You'd be proud—your room is spotless."

She raises an eyebrow. "My room? Wow, you must've been really bored."

"Yeah, well, I needed a distraction," I admit, glancing around the tidy living room. The sunlight streams through the large windows, casting a warm glow over the polished surfaces and neatly arranged furniture.

"So, what are you working on now?" Em asks, genuinely curious.

"Just some emails and arranging a few things for next week. Trying to stay ahead of everything," I reply, flipping through the documents on my screen. "It's strange, though. The apartment feels too quiet without you around."

She smirks, "Even if that means I trash the place?"

I narrow my eyes, recalling something I found in her room. "Can I ask why I found a pizza box behind your bed?"

"Oh, there it is! I lost it a while ago and couldn't find it anymore," she says with a sheepish grin.

"Lost it? How the fuck do you lose a pizza box? Seriously, girl, for real?"

Em doesn't respond immediately, looking away as if distracted by something. "Hello?" I say, hearing multiple voices in the background.

"Girl, wait," she says, turning the camera of her phone around. I see Bri along with the Castellano men—Vinny, Dante, and Luca—walking onto the terrace towards the table where Emily is sitting. Even though all the men look like gods, Luca stands out, dressed in a polo and tight-fitting chinos that showcase his athletic build perfectly.

"Who are you talking to?" I hear Vinny say as Emily switches the camera back to herself.

"Maddie," she says simply, and I hear a chorus of 'ooh's' echoing around.

"Hey, Maddie!" Bri calls out, leaning into the frame. "How's it going, darling?"

"Hi, babe. Just working from home," I reply with a smile.