𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 |✍ | 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 | 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓!

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A DAY OF SHADOWS 

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WHEN VICTORIA WOKE UP TWO DAYS AFTER ALESSANDRO VISITED HER and saw the date on her phone screen, she wanted to hide from everyone and disappear from this world for the whole day, but... But she knew she couldn't. Instead, the curly-haired girl lay in bed for five more minutes before getting up and leaving the bed. She found a dark green sweater in the closet, pulled it over her head and went downstairs. It was Saturday, meaning the staff wasn't working, except for the bodyguards who had a shift and were outside, and Enzo was at home.

"Good morning, sunshine," Lorenzo greeted Victoria with a smirk as she walked into the kitchen, his voice dripping with sarcasm. She didn't reply, which should have been his first hint, but he was busy scrolling through his phone and didn't see her. "What? No good morning or other beautiful words?" He continued to tease her, still not looking at her.

"Fuck off," Victoria murmured as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Her voice was quiet, but loud enough for Lorenzo to hear what she had said. She wasn't in the mood today for their daily arguments and she was on the edge of an emotional breakdown right here in the kitchen. Gripping her cup tighter, Victoria took a sip of the coffee.

"It's quite a surprise that you don't have anything to say," Lorenzo said, his eyes glued to his phone.

"Shut up," Victoria whispered, setting her cup down and resting her hands on the counter. Her eyes were getting teary and she closed them. But Lorenzo didn't hear her. Victoria tried to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down, but breathing was getting harder for her.

"Usually you're full of things to say," Lorenzo went on and Victoria felt something snap inside of her.

"I said shut up and fuck off!" She burst out, her shout causing Lorenzo to flinch because he had never heard her talking with him like that before.

He lifted his gaze to see the girl for the first time today. She was wearing a sweater that was way too big for her and her hair was tousled from sleep. But her face...There was so much hurt and other emotions in her expression. He glanced at his phone again and, when he saw the date, he started to feel bad about the way he was talking with her, trying to rile her up.

"Victoria," Lorenzo started to say, wanting to apologize to her, his voice softening.

She turned to face him and he gulped, silently cursing himself for not stopping talking earlier. Here was a thing. Despite their difficult relationship with each other, they have never said hurtful things to each other. Yes, they argued and teased, but never hurt each other. But did she want to say them now? Yes. Would she say them? That she didn't know yet.

"No!" Victoria shouted with tears in her eyes. A moment ago, she was trying to hold herself together while being on the edge of an emotional breakdown. Now? She was having it. "Just shut your damn mouth! Shut up, shut up! Fuck! I...I can't be here! I need to...to leave or I'm going to say things I'll regret later!" She continued to shout, tears running down her face. With every word, her voice shook more and more until she stopped and fled the kitchen.

"Shit," Lorenzo muttered under his breath as the sound of the front door opening and closing reached him. He quickly jumped to his feet and ran after Victoria before she did something reckless in the state she was in right now.

He grabbed her wrist when she opened her car's door, preventing her from getting in and driving away. She wasn't in the proper condition to drive. Victoria tried to pull her hand out of his grasp, but he didn't let her. Instead, he turned her to face him and she let out a heartbreaking sob. Not caring about anything, Lorenzo wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, drawing her into a comforting embrace. Victoria tried to escape his embrace by pushing herself from him and hitting him on the shoulders, but he tightened his hold on her and the fight slowly left her body, her forehead dropping to rest against his chest.

"I'm sorry. I forgot what day it was today," Lorenzo said softly and closed his eyes as he listened to her sobs. Victoria gripped his t-shirt. "It's okay. I'm here," he whispered in her ear. One hand slid up to her hair and he gently stroked it, trying to calm her down.

This didn't mean anything and nothing was going to change between them. He still didn't like her, but today was the day when she needed someone to hold her and comfort her. Someone to be there for her. And he would be that person today. Even if it was a marriage of convenience, he was still her husband who made vows.

"I...," her sobs started to quiet down. "I'm sorry," she sniffled, looking up at him. He brought his hands to her face and tried to wipe the tears away. "It's getting harder every year. And I miss them. I miss them so much."

"I know," Lorenzo's voice was soft as his thumb caressed her cheek.

He remembered that day as if it were yesterday, even though it happened eight years ago today. He, his siblings and friends had rushed to the Russo estate when their parents told them that Nicoletta and Fernando Russo were found dead. Harper had been grounded, but she snuck out to be with her friends, her parents didn't even get mad about it. God, Lorenzo could still remember those heart-wrenching sobs coming from Gabriella and Victoria. Alessandro was sitting quietly next to him, staring at one spot while silent tears ran down his cheeks. Harper and the other girls were comforting Victoria, or trying to, while Gabriella sobbed in Eddie's arms. That day, the only words Lorenzo had said to Victoria were "I'm sorry for your loss.". He didn't tease her or argue with her.

"This," Victoria grabbed the end of her oversized sweater and played with it, "was my dad's. My mom made it to him. It's one of a few reminders of them Į have."

"It's a beautiful sweater," Lorenzo smiled a bit. Now that Victoria told him about it, he could remember seeing Fernando wearing it. "C'mon, Vi, let's get you inside," the old nickname for the girl slipped past his lips and he dropped his arm around her shoulders, starting to lead her back inside.

"Vi? I haven't heard it in a long time," she said softly, walking close to him. When they were friends back in their early childhood, little Lorenzo struggled with Victoria's full name, so he shortened it and called her Vi. When their relationship shifted, Vi was gone.

"Don't get used to it," Lorenzo smirked. "Now, I know I'm not Rosa, but I do know how to make very good cupcakes," he told her, ushering her to the kitchen. Victoria chuckled, her mood slightly better.

Knowing them, they would be back arguing with each other tomorrow. 

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