THE BETRAYER'S GAME

Shadows in the Light

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains, filling the villa with a warm glow.

 I groaned as I rolled out of bed, the events of the previous night still weighing on my mind. But the sounds of laughter and chatter from the kitchen drew me in, pulling me from my thoughts.

Scarlett was already up, expertly flipping pancakes on the stovetop, while Leo hovered nearby, trying to help but mostly getting in the way. 

"Careful with that, Leo!" Scarlett exclaimed, swatting his hand away as he reached for the spatula. "You'll ruin the whole batch!"

"I was just trying to help!" Leo protested, grinning. "I thought you could use my—uh, expert skills."

"Expert skills? You mean the last time you tried to help, you almost set the kitchen on fire?" Scarlett shot back.

Eli wandered in, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What's going on? Are we having a pancake disaster?"

"More like a pancake battlefield," I chimed in, joining the scene. Leo had just managed to flip a pancake that landed upside down on the floor.

"Congratulations, Leo! You've created floor pancakes," I teased, pointing.

"Hey, at least they're gluten-free!" Leo replied, laughing as he bent down to pick it up.

Blade walked in next, eyeing the mess. "I don't think that's how gluten-free works. But I admire your dedication."

Zane followed, pouring himself a cup of coffee and shaking his head. "What did I miss? Are we starting the morning with a cooking competition or a comedy show?"

"Both!" Scarlett replied, finally flipping a perfectly golden pancake. "At least someone knows how to cook around here."

"I'm just here to provide comic relief," Leo said, holding up a charred pancake like a trophy.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Alright, Pancake King, how about you stand back and let me finish this without further 'help'?"

Once breakfast was finally on the table, a mix of laughter and friendly jabs filled the air. As we sat down to eat, I couldn't help but appreciate how the chaos had transformed into something warm and familiar.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Zane asked, wiping syrup from his chin.

"Eat, try to survive, and avoid any more pancake disasters," I said, chuckling. "And maybe avoid Leo in the kitchen."

"Hey! I'll have you know my culinary skills are top-notch—just ask the floor!" Leo shot back, making everyone laugh.

Scarlett smirked. "Let's just focus on not setting off the smoke alarm today, okay?"

I then realized Stefano was not there which was weird because he loved pancakes.

Once breakfast was cleared and the kitchen restored to a semblance of order.

"Let's keep our heads up and stick together," Zane reminded us, his gaze scanning the street.

"Got it, Captain Serious," Eli teased, nudging him playfully. "But if we're facing Marco and Carl, we should at least look cool while doing it."

"Yeah, because looking cool will definitely scare him away," I quipped, rolling my eyes with a grin.

Leo puffed out his chest. "I'll just show him my famous floor pancake technique."

After everyone went back to their hobbies, I wondered where Stefano was.

As the banter continued, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. A sense of unease lingered in the air, like a storm cloud ready to burst. I glanced around the kitchen, noticing the little things—the way Zane's eyes darted to the door every time it creaked, the way Scarlett seemed to keep her distance from the group apart from when it came to breakfast, as if she were waiting for something.