Chapter 3

"Sweet Lies and Sour Truths"

Valeria's POV

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There are two truths in life: people always want what they can't have, and no matter how well you try to bury a secret, someone always digs it up.

Unfortunately, my life was a garden of buried secrets, and I was running out of shovels.

I stared at my laptop screen in my cramped apartment, a half-eaten granola bar in one hand and the other resting on the keyboard. The digital trail from my last hack flickered like a neon sign in my mind. Someone big—bigger than I wanted to deal with—was sniffing around for me.

Whoever I'd hacked two nights ago wasn't some run-of-the-mill player. They were someone who could make my life disappear with the press of a button. But that was a problem for later. Right now, I needed to breathe, eat something that wasn't instant noodles, and pretend, just for a little while, that I wasn't walking a tightrope over a pit of vipers.

A rational person would stop, maybe even leave town. But I? I decided it was a great time to visit Lily's bakery.

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The bakery was like stepping into a warm hug. The air was thick with the smell of sugar and cinnamon, and Lily's humming floated over the sound of a distant mixer. She appeared from behind the counter, her face lighting up like she hadn't just seen me yesterday.

"Vee!"

Her excitement hit me like a sugar rush. "Hey, Lils."

She paused, tilting her head at me like a bird spotting something suspicious. "You look like you haven't slept in a year. Or eaten. Are those crumbs on your hoodie?"

"They're decorative," I deadpanned.

Lily wasn't having it. She sighed like a disappointed parent and disappeared into the kitchen, emerging moments later with a plate of croissants and a steaming cup of coffee.

"Sit," she ordered, pointing to the booth by the window. "You look like a feral cat, and this is an intervention."

"Thanks for the love." I obeyed, though, sliding into the booth and grabbing a croissant. It flaked apart in buttery perfection, reminding me that maybe happiness was carbs.

She plopped into the seat across from me, her eyes narrowing. "What's going on?"

I shrugged, taking a sip of the coffee. "Nothing major. Just life stuff."

"You're a terrible liar, Vee."

Before I could respond, the bakery door jingled, and two small whirlwinds burst inside.

Good timing.

"Lily! Lily!"

Luca and Leo Moretti, chaos incarnate, skidded to a halt in front of the counter. One of them—probably Luca—was already halfway up the display case, peering at the cookies like they were rare treasures.

"Boys!" Lily exclaimed, grinning. "What are you two troublemakers up to?"

"Mamma said we could get cookies!" Luca declared, vibrating with excitement.

"Yeah, cookies!" Leo echoed, tugging at Lily's apron.

"Does Mamma know she said this?" Lily asked suspiciously.

"...Yes?" Luca said, though it sounded more like a question.

Lily groaned, but her smile gave her away. "Fine. But only two each, and you have to promise not to eat them all before dinner."

"We promise!" they chorused, crossing their fingers behind their backs.

I watched the scene unfold, trying not to laugh. Lily was fussing over the twins like a mother hen, wiping chocolate smudges off their cheeks and ruffling their hair.

"Who's that?" Leo asked suddenly, pointing at me.

Luca squinted. "Your sister?"

Lily snorted. "No, this is my best friend, Vee."

The twins exchanged a look that spelled trouble.

"Do you like cookies, Vee?" Luca asked, climbing onto the seat beside me.

"She likes croissants," Leo declared, gesturing at my plate like he'd solved a mystery.

"I like cookies too," I said, playing along.

"Then you have to try the chocolate chip ones!" Luca said, grabbing my hand like I'd just won a contest.

"Luca, give her some space!" Lily scolded, though she was laughing.

"It's okay," I said, letting him drag me to the counter.

A few minutes later, the bakery door jingled again, and a tall, elegant woman stepped inside. Dark-haired, sharp-eyed, and radiating authority, she looked like someone who could command armies—or bake the perfect lasagna.

"Mamma Moretti!" Lily exclaimed, rushing over to hug her. I didn't know Lily was this friendly with these people. Guess they never came up in the past until my stupid ass hacked them. 

I'm right fucking under thier nose. Woah, now I felt like an undercover agent. I mean I kinda was. But still. 

"Lily, cara," the woman said warmly. Her gaze shifted to me, and I suddenly felt like I was being X-rayed. "And who is this?"

"This is Vee," Lily said. "My best friend."

Mamma Moretti's smile was pleasant but calculating, like she was trying to decide if I was a stray cat worth adopting. "Pleasure to meet you, Vee."

"The pleasure's mine Mrs. Moretti," I replied, doing my best not to sound terrified.

"Oh, call me Sophia tesoro,"she said with a smile that felt like a stamp of approval.

Phew.

The moment was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash outside, followed by the unmistakable blare of a car alarm.

"Mamma!" Luca and Leo shouted, their faces lighting up. "Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"Two cars crashed! Boom!" Luca spread his arms wide like he was demonstrating an explosion.

"And a man fell off his bike!" Leo added, his voice tinged with awe.

"Boys, no!" Mamma Moretti called, but they were already bolting for the door.

"Do they ever walk?" I asked, grabbing my jacket.

"No," Lily said, already following them outside, leaving all the dumbstruck customers behind.

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The scene outside was a mix of chaos and comedy. A delivery truck had rear-ended a sedan, and the bike man was furiously gesturing at everyone. Meanwhile, Luca and Leo were darting around like detectives on the case, shouting observations.

"Did you see the smoke? There's smoke!" Luca said.

"It's just steam, genius," Leo retorted.

"Luca! Leo!" Mamma Moretti's voice cut through the commotion as she stormed over.

"But Mamma, look!" Luca pointed at the truck. "It's so smashed!"

"This is not a sightseeing tour," she scolded, steering them back toward the bakery.

Leo tugged on my sleeve, his eyes wide. "Do you think the truck driver's okay?"

"I think he'll live," I said, suppressing a laugh.

"What about the bike man?"

"He's fine too," Lily chimed in, ruffling Leo's hair.

Satisfied, the twins finally let themselves be herded back inside, chattering about the "epic crash" and how they were going to tell their friends about it.

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Back in the bakery, the twins were happily munching on cookies, their mother was sipping tea, and Lily was humming as she tidied up.

For the first time in days, the weight on my shoulders felt a little lighter. Lily glanced at me from behind the counter and smiled.

"See? You're not a feral cat anymore," she teased.

"I don't know," I said, taking another bite of croissant. "I think I'm just a well-fed one now."

Her laugh echoed through the bakery, warm and bright, and for a moment, the world didn't seem so heavy after all. 

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˗ˏˋ Author's note ˎˊ˗

Heyy (✿◡‿◡)

There's nothing much here. Kind of a filler chapter? I don't know. But it felt wholesome to me. So here you go!

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Question of the chapter:

What is you favourite color?

Mine is dark green atm. But it changes 😭

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See you next Sunday!'

You look beautiful today <3

Izel

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