Six months ago, Tony had lied, Vera hadn't come back like he had mentioned to Antonio. Tony had made a point to at least drive past the bakery at least once a day and made a point to call the bakery at least once a day to check on Zasha.

Tommy knew Vera wouldn't like what Tony had done but Tommy also knew that Vera wanted Zasha safe, so both males hoped Vera would understand when...if, she returned.

Zasha stood alone in the kitchen at the Melana house, she loved that Tony and Tommy were trying to protect her, but she started to feel unsafe in the one place that she thought she could call her own.

She pulled out a tray of brownies out of the oven and placed them carefully on the cooling rack. She smiled at the perfection of rainbow coloured brownies on the cooling rack.

Zasha remained oblivious to the front door silently opening and closing, she remained oblivious to someone walking through the front entrance, through the dining room and stopping at the gap between the kitchen and dining room. She remained oblivious to someone watching her as Zasha picked up a tray of yet to be cooked rainbow donuts from the kitchen island counter.

"We should invite your family over." Vera watched as Zasha jumped causing her to drop the tray of yet to be cooked rainbow donuts.

Zasha glared up at Vera "Six months and that's the first words you say to me?"

"And you know I love you too." Vera cheekily smiled.

"Not the point, V." Zasha folded her arms across her chest before sighing "I missed you." She carefully stepped over the mess of mixture over the kitchen floor, she stopped in front of Vera and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist.

Vera wrapped her arms around Zasha's shoulders.

"Missed you" Vera softly kissed Zasha's lips.

"The boys are just out sorting out things than their coming over." Zasha pulled away from Vera. Zasha stepped over to the mess of donut mixture on the floor, she picked up the tray and dropped it in the kitchen sink "You can come clean this up."

Vera took a step into the kitchen.

"Actually, don't." Zasha sighed.

Vera stepped back; she watched her girlfriend "Z?"

"No." She snapped at Vera.

Vera didn't react, she had no reason to. She was allowing Zasha to express her emotions without Vera injecting any reactions.

"I don't feel safe at my bakery." Zasha stared at the donut mixture on the kitchen floor "You told me that it was my place. I saved up everything I had and brought that store, I put my life and soul into that bakery." She could feel tears well up in her eyes as she looked at Vera "What have you done?" She couldn't stop her tears.

Vera carefully stepped up to Zasha and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, Zasha leaned into Vera's arms as Zasha cried.

"I'll try to fix it" Vera breathed as she carefully rubbed her hand in circles on Zasha's back.

The two woman stood in near silence as Zasha let her tears cry onto Vera's sleeve. Vera kissed the top of Zasha's head as their silence rang through the kitchen.

Now that Vera was back, it was time she picked up the pieces she had smashed before she left.

The two of them heard the front door open, Vera kept alert as she kept Zasha in her arms. Vera kept her back to the gap of the kitchen and dining room as she listened to the door close.

Zasha tried to pull out of Vera's arms as Vera refused to let go of Zasha. Zasha glanced up at the two males standing behind Vera.

"Hi boys, miss me?" Vera slowly let go of Zasha, Vera turned to face Tommy and Tony.

"Jesus, V." Zasha breathed.

Vera smiled at her girlfriend's response "Tommy, clean this up. Z," she turned to face her girlfriend "Go relax. Go to your parents. Just please, do what you need to do to feel safe again."

Zasha shook her head "I'm not going to my parents."

Vera wasn't going to force Zasha into doing anything "Right." She turned to face the boys again "Did I stutter, Tommy? Clean up this floor."

Tommy swallowed his pride as he carefully stepped into the kitchen.

"What the fuck have the two of you done?" Vera fumed "Zasha doesn't feel safe. I trusted the two of you and I hear the one person who I love doesn't feel safe."

"We tried..." Tommy stated as stood at the kitchen taps.

"Not hard enough." Vera watched as Tommy grabbed the mop bucket from under the kitchen counter, she watched as he struggled to fill the bucket with the water from the kitchen taps. "I protected Claire and Charlie; you can't even protect my girlfriend."

Tommy glared at Vera; he was used to having arguments with her but this one felt different.

"Antonio" Tony mentioned as calm as possible.

Vera removed her burning gaze from Tommy, she stood straight as she looked at Tony.

"He..." Tony started.

"Threatened me." Zasha whispered.

The fire in Vera's eyes disappeared as Vera moved her glance to Zasha.

"After you left" Zasha struggled to maintain eye contact with anyone as Tommy placed down the half-filled mop bucket onto the kitchen floor "We meet at my bakery, he admitted he was in an arranged marriage and didn't want to do it but had to please his dad."

Everyone listened.

"By the end of the week, he stormed back. Raving about his fiancée dealing with family matters even though she doesn't have any. He threatened to ruin my business." Her lower lip trembled "If it wasn't for Tony, I would've shut up shop." Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Vera noticed how relaxed Tommy looked as his rested his body against the kitchen bench, the mop bucket by his feet. "Mop now, Tomathon." She snapped.

Tommy shot daggers at Vera.

"At least someone knows not to fuck up his orders." Vera's words weren't quite a compliment for Tony, it was more of an insult to Tommy.

"Vera, I know." Zasha admitted. "Tommy told me that your supposed to marry Antonio." Zasha struggled to admit her version of truth as she feared her girlfriend's reaction.

Vera hated that Tommy had told Zasha "I'll deal with you later" She glared at Tommy.

Tommy was ready for whatever Vera was going to throw at him.

Before anyone could speak there was a knock on the front door.

"Tomathon, floor. Zasha, stay." Vera ordered "Tony, with me."

"I'm not a dog, Vera." Zasha reacted.

Vera ignored Zasha as Vera and Tony walked over to the front door.

Vera opened the front door as Tony stood behind her.

The two of them noticed a male bike messenger dressed in a full lycra outfit, he stood proudly on the porch.

"Miss Melana?" The bike messenger asked.

Vera nodded.

"Your presence is required tonight at the same place. If you're not there by seven p.m. than you'll be the first to know."

Vera knew what they meant, it was code for be at Belandi's by seven p.m. or she'd be killed for not attending.

"Thank you." Vera calmly mentioned.

The bike messenger nodded before stepping to his bike, Vera watched as he peddle out of her driveway.

She closed the front door before looking at Tony "Time to go to war." Vera casually mentioned before walking up the stairs.

She didn't feel fear as she stepped into her father's office.

Vera closed the door behind her as she took in the office that showed signed of the damage, she had done six months ago.

Vera Melana sat down in her father's chair and rested her hands on the armrests of his chest as she smiled.