VIOLET

I yawned and stretched as I got out of bed. It was 3:09 AM, and I had just woken up from a nightmare. Thankfully, I didn't wake anyone else. I headed to the bathroom and flicked on the light, groaning at the brightness. I quickly switched to a dimmer light before heading out to pick some clothes.

The outfit I chose was a milk tea oversized sweater with button details at the collar, paired with Korean neutral beige trousers. I loved neutral tones, so the outfit was pretty cute.

After placing my clothes on the bed, I took a shower and started on my makeup. Since Alessandro confirmed at dinner that we would be going shopping today, I decided to put on some mascara and lip gloss. I quickly dressed and curled my hair a bit. Then, I brushed it out into a messy bun and sprayed on some cherry-scented perfume I found in one of the cabinets. It smelled amazing!

(Just image the hair color is brown; this is how her hairstyle looks like later on)

t took me about an hour to get ready, including my makeup, washing my hair, and arranging things here and there. By then, it was 5:45 AM. The sun was beginning to cast a warm glow around the room, but it still felt cold. I decided to continue reading the novel I had started earlier and settled on my window seat, putting on some headphones and playing a random song playlist.

I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't even notice someone knocking on my door. Stories are like magic; once you dive in, you almost feel like you're part of them. I couldn't hear the knocking because of my headphones, so I kept reading.


Xavier's POV

I woke up around 5 AM and took a shower. I was starting my training for the mafia, so I hit the gym every day at 6. Trust me, as exciting as it sounds, it's a lot of hard work. Xander and Dante would make me punch the bag if I made even a small mistake.

I wouldn't officially join until I graduated, but Dante thought I needed to learn the basics in case of an emergency. So, here I was, training earlier than expected. Lukes also said that now that Violet was back, she shouldn't know about our little mafia. (I tell luca lukes to piss him off)

After my shower, I put on a black training shirt and shorts and went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. I took a gulp of iced water and headed to the gym to start my workout.

By the time I finished training, it was 6:45 AM. I took another shower and put on some casual clothes. I decided to wake Violet up, so I walked to her door and knocked three times.

No response.

I knocked again, and after getting no response, I opened the door. To my surprise, Violet was already dressed, sitting at her window seat with headphones on, reading a novel.

I smiled and walked up to her, gently poking her shoulder. She jumped, startled, and her book fell from her hands. I raised my hands in surrender and chuckled, making her frown but then smile.

"Hey, little girl. I wanted to wake you up, but it looks like you're an early bird like me," I grinned.

"I'm not a little girl," she pouted. She looked so adorable that I wanted to squish her cheeks. "Is breakfast ready?" she asked, placing her book on the bed and taking off her headphones.

"No, not yet. The boys don't wake up until eight or ten. It's just Ales, Dante, you, and me. How wonderful," I said.

She smiled a little and went to the vanity. She took off her hair bun, and her long brown hair fell to her shoulders. She had the same hair color as our mom, with a few light strands that made her unique.

"Okay, I'll come get you when breakfast is ready. Or do you want to grab a snack with me? You don't seem to like big meals," I asked.

"O-okay, I-I would like that," she replied. She held up her index finger, indicating for me to wait. She pulled her hair into a smooth ponytail, sprayed some hairspray, and followed me out.

VIOLET

I quickly did my hair and followed Xavier to the kitchen. We took the elevator because he was worried, I might trip again. When we reached the kitchen, I noticed the kitchen island and some chairs to sit on.

"What would you like to eat?" he asked, tapping his fingers on the counter. Honestly, I had no idea.

Just then, Dante walked in, fully dressed in a black shirt, jacket, and jeans. He raised an eyebrow at us, and Xavier replied, "We wanted to have an early snack. Also, we're taking Violet shopping today, right?"

"Yes, Lorenzo, Elijah, Roman and you are taking her. Luca and I will be busy," Dante responded, sliding into the seat next to me. I could feel his gaze, so I looked down until he gently lifted my chin.

"How did you sleep, principessa?" he asked. "It-it was fine," I answered, a little scared.

"Alright, what's for breakfast?" Xavier whined like a kid. I giggled a little, and Xavier seemed amused.

"Do you know how to make waffles?" I asked. My older brother smiled. "I can," he responded.

"Ooh, Sis, you sure have great taste in breakfast," Xavier laughed. "Is it your favorite?" he asked.

"I used to work at a bakery. I made waffles and tasted them, and I really liked them with maple syrup and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top with blueberries. I made the recipe for the first time, and it also became the customers' favorite," I smiled, recalling the memories. "It's honestly the only food I can eat," I whispered, hoping nobody heard.

"Well, since Dante is our little chef, you should definitely teach him to make that. You can have waffles for breakfast every day," Xavier said. "My sister is so talented. Dante, can you make chocolate and blueberry waffles?"

Dante turned around, annoyed. He ignored Xavier and took out two bowls, beginning to mix the ingredients. He whisked together the eggs and vanilla with a couple of blueberries and poured it into the waffle maker. In the other bowl, he mixed melted chocolate with the normal batter and poured it into a second waffle maker.

"Hello? Earth to Vaeh," I heard Xavier's voice. I blinked at the mention of 'Vaeh' and looked at him, dumbfounded. "What?" I asked.

"I asked, what's the name of the bakery you worked at?" he repeated. His voice almost faded into the background as I got flashbacks of Sunset Hues. I pulled myself out of the trance and replied, "Sunset Hues Bakery..." My voice trailed off, and I smiled sadly. "It was the only place I found solace," I said without thinking. Oh shoot.

"What? What do you mean by 'the only place you found solace'?" he asked. "Nothing. I just meant from school and chaos," I spluttered out an answer before Xavier could suspect anything. He just nodded in response and sighed.

"You really enjoyed baking, didn't you?" Dante asked as the smell of baked waffles filled the kitchen. I nodded. He smiled and took my hand in his huge ones. I felt like a tiny, fragile fairy getting stomped by a giant. Not that I'm calling my brother a giant. Well, technically, I just did. Oh well.

"Tell you what, we both will make breakfast every morning. Deal?" he asked. My eyes lit up, and I nodded repeatedly. He chuckled and went back to the kitchen, taking out the baked waffles and placing them on two plates. He added maple syrup and a scoop of ice cream on the blueberry one and placed the plate in front of me. It looked delicious.

"Taste it. You better teach me the recipe, Heaven. It's not the same, but I did my best."

I shoved a piece into my mouth, and my eyes closed in delight. It tasted so good. Better than mine.

I smiled widely at him. "It's so good," I said with my mouth full of food. "OfCourse, it's Dante OfCourse. Everyone loves Dante," He joked side eyeing Xavier who was digging into his own chocolate waffles. 

I finished half of it and patted my belly, smiling at the thought of having a proper breakfast for once. But then...

'You should starve, you're fat,' my mother's voice echoed in my head.

SHUT UP.

'Oh, but I won't.'

I saw a glass of juice near my plate and took a few sips.