The ties that bind

CHAPTER 26: THE WAR FOR TITLE

Serena gasped. "MARCO?!"

Alessandro threw his hands up. "The guy who acts like he's TOO COOL for disasters? Turns out he can't even reheat coffee properly!"

Serena frowned. "Wait—why was he even near the stove? I'm the only one who cooks."

Matteo grinned. "Exactly. He was just trying to heat up his coffee, but instead, he left the burner on, got distracted, and nearly set the damn towel on fire."

Serena facepalmed. "Oh my god."

Raffaele nodded. "And then— instead of, you know, fixing it like a normal person, he started blaming the stove."

Serena wheezed. "THE STOVE?!"

Alessandro nodded solemnly. "He told Lorenzo it was 'defective' and started ranting about how 'cheap appliances ruin this household.'"

Serena, already dying of laughter, asked, "And what did Lorenzo do?"

Matteo smirked. "He walked over, turned the knob, turned the burner off, and gave Marco the longest, most disappointed stare in human history."

Serena lost it. "NO WAY."

Raffaele grinned. "I swear to god, I have never seen a man look more ashamed of himself."

Matteo sighed, stretching his arms. "Yeah. And then Marco dramatically muttered—'Lorenzo, why must you humiliate me in my own home?'"

Serena was CRYING with laughter.

The living room was buzzing with energy.

Empty snack bowls were scattered across the table, the soft glow of the chandelier bathing the room in golden light.

The Rossi siblings sat on the floor, surrounding the coffee table, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.

Because tonight?

Tonight was Game Night.

And Game Night in the Rossi household was a full-blown war.

Serena sat cross-legged on the couch, watching as Alessandro shuffled a deck of cards like a Vegas dealer.

Raffaele cracked his knuckles. "Alright, what are we playing?"

Matteo smirked. "Something that requires skill, obviously. So Marco has no chance."

Marco glared. "I will actually throw hands."

Lorenzo sighed, rubbing his temples. "I don't even know why I'm here."

Sofia leaned back against the couch, stretching. "Because you're bad at saying no to us."

Lorenzo muttered something under his breath but didn't leave.

Serena smiled to herself. It had been so long since she'd sat in a room full of people, laughing and talking like this.

For the first time in years, it felt like... home.

Then—

Alessandro grinned devilishly. "Let's play charades."

The room erupted.

"Absolutely not!" Marco yelled.
"I refuse," Vincenzo deadpanned.
"Why are we even playing games with a known cheater?!" Matteo pointed accusingly at Alessandro.

Alessandro clutched his chest. "How DARE you accuse me of cheating?"

"Because you DO," Raffaele said flatly.

Alessandro shrugged. "And yet, you all keep inviting me back."

Serena snorted. "I'm in. Let's do it."