The bell above the shop door jingled.
Nicolo stomped back inside, dragging four bodyguards behind him like he'd personally fished them out of a dumpster—or maybe like they were a pack of misbehaving puppies, it was hard to tell. All four looked exhausted, irritated, and very much done with the day.
"They were what?" Aurelio croaked, his stomach dropping. Of course his bodyguards had found him.
[Yup. I'd say you're shit out of luck. So much for losing them.]
"Found 'em," Nicolo announced, sounding personally offended. "They were loitering."
Giulietta quietly cursed under her breath. For how long have they been there?
[Heh heh, longer than you'd like I'm sure.]
Uncle Agnelli narrowed his eyes. "Aye, I knew it. Eyes on this place."
Giulietta and Aurelio suddenly whipped their heads toward one another, standing up at the exact same time.
"YOU HAVE BODYGUARDS?!" they blurted in perfect unison.
[Oh, look at that—synchronized panic. Adorable.]
One of the bodyguards muttered under his breath, "This is the last time we work together. Ever."
Aurelio blinked. "Work together?"
Giulietta's head snapped toward her own bodyguards. "Excuse me?"
Nicolo's froze for half a second, jaw dropping—then threw his hands into the air. "TOGETHER?! You idiots made a TRUCE?!"
One of the Cavallo bodyguards shrugged. "They weren't trying to kill each other, so… we figured it was fine."
"Fine?!" Nicolo barked. "FINE?! My cousin is wandering around town with a Bernardi heir and that's just—fine?!"
The room went dead silent.
Nicolo's eyes widened. His jaw dropped. Both hands slowly rose to cover his mouth.
"Oh… oh no. No no no no—did I just say that out loud?" he whispered, horrified. "I DID. I DID. Shit."
[Why yes, Nicolo, you absolute disaster. Congratulations. You broke the one rule everyone else remembers. Gold star for you!]
Another bodyguard muttered, "Better than you yelling at us for losing her."
Giulietta groaned. "Both of you shut up before I start yelling too."
Aurelio rubbed the back of his neck, trying and failing to disappear into the barber chair. "In my defense," he murmured, "I didn't know she had bodyguards at all."
"And I didn't know *you* had bodyguards!" Giulietta snapped back, still flustered. "Who hides bodyguards?!"
"You two, apparently," one bodyguard grumbled.
[Honestly? They have a point.]
"And on top of that, you're a Bernardi?! My parents won't let me leave the villa ever again if they find out I spoke to you!" Giulietta cried, the reality sinking in.
"I don't know your family name though, so," Aurelio tried to say.
"So keep it that way! It's better you don't!" Giulietta huffed.
Uncle Agnelli waved his hand dismissively. "Ay, enough! All of you—sit. You're givin' me a headache."
Nicolo pointed at Aurelio. "I'm not done with you."
"And I'm not talking to you while we're surrounded," Aurelio shot back, gesturing at the quartet of bodyguards crowding the shop.
"Surrounded?" one of the Bernardi guards repeated. "We're protecting you."
"It doesn't feel like protection," Aurelio whispered.
[Yeah, no kidding. Feels like a kidnapping with extra steps.]
Giulietta folded her arms. "So what now?"
All four bodyguards exchanged looks—then immediately started arguing over each other.
"We should leave—"
"He can't be seen—"
"She needs to get home—"
"This area isn't safe—"
Nicolo pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is why I don't work with amateurs."
One of the Cavallo guards snapped, "We're not amateurs!"
"Really?" Nicolo jabbed a thumb toward Giulietta. "You lost track of *her*."
"Hey!" Giulietta protested.
Aurelio lifted his hand halfway. "For the record, I lost my bodyguards too—"
"We noticed," a Bernardi guard deadpanned.
Uncle Agnelli smacked his palm against the counter. "AY! Enough chatter! If you're gonna argue, take it outside. If you're gonna stay, sit your butts down and stop makin' noise in my shop!"
Everyone stared.
Agnelli stared back, unblinking, spinning a shaving blade in his hand as he waited.
Naturally, the bodyguards sat.
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