By the time they returned to the compound, the adrenaline had burned down into something else: irritation, exhaustion, and the weird kind of closeness that only came from surviving together.
Vesper had a bandage on her shoulder. She insisted she didn't need it. Seraphine insisted she did. Lucian insisted no one speak about "the incident" until the family debrief.
Lyra insisted the incident was "extremely bonding."
Aurelio was staying in the compound temporarily. Officially: security coordination. Unofficially: everyone knew the Orsini couldn't risk him traveling alone after sabotage attempts.
This meant Aurelio was now in Vesper's orbit at all times.
Which would have been fine—
If he didn't keep hovering like a guilty storm cloud.
Vesper noticed it at breakfast.
She reached for fruit.
Aurelio reached for the same bowl.
They paused.
He pulled back immediately, like he'd been caught doing something inappropriate.
Vesper stared at him. "Did you just flinch away from fruit?"
"I didn't flinch."
"You did."
"It was… a recalibration."
Lyra, seated between Valentina and Cassian, slammed a hand on the table like a judge.
"Okay. I can't do this."
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed her spoon at Aurelio.
"You're hovering again."
Aurelio blinked. "I'm sitting."
"You're hovering emotionally," Lyra clarified. "Like you're waiting for permission to breathe."
Dorian leaned back with a grin. "She's not wrong."
Aurelio's jaw tightened. "This is not an appropriate discussion at breakfast."
Lyra nodded gravely. "Correct. It should've happened weeks ago."
Valentina sipped her drink like she was watching theater.
Kael, infuriatingly calm, said, "If we're discussing hovering, it is objectively inefficient."
Aurelio glanced at him, suspiciously. "Why are you agreeing with her?"
Kael shrugged. "Because it's true."
Vesper set her fork down, staring at all of them. "Why is this now a group project?"
Lyra smiled brightly. "Because you're both terrible at being normal."
Cassian, who had been quiet, finally spoke.
"Lyra," he warned.
She ignored him.
"Listen," Lyra continued, leaning forward conspiratorially. "We nearly died yesterday and Aurelio still hasn't done the obvious thing."
Aurelio went still. "What obvious thing."
Lyra's eyes sparkled. "Make a move."
The table exploded.
Seraphine choked on her tea.
Lucian looked like he wanted to vanish into governance.
Vesper's face heated.
Aurelio's ears turned faintly red, which was deeply satisfying.
Dorian laughed openly.
Cassian rubbed his forehead.
Valentina murmured, "Finally."
Kael said, in the most unhelpful tone imaginable, "Statistically, she has a point."
Vesper shot him a look. "Do not quote statistics at me."
Lyra clapped once. "Okay! Great! So, we're all aware. Now we execute."
Aurelio stared at her. "Execute what."
"Our plan," Lyra said, as if it had always been understood. "To get you to stop hovering and actually—" she waved vaguely between him and Vesper, "do something."
Vesper stood abruptly. "I'm leaving."
Lyra grabbed her sleeve. "No, you're not. We are not wasting this momentum."
"I'm not a momentum."
"Yes, you are," Lyra said, delighted. "You're terrifying momentum."
Valentina stood too, placing a hand on Vesper's other arm like they were forming a supportive barricade.
"We'll keep it controlled," Valentina said smoothly.
Vesper narrowed her eyes. "That is the most suspicious sentence you've ever said."
Kael rose as well. "I will help."
Aurelio looked alarmed. "Why are you helping."
Kael's expression was infuriatingly neutral. "Because I enjoy efficiency."
Dorian grinned. "Because he enjoys chaos."
Cassian sighed. "Because he enjoys watching you suffer."
Aurelio stared at all of them like they'd collectively lost reason.
Lyra beamed. "Welcome to family."
The plan, according to Lyra, was "simple."
It involved a school day.
A "natural" situation.
And a series of small nudges designed to force Aurelio and Vesper into an honest conversation.
Vesper heard the word "nudges" and immediately knew property damage would occur.
Valentina and Kael were the "field operatives."
Lyra was the "creative director."
Dorian volunteered as "morale."
Cassian insisted on being "risk management," which sounded responsible until you realized Cassian's idea of risk management was calculating the odds of disaster with an almost academic curiosity.
Aurelio, unfortunately, was the unwilling participant.
Vesper was the unwilling target.
Which meant the plan would absolutely work—just not in the way anyone intended.