Chapter 569: The Art Of Appeasing! [GT - !]

"We’re here," Leo muttered as he made the last turn into the complex housing that he’d been living in until just a year and a half ago.

The drive over had been quiet for the most part, with Vittoria occasionally pointing something out through the window while Leo kept one hand on the wheel and listened.

His ankle was still slightly swollen, but it had settled enough that the short journey had not bothered him too much.

Leo pulled into a space outside the apartment complex and switched off the engine right as Vittoria unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door.

"Sofia might actually beat your ass," she said, stepping out while Leo exited the vehicle.

"If Mia doesn’t kill me first."

Vittoria nodded solemnly, a small smile playing at her lips.

Leo closed his door before locking the car with his key while Vittoria walked over and waited beside him, adjusting the sleeve of her coat before the two of them started toward the entrance.

The building was quiet despite the hour, with the lobby carrying the faint smell of someone’s dinner from one of the apartments above.

They exchanged a quick greeting with the receptionist before heading toward the lifts, and neither of them needed to say much about what was waiting upstairs.

The lift carried them up several floors before the doors opened with a soft chime.

"Are you backing out now?" Vittoria said with a smirk after Leo stood unmoving.

Leo, on the other hand, smiled and watched as Vittoria stepped out first, before following behind a moment later as they made their way along the corridor until they stopped in front of the familiar door.

Vittoria looked at him, then smiled as she knocked on the door.

"Ready?"

"No."

There was a brief pause after the duo’s words before the door opened, revealing Sofia’s form.

The latter glanced at Leo, then at his ankle before looking back up, and then she folded her arms.

"Oh, look who’s finally decided to come home and lick his wounds."

"Ah, ah ah, dada da," Vittoria raised a finger right as Leo opened his mouth to talk.

Vittoria, meanwhile, immediately covered her mouth, but the laugh still escaped.

"You didn’t think to call, but now that you’re injured, you’ve finally remembered that you have a family somewhere."

Vittoria kept smiling, but even she wasn’t left alone.

"And then there’s you," Sofia said with a smirk while pointing at Vittoria.

"You could have even gotten him to take you here, but I guess you were both busy with each other!"

It was now Leo’s turn to smile, as he watched Sofia berate Vittoria, but before Leo could interject, another voice came from inside.

"There she is," Mia continued with a sarcastic tone.

"Finally," she said, looking directly at Vittoria. "The woman who used me as a matchmaker has returned."

At that, Vittoria blinked.

"Used you?"

"You absolutely used me."

"I did all that work getting you two together, and then you abandoned me the second you got Leo."

Vittoria laughed but then stopped after spotting the look on Mia’s face.

"I know. I was wrong," she said and stepped forward before Sofia could continue.

Then, as she moved forward, she reached into her bag.

"That’s why I brought something."

Both Mia’s and Sofia’s expressions changed simultaneously as they watched Vittoria pull out two small pouches.

"For me?" Mia asked and then took what Vittoria was handing over with both hands.

"Yes."

As it had never been there, the argument that Mia had been claiming just a moment ago disappeared without a trace.

She opened the pouch and looked inside, and instantly, her eyes widened.

"Oh."

She pulled out the earrings and turned them slightly under the light.

"These are pretty."

Sofia looked at Vittoria and shook her head.

"You shouldn’t have," she said, but her hand was already reaching for the other pouch.

Vittoria handed it over, while Sofia accepted it with a small sigh.

"I mean it. You didn’t have to."

She said that, but her actions didn’t match her words, especially with how quickly she opened the pouch.

Leo watched the entire exchange from the doorway, a smile slowly appearing on his face.

When Sofia finally lifted her head, she noticed him.

"Don’t stand there looking pleased with yourself."

When she said that, Leo’s smile disappeared.

"I didn’t say anything."

"Yeah, right. Vittoria is at least thoughtful."

Vittoria was already walking farther into the apartment, laughing as she took a seat on the couch.

Leo started to follow, but he was immediately stopped.

"You can wait there."

Sofia pointed toward the doorway.

Leo looked behind him.

"Why?"

"You didn’t even try to appease us."

"I apologised."

"That barely counts."

Mia was still admiring the earrings when she turned towards Leo.

"He did apologise," and the moment she said that, Sofia immediately turned towards her like she’d been betrayed.

"You’re supposed to be on my side."

"I was, until I got these."

Leo laughed quietly while Sofia narrowed her eyes at him.

"You think you’re safe?"

Leo wisely said nothing.

His eyes wandered past them instead, landing on the small wine collection arranged along one side of the living room.

It had started with a single bottle.

Then another.

Then Sofia had casually mentioned a particular vintage she liked, and Leo had apparently taken that as an invitation to become her unofficial supplier whenever he visited.

There were now enough bottles lined along the shelf that he had stopped pretending it was accidental.

"Oh, by the way," he said, causing Sofia’s ears to perk up.

"I got invited to a wine tasting."

When he said that, her attention shifted immediately.

"What kind?"

Leo smiled.

"You’ll have to make time for it."

Sofia’s expression softened.

"When?"

"I’ll send you the details."

She considered him for a moment before nodding.

"Well, I guess that’s barely passable."

Mia laughed, but Sofia didn’t pay her any mind as Leo finally stepped inside, shaking his head as he closed the door behind him.

"See? That’s all I had to say."

At that, Sofia pointed toward him.

"Don’t push your luck."