Shifting Priorities

Ontario, Canada.

Alliana's pov:

I yawned and glanced around the couch, still dressed and wearing makeup. Great. I checked the time, 10:00. A bit early, but whatever. I sat up and stretched, reaching my arms up as if trying to touch the sky. I stood up and headed upstairs to shower because I felt like I was starting to stink. As I neared the bathroom, I noticed Souline sprawled across my entire bed. That surprised me since I thought she'd sleep in the guest room. She looked completely wiped out, though, so I decided to let her sleep a little longer.

I grabbed my bag, which had my body care items, extra clothes, and robe, and moved to the other room so Souline could rest. I entered the bathroom, shut the door behind me, and turned on the shower. After removing my clothes, I grabbed my toothbrush. But before brushing my teeth, I used my makeup remover and cleanser to wipe away the dried foundation and brow ink. I rinsed it all off with warm water and dried my face, feeling a bit more refreshed.

I started by brushing my teeth three times since I'd skipped brushing them the night before. I brushed so hard that I could feel my gums bleeding. I figured flossing was out of the question with how sensitive they were, so I decided to skip it. After brushing, I put the toothbrush away and stepped into the shower.

It took two rounds to get all the deodorant and lotion off my armpits. The hot water felt amazing, washing away the grime and making me feel human again. It was refreshing, honestly. I lingered in the shower for a while, enjoying the solitude and the warmth until I felt like I could handle the cold air waiting outside the bathroom.

Once I was done, I turned off the water, wrapped a towel around myself, and dried off. I cleaned up the shower and returned everything to its place before pulling out fresh clothes for the day ahead. A client was coming later, and my mind was already filled with thoughts, especially about that narcissistic asshole. Seriously, how dare he act like that? Just because he's a mafia boss with a fortune doesn't mean he can treat people like crap. God help the next lawyer or inmate he comes across.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, I found Souline leaving my room. "Good morning," I said. She yawned before responding, "Morning." I couldn't help but ask how she slept, curious if she was well-rested after sharing my bed. "Good," she smirked, "I should sleep in your bed more often." I raised an eyebrow in amusement, suggesting, "Try the guest room." Souline shook her head, her grin widening.

"No, thank you," she said. She then asked about my plans for the day, and I explained that my client was coming in later, leaving me with nothing much to do before then. Souline, on the other hand, mentioned needing to do grocery shopping. I offered to help, but she waved me off, insisting she could manage on her own. Despite my offer, she reassured me, "Relax here; I won't be buying that much."

"Let me shower first," Souline said, heading to the bathroom. I called after her, "You can wear any of my clothes." She grinned, teasing, "Thank you very much! Not that I wasn't going to use them anyway." I chuckled at her usual confidence and let her go about her routine. While she showered, I took a moment to collect my thoughts, feeling the weight of the day's tasks ahead.

I rolled my eyes, feeling a little nostalgic as I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. It had been a while since I last cooked, but I figured, why not go back to my old ways? Cooking used to be my favorite thing to do, but lately, it had taken a backseat to work, stressful work that left me with little time for anything else.

Today, I decided to do something nice for Souline. She'd done so much for me, and I wanted to return the favor by making a big breakfast dinner, something hearty but not too overwhelming. I figured it would be a nice way for her to relax without worrying about the cooking for once.

I started gathering the ingredients I thought would work best, carefully choosing what I'd need. I had a plan in mind: something substantial but not excessive, a meal that would make Souline smile and feel appreciated. I wanted her to be surprised, but I also knew I couldn't let myself mess up; if I burned the food, it would be a disaster. It felt good to be back in the kitchen again, even though the clock was ticking, and I still had plenty to do.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rome, Italy.

Kai's pov:

I yawned and rubbed my eyes, leaning back in my office chair. Carlos's plan to kidnap Alliana just to avoid serving years in prison was stressing me out. I had told him to respect both Souline and Alliana, but he turned into a real jerk. I barely slept the night before; the whole scheme kept me up, gnawing at me with the potential consequences.

I ran through every possibility. A witness could spot me, someone could recognize me, or worse, someone could save Alliana and get me locked up for attempted abducting. The plan was set for today, but the cops called and told me visitation was rescheduled for Thursday due to a high volume of visitors for other inmates.

I still don't think Carlos's plan is a good one; most likely, it'll land him with even more time behind bars. What I know for sure is that when I tell him the details, he might just come to his senses and realize it's a terrible idea. Who knows? Maybe he'll find a new lawyer who can help him with his legal mess. I'm planning to get to the city jail early to talk to him.

I stood up and stretched, feeling my back crack, then grabbed my phone and dialed one of the feds. I waited... and waited... and honestly, I've never had to wait this long for a response in my life. Getting impatient, I hung up. I'm not going to sit around waiting for a damn fed to pick up the phone. I'll just wait for tomorrow's callback. If that doesn't happen, I'll show up at the designated time and take matters into my own hands.

I put my phone away and returned to my chair, yawning and rubbing my eyes, exhausted as usual. The door suddenly burst open, and AJ and Denzel walked in. "Hey," AJ said. "What happened?" I muttered, "Nothing. Haven't heard from you guys." Denzel said, "We haven't heard from you." "I was sleeping," I said. "Right, but you look really stressed," Denzel observed. "I am," I answered. "Why?" AJ asked.

"Because they canceled our visitation with Carlos today. I thought about calling the fed to see if I could go later and explain everything to him. The damn idiot doesn't even know how to answer his phone," I explained. "That sucks," AJ said. "It does," Denzel agreed. Their arrogance made me sigh. "Could you check if Mimi ate?" I asked. "Yes," AJ said, and they both left the room.

Stressed, I rubbed my temples and stood up, exiting the conference room. I headed to my room, shut the door behind me, and lay down on my bed. My mind wandered to someone who had been getting on my nerves ever since she arrived in Rome.

Souline.

I expected Souline to be more gentle and innocent after our phone calls, but she's actually tough, reckless, and independent. At least she's not like Alliana, who's just a smartass. I need to get some sleep before she occupies my thoughts any longer.