Bound To My Mafia Stepuncles novel Chapter 206

Chapter 206

Aria’s POV

I stood there for a while after Valentina walked away. My heart was beating a little too fast and I didn’t know why. The way she had snapped at me. The way she was on the phone one second and then pretending nothing happened the next. It didn’t sit right with me. Her mood had been strange all day, and I had tried to ignore it, thinking maybe she was just tired or in her own head. But now it felt like more than that. It felt like she was hiding something from me. And that hurt.

I ran a hand through my hair, staring at the spot where she had just been. My thoughts were loud, too loud, and it was making it hard to breathe. I didn’t like this feeling. Not with Valentina. We were supposed to trust each other. We always had.

Before I could think too much about it, I heard someone call my name.

“Aria! There you are,” Chiara said, walking toward me with her usual confident stride. “Training time. You didn’t think you were gonna escape, did you?”

I forced a small smile. “Never,” I said, even though my mind was a million miles away.

Chiara gave me a knowing look but didn’t press. “Go get ready. I’ll meet you in the training room.”

I nodded and headed upstairs, dragging my feet a little. When I got to my room, I peeled off my clothes, stepped into the shower, and stood under the hot water longer than I needed to. I closed my eyes and let the steam cover me like a blanket. But even the heat couldn’t melt the unease sitting in my chest.

When I was done, I dried off quickly and put on my gym wear. Black leggings, sports bra, and a loose tank top. I tied my hair into a bun, grabbed my water bottle, and headed downstairs.

The training room was already lit, and Chiara was waiting for me, stretching on the mats.

“Took you long enough,” she teased.

“I was hoping you’d forget,” I joked weakly, trying to sound like myself.

We started with stretches and light cardio. Chiara made a few sarcastic comments, trying to make me laugh. Normally, I would’ve laughed. Today, I couldn’t. I was trying, but it just wasn’t working.

Chiara paused during lunges and gave me a long look. “Alright, spill. What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

I sighed and looked down at my feet, twisting my water bottle cap. “It’s Valentina.”

Chiara straightened up. “What about her?”

“Have you noticed anything… weird about her today?”

Chiara frowned and thought about it. “I mean, yeah. She seemed off. Quiet. But we all have our days, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, chewing the inside of my cheek. “But it feels like more than that. Like… she’s hiding something.”

Chiara raised an eyebrow. “Did she do something?”

I hesitated. My tongue felt heavy. I wanted to tell her about the phone call. About the way Valentina’s voice had dropped when she was speaking to someone she didn’t want me to know about. But I couldn’t. Not yet. It felt too early. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

“No,” I said. “Nothing big. Maybe I’m just overthinking.”

Chiara gave me a long look. “If something’s bothering you, don’t keep it in. But if you’re not ready to talk about it, I’ll wait. Just… keep your eyes uper

We went back to training, but my mind wasn’t in it. I messed up a few moves I usually nailed. Chiara didn’t say anything, but I could tell she

I tried to stay focused on Chiara’s movements, mirroring her punches and dodges, but my mind kept drifting back to what I shadows, her voice low and secretive over the phone–it didn’t sit right with me. Every now and then I’d glance toward the Ar

appear and explain everything, to laugh and tell me it was nothing. But deep down I knew it wasn’t nothing. I felt it in my stomach, this tight twist of unease that wouldn’t let go, I wasn’t the best at trusting people, and Valentina had always seemed like someone I could lean on, someone who cared. But today, her mood had been off, and now she was sneaking around. It didn’t add up. My feet moved sluggishly against the padded floor as Chiara circled me raising an eyebrow. She could tell something was off. Of course she could. I wasn’t exactly good at hiding my feelings. My thoughts kept spiraling, wondering who Valentina had been talking to and why she had looked so scared when she noticed me. Was she in trouble? Or was she keeping something from me on purpose? Either way, it made my heart beat faster, and not because of the training. I hated this feeling of not knowing. I hated that someone I trusted was giving me reasons to doubt them.

Eventually, we wrapped up the session. I was sweaty, tired, and more on edge than before. I thanked her, grabbed my towel, and made my way back to

my room.

As soon as I stepped in, I stopped.

A

Nothing looked different. My bed was made the same way I left it. My books were still stacked on the desk. My clothes were still tossed over the chair. But something didn’t feel right.

It was like the air had changed. Like someone had been here. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew it.

I walked slowly around the room, eyes scanning every corner. Then my gaze went to the drawer near my bed. I walked over, opened it, and froze.

My father’s journal was gone.

It had always been there. Tucked under a few old letters and photographs. I hadn’t touched it since. No one even knew I kept it there. No one except….

The triplets and Valentina.

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