"Uh... excuse me?" Her eyes flicked sideways immediately—instinctively—toward Luca.
"I had nothing to do with it," Luca said quickly, raising both hands in defense before she could even form the accusation.
"I didn’t ask for tea," Vee repeated, narrowing her eyes at him now instead of Nonnina.
Before Luca could say anything else, Nonnina continued as if she had simply been waiting for her moment.
"Diavolino said you are to bear the heir," she added matter-of-factly.
Luca physically dropped half an inch in his seat. He genuinely considered disappearing into the floor or the table.
Or anywhere that wasn’t this exact moment in time.
"I’m getting on in years," Nonnina went on, completely unfazed by the collective internal collapse happening in front of her. "The tea will speed things up. When I see the piccolo bambino, I can close my eyes and be happy with my death."
Vee slowly turned her head toward Luca again. Her brows lifted so high they nearly disappeared.
Luca, on the other hand, looked like a man trying to decide whether lying, running, or spontaneous combustion would get him out of this faster. "I—" he started.
Then stopped. There was no sentence that would survive this intact. Nonnina smiled proudly, clearly satisfied with her contribution to both romance and legacy, completely oblivious to the fact that she had just detonated emotional chaos at the dinner table.
Vee’s gaze stayed locked on Luca. Nonnina didn’t just have bad timing. No. Luca thought grimly, sinking lower in his chair hoping gravity would claim him—
Nonnina had the wrongest timing. "Come on, drink. It’s not bitter. I promise. And it’s the right temperature," Nonnina urged, her tone gentle but carrying that unmistakable authority that made refusal feel illegal.
Vee held the cup between her fingers, staring into the light steam curling upward begging it to reveal an escape plan.
She gave Luca one last glare which meant the conversation was not over—just postponed. "Nonni... I don’t think—" she started carefully.
"Nonsense," Nonnina cut in immediately, waving her hand dismissively. "It works wonders. You drink and Luca does his part—voilà... bambino."
"Fuck," Vee muttered under her breath, just low enough to keep it between herself and Luca. She could feel his presence beside her stiffen. He knew he had just been dragged into a future he wasn’t ready to defend.
With a resigned sigh, Vee lifted the cup and took a cautious sip. Then another. Her brows knitted slightly in surprise.
It wasn’t bad. Actually... It was good. A soft hint of peppermint lingered on her tongue, warm and soothing.
She finished the cup. Before she could even set it down properly, Nonnina was already refilling it with efficient enthusiasm.
"Nonni..." Vee warned this time.
"Two cups," Nonnina said simply. "That’s the dosage."
Vee closed her eyes briefly, inhaling, preparing herself for battle. Then she picked up the cup again. "If I wake up pregnant, I’m bringing the roof down," she muttered to herself before downing the second cup in one go.
Nonnina beamed, her entire face lighting up with satisfaction as she clasped her hands together. "Ah... your babies will be just divine," she said dreamily.
Slowly— Very slowly— Vee turned her head toward Luca again.
"Babies?" she repeated, her voice dangerously calm now. "You hear that?" she added, tilting her head slightly. "Babies..." Her eyes held his.


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