Chapter: Maya A wave of unease twisted my stomach as I yanked my sweater over my scrubs. My head spun slightly, the lingering effects of whatever had wrecked me, but at least I could keep water down—that was a victory, right? Grabbing my keys, I glanced at the clock, the numbers blurring momentarily before snapping into focus. My car, returned just yesterday, sat waiting outside. A junker, sure, but it was mine—battered, beaten, and paid for.“Mom, I’m leaving!” My voice echoed through the house, cutting through the sound of the upstairs shower sputtering to life.My father was already gone, retreating to his other life—his apartment, his other daughter, his mother… my grandmother. The thought burned like acid in my chest, but I swallowed it down and forced myself to move.The drive to the hospital passed in a haze, the rattling hum of my Camry doing little to drown out the storm inside my head. I parked under a tree, its leaves clinging stubbornly to the branches like my grip on sanity. Grabbin
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-26
Chapter: Demetri There’s a truth I’ve buried deep within me, a dark secret that claws at my insides, screaming to be set free. But courage has never been my strong suit—especially when it comes to Maya. The weight of what I should reveal crushes me, yet I know I’ll never find the strength to share it. The summons from the elders isn’t just an ordinary call; it’s a summons steeped in dread. When the elders reach out, everything else falls away—you drop everything and go, no questions asked, no rescheduling. I know exactly why they’ve summoned me: Armando. His time is up, a fact as inevitable as night falling after day. In our world, we’re led to believe we control our fates, but the truth is darker. The elders allow us to thrive, to live our lives, but make no mistake—they pull the strings. We live under their shadow, bound by a blood oath that promises loyalty until death—or, as they like to put it, execution.Armando has crossed too many lines, triggering their wrath. I brace myself, knowing I’ve be
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-05
Chapter: Maya “Where the hell did Armando go?” I demanded, shoving my coffee mug into the dishwasher with a force that echoed my agitation. Demetri paced like a caged animal in the kitchen, his tension palpable, until my mother stormed in, her face a canvas painted with fury.“What’s wrong?” I asked, stepping away from the dishwasher as she claimed a seat at the counter. Demetri slipped out of the room, leaving the air thick with unspoken words. I could sense it; something was festering inside him, and today—after Armando’s abrupt departure—he might finally reveal it.“Your father is what’s wrong with me! That son of a bitch is back, and my rage is boiling!” Her hands trembled as I instinctively rubbed her back, dread tightening my chest when I noticed the absence of her engagement ring—the massive diamond surrounded by tiny stones that had always gleamed on her finger. Gone. Silence weighed heavily as my mother broke down, her tear-streaked face igniting a primal urge within me to hunt down my
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-05
Chapter: Adriana I had been drowning in a storm of secrets from Armando for days, a suffocating weight that pressed down on my chest. The moment I threw up that morning—a violent expulsion that felt like the world crashing down around me—I knew: I was pregnant. Everything about me was shifting; an insatiable hunger clawed at my insides, and my clothes began to tighten like a noose, suffocating any sense of normalcy. At first, I fed myself lies, blaming it all on gluttony and neglecting the gym—self-delusion wrapped in denial. But that day with Brenda shattered my facade. I found myself standing in Bonners Market in Phoenix, heart racing as I clutched a pregnancy test like it was a ticking bomb. Brenda’s laughter echoed cruelly in my ears, her judgment sharp enough to cut through my fragile resolve. But I had to know the truth; ignorance was a poison I could no longer swallow.Two agonizing weeks had passed, my period a ghost taunting me from the shadows. It hung in the air, a grim reminder of my unrav
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-21
Chapter: Armando Demetri sat across from me, fingers entwined tightly as I leaned back, tension crackling in the air. “You wanted to talk? Then speak up,” I bit out, my jaw clenched, trying to mask the storm brewing inside me.“I know where to find Reaper,” he said, his voice steady but laced with a hint of hesitation. “I’ve heard he likes to take the underground sewers to avoid detection.” He turned to face me, but his eyes darted away before they could lock onto mine. I knew why. The guilt and discomfort hung thick between us like smoke; he was tangled up with Maya, my girl—the one I had let myself fall for, body and soul. A knot of rage twisted in my gut at the thought of him taking what was mine, using her like some disposable toy.“I honestly don’t care where to find Reaper anymore,” I shot back, my voice low and dangerous as I pushed myself up from the table. “I’m done with this whole search for him.” I moved toward the coat rack, the weight of my jacket feeling like a shroud as I fought against
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-14
Chapter: Maya As I stood there by the kitchen sink, a mug of steaming coffee trembling in my hands, the truth crashed over me like a tidal wave: Armando was a player. I should have anticipated it the moment his childhood girlfriend sauntered in, flaunting her skimpy outfit while I was right there beside him. A lump lodged in my throat, and the storm of anxiety mixed with fury surged within me, only intensifying when Armando’s eyes finally locked onto mine.The raw anger that flickered in his gaze sent a jolt through me; I could feel his rage boiling beneath the surface. The happiness Demetri had ignited in me was like a fire consuming him from the inside out.“I can’t believe this,” he spat, his voice laced with pain and disbelief. “How long?” “Few weeks,” I mumbled, lifting the mug to my lips, the scalding liquid searing my throat as it went down. The muffled voices of my mother and father fluttered in from the dining room, their casual banter a cruel contrast to the storm raging inside me. I s
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-14
Masuk
