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Chapter 117

Author: AmonAvHs
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Neck deep in the tub, gazing up at the ceiling, eyes roughened and tired from all the tears shed, enough to make the foamy water salty.

How long have I been here—a couple of hours? All day? I didn't want to know; it was peaceful enough in this position, within the silence, floating out of my body to keep the memories at bay.

But that also wasn't a success, so often, I wallowed in my guilt, the tasteless scenario that had occurred hours ago replaying in my head, her heated confession refusing to leave the more I pleaded for it too.

“She died because of you, Lily; you have always been the reason people get destroyed; you are a curse.”

The tears had returned as I stared ahead at the empty stairs, my strength leaving me. So weak that I stumbled and clutched the rail to keep myself from falling flat on my face, wanting to block out all of her words with my fingers in my ears, but I felt too rigid even to make a move.

“Does it give you a clue why I'm angry? How about you understand that th
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    SARA—There were rules, Rules that weren't to be broken.—She sat quietly on the bed, her eyes on his broad back as he faced the wall, the scars on every inch of his skin gleaming directly at her.He had been in this mood, waking up at night to find him glaring directly at the ceiling or pacing. It was becoming even scarier to be in the same space as him, for his mood could be discerned by his tight grip on the katana's handle.A couple of months later, she had stood in his face and broke the one rule that wasn't spoken about, the one rule that hung over her like a wet blanket of dark clouds.Ruslan walked over to the bedside cupboard, draggin it open; he pulled out a lollipop and kicked the covers close, desperately pouncing on the wrap.When his eyes fell on her, holding his gaze wasn't as easy as it seemed the last time. The calm turmoil in his pupils had her on freeze for almost half a minute before she dropped her lashes on the sheet.Since he returned to Russia, he had been this

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    EVAShe gripped her bag firmly, annoyance evident as she entered the deserted space, weary of yet another day of traveling to and from work on her own.So they were all hell-bent on cutting her off, shoving her to the wall, throwing the fact that she had never been a part of them anyway. None of them liked her, and all it took to find out was for their favorite to get on her nerves.Hadn't they noticed Lily threw the first hit? Didn't they see her bruises? But of course, she wasn't surprised; she was used to being painted as the bad guy.After the day of the fight, she realized that Don Adler had destroyed her transportation arrangement, and she was left to somehow get herself to work and back.There was no one to go to, not even Salvatore, who was unlikely to be seen around the manor, and even when he was, he glanced at her and walked the other way.She hated that it hurt to see him ignore her, like she wasn't there, looking over her head until he was out of sight.Rune hated her righ

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    KYRAWater trailed down her chin as she snatched the face towel from the hook, pressing it to her face. Inhaling deeply, she cursed as the unexpected rush of Rune's words flooded her thoughts.In a relentless struggle spanning hours, she fought to banish his echoing voice—words that had deeply wounded her. Regret seeped in as she wished for the satisfaction of his blood staining her knuckles in the midst of it all._"...how hard you want to please him."_First of all, fuck Rune; he knew nothing about her; talk more about who she wanted to please. If he thought she had more grace than them because she was the godfather's 'princess,' then he fucking had to rethink.She slammed the towel to the sink, pressing her palms to hold her weight as she sized her reflection in the mirror. She was here all thanks to her ability, and she'd like to see them prove otherwise.The quiet rap on the door snapped her back to the present. Straightening up and raking her hair back, she stepped out of this b

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    RUNERune could taste the blood that coated his mouth. Still, he gritted his teeth, refusing to let the cries out. With his hands held back, the old man pounded his fist into his abdomen unrelentingly.The pain was excruciating, each blow sending shockwaves through his body. Rune's vision blurred, but he forced himself to stay conscious, to keep thinking.There was no way out of this, he knew. They were behind closed doors, in a room that smelled like dust and cobwebs; no one could hear him here.Well, no one except Laron, whom he constantly ordered to shut his eyes. The boy stood before the second goon, eyes shut, yet tears still rolled down his face.Every sniffle he heard from Laron cut through like a knife, and he wished he could do something, be the super dad Laron believed in, but right now the only thing he could do was stare at the floor."Had enough?" the old man sneered, his knuckles smeared with Rune's blood. "I thought to make this easier on you, but..." He grabbed a handf

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    SALVATORE"...There's been another attack." Victor inhaled the smoke from the lit end of his cigar. "It happened at the same time as the fire yesterday. Ruslan is finally convinced of my innocence."Salvatore shared a glance with Kyra and then back at Victor. Was he actually saying the fire he had started to disrupt the engagement and that had somehow gotten out of hand was connected with an attack?Quietly wincing as the cloth grazed his partially burnt arm, Salvatore returned his gaze to Victor, who was suddenly deep in thought."I'll be gone again," Victor waved away the smoke, "but this time for a few days. Again, Salvatore will stay behind. I wish it didn't have to be so, but I need someone I can trust to keep Eva safe."He resisted the urge to share another glance with his sister. Even though he couldn't read anything on her straight countenance, he knew she was still mad at him."Can you?" Victor asked. "I can easily put her under Kyra's care. Give my father's favorite princess

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    LILY"I was six when I discovered that the convent sisters who came once a week to take children from the orphanage were anything but angels," Ruslan said, rocking my daughter's cradle. "It became clear why the boys never came back, and the girls who did barely lived."Twenty minutes ago, I had laid my sleeping daughter in her crib and rushed into the bathroom for a quick soak, despite knowing she wouldn't stir.Two seconds ago, I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around my chest and damp hair still dripping, only to see Ruslan standing over Constance's crib and staring at her.Even though he didn't touch her, my racing pulse refused to die down.But he paid no heed to my presence and continued, "They needed us in a coal mine in this little spot in Serbia." He paused, his gaze remote. "Our starved, wiry, agile bodies were the perfect fit for narrow spaces, running errands, and sometimes checking if the explosives had completed their work."My hawk-like eyes on Constance made it

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