SALVATORE.The last time he stood before this sight, his heart didn't want to fall out of his chest; instead, the next day, he found himself in front of Father Martin, confessing how he had felt butterflies at the burial of his oppressor: His Father.Of course, the penance was a long one, so long he had taken days off training to fulfill them, but since it was all mistaken for his grief, there had been no fuse.Now he stood a distance under a tree, watching the white and gold coffin that held the dead, slain body of the only human that had made him desperately hold on to life since he was fifteen.The scores of priests present followed the coffin as it was carried to the hole that would serve as an everlasting resting place.Salvatore pulled off the shades and massaged the bridge of his nose, kicking against the urge to look away. He needed to see this to understand that Father Martin was never coming back.But he could follow him down there; paradise wasn't the goal. He lowered the b
AUTHOR’S POV [ADLER]“This is the happiest day of my life." Athena whispered, so only he heard as he pushed the ring into her finger, "Would have been so if all of this isn't a fake."He fitted the band before kissing her knuckles. Another round of applause from their audience interrupted his thoughts."You could at least smile, you know." She continued, as they turned to face the crowd slowly surrounding them, “You said to make this believable, but here you are doing the bare minimum.”He sighed in exhaustion, letting his eyes sweep over the faces of the guests, people who had a link to the underworld. But cover that with an ironed-out suit and a pleasant, restful countenance, and one had judges, politicians, and sometimes even governors.But also, he could begin to see the discomfort in their faces as they noticed the supposed 'groom' who made all of this up, creating distance. Distance that didn't have to be physical before it was noticeable. He needed to play this right. It was t
[RUNE.]"Excuse me, ladies," he announced after Adler had disconnected. The smile on his face slowly waned when his eyes met Kyra, standing some distance away from him. He sighed, skipping breaths each time he saw her had to stop."No, thank you," he said, pushing the cup when the rim was placed to his lips. He still never thought there'd be a day he'd reject a filled glass, but now he was doing it. A mistake wasn't a mistake if he didn't learn his lesson.Kyra was avoiding him, refusing to look in his direction, no matter the noises he made. She regretted it—regretted that she let the lowest of all scum see her in her vulnerability.He'd have to take it and face it; it was a one-time thing, one that, if anyone found out, would be his death.But then, in a way, he was hurt. Yeah, his pride was. She didn't come for seconds; instead, it was almost as if he didn't exist to her anymore.Did anyone else see it? He looked from her to Adler; both were almost alike behaviorally. They could
[EVA]She noticed Salvatore approaching from the corner of her eye. Eva let a smirk escape her lips as she took one last look at Victor and his troops.HE JUST MESSED WITH THE WRONG SISTER.A FEW MINUTES EARLIEROf course, she loved parties, especially parties like this, for she wasn't grown up enough to partake in them like Lily had before their dad died, but given the opportunity on a silver platter, she sure as hell was about to make the most of it.She exuded femininity, standing tall with a raised chin while watching the grand carnival in the form of an engagement, dressed in a soft, long dress of mild ivory and her idea of the perfect makeup. For an engagement, who would go to such lengths? All furniture, glass, and porcelain fixtures exuded an opulent aura.In the glaring lights and attention, she felt like Cinderella. What was left? The clock striking twelve? Haha, jokes on them; she lived in the party. A short distance up the steps, beneath the roof of a don who, she would h
LILY’S POV“....THINK OF THE BAD THING YOU HATE ABOUT THEM”With my shoes in each of my hands, I walked lifelessly up to my room, the noise from the hall becoming fainter the further I went. I wished the hurt would fade the same way the music did.At least the idiotic tears had ceased; I should be feeling embarrassed Rune had seen me in my anguish, and although he didn't take it seriously, making his usual jokes and giving me half-baked advice, it was evident in his countenance that he was solidly behind me.According to his advice, I was to find out the behavioral traits I detested about Adler, and somehow, that was supposed to help me get over the hurt ripping across my chest. The second piece of advice, ‘don't fuck them,’ was too late to unadminister. I wish it had come at least a month earlier.I sighed, rubbing my eyes. I needed the zzz’s more than ever, and hopefully, it was going to be easier to catch them now that I was both mentally and emotionally tired.I raised my face to
The detonation was deafening, so deafening that my ears rang, goosebumps grew on my arms, and my throat went drier with each quickening thud of my heartbeat.I let the gun fall from my hands, stepping away from it and the body frame that held the disbelief on his face.Adler studied the hole I had made in his room's ceiling, then returned his eyes to me. “Note taken,” he said, picking the gun off the floor. “How did it go off?” He was seriously pondering, and for a moment, he forgot he wasn't alone. But when he looked at me, he had his brows knitted. “Does everything work with you around?”My feet were still stuck to the floor; I couldn't remember a pistol being this loud. It wouldn't be surprising if I had acquired an ear bleed.The pounding on his door had me snapping out of my trance. "Boss, are you okay?” "Si,” Adler responded, "you can leave the door.”I wish my hands would stop shaking. In the process of scaring him, I added another trauma to the pile already existing.Adler dr
ADLERCall him a pervert, but since he had seen her step into the hall, a part of his brain insisted on stubbornly filling his head with pictures of her naked under his room's illumination. Then, trapping her under him until she was too exhausted to sneak out of his room.Wasn't that why he had changed his doors and the lock? Could one even call it a lock anymore? He felt the card poking his legs in the pocket; he felt a pang of guilt, but then it was funny watching her search desperately for the knob.And watching her lips move, pushing him to fury with a challenge? All he had wanted to do was kiss them shut. Without the slightest knowledge, she did know how to push his buttons.But now that he had where he wanted, he gave a crooked smile; he had an idea who would be having the last laugh.She obediently stepped out of her gown, standing before him in only red lacy pants, like sin itself, tempting his demons to come into play. Seven years had passed, and it showed on her; she was n
LILY’S POV..“I wish you would stay."“But I am here.”He encircled me tightly with his arms, bringing me closer and inhaling the aroma of my recently shampooed hair. "Forever, not just tonight."***Keeping to his promises, he had loved me all night, marking me with hickeys and kisses, and even after that, after I had thrown on his shirt that reached the middle of my thighs and laid down beside him, he still managed to play with my hair until I fell asleep.I woke up to find that morning had crept on me, and the side of his bed was empty but still warm.But the alarm hit.I was still in his room.Shucks, I was so dead. Walking out of his room accompanied by stares and whispers wasn't how I had hoped to start a new week.Quickly standing up from the bed, relishing the delicious ache coursing through my body, I hurried to my clothes, dismissing the idea of putting them on. Showing up still in my party dress would raise as much of a question as to why I was in his shirt.I retied my hai