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CHAPTER 23: NOT EVERYBODY FEELS PAIN
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 24: AN UNASSUMING ACCOMPLICE
“Never tried this before.” Kali lifted the glass bottle of grape juice Ember purchased for them. She twisted the cap off and took a swig. “That’s delicious.”“My favourite brand of bottled juice. They have different flavours, from grape to apple, but I usually introduce people to the grapes first. It’s an instant hit.” She thought on her words. “Most of the time.”“It’s a hit with me.” Kali took another sip. The sunglasses came on when they walked out of the chilly mall and into the blazing sun. The weather had taken a turn for the worst. It had been that way the entire week, and the forecasts predicted a fall in the temperature in the following week. Till then, they had to make do with the unbearable conditions. “Are you ready for dinner?”“Which one?”Ember chuckled. “Nice. The one at my house. For our grandfather.”“I think I am. It’s just introductions.”The look on her face before she turned away was the exact reason Kali wanted to befriend her. There were things Samuel didn’t
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 25: ONE GOLD DIGGER DESERVES ANOTHER
Giovanna was in a state, watching her mother from the window of her room as she walked around the garden. The weaved basket that swung from her elbow was already filled with flowers. The gardeners usually tended to the garden. They ensured the grass was always levelled, never an inch out of place. The shrubs were trimmed to the same spherical shape each time and watered.The only thing her mother went into the garden for was privacy. Giovanna watched her speaking passionately with someone and couldn’t help but wonder who. Neither her mother nor the gold-digger of a wife Samuel married knew what she knew. They were probably filled with cynical satisfaction, but Giovanna knew their game. She had heard it with her own ears. The day after the wedding, when everyone prepared to leave the hotel, she heard them speaking. She wasn’t sure what exactly they were talking about, she came at the tail end of the conversation but she heard enough. She heard clearly when her mother informed Kali that
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 26: LET THE DRAMA BEGIN
The slap wasn’t hard, but the suddenness of it stunned Giovanna. She pressed a palm against her cheek and glared at Kali in anger. Kali was unmoved, matching Giovanna's intense glare without once looking away. Brimming with fury, Giovanna took a menacing step forward and spat out. “How dare you? Who do you think you are?” “Keep acting like a brat, and I will give you another one, so both sides can match!” Kali inched closer, equally as aggravated. “You can insult me as much as you like, but I will not permit you to insult your brother in my presence ever again.” “This act of perfect wife does not suit you. You may deny it, but you can't fool me like you have fooled everyone else. I see who you really are. I know who you really are.” Giovanna seethed. “And I know you. Spoilt little girl. I don’t want to ever see you back in this house. Not even to visit Samuel. You are only welcome here if there is a family event and you are coming with the rest of the family. If you ever try to co
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 27: THE PLAGUE SHE UNLEASHED ON HERSELF
Ysabel looked up when the door to her study flew open. She looked agitated, but Ysabel didn’t believe that was a reason to forget her manners.“You knock before you come in.” She spread her arms out to indicate the cluster of papers on the desk. “I am busy right now.”“I have waited long enough, mom. One more second with this on my chest, and I will explode. I swear I can’t take it.”“Giovanna, I don’t have the time to pay attention to one of your meltdowns. I have a lot of wo
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 28: THE BEGINNING OF A NIGHTMARE
“No, dad, I didn’t know. She hasn’t said anything.”“I don’t really know what happened. I only know Giovanna went to argue with Kali about something, and they got into a fight. Kali hit her and forbade her from going back to yours.”“Okay, I’ll talk to her. I’ll handle it. I am sorry for the trouble this caused.”“It’s okay. I’ll call you later.”“Good night, dad.”Kali, the subject of their conversation, was in the shower. He had come home to absolute serenity after a tiring day at his work desk. The dining table had been decorated with a new tablecloth and several dishes Kali had prepared. He ate his fill. She had been considerate with the amount of spices she used.In fact, she had joked about it when he complimented her about the food.“Did you notice you are not choking this time?” she teased, using her fork to point at his plate. “I made sure to cook this to serve your weaker constitutions.”“Sorry, I am not used to eating magma for dinner.”As far as evenings went, everything h
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 29: PLAY SMART, STUPID
Servants carried fresh baskets of flowers past the servants that were busily decorating the hall and stairs. The house was aflutter with activity preparing for the dinner that was taking place in the next few hours. The floors were shined earlier in the day. Every piece of silverware was polished till they reflected like mirrors.It was as much a dinner as it was a celebration, celebrating the miraculous recovery of their grandfather. Outside the immediate family, some of her cousins, aunts and uncles were invited. A few of them had never met the new daughter-in-law, so they were excited to meet her at the dinner.“Hey, kid.” Vincent snapped his finger at Giovanna, and she came out of her daze. “What’s wrong with you?”She took in his T-shirt, jeans and sports jacket. “You’re leaving?”“No one is being driven today. Your mom gave us permission to leave early.” He touched her arm gently. “What’s going on. You have been broody the past two days.” Vincent looked over his shoulder toward
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 30: DINNER, DINNER, IN-LAWS ON FIRE
Samuel took her hand and helped her down from the car. Most of the house seemed normal, but the garden was beautifully lit, with string lights strewn over the well-trimmed shrubs. Ember and Peter spoke to their father and some other couple while Ysabel was with an older man by the gazebo.Samuel wore a sports jacket, button-up shirt and pants, while she wore a knee-length gown and some flattering jewellery. It was a family dinner; she didn’t see the reason to dress like she was going to a gala. They kept things simple while trying to still appear formal for the event.Together they walked over to the garden and spent a few minutes greeting his family. A few of his aunts and uncles were present, and Kali got reintroduced to them. After some time passed, Samuel took her over to where his grandfather stood.“Good evening.” He greeted. They shook hands before he gently pushed her forward with a hand against her back. “Kali, this is my grandfather, Claudius. Grandfather, this is my wife, Ka
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 31: DECIET RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Kali moved the grain of rice on her plate with the fork she held. At some point during the excitement of conversations and family banter, she felt incredibly lonely. In the past, dinners with the Madden family were usually tense. She had grown used to the attacks from Giovanna and ridicule from Ysabel. It turned out that she fed off those things to keep her strength. This dinner was different. The disdain was still the same, but no one seemed in a hurry to light a fire. Everyone rather decided to relish in old memories and share tales of their different lives. In thirty minutes, Kali learned about Peter's job at the family office, Ember's years in college, Timothy's inspirations for his paintings and Samuel's work in graphic design. Yes. Everyone talked a lot during this dinner. There was laughter, clinking of champagne flutes, and rounds of cheers. The drinks flowed like milk, the food and the joy appeared endless. Kali was certain she would go mad. Sorely, she wished they’d fight.
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DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 107: THE ENDING, OF SORTS
Samuel looked at the restaurant as he stood against his car. It had been a month since his grandfather passed, and things in his family were still not back to normal. His father had forgiven him for his part in the lie, and he also forgave Kali because he believed they were pushed against the wall. But whatever quarrel he had with their mother was still going on. He had tried to talk himself out of tonight with the excuse of waiting for things to cool down. But, he decided against it.He looked back when he heard another car approaching. Sure enough, Mathew was driving to park beside him with Kali in the passenger seat. She waved at him, and he winked in reply.He called earlier to ask her to prepare."Hello." She greeted as she stepped out of the car. "I was surprised to get your call.""I thought you would be." He took her hand and kissed her. "You look lovely.""Thank you. I wore something stunning, as you asked.""Thank you, Mathew
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 106: FINALLY LAID TO REST
“Have you spoken to your dad?”“Yes.”“Are you better?”“No.” Samuel shook his head, and Kali solemnly pressed against him. “He is not only angry with my silence but also with my mother. He doesn’t want the quarrel to overshadow my grandfather’s passing. He won’t address things now.”
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 105: THE ONES WE LIED TO PROTECT
Samuel looked down at Kali as she slept, stretched out underneath the duvet. She had slept through the night and barely flinched when he got her out of the pool and to their room. She was exhausted, and he understood why. He decided to end the façade once and for all, so while he faced his family, he wanted her to rest.Samuel kissed her cheek softly before he left the house and headed for his parents. Luckily for him, everyone was present when he arrived. They were still slow from waking up, but they gathered around the table.“Is something wrong?” His father spoke first, taking a generous gulp from his cup of coffee.“Not anymore.”“What do you want to talk about then.”Samuel had not taken his eyes off his mother since she joined them. When he saw that she was slowly figuring out what he was there to do, he gave her a little smile before turning to a drowsy Giovanna.“Gio, you were right ab
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 104: LOVING THE PAST THAT FORGOT YOU
Flora looked up at the house, trembling with anxiety and incredibly confused. The man who drove her to the home was as silent as a graveyard with a hard and unassuming stare. He didn’t even say a word when she turned her panicked eyes on him. He only indicated that she continued up the stairs.She had asked before what Claudius wanted to meet her, but the man had only grumbled, so she decided to follow his lead and walk into the house. He handed her over to a maid, who took her purse and jacket. She took Flora to a brightly lit room.“Mr. Devon?” The maid called, closing the door softly.He coughed, struggling to get comfortable on the bed. She rushed to help him. She adjusted his pillows and made him as comfortable as possible.“Please sit.” He wheezed, pointing to a chair in front of the bed.Flora carefully sat down, looking at the mass of machines connected to him. “Thank you. I am sorry. I had no idea you we
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 103: SUNSHINE AND RAIN
When Samuel arrived in the evening, he was surprised by Kali at the door. She jumped out of the shadows, scaring him before throwing herself in his arms. He caught her, bellowing with laughter as they kissed."I would assume your day went well?""I believe it did, but that's not why I am happy. I am happy to have you home."Samuel set her back on her feet and noticed the scarf she held in her hands."Are you cold?""No. It's for you.""Me?""Yes. For your eyes, darling."He complied, closing his eyes and allowing her to wrap the scarf around his head, sealing him in darkness. He followed her cautiously as she led him up the stairs and into their room. He scolded her lightheartedly when the door smacked into his chest."Hey!""Sorry." She stressed and led him still. "Sorry. We are here."She took the scarf off and stepped back. He kept his eyes closed, opening them carefully so he wasn't dazzled by the light
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 102: A DATE WITH THE DEVIL
Kali looked up at the house. If she could even call it that. Something about this family made them hungry for prime real estate. From the marble fountains to the immaculate shrubs and garden, the manor looked like it could have been owned by an Earl or a Duke. Kali wouldn't be surprised if she was told the building used to belong to one."Mrs. Madden?" Kali turned to the maid. "Are you looking for someone?"She stuttered, finding herself as she got out of the car. "Yes. I am looking for Mr. Devon.""Alright. Please come in." She began to walk Kali towards the house. "He hasn't been in the best health these past few weeks. I'll tell him you are here to see him, but I can't promise he would agree to sit with you. He hasn't had visitors in weeks.""That's alright. If he won't see me, I'll leave a message."She had come prepared for any event. She'd prefer to say all she had to to his face. If he refused, she had typed and printed a detailed letter exp
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 101: THE DISCOVERY
Samuel nervously nibbled on the pencil in his mouth as he sat at his desk. Two weeks had passed with no word from Ember on how her search was going. She asked them to trust her, saying she'd call when she found something.Kali was on the balcony, watching the warm evening sky while he worked to keep himself busy. He had seen little of his family throughout this time. He visited the house once when he was sure his mother was out and scarcely talked to his dad on the phone.The curtains swooshed, and Kali came to him. She languidly slid her arm up hi
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 100: THE WOMAN HE MARRIED
Kali walked into her sister's apartment. She had planned to visit her earlier but kept pushing the date back until she couldn't anymore. June was home, and Kali left work early to catch her sister before it was too late. Samuel had taken the first step with Ember, and it was her turn.If she waited, who's to tell what Ysabel might do? Just as she informed Kali about Richard as a desperate attempt to cause a rift between them, she might say something to June one of these days."I am glad you came. Sit. Can I get you anything?" June asked.
DANGEROUS GAMES CHAPTER 99: MERELY MAKING PLANS FOR YOUR DOWNFALL
Kali woke up early and slid out of bed while Samuel was still asleep. She walked around the apartment quietly. After the previous day's events, she was exhausted and starving. She wanted to stuff herself with whatever she could find in the kitchen."Morning."Kali looked over her shoulder, scared. "Oh, Ember. It's you.""Sorry to scare you.""It's alright. I was about to rummage through your kitchen for something to eat. Would you like to join me?""Sure."Kali was nervous. She had forgotten most of her conversation with Samuel because her brain was still asleep. But after seeing Ember, Kali remembered Samuel had told her everything. She hoped Ember wasn't too angry or disappointed in her. She considered her a friend, and it would hurt to lose that."What do you want?""A sandwich is fine.""I am too hungry to show off, so what if I make us a simple sandwich for today?""I'll take it."Kali prepared s
