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2024-11-07 01:01:53
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DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 23
LILIANA I don't know how long I'd been asleep for but when I open my eyes, the window shows the dimming sunlight, now a warm orange. It is a testament to how I've slept through the day into the early evening. I do hope Theodore is on his way as promised. I can't afford to spend one more night in this apartment. Apart from putting a strain on their finances, even though they look comfortable, a deep sense of unease is beginning to settle in my bones. When Rachel's father came knocking, I thought he had something urgent to disclose. Well, he did. But it wasn't for my ears. So I'd gone to my room to give father and daughter some privacy. From that point when I went back in and now, everything seemed like a haze. Like a part of my memory was hacked out. It has to be an ingredient in the drink. Either way, it worked in my favor to soothe most of my frayed nerves. It is early evening and it indicates that Theodore is already close. In a little while, I'd be out of here and
Last Updated : 2024-11-08DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 24
DAMIANI waste no time in peeling out of the parking lot and onto the highway, my tires screeching in protest. Like a crazed man, I speed down the highway with the needle of the speedometer quivering over a hundred miles per hour.Beside me, Zoran's face is set in a grim mask and although his eyes are fixed on the road ahead, I can see the ghost of fear playing around his features.He had offered to drive but I'd refused. I needed something to exert my pent up rage and an anchor to keep me from unraveling. I felt like driving would do me some good.Why then did I want to pull the steering wheel out of its place so bad?“I know I shouldn't be saying this but you need to slow down. If anything happens to you, Liliana would roam freely and dance over your grave if she knows where you'd be buried.”Unbidden, a small smile cracks my lips. I glance at his profile. My smile widens when I see his throat bob and his fingers grip his seat tighter.I ease up on the pedal only a little just for
Last Updated : 2024-11-08DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 25
DAMIAN “Kristoffor!” Shrieks Alice in a horrified voice as I climb out of the passenger seat with Liliana's unconscious body in my arms. "What have you done to the poor girl?"“Stay out of this, Alice,” Zoran tells her, pulling her back before she comes to pose as a blockage to my destination which is my bedroom. ‘Are you even making the right decision?’ An inner voice queries.I don't have the time to answer that because I'm trying to make it to my quarters in record time. I push my door open and walk towards the bed where I lower her on it. Her thick hair curtains a part of her face as her head lolls to one side. My fingers itch and without inhibitions, I reach to brush the strands out of view, revealing her creamy flesh with a fading purple stain. A reminder of my men's brutality.I frown, recalling the vicious headbutt that gave me a wicked migraine for days. My teeth grit in anger and I yank my hand back with a scowl like a force just struck me. This will be the last time I
Last Updated : 2024-11-09DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 26
LILIANAMy eyes crack open after so many futile efforts and the first thing that heralds my awakening is the unfamiliar ceiling.The dull, cream-colored surface stares back at me. It is a welcome change from the darkness that had shrouded my mind for what felt like an eternity. I try to sit up as consciousness slowly seeps in. I wince, becoming aware of the dull ache driving through through my head like a sledgehammer. I move my tongue but it seems as though the organ has doubled up in size. The weight of exhaustion deep in my bones renders me incapable of moving my limbs any further.“Theo…” The word dies on my tongue before I even complete it. I swallow dryly. My throat is parched and my body feels hotter than usual. I close my eyes, trying to recall the incident that led to my passing out, but every time I try, I come up blank.“Theodore,” I manage with weakness. I keep my gaze on the door for his entrance. It seems no one heard me because none came in. Wait… Why is this place
Last Updated : 2024-11-11DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 27
LILIANA After he leaves, I collapse in a heap on the bed as choking sobs tear out from me with a blinding force. I want to wake up from this nightmare but everytime the cuff tugs at my ankle, it pulls me back to the reality that has now become my life.“Kyle, what did you do?” I wail to the silence, my heart wringing in the despair that has begun to fester into a deep wound.Thinking back upon my life, I try to recall anything suspicious about Kyle but my mind draws blank. He never gave me one reason to.Except for his friendship with the man Nicolo…Or could that be it?I roll on my back to lay eaglespread on the bed, my watery gaze towards the ceiling to trace the patterns. The fat drops slide down both sides of my face relentlessly soaking into my hair and the mattress until finally, there are no more tears left to cry. I continue to stare blankly at the ceiling for a while longer as sleep drapes itself over my eyelids. If I sleep, at least there'll be some kind of peace for me
Last Updated : 2024-11-12DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 28
LILIANAAt first it is shock, then denial and lastly anger, each of them like a potent spell targeted to destroy the very foundation of my relationship with Kyle.Will I get to accept this bullshit news? Never!I seethe, “Don't be ridiculous.” Pushing away from Damian, I scramble to my feet and pull my sweatshirt down. His eyes follow my movements with a dissatisfying blankness on his face. That is all I need to have my blood boiling over. One step closer and I'd be able to claw his eyes out.He rises, his calculating eyes trained on me and lips drawn into a thin line. How can he be so calm after he had just defamed one of the most influential people in Russia?“You don't look too happy at the news, Milaya.” His voice breaks through my train of thought out of nowhere. “Having a hard time processing it?”“No.” I retort with anger as it builds in my chest like a small fire. “You are a liar and you are fucked up in the head. If you could kidnap a widow while mourning, what else can you
Last Updated : 2024-11-13DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 29
LILIANAI'm thirteen again. I stand in a corner of the room shaking as my mother begins a racket, thrashing our living room and wagging an angry finger at me from time to time. Her breath stinks of local rum and cigarettes, that I am certain of. My school bag has been flung, table upturned and I remain where I am for fear of her pouncing upon me should I try to call for help. My lips quiver and I flinch when a glass comes flying close to my head. It shatters on the wall next to me but thankfully, the shards don't pierce my skin. “Where are you, you little rascal?” She turns to me with a wild gaze. This animosity only shows up when I'm on her radar.“Mama?” I whimper, refusing to leave the corner as it is the only place I feel safer.“Your father is out again, the cheating bastard. I shouldn't have let him get me pregnant. I shouldn't have let my parents talk me into marrying him.” Her eyes have a faraway look but it is masked with fury. “I'm sorry.” It is barely above a whisper.
Last Updated : 2024-11-14DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 30
DAMIANI pace the breadth of my bedroom for reasons unknown to me. A look at the balcony tells me that dawn is near. I haven't slept a wink all night. My brain chooses to replay Alice's warning. “You will have yourself to blame if anything happens to that poor girl. Have you no conscience anymore? This isn't how I raised you to be, Kristoffor Damien Kastorov.” She might have raised me but the one time I have seen her lose her cool is when Zoran has smashed my head in with an iron rod while we were playing. Why the hell am I letting Alice's words get to me and why am I losing sleep over it? She's getting punished for acting out of control. If I wanted her dead, there'd be no need to go through the hassle of bringing her to Sochi.I make my way over to the balcony, drinking in the sight of the large expanse of land stretching on for miles. It is peaceful at this time and perhaps, it can get me a few minutes to snooze.‘Stop kidding yourself’, a voice taunts. Science says if you wa
Last Updated : 2024-11-15
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DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 131
LILIANAI’m looking into the face of the man who was my bodyguard appointed by Theo to watch me after my husband died and can’t seem to fathom what he’s doing in the home of my captor.Does Damian know he’s in here? The answer comes to me almost immediately; yes, he does. Yet, the truth in that doesn’t stop me from asking my own questions. “W-what are you doing here?” I stammer out.He’s Eric alright, but at the same time, he’s not. His face lacks the warmth I trusted. That character has fallen out of place and here is the man he has always been.Wait, who is he? “I need to ask you come questions and I’ll need you to be completely honest with me.” He sounds detached.Says the lapdog masquerading as a double agent to feed information to his master. Can’t a woman trust anyone these days?“You both know each other?” Rachel looks between me and the burly man still patiently waiting for my attention. When nobody gives her a response, she excuses us and shuts the door.“Liliana—”“Don’t
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 130
LILIANAThe journal feels heavy as it sits in my palms. Not because it is thick or leather-bound or anything grand. It’s just heavy…filled with my sister’s wordings–Well, I don’t know that for sure until I open it and that’s what I’m scared of. I stare at it intently and it’s almost like I can hear it whispering at me to open it and face what I’ve been running away since I returned to this cursed house.Rachel watches me from the corner of her eye, not saying a word until I sigh. “You should come with me. I don’t think you want to be in here as much as I do.” Her eyes are filled with untold tales. “Let’s go to your room. You don’t want to be seen like tis in the hallway.”I nod, then rise to follow her stiffly, following her down the corridor like a ghost. My limbs are moving, but my mind’s reeling. Even my heart isn’t beating right. Once we’re inside my quarters, I drop the journal on the bed and start grabbing my things. “Liliana.” Rachel approaches me gently. “What did he tell
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 129
DAMIAN Her eyes widen in caution as I approach her. Like she’s scared of me, or maybe scared I’d hurt her even when I’m certain she knows I can’t. She doesn’t really know the power she holds over me, does she? I should say I am disappointed but how can I when I can’t even tell her how I really feel about her? That’s just hypocrisy. Behind her is Stelleza’s wardrobe full of her things which I stowed away in her memory. “I couldn’t throw her things out, neither could I burn them.” I remember the exact angle where I kept the journal hidden. Since this is her blood sister we’re talking about, then perhaps she has a right to know what it entails and the truth about how she died. Reaching further into the back, my fingertips graze a hard leather. Bringing it out, I flip the leather-bound journal and hand it to her. She gazes down at the book, not taking it yet. “What is this?” “She wrote this,” I murmur, recalling the dark words that birthed my rage. “She wrote every word on every
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 128
LILIANAIt’s supposed to be Stelleza…but this woman bearing such a dazzling smile…My heart stutters but I can’t bring myself to drag my eyes away from the horrifying revelation staring back at me. It’s been thirteen years since the last time I saw her. Thirteen whole years of fumbling in the dark, left alone to navigate the maze that is life. She shielded it from me for so long until she couldn’t handle it anymore.“L–lajla…Lajla…” I whisper unable to believe the sight before me. She looks the same…except for her forest green eyes, now dulled from being immortalized in a photo frame. It’s an understatement to the real sparkle when you look at her in real life. And her smile, now frozen in time, is just like I remember it. But brighter. Better.“Forgive me, Lajla.” The first drops slide down my cheeks. “I failed you over and over.” I sniffle, trying my best to hold back the dam from bursting forth. “I did what you asked and went an extra mile pleasing the wrong people.”I crumble fr
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES A/N
hey guys. I promise I'm not slowing updates on purpose this time. We have gotten to critical points in this book and I'm not going to rush it. I'm doing my best to deliver as seamlessly as I can and carefully close plot holes. So please be patient with me 🥹. It's slowly but surely...no one likes an unsatisfactory ending. Please bear with me.
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 127
LILIANAThe words strike right in the middle of my chest like lightning hitting a spot twice. It just doubles the ache I’ve been feeling since I woke up. Could it be any worse?I’m certain I’ve heard this from the man himself. As though fate is playing a cruel joke on me, his words echo in my ears again.‘I killed her.’ ‘I pulled the trigger that killed her.’Is that why he wanted me to stay away from him? Oh, Liliana, how much of an idiot can you be? The signs have been staring at me naked. I ignored the way I did Kyle’s red flags until he landed me in worse trouble. Is this just the universe’s way of teaching people like me lessons?“You look pale. Maybe you should just go back and wait…?”“No. No, I’m fine.” I don’t know if I’m ready to hear more of what she has to say, yet I tell her– “Go on.”She nods, casts a nervous glance around and then looks at the door. “I don’t know what he hides in there that he’s refused to let anyone in. The only person who managed to see in here by m
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 126
LILIANARachel is waiting by the door by the time the car pulls up inside the fancy prison I familiarized myself with as home. Not anymore. Maybe soon, this nightmare would be over and I’ll get over him. “You’re back early?”I manage a fake smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “Don’t tell me you miss me. I’ve barely been gone for a week.”She reaches to take my bags and I pull away before she can touch it. There’s no need to fool anyone with exaltations when we are both alike in more ways than we think. She’s a slave here even though she’s willing. I’m the captive. Still sounds the same to me. Yet, why do I need all of this special attention? It’s just bullshit around here.Speaking of captives, I stop and turn to Rachel. “Did Melanie stop by at the house today?”She pauses to think, then shakes her head. “That was last night. I told her you were on a trip and she made me spill the location. I don’t know why she needed that information anyway.” After another long pause, she gasps
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES 125
Buckle up people, this is going to be a long ass read but I guess we've seen this coming.LILIANAMelanie?I look at Damian for help, wondering why in the hell she is standing on the property of his private island. Wait–how does she know where we are? Damian looks as shocked as I am as well. So we’re going to say he’s not aware of her arrival? I don’t believe whatever facade he’s wearing on his face now. It’s hard to believe he doesn’t know about this and something within me breaks. I’m not sure what that is.“Well, well, well,” she starts in a demeaning tone reeking of spite, “if it’s not the captive and her captor enjoying a week out of town so they can spend time alone. How romantic!”Damian looks like he’s fed up of her nonsense. “What are you doing here, Mel?”“That’s not such a nice thing to say to someone who you once called better suited for your cock. Now that’s not very nice, is it? I should be the one asking the questions here, not you baby boy. What are you doing here?” Sh
DARKNESS IGNITES DESIRES A/N
To my consistent readers who make writing worth it, i'll be making the next chapter a free one to make up for my inconsistencies. especially those two special readers whose comments I can't do without and make me roll in laughter on my bed and spin ideas...thank you. thank you for loving D & L even in their silliness and mistakes. thank you, wonderful readers for getting to this point. you're my most treasured on earth after God and chocolate. happy reading!
