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24. Slow Motion
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 25. Invitation
[VECTOR]As soon as the car screeched to a halt, I eagerly jumped out and made a beeline straight for the basement. Even if there were any prying eyes in the Perazzo mansion’s living room or kitchen, I paid them no attention. My sole focus was on the scumbag trapped within one of the basement’s chambers, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on him.Without a moment’s hesitation, Marcus trailed right behind me as I descended down the creaky stairs and into the dimly lit, cramped hallway. The musty scent of mildew and rot filled my nostrils, sending a shiver down my spine. It was as if I had been transported back to the beginning of this twisted journey, where everything had started.In one of these dark, damp chambers, I recall a ten-year-old boy standing in the corner, frozen as he watched two men viciously beat and torture a helpless man strapped to a chair. The sight was etched into his memory forever.Years later, as a twelve-year-old, that same boy held a gun for the first time, bu
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 26. Stand Up
[HAZEL] “Attention, soldiers! Here’s the plan,” I declared, marching around the room with purpose like a penguin on a mission. My miniature army was eagerly awaiting my next move, and I could sense their excitement building. But then little Nico started to venture towards his nostrils, and I shot him a death stare that could make Medusa flinch. He quickly retreated back to his military stance, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of my discipline training. “So, troops, I just saw Lizzy sprinting like her pants were on fire—” I began, but of course, Angelo had to interrupt. “She was on fire?!” he exclaimed, looking like a deer caught in headlights. I rolled my eyes in dramatic fashion. Ugh. “No, you knucklehead. It’s just an expression. Get your head in the game!” I resumed pacing back and forth, my hands locked behind my back in deep thought. “As I was saying, Lizzy was rushing to her room, and it appeared that tears were streaming down her face—” “Lizzy was crying?” came the voic
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 27. Can't Lie Anymore
[LIZZY] After an entire day of shopping, where we spent every last cent on Vector’s card, we finally leave the upscale mall and make our way to our boats. I must admit, I had my doubts when we boarded that plane and flew straight to Venice. However, returning here isn’t so bad. While I still have some unpleasant memories associated with this city that occasionally haunt me, I can’t ignore the fact that I also have some wonderful ones. I remember mom taking me to one of those gondolas. I remember her dancing in the rain when sickness hadn’t claimed her health. I remember how my dad used to bring candies and toys from various foreign places he used to travel to due to his work with the mafia. And then there was Rose. Zarina. Hazel. And Vector, too. Though he did end up hurting me in the worst way possible, I cannot deny what we had—what I felt for him once upon a time. A gentle tug on my hand jolts me back to the present, reminding me to focus on the here and now rather than getti
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 28. Absolutely Nothing
[VECTOR]After Lizzy falls asleep, I roll over on my back and stare up at the ceiling. I don’t know what it is—but it’s obvious that something is eating her from the inside. Is it only the guilt of lying to a kid about the death of his parents, or is it something entirely else?Something tells me there is more to the story than what’s in front of my eyes.I turn on my side and look at Lizzy’s sleeping form. She is curled up facing me, her eyes gently shut, the leftover tears glistening on her lashes. I move some curls that had fallen on her face and put them behind her shoulder.I still remember the day I saw her for the first time after she ran away from Venice. It was years later, when she was crossing the road, holding a kid close to her chest. She had a bag on her back, her dark-as-night hair floating behind her as the wind blew in the opposite direction to where she was heading. Even with so many changes she had made to herself, it didn’t take me a fraction of a second to know it
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 29. Stellar Review
[XAVIER]“Elena and Francesca are planning a sleepover at Elena, do you think I can go, papa?” Hazel asks, as she steals another bite of pasta from my plate, completely ignoring her burger and fries that are going cold, no doubt.We are sitting in on the rooftop dining at Bella Italia which gives a fabulous view of the Venetian lagoon and St. Mark’s Square. Gondolas line the nearby dock as the sun gets ready to set behind the horizon. The air feels cooler than usual for a summer day, and the restaurant’s soft chatter blends with the songs coming from the passing boats.There are families and couples all around us but it’s still more peaceful than most of the Italian eating joints nearby. After my three days business trip wrapped up yesterday, I landed in Venice this morning and the first thing I did was to take my daughter for dinner. We chose Hazel’s favorite restaurant. One of her friend’s fathers owns this place but she likes the food and as well as the scenic view it offers during
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 30. Tantalizing Tan
[LIZZY]The first thing that crossed my mind the moment my eyes opened was: why the hell was I in his bed all over again?Did I learn nothing from the past?Was I that dumb to not take the hint?I groaned and stuffed my face back into the pillow.After that, I took a moment to look around, and sighed in relief when Vector was nowhere in the room. He might have left early for work.Thank goodness.I didn’t think I could survive another blow to my self-esteem by falling for his sweet talk again.That would be incredibly embarrassing, and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with that. Shaking my head, I forced myself out of bed and let out a yawn, stretching my arms above my head.After showing and flaunting my new denim jeans and a black crop top—bought with Vector’s cash—I wondered if he had noticed that his bank account had taken a massive hit.And if he had, why hadn’t he confronted me yet?Maybe he still hadn’t figured out that it was me who drained his card, not Hazel. Honestly, I’d be ly
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 31. No Middlemen
[VECTOR]I didn’t expect myself to get so invested in that kid’s sickness—I had hundreds of jobs to do, and piles of paperwork to go through. But for some reason, my mind chose to disregard all the deadlines and fixate on Lizzy and the kid she brought along, the one who stuck to her like an annoying little monkey.But maybe he wasn’t the reason. Even though the doctor assured me that there was nothing to worry about and the kid had just caught a flu, possibly due to the unusual weather in recent days, I still couldn’t bring myself to leave for work. Venice could be quite unbearable for someone who wasn’t accustomed to the local climate.It was Lizzy I was worried about. I had been informed by the household staff that she wasn’t taking care of herself as a young woman her age should. She frequently skipped meals, completely focused on the kids.At first, it was only Joey, so she usually found time to take small breaks. That kid, surprisingly, wasn’t all that nuts. Nothing like Nico. I
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 32. Steal A Glance
NOTE: If you feel lost, please refer to the chapter named "THE CROWS" to understand this chapter better.Time: The time of the explosionPlace: New York[TREVOR]Sometimes I can’t help but question why things ended up so messed up. Why did my dad have to be such a jerk, and why did my mom never stand up for herself when that jerk would beat me to a pulp? I know why. I know now. She was damn scared. Scared of the monster she married—the one she slept next to. Scared of the monster she couldn’t protect her children and herself from.Most people run away from the shit that scares them.Only a few crazy fucks like me run towards it.“This is a fucking disaster!” I grit my teeth, standing in the shadows and watching the house burn down. The fire devours what used to be a beautiful home, leaving only ashes behind for the mourners to cry over.“No kidding!” Cyrus mutters from behind, leaning on his bike with his arms crossed.We stand there for a while, watching the firefighters do their bes
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ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL Epilogue
[VECTOR] I never thought this day would ever come. Not before I met Lizzy Jones. It’s all been a whirlwind, my life, that is. From the day I was born to the day I lost everything, I lived a greater part of my life in absolute fear. Fear of not being trusted, fear of not being enough, fear of not being there for my sister when she went through the same painful incidents before she even understood the word pain. Lizzy says that what happened in the past was hardly my fault. That the fact I couldn’t protect my family was not my burden to bear. After all, wasn’t I a child myself? How would I have known what Sofia had planned for that night? What possibly could I have done to stop her and her freak boyfriend? The answer: Nothing. I couldn’t have done anything. Literally. But then why do I feel responsible? Is it just survivor’s guilt? Or is this a way for my brain to tell me that I was equally accountable for not being prepared for what I knew might happen if Sofia wasn’t stopped?
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 93. Promise For Sure
[LIZZY]“This is awkward,” Laura mumbles under her breath, but maybe not so quietly to herself because I end up hearing every single word of it.“You don’t say,” I shrug, and I watch as the corner of her mouth twitches.She looks away and sighs, as if what we’re doing seems to be physically affecting her. I can’t really blame her, can I? When Xavier and Hazel showed up this morning, wanting Joey and me to come with them so they could see off this woman who pretended to have our best interests for five long years, I didn’t have many noble thoughts about it. Definitely not kind enough to think she deserved a heartfelt goodbye.But that would be the mean and hurtful side of me talking. Because if it weren’t for her, Joey would still be wandering around, scratching his head and trying to figure out how Vector suddenly turned out to be his father—the man he couldn’t share me with at all, the man he wanted to punish for making me cry alone.“I didn’t mean any of the things I said to you, if
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 92. Being Addictive
[LIZZY]“This is nice,” I say as Tony and I sit outside one of the street cafes near the stream after a very silent and awkward dinner.I have no idea what I was thinking when I agreed to come with him. Maybe I assumed he would want to talk about things that he should have a long time ago—all those days he remained absent in our lives—that he would like to give an explanation for it. That he would finally reveal the big reason for him to walk away from our lives the way he did. That I would truly know, for the first time, what drove him away and turned him so cold and crude towards me when I came to see him all the way from Venice to the US.Too bad, I have got nothing so far.During the entire dinner, all we talked about was food, Joey, and his weird obsession with fire. And now that the dinner is finished, and he has run out of all the random conversation starters, we find ourselves back to quietly sweeping our gazes around.I take another long and loud sip of my coffee, wondering w
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 91. Job Done
[VECTOR]“What the fuck are you doing here?” Marcus looks stunned to see me, his brows furrowed deeply, flaring his nostrils as if he’s this close to grabbing a gun and aiming for my good knee.Well, maybe I do deserve that. Lizzy did warn me this was a bad idea.Not that I regret it one bit.Marcus and I have worked together for a very long time. We were even together that night, the night that boat exploded, and left us with the kind of scars that would take long to heal—his longer than mine. While I busted a knee and got several burns on the back, Marcus lost his right arm and got half of his face fucked up, including one eye.Let’s just say, I feel slightly responsible for what happened—felt obligated to pay him a visit despite everyone telling me to stay in the room and rest for long hours.It’s not like I’m trying to be difficult, or I don’t respect the care I’m getting even though I have done very little to deserve it. But after Lizzy asked me, with those doe eyes of hers, if w
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 90. Smart Boy
[LIZZY]I wring my hands for the hundredth time, trying to shake off the nervous jitters.After a week of contemplation, Vector and I finally agreed on how to reveal the truth to Joey about his real parentage.Honestly, I can’t believe I allowed my life to become so complicated. What was I even thinking? What was I so damn afraid of? Looking back at everything that happened in the past few months, it’s obvious I have been worrying for literally nothing. Vector never did any of the things I imagined he would once he got a hold of me. He didn’t hurt me, make me suffer, or punish me in any way. In fact, if there’s anything he did, it was to love me more intensely and passionately. Never did he ever try to hurt me, at least not purposefully. He did express his anger in the beginning, but now that I think of it, more than anger, it was hurt that he tried to mask as temper.I was terrified to even think about what he would do if he learned I kept such a huge secret from him. That I had been
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 89. Forget & Forgive
[One Week Later][LAURA/ERICA]“What are you doing here?” I ask, bored, although for this tough exterior that I’m putting on so fucking gracefully, I should get a damn Oscar for it.Then again, even if I did get nominated for an award, and had to choose between kicking some butts and wearing a sparkly, twinkly or some sort of shimmery thing ever over myself, I would rather just stick with what I do best, and we all know what that is.Except for my last encounter with the Perazzo brothers didn’t go as well as I planned.But, most of the time, they rarely do. That’s why this job is so darn tough and risky because, most of the time, the bad guys are one step ahead. They usually are. You can’t expect them to be playing poker when we storm their hideout. Nope, they’re always ready for the worst. And when the cops do catch them off guard, we don’t get a warm welcome with tea and cookies. No, they rain a hail of bullets on us.Perhaps that’s the reason there’s a saying about the best-laid pl
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 88. Only Mine
[VECTOR]I was ten when my sister Emma was born. She was this small, delicate thing that I was too scared to even touch. Her big doe eyes were like pools of laughter and innocence that spilled from her mouth every time she giggled and thrashed her little arms around, wanting attention, wanting someone to hold her, carry her around, keep her squeezed against their touch.She used to love it when our mother used to talk to her, holding a long and silly conversation while little Emma babbled away, God knows what. But that hardly mattered when I was too busy wiping sweat off my palms, wondering if I would finally get to hold her.Mom wanted me to not shy away, always telling me that I was supposed to protect her. Dad, however, seemed a little unsure. He sincerely believed that I needed to grow up a little more if I wanted that kind of responsibility. And I always believed he was right. That I needed to grow not only physically but mentally. That I needed to make myself capable, just like
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 87. Ridiculously Crazy
[LIZZY]When I wake up next time, my body aches like hell. It’s as if a terrible weight has been thrown over me, pinning me down, and I can’t summon the strength to get up.I snap my eyes open and practically groan when sunlight cuts through my eyelids like a laser, and irritates me and my skin like hell.Damn Vector. All this time, he has been cocooned in dark with doors fucking shut and curtains tightly drawn, and now that I’m the one who desperately needs darkness and a lot more sleep, he has flung the windows wide open. Ugh. I’m going to kill him, I swear.A voice in my head warns me against going back to sleep, but my body seems to have different plans entirely. In seconds, I grab the duvet and pull them back up over my head, rolling on the bed like a cinnamon roll to escape the heated rays. However, I barely settle into a comfortable spot when something suddenly clicks.My eyes snap back open.Joey.“Shit shit shit!” The happenings of the previous night smack me in the face and
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 86. No Matter What
[LIZZY]“You’re leaving?” I blurt out, eyes wide as saucers, my heart sinking deep into my stomach.The dark night stretches overhead, filled with scattered stars that twinkle like precious diamonds. The wind blows stronger, making my hair flutter all over my face.Zarina walks toward me, gracefully brushing the dark brown strands out of her face, her peaceful eyes briefly trailing over a sleeping Joey, who’s still tightly clutched to my chest.I had just walked out of the plane, only to find Zarina stepping out of the car. Theo, one of the caretakers of the Island, carries her bags, and Chiara is holding the baby, flashing me a cheerful smile as they pass one by one, heading up the airstairs.My heart sinks even more with her confirmation. “Why?” I ask, my eyes starting to well up.“Because it’s time,” she says and gently runs her long fingers over Joey’s back. “Mir is taking over the business, and although he told me to stay here as long as I want, I know he hates being away from hi
