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30. Tantalizing Tan
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
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
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 33. Sleep Tight
[LIZZY]After Joey falls asleep, I finally heed Gemma, one of the chef’s assistants, who has been persistently calling me to join them for dinner. My grumbling stomach bullies me to give in, and I make my way downstairs. As soon as Gemma spots me descending, she quickly scrambles to the kitchen and then hurries over with a kind smile.“Don’t worry about the boy. I informed the chef you’re coming, and she’s already warming the food.”Grateful for their support, I reciprocate the smile. I can sense that Vector is likely the reason everyone is on edge, but there’s something more than just fear driving the staff to care. They genuinely appear concerned about Joey and truly want to help in any way they can.Just the thought of it fills my heart with warmth.At first, I was a bit cautious—and maybe a little bitch—about their growing involvement with Joey. I didn’t quite appreciate the attention they were giving him. But now I see that it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Joey doesn’t have many
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 34. Relationship Advice
[VECTOR]“Junior has arrived.”I hear through my earpiece. I glance up and see Xavier entering the room, opening the door with perfect timing. As I straighten up, he takes a seat.“You do realize I’m not at your beck and call, right?” Xavier remarks, his tone lacking hostility but clearly indicating his displeasure. “You may be the new boss, but you’re not my boss. I don’t see any reason for you to call me on such short notice.”“It was either that or me showing up at your place. I doubt you would have appreciated the attention it would have brought to you and your legitimate business.”Xavier remains silent, avoiding eye contact with me as he scans the room. This particular office, situated at the top of the casino, serves as my primary operating space.He shrugs indifferently. “Let’s not waste any more time. What did you want to discuss?”Leaning forward, I rest my hands on the table. I’m probably the least knowledgeable person when it comes to relationships, but I can’t shy away fr
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 35. Divine Interpretation
She peered out of the first-floor window, observing Xavier Perazzo as he retreated into the distance. Every now and then, he glanced back over his shoulder, but as he walked further away, she couldn’t tell if he was still looking at the building she had entered.Once he vanished from her sight completely, and after ensuring that nobody was watching, she leaned against the nearby wall and released a relieved sigh. Tilting her head upwards, she fixated on the intricately designed ceiling for a bit too long. Her heart was still racing, beating far too fast for her own well-being, and her legs trembled.She reached up with one hand to feel the kiss that still lingered on her cheek. This feeling was so unexpected—so uncalled for—and yet it made the knots in her stomach twist.When her team had chosen Xavier Perazzo as her target, she hadn’t anticipated the task to be this intimidating. She had thoroughly studied his file, delving into countless hours of research and even engaging in occasi
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 36. Mark My Words
[LIZZY]After Joey falls asleep, I cover him with the blanket and close the door as I leave.Since his fever subsided last night, he has been feeling much better. In fact, when he woke up this morning, he was back to his energetic self.However, he couldn’t resist asking numerous annoying questions about seeing his parents again. I know I still have to tell him the truth, especially after what happened outside the mall the day before yesterday, but there always seems to be something that gets in the way, and I end up delaying the inevitable.Yesterday, it was his health, and today, I was too relieved to see him happy and lively again to break his heart. I just couldn’t do it.I shake my head and head downstairs to the kitchen, hoping to find something to snack on. Once again, I skipped dinner tonight, and call it intuition or whatever, but I have a feeling that if Vector finds out, he’ll forcefully drag me out of my room, even if I’m sleeping, and make sure I eat. He’ll probably growl
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 37. Sharp Senses
[VECTOR]After riding the waves of pleasure, Lizzy is left in a state of near-exhaustion. She can barely stand on her own, her body weak and her mind hazy. When I reach down to gather her into my arms, she doesn’t put up a fight as she normally would.Without hesitation, I carry her to my room, the place where she belongs, at least in my eyes. I’ve tried to be understanding and patient with her. I’ve given her the space and time to make her own choices, hoping she would choose me. But time and time again, she chose to keep her distance.She holds me responsible for the chaos that has turned her life upside down, and maybe I did have a role to play in it. However, the truth is, I have no regrets about putting an end to her abusive father’s life. I would do it all over again without a second thought if it meant freeing Lizzy from his heartless clutches.But if I know Lizzy as well as I think I do, her anger and pain aren’t just because of what I did to her father, but because of the per
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 38. Overthinking
Xavier felt a rush of anxiety as he arrived at his home—a grand, white mansion surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens and dense woods stretching across acres of land. His sleek, black shoes clicked against the stamped concrete driveway as he hurriedly ascended the steps leading to the white-marbled porch, striding swiftly through the entrance hall.“Hazel!” he called out, his complexion drained and worn. Just an hour ago, he had received a phone call from Hazel’s school informing him that she had fallen ill, having vomited twice and running a high fever. Acting on his instructions, the bodyguard, who usually remained unseen to avoid disrupting Hazel’s daily routine, sprang into action and promptly brought her home.When he had heard of what happened, Xavier had dropped everything he was doing, left his office in a rush and drove straight home, too. It took a few minutes longer than usual, what’s with the lunchtime rush?—but he made it as soon as he possibly could.However, befor
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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
