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69. Trapped
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ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 70. Forget My Demons
[LAURA]The sky rumbles outside the building, reminding me of all the days I spent locked up in my room, sitting on the bed and staring blankly out the window through the rain.After my dad passed away, my sister and I didn’t just lose one parent, we lost both of them. Our mother took the hardest hit after the news. She became unhinged.I think out of all three of us, my sister survived the storm better than Mom and I did. While Mom was admitted to hospitals and asylums, I made it my life’s goal to avenge my father. I couldn’t think of anything else. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone took his life and walked away without a scratch. That someone thought his life was so invaluable that they left him to bleed out like trash on the roadside. But my sister was emotionally more stable and stronger. She accepted the truth and decided to live her life peacefully, while cherishing all the good memories she still had.I used to be so mad at her. I would fight her for forgiving the m
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 71. One Condition
[LIZZY]“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Vector says with his same old zombie expression, frowning at me as he watches me yank his blanket away from his legs and fold it.His face scrunches up in a soft wince when I do that, and I mentally swear to be more gentle next time.I take a brief glance at his wounded leg, bandaged and propped on a pillow.“You don’t even know what I’m going to say,” I deadpan, casting him a sharp look before walking around his bed.He grabs my hand before I can reach for the empty pitcher on the nightstand and pulls me to him. I gaze at him softly, weaving my fingers through his disheveled hair. He likes it when I do that. The way he closes his eyes and sighs says everything.But then, his lips move, and words tumble out of them, reminding me of the conversation at hand. “But I know you. Something is going on in your head, and something tells me I’m not going to like it.”I can’t help the cheeky grin that spreads across my face. Leaning down, I bring my fac
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 72. Tough Choices
[VECTOR]The look on her face is one of shock. But there’s hurt too. And some pity that I know comes instinctively but still I hate it. Perhaps it’s because of the same reason I never allowed anyone to be this close to me. Never shared my past with anyone else. It never felt right, ever. I always believed that my past was the part of me that no one else needed to see. And no matter how traumatic it was, it was mine to bear, mine to bury deep down, and mine to dig out if that’s what I wished.With Lizzy, it’s different. I want to open up to her, to reveal the parts of myself that I’ve kept hidden. I want her to understand me, to see the whole picture. I want her to see the good in me and have faith in the fact that I would never hurt her intentionally—that I have faith in her just the same.Yes, I’ve been ignorant in the past. I’ve made mistakes that could have been avoided if only I had been more honest with her. But when your past is a haunting specter that has the power to cast shad
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 73. Acts And Pretences
[LIZZY]Staring at him in the middle of the night to watch him sleep should be creepy as fuck, but I don’t seem to care.Not when he looks so peaceful for the first time in a long time.Vector and his grumpy face had always shared an intimate relationship, both trying to shoo everyone away, both wanting to be left alone with their grumpiness.Not me though. They couldn’t keep me away. Because his front to intimidate every fucking one had only attracted me more. I don’t even know why. Maybe it’s because I had lived enough lies in my life to see right through him, or maybe I was just looking for a way to piss him off because it seemed kind of fun.I mean, wouldn’t you want to mess with someone as grumpy and zombie-faced as him?No?Well, I guess I was made differently.I had spent enough time in my life conforming to expectations, bending myself to fit into roles that others had set for me. But with Vector, it was different. He challenged me to be myself, to push his buttons and break t
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 74. Most Brutal
[VECTOR]I can’t sleep.Not when so much is going on.Not when Lizzy’s curiosity about Sofia is growing by the minute.She’s already asked about her at least ten times since that first conversation we had at the beach. It’s been more than 24 hours since that vulnerable moment, and I can see her brain working overtime, her distant gaze, and her desperate attempt to keep her questions at bay when all she wants is to ask.Throughout the day following our beach talk, she clings to me like a lifeline. Even when she leaves the room or makes a quick trip to the kitchen, she’s back by my side within moments. I can see the concern etched in her every move, her worry for me tangible, and I love her so much for it. How could I not? I’ve waited an eternity for someone to care about me, to accept me with all my imperfections, to rain me with genuine love. And now that I’ve found that person, the thought of ever letting her go is inconceivable.Perhaps that’s why I clung so stubbornly to keeping he
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 75. Not A Quitter
[HAZEL]I storm through the giant double doors of Nonna’s home office, my fists clenched into balls, only to stop dead in my tracks when I find her sitting with two older men in expensive suits.Well, not as old as Nonna but close. They must be a decade younger than her.But then again, Nonna has always carried herself with such grace and poise that I have never been sure about her actual age. Not that I ever asked. I was told from a very young age that it was a very rude thing to do, and the fact that kids weren’t supposed to be rude, because that’s just…well, not right, I guess?Probably.Not that right now any of those things matter.I huff, stomping my foot on the floor as if I’m ready to charge at anyone in the room (I’m not, it’s just an expression).“What is going on here?” Nonna asks, her perfect eyebrows scrunched up, not as nicely as she usually does; there is an angry edge to her words, as if she wants me gone without creating a scene. But the way those men in expensive sui
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 76. Silent Promise
[XAVIER]“Grazie a Dio, sei qui!” Aunt Alessia, who seems to be sitting in the dining room with her head in her hands, gets up and takes off in my direction the moment I walk through the Perazzo mansion doors.[Thank God, you’re here!]Dark circles shadow her eyes, and her fatigue is evident. Yet, the way her body initially tenses and then relaxes upon seeing me speaks volumes about how much my presence here means to her.A few hours ago, I woke up to seven missed calls and an urgent text from her, typed in all caps. It screamed “urgent” like nothing I’d seen before. Given that the situation involved my cousin-sister Cristiana, I knew I had to drop everything and pay her a visit.If someone fails to notice, I don’t come to the Perazzo mansion very often. It just doesn’t feel right. I know for certain that Mir and Zarina haven’t been here after their wedding either. They either live in our heritage home back in Sicily or at Black Rose Isle when they need some alone time.Why I don’t fe
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 77. Thousand Ways
[XAVIER]“It’s not what you think,” Cristiana says, her gaze lowered on the table in front of her while I sit across, watching her, trying not to burst with mad anger.After talking and hearing everything from Aunt Alessia, the first thing I did was head upstairs to Cristy’s room and get her out of her room, which, according to Aunt, she doesn’t leave these days. We walked in the gardens for a bit, before I convinced her to come out for a coffee with me.Right now, we are sitting in one of the less crowded coffeehouse balconies with a magnific view of the grand canal and all that classic beauty Venice is so popular for.One thing to know about Cristy is that she had never been one of those extrovert types. Except for her education, she never left Sicily. She didn’t have many friends, which we thought were mostly for her benefit, as having friends outside our world could get you into more problems than one might ask for. Of course, it doesn’t mean she had been locked up all her life. B
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ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL Epilogue
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 93. Promise For Sure
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 92. Being Addictive
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 91. Job Done
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 90. Smart Boy
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 89. Forget & Forgive
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 88. Only Mine
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 87. Ridiculously Crazy
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 86. No Matter What
