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73. Acts And Pretences
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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
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 78. Your Word And Mine
[TREVOR]I didn’t get to spend long hours with Romeo Conti to get to know him as a person.But I didn’t need long hours to know him anyway.Because the moment he walked into the room a few hours ago, I hated him with a passion. So much so that I can’t think of anything more satisfying than treating him like a punching bag and roughening him up.I don’t know what it is about him that annoys me so much. Maybe it’s his deep, guttural voice, or that obnoxious attitude, or perhaps that face that could use a bruise or two. Or maybe it’s simply the fact that he knows something about Lizzy and that boy, and I don’t. And I hate nothing more than secrets being kept from me. I just hate it.Maybe that’s why my fists are clenched, and I have the desperate wish to punch him to death. But I can’t do that, not until I know what he knows, not until I find a way to stop him from meeting Vladimir, which is supposed to happen in less than an hour.After Timmy made an appointment for him and gave him the
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 79. What He Deserves
[LAURA]I’m not a gown person.I have never been. In my entire life.I’m a tomboy at heart.The first and foremost thing that set me apart from my own sister.But for the sake of this job—for the sake of catching the bad guys and relieving this earth of their burden—I have taken so many myriad roles that sometimes I wondered if I lost my real self along the way.It doesn’t make sense. I know. How can someone lose themselves? How can someone forget who they are unless they hit their head and actually lose their memories?But in my experience, it’s very much possible, to lose yourself in the hive of all the characters you shoulder to please others. Sometimes, you willingly bury your genuine self and stifle your natural instincts, simply to avoid confronting a harsh reality. At times, the desire to be someone else becomes overwhelming because you’re afraid to confront the person who stares back at you in the mirror when you finally remove the mask.I have always been afraid of removing t
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 80. Impossible Burden
[XAVIER]I’m not surprised to see that Vladimir has once again outdone himself.The ballroom is a massive room with a high ceiling and many golden details. There are scriptures on the walls and ceiling, depicting the art for which Italy is known. The giant chandeliers hanging from the roof are probably the first things that catch the eye. You can’t help but be drawn to them the moment you walk in through those double doors.As my gaze lowers to where Olivia’s holding onto me, her arm linked with mine, it’s clear she’s just as captivated by the sight in front of us as I am. She’s soaking in every detail like it’s her first time here—or maybe her last. With this woman, I’m never quite sure about anything these days.When I met her at the dock a few hours ago, I should have prepared myself for what she was about to hit me with. She practically blinded me with how radiant she looked—so glamorous and sexy. That dress—Oh, Jesus—that dress looked so perfect on her body. I can’t think of anyo
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 81. Always First
[LAURA]I felt like I was living the biggest and most significant night of my life.The night that everyone dreams of at least once in their life.A magical night of love and laughter and romance.When we were teenagers, my sister Annie couldn’t stop talking about it. She was different from me even back then. Her priorities had always been to find a good man and live a happy life; she simply wanted to be happy.“I don’t have big dreams, Erica,” she used to say to me when we were alone at night, after mom and dad had gone to sleep. “I feel like having big dreams and bigger goals diverts you from what truly matters in life. Everyone in the world only wants two things: a stomach full of food, and of course, love. That’s the only thing that truly matters. The rest is a distraction.”I always made fun of her point of view on life, not only because it was far from my perspective on the world, but also because that felt like my duty as a sister—to tease her and make her roll her eyes at me.
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ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL Epilogue
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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
