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77. Thousand Ways
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
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.
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 82. Devil Of Venice
[LAURA]Erica.How did he…? The question dies in my mouth, much like my faith in his goodness. The gun he’s pointing at my face is clear evidence that he isn’t the good man I thought he was.How did I read him wrong? What did I miss?“It’s not your fault,” he says, his face sombre, with no emotions passing across his forever-handsome features. I can tell just by the way he’s holding the gun that this isn’t his first time. “And neither you are the first person to underestimate me.”Of course, that’s true.What was I thinking? That just because his family kept him away from their dangerous business, he wouldn’t be any less dangerous? That just because he lived a simpler and lonelier life, he wouldn’t have a single bad bone in his body?I should have known he was capable of just as much damage as his brother, that he was just as menacing. They were siblings. It was impossible for them not to rub off on each other.But nothing compares to this feeling churning in the pit of my stomach, th
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 83. The Real Deal
[LIZZY]It’s strange how life has a way of taking you by surprise, even though your whole life has been nothing but a buffet of hundreds of them—thousands, even.In less than twenty-four hours, my first surprise was receiving a call from Vladimir Perazzo and his order to take the chopper he was sending and come straight to him. Vector was against it—against letting me leave alone, but after a long and heated conversation with the boss after he locked me out of his bedroom, he reluctantly agreed to let me go. I don’t know what Vladimir said to him, but it had to be a solid assurance of my safety, because nothing else could have worked on my wounded warrior.My second surprise was seeing that the man who came to fetch me was my long-lost brother, Tony. I had so many questions when I saw him, starting with what the hell he was doing there and when, but the entire ride to god knows where was spent in painful silence. None of us said anything; we just exchanged sad and anxious glances.And
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 84. Fell For A Lie
[LAURA]I watch Lizzy storming out of the cabin, the doors flapping behind her.It’s a damn miracle that only after she leaves me alone, a lone tear flees my eye and slowly makes its way down my cheek. My chin trembles, and a strangled sob slips from my throat, despite my efforts to suppress it with every fiber of my being.I hate myself so much right now.Lizzy did nothing to deserve what I put her through, and neither did Joey.God knows I love that boy more than anything else in this whole damned world.For six years. Six long fucking years I cared for him like my own child.I was never mother material, not with revenge consuming my mind and a heart filled with more hatred than any other emotion. I simply wasn’t cut out for it.At first, we thought it was only Lizzy we needed to take care of. No big deal. I could play the role of a good wife and a friend, no problem. But then one morning, Lizzy woke up and couldn’t stop vomiting. She had a raging fever, her body burning up like wil
ENTRAPPED BY THE DEVIL 85. The Truth
[LIZZY]The flight back to Black Rose Island is long and brutal. I’m beyond exhausted, and I can barely keep my eyes open. However, that doesn’t mean I’m sleepy; not at all. I don’t think I can sleep after what happened today, after hearing what she said and how cruelly she tore me down.Her harsh voice and heartless words keep echoing in my head, like a hammer relentlessly driving a nail into the wall, ensuring it stays firmly in place.To be honest, I’m not upset that she used me and Joey to get her hands on Perazzos or the people responsible for her father’s death. What upsets me is that after spending six years with me, she didn’t trust me one bit. Not then, and certainly not now. I’m angry because she still has the audacity to lie to my face, to choose to act instead of showing her true self.I wish she could have placed a bit more trust in me, just as I had wholeheartedly trusted her with mine and Joey’s lives.But well, but nothing can be done now, can we?I sit in the cushy le
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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
