[ZARINA] I haven't moved an inch since we arrived at the driveway of the Perazzo mansion. I just can't bring myself to move. Memories are flooding back to me like a torrent, overwhelming and exhausting. And to make matters worse, the person who is the source of my anxiety is standing right in front of me. Vladimir Perazzo. The devil himself. I can't decipher his expression, but there's something different in his deep brown eyes. The sinister passion that used to send shivers down my spine is absent. Instead, there's something unfamiliar, something unrecognizable. His eyes are tinged with a hint of crimson, and his lips appear dry, like a withered leaf. His shoulders are slumped as if he has experienced the greatest defeat of his life, leaving him drained. I'm not sure if what I'm seeing is real or if my mind is playing tricks on me with another lie. Unconsciously, my feet shuffle backward as he takes hurried steps toward me. But before I can entertain any thoughts of doing someth
[ZARINA] "Zarina, wait up! I can explain," Xavier hurriedly followed me as I started walking away, going who knows where. Honestly, it doesn't even matter. The one person I trusted the most completely deceived me. And it wasn't just any lie, it was a colossal mistake, a total catastrophe. Hazel is the child of Aurora and Vladimir. That means... that means... it means that Aurora was Vladimir's wife? But Xavier told me Hazel was his daughter and Aurora was his wife, right? Hold on! He never actually said she was his wife. Ugh! But that doesn't change the fact that he lied to me. He lied not just once, but every single day. Every minute. Every second. He's a dishonest person. A LIAR. "Zarina, please! Let me explain. At least..." he abruptly interrupted, surpassing my walking speed and blocking my path. "What?" I yelled, staring at him with a mixture of anger, irritation, hurt, and my chest heaving with breathless
[XAVIER] I'm not surprised by Zarina's reaction after finding out the only truth I tried to conceal. I'm just a little disappointed in her perception of me. Maybe I got a bit selfish and only wanted to hear a resounding "yes" when I asked her to portray Aurora in front of Hazel. I was afraid that once she learned the truth, she would never agree to help. It's true that she's being held against her will, and if I wanted to, I could have forced her to comply. But I wanted her involvement to come from the heart, not from coercion. The only difference between me and Vladimir is that my intentions were solely focused on giving Hazel something she had never experienced before—a mother's touch and the love that comes with it. But maybe I went too far in my attempt to make it all seem real. Perhaps it's all my fault. Maybe that's why I couldn't bear to stay in that room for another second. Her words felt like stepping on landmines. Every time
[ZARINA]I have no sense of what’s happening. One moment I was apologizing and the next we were kissing.Iam kissing. This was not something I had in mind at the time I ascended the stairs and called out to him, asking him not to change too. Told him he was nowhere like Vladimir. It just...just happened.My mind is completely blank. I have no sane inkling of how I should react or act. Other than this voice echoing inside, screaming to kiss him back.His lips are soft against mine, and he seems in no hurry. Smoothly, he is exploring every corner of my lips and I’m feeling my heart sailing fiercely. It is effortless and dreamy, comforting in ways that words would never be. His one hand is below my ear, his thumb caressing my cheek as our breaths mingle. Not sure what to do, my own hands scale up and palms against his hard chest. So warm, welcoming and heartening. Something that I am really in need of, hence I can&rs
[ZARINA]Nothing would have prepared me for what momentous turn my life was about to take the moment I stepped out of the Perazzo mansion. I knew that something was not right. This feeling, this odd burning nervous sensation pulsating inside my chest was warning me of something bad that was being unleashed my way, but as always and conventional to my helpless and hopeless self, I hearkened to the stubborn part of my heart. The one who wanted freedom more than anything. Nothing would have prepared me for what future my fate held before I committed the terrible mistake of my life.* * *For good or for worse, I was finally out of the mansion. I’m still not able to swallow the mere fact that Rose is the one helping me to get out of here. The one who was hellbent on obeying the orders of her ‘masters’, as if they were written on stone.“Remember what I told you?” She whispe
[VLADIMIR]"WHERE IN THE FUCKING HELL DID SHE GO?" I roar, my frustration and anger boiling over. If I could, I would demolish this entire mansion in my rage, but what I truly crave is the certainty that I will find her. I'll do whatever it takes."We've searched almost everywhere," Antonio replies, panting and clearly exhausted from the frantic searching. He's been running in and out of the mansion, desperate to locate Zarina.And yet, we've come up empty-handed."I don't think she's in the mansion anymore," Michael chimes in, his voice brimming with misplaced confidence, which only fuels my irritation. Right now, I'm not in the mood for his usual swagger. In fact, it annoys the hell out of me."That's exactly what I'm asking. Where the hell did she go?" I direct my glare at Antonio, who visibly tenses under the weight of my fierce and annoyed voice. He knows all too well that angering me is never a wise move.However, inst
[ZARINA] When I open the door and step out of the room, I can hear the faint commotion, the clattering of the utensils, from the kitchen. Julie is on the phone, jibber-jabbering in Italian - a language so beautiful yet foreign to my wits. It reminds me of how I always wanted to learn foreign languages. French, Italian, Spanish - just name it. But some wishes never come true, and it was one of them for me. It reminds me of someone else too, but I shove that thought away. I don’t have to worry about him anymore. I am finally free. At least, that’s what I told myself when I looked in the mirror before leaving the room. Julie instantly noticed me when I walked up to the counter that divides the kitchen from the dining room. She lifts her hand and points her index finger at the ceiling, asking me to hold up, so I wait. Marco, her husband, is nowhere to be seen. The knots in my stomach twist. I wanted to ask Julie where he was, but before I could, she disconnected the phone, slid the phon
[LIZZY]When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t in my room. I was hurt. Bruised. And my maid uniform wasn’t anywhere near me. Instead, I was swimming in an oversized black shirt - which smelt quite familiar, even the bed smelt something overfamiliar - and that was it. I tried to remember what the heck happened last night, and finally, when I did, I was foaming at the mouth.“That bastard!”Grumbling incoherent profanities under my breath, I jumped out of bed and instantly cried because of the razor-sharp pain erupting from my feet, the moment the base of my legs planted on the cold tiled floor.“Shit!”My butt landed on the floor. I screamed one more time when I tried to get up with the support of my hands. My wrists were terribly bruised, and it stung like some real bitch.Hot tears prickled at the corners of my eyes and the salt burnt my cheeks like they were on fire. I hold my knees toget