[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
[ZARINA]For a brief moment, I question whether the woman standing before me is real or a figment of my imagination. However, as she speaks, her voice awakens long-forgotten memories that I've had to endure in the midst of turmoil. Suddenly, all my doubts dissipate."Zarina!" she exclaims, and I find myself hesitating, gripping the doorknob tightly."You can't be here," I shake my head, struggling to comprehend the situation unfolding before me.The last time I laid eyes on her, she was speeding through congested traffic, disregarding multiple red lights, all so that I wouldn't miss my flight to Venice.After that, she vanished from my life as if she were nothing more than a passing breeze. It made me question whether she had ever truly entered my life at all.And yet, here she stands today, just as I am prepared to leave Venice behind. She stands on the other side of the threshold, wearing a smile that reminds me of the wom
[PART II] "Do you take Vladimir Perazzo as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?” The room fell into complete silence, save for the hushed whispers exchanged among the onlookers witnessing the most extravagant wedding ever held in the underworld. The silence weighed heavily on Vladimir, sending a shiver down his spine. This wasn't the first time he had been captivated by the silent presence of the young woman who stood before him, soon to become his bride. She looked absolutely stunning in her angelic wedding gown, the train gracefully sweeping the polished floor of the church as she made her way down the aisle. All eyes were on her, and being possessive by nature, Vladimir felt a pang of jealousy burning in his stomach. He didn't need confirmation, as she had not professed her love and adoration for him, but simply standing at the al
[LIZZY] I heard Vector yelling and my curiosity perked up. Two days have already gone by and Zarina is nowhere to be found. Everyone is worried sick. Some people, like Xavier and I, are worried because we genuinely care about her, and there are some who are fretting because their lives literally depend upon whether they can find her in the next few hours or not. Because the boss wants Zarina. And that’s enough reason for more than half the people working for Vladimir Perazzo to piss in their pants. Everybody knows if that guy lost his shit, he would burn down everything. He is a psycho. And needs urgent treatment. But of course, no one is audacious enough to say it to his face. As if you have. I’ll ignore that! Actually, now that I think about it, there are only three people who spat that truth across his face and walked out alive. Michael, the grand old man.
[VLADIMIR] “Mir, she would be alright. Stop worrying.” Michael squeezed my shoulder to comfort me, and I nodded my head almost naturally. But inside this hardened chest, I’m nervous and frightened. I’m not supposed to be weak, but it’s not my fault that I’m only a human. The magnificent blue-green waves of the ocean crashing and withdrawing against the distant sandy shore are no longer a sight that usually takes my breath away. The soft rap of the ocean breeze is no longer soothing to my skin and soul. This song, the ocean waves hum into my ears, fail to reach me or make me feel otherwise. It’s like I was here yet so far. Like I was alive, yet so dead. For a man who wanted nothing more than peace of mind, love, and a little control in life, I was pretty much miserable. “Time?” I asked, morphing my face once again into something callous. Stony. Bulletproof. We considered emotions a weakness in our organization, and even though every single breath that escaped this town knew exactly
[ZARINA] I used to think growing up in an orphanage was painful. I obviously overlooked what tormenting a bullet in your gut would feel like. For the past five minutes, I’m trying to sit, but the pain is unbearable. The stitches are fresh so every time I move or even try to breathe a little deeper, my body hurts like hell. I can hear my own painful cries bobbing against these walls. It’s not a terrible place for captivity, but it sure isn’t anything like the Perazzo mansion either. It’s dark and desolate. Instead of elegant rooms, it’s an underground cell with chirpy rats and reeking floors. They operated on me, had taken the bullet out. Glad to know that I’m still alive. For how long, however, only God can tell. As much as I would like to want to survive this, the pain is just too much. They haven’t even cared to give any pain-relieving drugs. I’m pretty sure even the crappiest doctor of the century wouldn’t forget to write one. “You should really rest, Zarina! Focus your energy o
Silence.After Aurora stomped out of the basement with tears and anger swarming in her eyes, silence took control of the entire room and the humans breathing in it. The slogging drops of water tapping against the surface of the sink became more prominent now—almost annoying.Zarina was the last person to know anything remotely about Venice. She had been, after all, kidnapped on the very first day in the city. But Julie wasn’t a foreigner and neither was her husband. They were natives, born and raised around these busy streets. However, Zarina still couldn’t find it in her heart to question literally anything. Other than giving some time for the old wounds that had been freshly clawed and bruised to heal. Or, at least, for them to come to terms with it.Julie had slumped against the wall of her cell and sat down, holding herself tightly. As if it was the only way to save her from falling apart. Marco had resumed his mad pacing, pulling at his ha