TWENTY | Lies Lies Lies

[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