Hey, everyone, don't forget to comment and vote! I'll be waiting to read your thoughts and she finally met the girls, who wants to know what happened in the play area? do you think Viviane staged it? XOXO 💋
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ Sometimes, when people hit below the belt, I hit them where it really hurts. And trust me, I can go a hell of a lot lower. I don’t usually mess with innocents, especially not kids. That’s a line I don’t cross. But desperate times call for desperate measures. And right now, I’m staring down a whole barrel of desperation. See, it’s not every day you’ve got a ticking time bomb strapped to your back, a million-dollar bounty on your head, and two assassins trying to take you out in one fucking day. Sure, I put two of them in the ground, but the third? Luck like that doesn’t hold forever. If I want to get ahead of this—and I do—I’ve got to act fast. So, if that means getting my hands a little dirtier than usual, so be it. Sometimes, you’ve got to play the game on their level just long enough to win. And I’m damn good at winning. I’ve been in this business long enough to know how to handle a target on my back. You don’t survive this long without learning how to think th
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ My plans don’t miss. I never leave loose ends. But desperation has a way of turning clean cuts into bloody messes. And when you’re up against someone who’s just as ruthless, just as hellbent on winning as you are, things get… messier. The bastard is good at it. Smart enough to see the traps I lay out and sly enough to turn them right back on me. He's patient—the kind who bides his time and waits for me to get cocky, to think I've got him where I want him. That’s when he strikes, with a viciousness that almost makes me admire him. Almost. I stood in his office, dressed in a sleek black bodysuit and tight leather pants, my high ponytail swaying like a whip behind me. I’d come here armed with confidence, but all that self-assurance shattered like glass the second he opened his mouth. He took his time crossing the room, each step deliberate, eyes locked on mine with that infuriating, self-satisfied smile curling his lips. He stopped just a foot away—close enough
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ I had never been this tongue-tied in my entire damn life. But of course, Alessandro had a way of stripping you down to your most raw, bare self—taking every word right out of your mouth before you even had the chance to speak it. I stood there, fists clenched tight, staring at the old man in front of me. His weathered face held a calmness that felt like a slap, he didn't know what was coming—the hell I was about to unleash on him. I could feel my temper boiling, my skin prickling with a rage I didn’t even know was there. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to scream at Alessandro for putting me in this position or if I wanted to just get it over with, to dive headfirst into the darkness he was dragging me toward. I’d never laid a hand on an innocent or an old person. But here I was, staring down this frail figure in front of me, feeling the weight of Alessandro's eyes on my back. This was another one of his twisted games, a setup designed to push me to my breaking point,
Alessandro ☩══♛══☩ When I walked into the apartment, the first thing that hit me was the smell—blood, sweat, and something metallic in the air. A symphony of violence. Perfect. The old man was tied to a chair in the middle of the room, slumped forward, whimpering through the gag Viviane had shoved in his mouth. His body was a mess. Rope burns around his wrists, blood streaked down his arms, and bruises blossomed across his skin like flowers in bloom. She’d done a number on him, I’d give her that. But what I hadn’t expected was Viviane, lying sprawled on the floor like a discarded doll. I paused, standing in the doorway for a moment, taking it all in. The way the old man’s chest shuddered with every breath, the way Viviane was passed out cold. Goddamn it, Freckles. I knew she’d pull through with the torture, but this…this was unexpected. I took a slow step into the room, my shoes making a soft click on the hardwood floor. I wasn’t in a rush. The old bastard wasn’t going anyw
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ I hate being hungover. My head pounded like a sledgehammer against my skull. I never let myself drink enough to get to this point—always kept it in check—but this was next level. Something was off. Wait. I never drank. I didn’t drink anything last night, did I? The last thing I remembered was being at that old man's apartment. I sat up fast, too fast, my stomach lurching in protest. The room swayed as I blinked against the fog clouding my brain. My vision was blurry, the edges of the room hazy like I was seeing through a dirty lens. Where the hell was I? The sheets felt wrong, too smooth, too cold—definitely not my bed. Panic crept in like ice water down my spine, my pulse speeding up. My heart thudded in my chest, and my hands shook as I pushed myself up. The air felt thick, heavy, like it was suffocating me. I wasn’t home. This wasn’t right. What the fuck happened? I looked down and froze. My clothes were gone. All I had on was my bra and underwear.
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ I didn’t even think about it. My hands were on his chest, shoving him back before I could stop myself. He barely staggered, just a step or two, but the look on his face said I’d done exactly what he wanted—lit that twisted spark in his eyes. Alessandro’s smile vanished, replaced with a dark gleam of amusement. “Feisty this morning, are we?” I pointed my finger at him, “You need to back off.” His grin returned, crueler this time. “Is that right?” he moved back in closer, crowding my space, making me feel every inch of his presence. “And what are you going to do about it? Push me again?” I shoved him harder, this time with more force, my palms hitting his chest, I didn't have the energy to fight him after being drugged, “Get out of my way.” He took the push, his body tensing like a spring ready to snap, but his smile stayed in place, “You want to play this game, fine. But don’t cry when you lose.” “Who says I’m losing?” I shot back, stepping right into his
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ I made my way back to his closet, shutting the door behind me. The space was enormous, the kind of luxury you’d expect from someone like Alessandro Costello—opulent and excessive, with dark wood panels and a chandelier hanging overhead. Everything was meticulously arranged, an almost military-like precision to the rows of clothes. Suits in shades of black, navy, and charcoal lined one side, each one perfectly tailored. I ran my fingers over the fabric of a charcoal-gray suit jacket. It felt like liquid under my skin, softer than anything I’d ever touched. The label read: Kiton. I pulled another out. Cesare Attolini. Stefano Ricci. Each piece spoke of exclusivity and luxury. Then the tag caught my eye: A. Costello. I pulled it out to inspect further. The label was sewn in with gold thread, every piece of clothing in this closet marked with his name, as if it were a brand all on its own. There were dozens of suits, each one with the same arrogant tag, like a si
Alessandro ☩══♛══☩ She froze, her eyes locking onto the vases like she’d just seen a ghost. I audibly heard her breath hitched, and could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Something about those vases didn’t sit right with her, and I knew exactly why. “Are those—” Her tone confused as she tried to hold it together. “Are those the same vases I brought from Canada?” I watched as the men shaved off the clay, revealing the shining diamonds buried deep inside. The small flickers of light caught her attention, but her mind was racing to catch up. “Yes,” I said, walking up to Niko's office, taking her along, “Some of them.” Her jaw tightened, the shock starting to fade into something sharper, more suspicious. Her eyes darted between me and the vases, connecting dots I had deliberately left scattered. “You’re telling me those vases,” she gestured with a stiff hand toward the men meticulously pulling out diamond after diamond, “were contraband? You—” She stumbled over her