"You did a great job, Alexis," Paolo patted Alessia's head."It's Alessia," Alessia muttered, her eyes wandering towards Janice, who lay unconscious on the floor. She stared at her hand before letting out a sigh. It was all her fault. She had attacked Janice. It was all her fault, she muttered over again.For two days now, since they had been miraculously pulled out of Acostan, courtesy of Paolo, Alessia had been at his beck and call. She had done all that he asked her to do, and he promised to give her the freedom she desired, even though she knew it wasn't true. Yet, she had let him use her. Janice was against all that was happening and had confronted her father, but on his order, Janice had knocked her out. It wasn't the first time she'd done it, and it wasn't the second time either."I'll ask the servant to bring in your food," Paolo smiled, striding to the door."My food?" Alessia snarled, her nose wrinkling. "Do you call a slice of bread and water that isn't enough to quench my
"Fuck!" Sandro groaned as he came to.His head throbbed, and he blinked rapidly to adjust to the room's lighting. But no matter what he did, his vision blurred even more, the ringing in his ears only grew louder, and he doubted it would stop soon.He was in a... Room? He pondered, a frown forming on his face as he recalled being near the cave where Arabella was before they were swept into the whirlwind. Now, this place was nothing like a forest."Brianna," he called. She was the only one who could explain what had happened.Sandro heard a groan beside him and turned to see Blaze huddled over."Blaze?" he said, making sure he was really seeing him.Just then, his vision cleared, and he glanced around. Sandro stood abruptly as he realized where he was. He was in his room. Everything was intact, just as he'd left it.Sandro stepped towards the window, shifted the curtains, and peered out. He noticed his pack members were outside, too. They chatted happily and embraced each other.Turning
Blaze stood outside the De Luca Villa on patrol after his discussion with Sandro and Annalise. Sandro had agreed for him to stay on patrol as he always did for the time being.Not much had been said between him, Sandro, and Annalise, but with the limited information shared, he understood that Paolo Salvatore posed a threat to Sandro's life. The reason behind it remained a mystery for now.He also couldn't shake the feeling that Annalise wasn't revealing everything she knew. At times, she hesitated, and other times, she blurted out fragments, looking embarrassed afterward.Her demeanor intrigued him, and he yearned for her to share more, suspecting she held valuable information. Yet, he doubted she'd be at ease doing so."Blaze, right?"Startled, Blaze turned to find Annalise beside him. He hadn't heard her approach. She tucked a strand of curly dark-brown hair behind her ear before casting her gaze downward."Depends on who's asking and why," Blaze replied.Annalise nodded, managing a
Thalia awoke with a gasp, her eyes wide as she took in her surroundings."Arabella," she called out, trying to get her bearings. She remembered being in the cave, tossed around.Recollection of holding Arabella came to her, but she couldn't find her now. She tried to stand, but her stomach churned, and she let out a groan, steadying herself with a nearby chair."Arabella," she called again, but there was no response.Thalia wondered where she could be. Standing upright, she finally found her balance and surveyed her surroundings. She was back home in her living room. She couldn't be certain of what had transpired, but she believed the force that had taken them to Ascotan had brought them back to Cooan.Yet, she had doubts about whether it had done the same for Arabella. There was no sign of her anywhere.Thalia made her way to the room Blaze often used when he visited her. She opened the door and peered inside."Arabella!" she yelled, rushing towards her.Arabella was sprawled on the
Blaze took a drag of the cigarette stuck between his index and middle fingers; his eyes narrowed as he continued to lurk in the shadows. He had been standing on the highest floor of an unfinished building for what felt like hours now, yet he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. Paolo Salvatore and Janice remained inaccessible.With the limited information he'd gathered from Annalise, he managed to locate the residence. It wasn't an easy task, but Blaze knew his way around even the most dangerous situations.The Salvatore's residence was situated at the farthest side of the city of Cooan. The two-story house in front of him exuded hostility. It felt colder than the De Luca villa at first glance, and he couldn't help but imagine how much Janice and Annalise had endured at the hands of their cruel father.Blaze sighed, leaning against the wall. He didn't hold much hope of seeing them soon. Still, he was determined to stay, for Sandro needed information, and Blaze couldn't leave with
THALIA's RESIDENCE"Where are you going?" Thalia asked, eyeing Arabella. She set aside the book that was spread on her lap and stood up."To look for Blaze," Arabella replied, slipping into a red pullover that Thalia had confirmed belonged to Blaze.Thalia snorted and rolled her eyes, giggling. When she noticed the seriousness in Arabella's expression, she asked, "Are you serious right now?""Of course I am," Arabella affirmed. "Why would I joke about finding Blaze?""I think you're crazy," Thalia said. "Do you think Blaze would want to be found, even if he were here? I mean, it's because of you that he's running around!""I need to know if he's safe, Thalia. I can't just sit here and do nothing. It's been more than 24 hours since we got back!" Arabella insisted."And Blaze never gave you the order to find him. He's not missing, Arabella," Thalia pointed out."How can you be so sure? What if he's still in Ascotan and he's being held captive?" Arabella asked."Your mind works mysteriou
DE LUCA's RESIDENCE"What do you have for me?" Sandro asked as Blaze entered the room. He walked to the window, pulled the curtains apart, letting the light flood in, and then turned his gaze towards Blaze."Not much," Blaze replied, taking a seat on the couch."And what does 'not much' mean?" Sandro's eyes narrowed."I found Paolo Salvatore, but he's no easy enemy," Blaze warned."I didn't ask for that kind of information!" Sandro glared. "I wanted to know more about him and his operations. So, if I'm attacked, I'll know where to strike back.""That's why I said he's not someone you can easily take down. He's formidable," Blaze admitted.Sandro groaned. "Must I extract every word from you, Blaze?""I'm speaking the truth. I couldn't get too close to avoid detection. So, I observed them from a distance.""Them?" Sandro's brows furrowed."Alessia and Janice were with him," Blaze revealed."I'm not surprised," Sandro remarked."There's something else I noticed, and I thought you might f
Blaze wandered around the De Luca Villa, uncertain of what to do.He had left the dungeon earlier, and the conversation with Sandro still weighed on his mind. Not only did Sandro want Arabella back in the villa, but he also aimed to use her presence as leverage to lessen Blaze's intended punishment.However, Blaze harbored doubts about Sandro's sincerity. He suspected that even if Arabella returned, Sandro would still inflict severe punishment upon him. He sighed, torn between his desire to seek answers from Arabella and his wish to keep her safe. He believed she might be in Thalia's residence or even in his house.Nevertheless, the danger loomed whether he visited her or not. Her whereabouts were known, and it was only a matter of time before Sandro dispatched one of his Eta to retrieve her."Did you see my sister?" Blaze turned abruptly, finding Annalise standing before the grand gate."You shouldn't be out here. It's quite late, and people might get the wrong idea if they see us to