I sighed, staring at the way Gallena smiled when she was talking to Darren in the courtyard. How he tried to take her hand, and she took it with passion. There was no one at home except Carl—who was always busy in the basement—and I felt tired because I had just come home after work. Some servants also prefer to be busy with their own affairs rather than taking care of their master's life which is too risky. It was a paradise for Gallena, and when she was free she could do anything. One of them called Darren here and brought him to the room.What will they do when mom and dad come unannounced? I snorted indignantly. My chest feels a little heavier than before. I opened the fridge and pulled cold water to cool my head. I drank it straight from the bottle, and lowered the air-conditioning in the kitchen. I need all of this, don't care if I'm gonna sneeze after.Leaning my butt on the kitchen counter, I pulled my phone from my trouser pocket and typed a message for Gallena.Don't forget
I'm looking for another way to calm myself. The balcony on the top floor is the choice.The view is beautiful because this mansion is close to the Hudson river. An elite and most expensive estate in America, the owner is my big boss, Rhysand del Millero, whose face no one has ever seen. Maybe he's not as narcissistic as the man my sister is already engaged to.I sighed, opened my phone and scrolled boredly through my social media feeds. What happened on the first floor left me breathless. The crowds and all the heavy talk between people displeased me. I've never admired the situation, and usually I can try to keep whatever's stuck in my throat. Usually I try harder, and right now I can't even catch my breath. I felt that the little clothes didn't suit me anymore, and felt that I should temporarily disappear from that world. I never imagined the presence of the De Sanctis could suppress me this much.They are a big family, with awesome intimidation. They were quiet as tombs, and their
I've said bad things, sometimes when I'm upset and the anger consumes me from within.Gal and I have argued a few times. Her nature which is always strange and makes anyone's head shake makes it a little difficult to give peace, but I have lived with her, have memorized very precisely with all her habits. When she's angry, I'll just keep quiet because it's useless to persuade her, she'll always avoid everyone, and it's likely that the hostility will last longer. So what I always do is just silence her until she comes to me first. If I'm wrong, I'll apologize when she calms down, and if she's wrong, then she'll act normal after shutting me up. She would never apologize, her inflated ego being a factor. But I can see what she's doing, that's enough for me.Like now, I wake up and clean myself first before I go down to the main floor for breakfast.My parents were already there, along with Carl, Pascha and Gal sitting at the table—eating their breakfast—accompanied by the stiff conversat
Nicholas strode with big steps towards us, his hands in his pockets, and his face hard. With his black suit illuminated by the shimmering twilight light, he could pass for the god Zeus descending from the sky. One only had to look up and see the dark look in his eyes to know that it was just smoke. What worried me the most was his gaze, was full of venom, aimed at Emmet.My stomach twisted, and I moved away from Emmet. He seemed to be aware of Nicholas' presence now."Uh, Nicholas de Sanctis? Why did he pick you up?" he asked hesitantly."Um. . . ." I didn't know.I didn't know how to explain it because instead of being here, Nicholas was supposed to be with Gal. Having a romantic dinner, and going home together. But he's here with his fiery gaze. He must believe that since he's engaged to my sister, it's now his duty to deal with any man who comes my way.Frustration crawled up my back. I had a lot of temperamental cousins and uncles and brothers-the last thing I needed was another m
The darkness of the night was decorated with the colors of the stars, and the sand of the beach was washed by the waves of the ocean. I lay down on the white sand, even though I knew that this would leave dirty marks on my clothes, my hair and my feet. I didn't care. The freedom that always seemed impossible was now being felt. I looked up at the dark sky with its flashing white dots. It feels like my heart is expanding, filled with so many liquid stars, and flowers that I think it might explode. I'm lying here, and everything feels real,A stroke on my cheek makes me turn my head. Brown eyes, a wide smile that paints love, a look of hope.My heart skips a beat.One glance and I forget all the darkness that surrounded us. How it would all destroy us. All that was now behind me, and all I had to do was move closer. Kiss those full lips to tell myself that this was real.The lightning came.His lips felt different. The kiss was different. Not as soft as I remembered. Not as warm as
I tied my hair up, staring at my face in front of the glass sink. The bags under my eyes were visible, and my face was pale and haggard. I couldn't sleep last night, and my sleeping pills have run out. I'll ask Baron for more later because buying my own is something I can't possibly do. Papa's men are always watching me, reporting everything I do. It would only stop if one of my cousins was with me. Of course, it was Baron who always saved me.I sighed as I looked down. Calming myself down once more before going out for breakfast and facing the demon that had already found its way into our house. I shouldn't have come home last night. I should have accepted Louis' invitation. At least, when I was with him, I wouldn't have felt more tormented. I really regret it now.Snorting once more, I stepped out of the walk-in closet and out of the room to go downstairs to face the nightmare that had come true. My eyes caught the Baron, Carl, and Nicholas, who were already sitting at the table fo
Beer never felt so good then today. It could be because of what I've been through for the past week. It sucks, and it's horrible. A package deal for nightmares. I could ask for a day off from it, and it would be too tempting, and I could just keep giving up the next day. If only I could... I would fall off a 150-story building rather than live another minute of this shitty life.I never asked to be born into the world. Ever. Never asked for a life like this, and if I could have asked... I would have wanted to not be born at all. I live in a dark shadow that I can never leave. I want to run away from it all, but that will always leave a trail of blood on my path. I can't let another name be written on the list."Are you okay?""Actually none of us are okay today." I replied.Baron snorted next to me. He fiddled with his phone before saying, "I have a reason for that. You do? What? Louis back in London?" he guessed with an eye roll he couldn't resist."I found Darren naked in Gal's bed
My house is incredible. The front door is red with a gold knock. Black and white checkered floor. A lacquered wooden staircase and a gleaming chandelier. However, I always wonder, If I peel off the wallpaper on the wall, there will be red blood? Gentle splashes would drip down the pool onto the marble floor if this world were as transparent as glass.I stare at the TV in the kitchen corner, barely processing the newscaster's voice, but when the word murder crosses her ruby lips, it echoes in my mind. My throat caught as the back of my hand moved, followed by my bracelet. While my house, my life, is built on piles of dirty money, I can always say I'm not contributing to the balance. Not until earlier this ten years, that is. The blood is on my hands, and guilt watches over me as I sleep.It has always controlled me, and now it's returning to me when I know exactly who I'm dealing with.He's cosa nostra, blood is always in his way, and after the guy in Bronx—who's making headlines for
Nicholas really took me away. It was a long trip because we were on a plane, and I only found out when the pilot told me where we were going."Spain?" I asked, looking at Nicholas sitting beside me with so much surprise.He nodded. "Put your seatbelt on, baby."I shook my head. "I don't want to go anywhere. I want to go back."Nicholas shook his head with a frown on his forehead. "I'm sure you'll regret it.""Then tell me where you're taking me!" my voice rose an octave.He only raised an eyebrow and let out a long sigh. "Gallena."My eyes widened."I'll take you to Gallena's place."My heart was beating so fast with emotion that I almost fell forward as the plane began to take off. He clucked, wrapping one arm around my waist. "Put your seatbelt on." He growled.I put it on quickly. Leaning against the seat as the plane began to take off. I turned to him with a twinkle in my heart. "Do you mean it?"Nicholas nodded."Is she in Barcelona?""She's in Ibiza, I think it's a safe place f
Flashback :The hollow emptiness going on inside me didn't fix anything. It was empty and frozen. I've had many losses, and I don't know what could break me more than this one. It consumed me more than any previous loss.My baby...I haven't even had a chance to see what my baby looked like before it left me.And...Why my baby?Why wasn't it just me who died?I huddled under the thick blanket that was not familiar to my nose. A hospital bed, pillow and blanket. Which was unfamiliar because I had never experienced a hospital stay. It was excruciating, and I didn't want to come back here again. But this was still better than Mikhaelovich's death house if I could choose. It was a good thing I'd been expelled, strange because the relief seeped through me like water in a dam that was never released.I stroked my stomach, something I always did these days, even though the pain seemed to split me in two.A click came from the door behind me. I didn't need to turn around to see who had just
Two Months Later Time seemed to fly by until the church doors finally opened wide, the warning of the bride's arrival making everyone look impatiently toward the entrance. I stared at the beautiful woman in a bone-white wedding dress with a high bust. After my challenging debate with her, I finally won. Of course, with a very effective tactic: making her unable to walk with our long sex and making her surrender. And I have absolutely no regrets. She was so beautiful, gorgeous, and fabulous. My heart swelled stupidly. Like the mellow atmosphere of those cheesy romance movies she always liked, but different from those stupid movies, I liked what I felt now. Enjoying everything in every part of her. I love her. Loved her so much that I thought I would kill myself when she was in pain. That agony was behind us, and I learned my lesson. We both did. Learned to be better and accept each other. My mom said it's love and doesn't always go smoothly. All we can do is stay together and go
I looked at Gretta, who was lying on the bed.In a quiet corner of the room, the serene atmosphere inside the hospital room was only interrupted by the regular hissing of breath from the bedridden Gretta. Her face reflected profound exhaustion and sadness as if a disaster had rolled over her like an endless storm. I sat beside her with a blank look. The miscarriage had robbed us both of the glimmer of happiness they had just begun to achieve.Everything that surrounded us was messing her up, messing me up. Us.The pain split me in two. Realizing what we had lost, the cause of my own carelessness. If only I hadn't come and thrown a bomb at her, if only I hadn't brought her to my apartment, if only I hadn't abandoned her.. that fetus would still be between us. That baby.. whether a boy or a girl, would have been a testament to our feelings. I loved her, damn it. I loved her so much that jealousy about her leaving me ruled me more than my trust in her. I should have known better than
My heartbeats shattered one by one, making my chest ache.My vision blurred behind the tears and the glare of the sun on the marble floor. Once the crying started, my tears flowed like I had just opened a dam that had been closed for years. I stood in the middle of a beautiful apartment and felt nothing but cold and empty. The emptiness expanded until it threatened to eat me alive.How accurate was my belief that Nico was an addiction because this felt like the worst kind? I began to realize that it was more than that-it was love and it was heartbreak.I went to the master bathroom, turned on the shower, went inside, and cried some more. My mind was spinning with desperate thoughts of how to fix it, but it all ended on a desperate note when I thought of her cold demeanor today.Nausea rolled around in my stomach.I've been trying not to fall for him, and I've fallen so hard that I'm physically sick from his rejection. I could have laughed if I still had the energy left to cry.I got o
"What are you going to do?" Baron's hoarse voice came into my ears."Keep it." I took a breath and let it out softly. Calming the chaos inside me. "I will tell Nicholas about this, but I will wait for the right time.""If he doesn't accept it..." Baron stroked my arm. " ... you know I will always be here for you, right?"I nodded, hugging Baron tightly."He's crazy about you, Gretta. I know that. He'll accept it. He won't dump you or do anything bad to you." He said as we broke the hug. "Everyone can see it. He's just too stupid to admit his feelings."Well, I hope that's true. I nodded. "I'm waiting for him." I looked down at the bracelet on my right hand, which I never took off. "I have to do something first to give my heart to him, Baron."Because I will never let go of the past if I don't let go of it myself."Are you sure that you've disappeared from his shadow?" asked Baron.I nodded. "I'm sure," I replied. My whole heart had flown away, and I was about to move back into my froz
I saw the news and couldn't imagine what was going on in my family. I was sure my parents were cursing me and Gallena, planning what would happen to their two rebellious daughters.I was the one who ran away from my fiancé's house and was with my affair. While Gallena ran away from home pregnant. They thought we should return the favor about all that they had given us, the luxuries and stuff, the limited freedom, and the damn convenience of staying in our rooms. Ironically, that's not the same as what most parents give their kids.So, now, what do I do? Do I stay here and hassle Nicholas until I can stand on my own, which... I don't know when that will be? Because I can't possibly depend on him entirely.What are we? We were nothing other than me having sold my body for my own gain and falling in love with him while he didn't love me back. I sighed.Or could I go back to my parents' house-because it had never been my home-take my things, and then go to Baron's place? They couldn't d
My control was hanging by a thread as I listened to my men. Lorenzo also seemed intent on easing our uncle's burden.Uncle Benito and Gerald seemed to be quarreling secretly, but I was sure they were planning to overthrow me behind closed doors. Benito is a coward, and Gerald is only slightly better, but eventually, they will act. Perhaps Gerald would send his remaining legitimate son to kill me."War is inevitable," I growled. "You know that as well as I do. Don't pretend you haven't been waiting for an opportunity to spill Outfit blood again." My Underbosses nodded, and so did most of my Captains. But not Benito and Gerald.My eyes were fixed on the high ceiling of the power plant. I had chosen it at every meeting of my Captains and Underbosses over the past three years to remind them of my bloody declaration. I felt their memories needed to be refreshed.Gerald banged his fist on the table, returned my gaze to him, and swatted away Uncle Torre's calming hand. "Enough," he muttered.
Being stuck with Nicholas felt different from being stuck with Louis. I realized this a long time ago.I couldn't even spend five seconds next to Louis; a strange and uncomfortable feeling always surrounded me when I was with him, even before he was forced to become my fiancé or before I knew all his secrets.But now, when I was with Nicholas, I had a different, disturbing feeling. It was as if all the storms were coming together, and I wanted nothing more than to be with him as long as possible, even though I knew he was in darkness and danger. His name is a disaster; you must escape him if you do not want to be destroyed.But here I am, and so is he. Instead of a disaster, he became one of the people who saved me from the real disaster. He's the one by my side, caring for me more than everyone who should do it for me. For the first time, I know what it feels like to be truly loved, although I don't know if he feels the same way about me.I found him in the kitchen after I'd had enou