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Chapter Seventy Seven

Penulis: Barbara Rose
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2024-06-28 13:11:19

Communication without comprehension is pointless.

It was a lesson Liviana had to learn a million little times throughout the twenty-four years of life. And yet, it never seemed to stick.

She was a big advocate for communication. Livi believed that everything deserved to be talked about, no matter how insignificant it seemed. Big or small, she wanted to talk about it. She wanted to discuss and dissect it. Liviana wanted to listen and be heard. And more than anything, she wanted peace.

Liviana believed that when something was buried, ignored and put on the back burner, you were signing up for a catastrophe. If it sat too long- if you neglected the issue, it would begin to burn. It would stew and start a fire inside you, and you can only contain a fire for so long before it spreads and before you knew it, you weren't the only one getting burnt.

"It's always best to put out the flame before it can spark a fire," she would lecture, insisting that if something was wrong, then they should be
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  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Seventy Eight

    Liviana and Blaze were consumed.Consumed by themselves and each other - by each and every moment they spent together, locked away from the rest of the world as they spent their day wrapped up in one another. The conversation never seemed to end as, from the moment they woke up to the moment they went to bed, they were talking. Discussing and dissecting, the two had never felt more comfortable. It was just them, their thoughts and their words, and nothing else - no one else mattered. It was as though the second they had stepped through the thresh hold of their new shared bedroom; they had entered a safe zone. The haven they had always craved had come to life, and now, they lived in it. And they never wanted to leave. They had spoken about nearly everything that went through their minds, never wasting a second in sharing a thought as a quick sense of trust began to form. It was as though the moment they cut off the rest of the world; they had cut off their problems, too. Everything

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-07-05
  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Seventy Nine

    "Remember to be kind," Liviana lectured her parents, sending the two a look over her shoulder as they made their way to the Castelli's front door. "And show some respect, will you?" Blaze adds, glaring behind at the two as he stops before the door, asking if they understood the rules they had laid out on the way over, before daring to ring the bell. It was only once Alonzo nodded and assured his son-in-law that they listened and understood the boundaries that Blaze finally relented and rung the bell. It took no more than a second for the door to be pulled open, and for Elara to greet the family with a warm smile."Kids!" She greets her son with a hug, pulling him down to kiss his cheek- an action he returns as he places a swift kiss on his mother's cheek before surpassing her, moving inside to greet his father. Elara turns her attention to her Liviana, quick to wrap her daughter-in-law up in a hug. "Hi, dear!""Hi," Liviana smiles, immediately feeling better in the woman's warm embr

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-07-12
  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Eighty

    Dinner was dreadful - as expected by every soul unlucky enough to attend. The night was long, dragged on by awkward small talk and questions that could either heal them or hurt them worse - and it did. It hurt worse as the hours went by and the families found themselves running out of topics they could use to save themselves from the silence - something that seemed to do more damage than one would think. Usually it was their words that cut like knives, if not actual knives. Never had a Castelli found silence so daunting until this one dreadful dinner. They couldn't wait for it to end. And when it finally did - when it ended after an endless chain of meaningless conversations, Elara had finally caved and dismissed four of the ten people who had joined, while the other six had excused themselves to chat. It was time to get down to business. "Alonzo, Drusilla," Lucius nods, pushing out of his seat and asking them to follow behind him. "Blaze, you of course know the way to my

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-07-19
  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Eighty One

    It was half past ten by the time Liviana and Blaze pulled through their front gates, parking in their driveway and taking a moment to sit in the car that hummed with life.Music flowed softly through the speakers, playing lightly to soothe the silence that sat heavy between them.Liviana hummed along to the tune in a plea to aid the awkward tension that sat between her and her husband, sucking all the air out of the car. It was suffocating.When had things become so strained? She could've sworn that for a moment there, things had gotten better. She thought they were past this.Blaze coughs, drawing the woman's green eyes from her window to him. "Well... I don't know about you, but I'm beat," he says. "I'm about ready for bed."She forces a smile, lips pressing into a thin line as she nods. "Yeah... me too," she agrees. "That dinner was exhausting.""And yet, strangely enough, it's the calmest meal we've ever had..." He hums. "Odd, considering the end."She hums. "I honestly expected w

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-07-26
  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Eighty Two

    Liviana was completely and utterly exhausted. For hours, she had tossed and turned and occasionally played dead - fake slept - in hopes of not disturbing the man who sleeps peacefully beside her. And then, before she knew it, the night had come and gone and it seemed to have taken her sanity with it. Livi felt as though she was going insane. She was tired. All she wanted to do all day, from the very moment she got out of bed, was to go home and get right back in it. All she wanted to do was sleep. And after the day she had - after the tedious dinner she attended and a conversation that left her with more questions than answers - she could honestly say she was as mentally exhausted as she was physically. She had earned the right to rest. And yet, Liviana spent her entire night restless and worked up. She couldn't stop thinking about it - about her. Lyra. Blaze's first... what? His first kiss? First girlfriend? Love? She couldn't know. All she could do was wonder. Her mind ran in c

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-02
  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Eighty Three

    "The breakfast was wonderful, Liviana!"The woman smiles. "Thanks, dad."Alonzo nods at her, and Liviana returns the gesture before her attentions stolen by Blaze, who reaches for her hand. "It really was wonderful, Liviana," Blaze compliments, giving his wife's fingers a gentle squeeze and watching as she blushes. "It was delicious. Thank you."Her smile only widens. "It was delicious, wasn't it?" She boasts with a grin that Blaze matches. She was fishing for more compliments, and he was happy to oblige."It might just be the best breakfast I've ever had," he teases, watching as her grin grows by a ten fold. "You truly outdid yourself, love.""Thank you," she says, voice going soft with her sincerity. "I'm glad you enjoyed it.""We ought to get you to cook more often," Drusilla cuts in before the two could go on, telling her daughter that she had done a fine job. "I quite enjoyed the pancakes, myself. And where did you get those blueberries? I haven't had any that tasty in some time

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-09
  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Eighty Four

    The drive was long and as dreadful as any other time the father-daughter duo spent time together was. And they both couldn't wait for it to come to an end - so much so that they began counting down the minutes, anticipating the long awaited moment where they would reach their destination and they would be put out of their misery. That moment couldn't come fast enough. Liviana's knee bounced with nerves as she stared out of the car window, hoping they would arrive soon. She was practically vibrating with anxiety, and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears- feel it in her throat. This was too much. She needed out. "Are we almost there?" She turns to question her father, asking how much farther this office was. "I really need to get back-""The only thing you need to be doing is some explaining."Livi frowns. "Explaining?" She echoes, watching him nod before asking why. "Explain what? I already told you everything you need to know.""All you've told me is that she's a potential thre

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-16
  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Eighty Five

    Liviana was a nervous wreck. From the moment she got in the car, she hadn't been able to keep still. Her knee bounced with nerves and she wrung out her hands, squeezing her fingers whenever she wasn't spinning the diamond ring that the special one held. Her hair had become knotted because of how much she played with it, and by the time they arrived at the mansion, she had looked as much of a mess as she felt. Nonetheless, Liviana was beaming with her excitement- just another emotion spurring on her antsy limbs as she climbed out of the car and shook out her hands, making her way up the front steps as fast as she possibly could. She only paused when she reached the top, taking a moment to gather herself as she fixes her hair - tries to fix her hair. She stands there straightening herself out, using the reflection of their squeaky clean windows to help clean herself up, running her fingers through the dark strands of her hair and brushing the locks over her shoulders, praying he would

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-08-23

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  • Re-Arranged   Chapter One Hundred and Two

    "Livi?"The girl nearly shrieks, settling for a gasp as she pulls her bedroom door shut in a rush. "Dad!" She greets, spinning around to face the man. "Hi!""What are you doing?""Nothing," she says, frowning. "I'm not doing anything. Why do you ask?""You seem... different," he says. "Odd. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?""Yeah, mhm," she hums, offering the man an unconvincing nod. "I'm okay- everything's okay! There's nothing to worry about here, dad."He hums, eyes raking up and down his surly daughter, and she could practically feel the suspicion in his gaze. It was almost as if he was trying to look into her soul. "Well, if you're sure-""I'm sure," she swears, mustering up the most convincing smile she could as she assures him that she was alright - everything was fine."Good, good..." he trails, clearing his throat. "Listen, about dinner-""Oh, you don't have to... say anything," she says, her smile fading to something more tainted. "It's fine."He furrows a brow. "It is?"

  • Re-Arranged   Chapter One Hundred and One

    "Are you... serious?"At the awkward question and the meek voice it's spoken by, Ben glances up from his spot on the bed and hums. "Serious?" He echoes, unsure about what she was muttering on about. "About what?""Mom and dad," Liviana reminds, asking, "are they really that bad?"Ben sighs, attempting to offer his little sister a careful answer. "They're, uh... complicated.""Complicated?" Livi repeats, joining her brother on the bed with a frown. "I don't... I don't understand. What are they?"Ben only grows all the more confused by her questioning, and his lips tilt down in a frown of his own. "What?""What kind of people are they?" She presses. "Mom and dad, I mean - are they good people or... are they bad people?"He hums. "Well, that's a good question, kid," he says, voice soft as he offers his sister a thoughtful look. "What do you think they are?""I think..." she trails off with a sigh, nervous.He's quick to pick up on the traces of anxiety lost in her tone - seeping into her

  • Re-Arranged   Chapter One Hundred

    The Santora family sat under a thick blanket of silence, tense as they ate. Alonzo sat at the head of the table, scrutinizing his family with a heavy gaze that weighed them down, and soon enough, it felt as though he was trying to burn a hole through their heads with such an intense gaze. The eldest of his kids shortly had enough.Ben coughs, clearing his throat and folding his dinner napkin up in his lap. "So..." he trails, pasting a smile onto his lips and turning to face his father. "Is there any news?"Alonzo narrows his eyes. "News?" He echoes, watching as his son nods. "And, uh... what news would that be? Are you expecting something?""No, no," the young man shakes his head. "Not me-""Oh, and you believe you have a right to my news now too, huh?" He presses. "You think you have that privilege now, do you?""No, I don't- I don't think that. I'm sorry if that's how it came off, but I-""But you what?" Alonzo wonders, asking where he could have gotten the idea that he was somethi

  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Ninety Nine

    The Santora siblings walk into the office building, wandering through the halls together, hand-in-hand while they searched for Blaze."Hi, excuse me," Liviana gives the receptionist a bright smile, leaning onto the counter her desk hides behind when she speaks. "I was wondering if you could tell me where Blaze is?"Instead of giving her a direct answer, the employee's eyes drag up and down Liviana's figure, judging her, before they flit back up to her face. Her eyes narrow, and she asks, "and, uh... who are you?"Liviana presses her lips together into a thin line, doing all she could to maintain the kindness in her tone when she offers the woman an answer. "My name is Livi-""I didn't ask for your name," the woman points, scowling up at Liviana and repeating the question. "Who the hell are you? And what business do you have with the boss?"Tino scoffs from his sister's side, prepared to pipe up and protect Liviana's pride for her, knowing she wouldn't do so for herself, but the girl i

  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Ninety Eight

    Strolling through the hedges was difficult - awkward - and the Santora siblings couldn't handle it. They absolutely hated this heavy feeling hanging between them. Never have they ever felt so detached."Where are we going?" Tino asks, glancing around at the tall rose bushes that kept them secluded. "And why is it so freaking far?" He complains, quickening his pace to catch up to that of his nervous sister, who remains silent. "Liv?""Uh," she mutters, glancing over her shoulder at the young man. "Just... follow me," she says, insisting he not question it. Right now, she was only doing what was best for the both of them, and she needed him to trust that. "We need to get away for this, okay? It's important that no one overhears us."She couldn't risk their parents finding out about her betrayal. They would behead her at the first opportunity."Okay..." he trails, eyes narrowing at the back of his sister's head. "But why?""Because..." she shrugs it off, admitting in a whisper, "it's saf

  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Ninety Seven

    Liviana didn't know what to do with herself.After her argument with Tino, it was as if the thoughts doubled in tenfold and her mind couldn't - wouldn't - stop. All night she was forced to sit with herself, overwhelmed by her endless thoughts and memories while she retraced every inch and wondered, where did it all go wrong?She would look back on her life, spending hours sorting through all the memories, and it was as if every time she did, she could spot a new lie. It didn't take long for her to have a mental list going, and the more she added, the more she wondered, was any of it real? Where did the lies stop? Where did this act she perfected end? When was enough, enough? Nothing was ever enough for Drusilla and Alonzo - Livi scoffs at the thought, turning over where she lies in her bed. And then came the dreaded thought. What about her siblings? One was dead, one disappeared, and the other seemingly despised her. Her eyes water at the thought, and she pulls the blanket over her

  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Ninety Six

    The moment Liviana left the restaurant that night, it felt as if she was walking into a world void of air. It was as though all the oxygen had been sucked out of the planet - if not just her lungs - and she couldn't breathe for days afterward. It was all too heavy, and she wasn't sure she could handle it. How does one go about their life knowing that nothing was as it seems? Knowing that, at any God given moment, it could all be taken away from her? How was she supposed to go about her day knowing that each second could be her last? She just couldn't.Liviana was no stranger when it came to living her life in fear. She knew paranoia all too well, almost like an old friend she was introduced to by none other than her parents. Childhood was rough, and Liviana could say with confidence that she was raised in fear. It surrounded her. It became her. She was scared of everything. And that was always her biggest problem.After dinner with the detective, Liviana only grew all the more paranoi

  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Ninety Five

    A younger Liviana wrung her hands together as she climbed the stairs, following her mother's bellows all the way to her bedroom door. "Liviana?!"She flinches at the screech of her name, taking a step back to compose herself. "Breathe," she reminds herself, stilling for that of second before she's startled by another shout of her name. "Shit," she curses, rounding the corner into her mother's bedroom and asking, "yes, mom?""Finally!" Drusilla throws her arms up. "Where in God's name have you been?" She demands, asking what had taken her so long. "Didn't you hear me calling?""I'm sorry, mom," Liviana apologizes. "I was outside with-""I don't care to hear your excuses, young lady!" Drusilla scoffs, scolding the girl for her lack of responsibility. "What if I was hurt, hmm?" She questions. "What if I was in danger? Or worse, dying? What would you have to say for yourself then, huh?""I'm sorry-"Drusilla scoffs once again. "Your apologies mean nothing to me, Liviana. Do better!" She

  • Re-Arranged   Chapter Ninety Four

    Blaze could practically feel his heart tie itself into a knot in his chest at the sound of another distraction. Would he ever get the timing right? He sighs at the thought, turning around to greet the man, whose voice he recognizes immediately."Bryce," he greets, pushing out of his chair and offering the man his hand to shake. "There you are! We were beginning to think you got lost.""What can I say? I run on my own time." Bryce shrugs it off, giving Blaze's hand a shake before he rounds the table to take the seat across from the 'happy couple.'"That would have been something to mention days ago when we arranged this meeting," Blaze points, and the detective rolls his eyes. "I specifically asked for a time that suited you-""I'm here, aren't I?"Blaze only hums, narrowing his eyes at his 'old friend', and Liviana coughs."Uh- Blaze," she murmurs, reaching to take his hand in hers and giving it a gentle tug with a silent demand- if not a gentle ask for him to sit. "He's here. That's

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