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Chapter Seventy Three | A Hostile Environment
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2024-05-31 06:46:37Related chapters
Re-Arranged Chapter Seventy Four | Family Feud
The in-laws sat quietly, scattered across the Castelli's family room under a thick blanket of tension, just waiting for the moment someone would be brave enough to break the silence that had fallen upon them. Though, no one seemed to have the guts with the way Lucius and Elara loomed over them, supervising them as they stared down at the family like two disappointed parents who were just waiting for their children to give them a reason to punish them. And no one, no matter how upset they were, wished to be the reason.The Castelli siblings - Armani, Blaze, and Leona - all stood in a line behind the couch, continuing to bicker amongst themselves as they had grown used to their parents intimidation and those disappointed looks they wore, having grown up watching them."This is your fault," Leona had muttered to Blaze, who stands between his siblings with an ice cold expression, glaring across the room at his in-laws, both of whom don't hesitate to return his nasty glare.Forcing his eye
Last Updated : 2024-06-07Re-Arranged Chapter Seventy Five | Nervous
Blaze Castelli grew up in a nice house.It was well known for its beauty- something expected of such a high status family, who always accepted nothing but the best. With their reputation and class, anyone who was invited to the manor expected nothing less than something extraordinary. And they were not disappointed. It was a grand home. Beautiful, mystical. It was almost like a castle, ripped out of the pages of a fairytale. And anyone who got to see it and feel its magic wasted no time in giving the family a compliment."It's beautiful!""So majestic!""I love the design.""It's so serene."And it was. Beautiful, majestic, serene. It was a haven, and for the family that lived there, it always felt like a small piece of heaven. It was more than just the outside and all the decor. The gold and the crystals and all the trinkets were nothing more than a little gift wrap. It was what was inside that mattered. A family that lived under its roof with kids who had spent their entire lives
Last Updated : 2024-06-14Re-Arranged Chapter Seventy Six
It was only the late afternoon when Liviana and Blaze had arrived home after such a grueling lunch full of arguments and confrontation- nothing new with either side of the family. And, after walking in only to find themselves being faced with another drama, it was safe to say they were tired and well over the day. So, they put it to an end.Blaze had bravely put his in-laws in their place and pulled his wife away and, like the end of all those fairytales, the two rode off into the sunset and they locked themselves in their bedroom as they were sure it would be the only way to avoid Drusilla and Alonzo, who's sour moods had dragged down the entire homes atmosphere. They always did know how to rain over a parade. Liviana wanted to do everything she could to avoid having her day ruined further, and so she followed Blaze's lead and his shocking idea of turning their master suite into a haven for the night. After all, it was their supposed bedroom. At least, that was what they told her
Last Updated : 2024-06-21Re-Arranged Chapter Seventy Seven
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
Last Updated : 2024-06-28Re-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
Last Updated : 2024-07-05Re-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
Last Updated : 2024-07-12Re-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
Last Updated : 2024-07-19Re-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
Last Updated : 2024-07-26
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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
