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Chapter Thirty | The Calm Before The Storm
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Re-Arranged Chapter Thirty One | The Storm
A smile that wavers is a smile of false of promise.The wise words of Drusilla Santora. Her version of never let them see you weak, though a much more shallow take, Liviana had to admit.Her mother's version of the uplifting saying, was one almost as superficial as the person who says never let them see you without your face - another one of her mothers most popular phrases, and unluckily for Liviana, it fit in perfectly with her mothers favorite lecture."Drop the grim expression, Liviana. You can't let them see you as anything less than promising. And what have I always told you about a wavering smile?""That it shows false promise." Liviana would mumble as she bows her head, avoiding her mother's eyes as she gets belittled in yet another of her parents' routine rants."Exactly." Her mother would agree. "And nobody likes a fake."Liviana wasn't sure why this conversation was replaying in her mind tonight. She knew it by heart- of course she did. It was a common "conversation" in her
Re-Arranged Chapter Thirty Two | What A Night
The Castelli family was a masterpiece. A piece of art held at the highest standards, while everyone stood around admiring them. In every detail, they were the ideal. Every stitch, every shot, every stroke of their brush was all done with such craft that it was nothing less than a picture of perfection.Their reputation was one of the best, with not a single scratch to ruin their image. It was pristine, and it was something they all made sure of.Elara Castelli was the queen. A ruler who wore her heart on her sleeve- a sleeve that contained a dagger. With a strong mind and loving heart, Elara had a perfect balance between kindness and cruelty. She was an angel whose wings were made of hellfire. They sparked, and she would watch as they fall, turning those around into ash. And if you were lucky, if you were kind, she would do you the honors of helping you rise from the ashes and become better. She was gracious, understanding, caring, and a killer. And as much respect as she was given, s
Re-Arranged Chapter Thirty Three | Family Fallouts
The room is filled with a silence that raises tensions; the family sitting around with bowed heads as they sat before the angry woman, waiting for her to speak- or more so, yell.And that’s exactly what she did.“Do you have any idea of what you’ve done?!” Elara shouts, wagging a finger in her daughter’s face as she lectures. “Do you?!”“I know exactly what I’ve done.” Amara says with a shrug.“Is that so?” Elara scoffs. “Because I really don’t believe that you do-““I was doing my job.” The daughter declares, a smug smile on her face as she turns to look at the ‘happy couple’ that’s been the hot topic ever since they announced their engagement. And from what she was seeing, in the uncomfortable way Liviana sits and the glare Blaze gives, after tonight, they weren’t going to be happy or a couple for much longer. “And as far as I can tell, I’ve done a pretty good one.”“Oh, I’m sorry? Your job?” Elara scoffs, spinning around to share a look with her husband, who can see the dangerous l
Re-Arranged Chapter Thirty Four | Found Family
Blood is thicker than water.It was a very popular saying, conveying the message that those who you share blood with are your family. And to most, that was the truth. DNA is what links you to love- a familial love you can only find in one place. And that's those you're related to. Parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents. That's your one and only family.It's the black and white way of thinking, the thought being that the ones you're born with are the only ones who will love you all the way to death. The ones you share the same blood with are the ones who brought you into the world and the ones who will be there for you when you leave it. They're the only ones you can count on, to love you, to comfort you, to see you through thick and thin.To those who share that thinking, they believe that family is only blood. You can have friends, spouses, strangers you look up to from a far. You can know them your entire life, you can love them with your entire being, and you ca
Re-Arranged Chapter Thirty Five | Expectations VS Reality
When Liviana was a child, she was the type of girl who truly relied on her imagination. On the sad days, the happy ones, the lazy days and even the exciting ones, the good days, but especially on the bad days. She was a girl who wasn't just a dreamer, but someone who loved to conquer up the greatest delusions, and whether they would be considered a daydream or a nightmare... Well, that was up to her fragile mind. For a girl with a wild imagination, every day was a surprise. She didn't know if, when she woke up, she would find herself in her bed or an imagined cloud. She didn't know whether her toothpaste would be toothpaste or some sort of pasty poison planted by the enemies she knew she didn't have - just another figment of her imagination. If her cereal was soup or a hotdog, a sandwich- something she would wonder as she imagined those tasty foods in place of the stale salad she was forced to eat. She'd wonder if the rain pouring outside her window was the tears of giants or the th
Re-Arranged Chapter Thirty Six | Safe Haven
When Liviana was a child, she had this dream. It was common, she believed, as she thought it was something everyone would have dreamt of at least once in their lifetime. It wasn't typical, as in it wasn't for the job people would dream of or for fame and money, nor was it a dream for a love so great, it would go down in history as a tale for romantics to fawn over for eternity- letting their love live on and on and on. Instead, it was much simpler than that. Liviana's dream was for the perfect life. Everyone's definition of perfect was different, and for Liviana, it simply meant balance. She didn't need everything to be perfect all the time- she knew that in this world, constant perfection was near impossible in this world, right next to flying with your bare arms and the idea of true immortality. She didn't need to be a millionaire or a genius or to be considered beautiful. Mansions, money, cars, jewelry, reputation, fame- in her eyes, it was all as overrated as it was shallow. And
Re-Arranged Chapter Thirty Seven | Rollercoasters
From the moment her very existence was decided on, Liviana Castelli has had her entire life planned out to the perfect tee. From the moment she was born, her life had been written out in front of her, just waiting for her to flip through the pages and read what life had in store for her. And with great hesitance, she did. She turned the pages, reading each word a hundred times back and reading between the lines, looking for some sort of hope hidden on the pages or chance living beneath the ink. She searched, and she hoped and prayed, and she found absolutely nothing. How could she when there was nothing but deception in the words they had written? Each sentence, every word, each and every letter was all chosen with purpose. They were selected with careful calculation and written in strive, done with such precision that not even the world's greatest lawyer would have been able to find the loophole of the life Liviana was meant to lead. She was stuck. Or so she thought. Life is a r
Re-Arranged Chapter Thirty Eight | On Top Of The World
Liviana Castelli has always been known as an old soul, of sorts.When she was a child, she was the one everybody would call mature for her age. Not because she didn’t act childish at times or because she had the same knowledge or skills that an adult did. That wasn’t it at all. She had moments where she was the wild child, running, screaming, making a mess of herself and everything around her. She could cry, throw tantrums, and say the most immature things when she wanted. So, she wasn’t exactly mature. Yet, she wasn’t immature either.She was the kid who stayed back to help teachers clean after an activity. She was the mom friend in a group of reckless teens, and even before that, when she was a child, she was the friend who was more aware. The one who made sure the other kids didn’t go too far and hurt themselves. She was the one who told kids to slow down when they were running too fast, worried they would trip and fall. And when she was older, she was the one to make sure everyon
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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
Re-Arranged Chapter Ninety Three
"Are you sure about this?" Liviana asked, sparing a paranoid glance over her shoulder in worry. She couldn't believe they were doing this."Yep," Emilia nods, marching through their parents' garage with a determination Livi had never seen in her sister until now. And in all honesty, the look in her eyes scared Liviana, and she couldn't help but disagree."I don't know about this," she says, slowing to a stop and looking back at the elevator they had come from, scared of who could follow. "I think we should just go back-""Livi!" Emilia throws her head back with a groan. "Come on, it's fine! Just come look before you leave-""But what if-""What if we live a little?" Emilia cuts her sister off, spinning on her heels to face her sister with the question. "What if we do this and it's the best night of our lives?"Liviana frowns, arms crossing over her chest as she ponders the thought. Would one night be worth it? "What if it's not?""But what if it is?" Emilia stresses. "We'll never know
Re-Arranged Chapter Ninety Two
"I hate them!"A young Liviana startled in her seat when, out of nowhere, her bedroom door is thrown open and Emilia storms into her room with the complaint. "I hate it here," the older sister pouted, kicking the door shut behind her before collapsing onto her sister's satin sheets, climbing into the bed with her to vent. "I can't wait to grow up and leave. I need to get out of here!"Livi frowns, reaching over to gently pat Emilia's back, watching as she takes a moment to bury her face in a pillow and scream. She couldn't help but chuckle as she observed the action, asking the dreadful question only after her sister quieted. "What did they do now?"Emilia pushes herself up, propping herself up on her elbows to face her sister, who frowns at the sight of tears glistening in Emilia's eyes. "They lied," she says. "Again."Head tilting in her confusion, Liviana asks, "what?" She questions softly. "What did they lie about?""The car," Emilia answers, watching as her sister grows all the
Re-Arranged Chapter Ninety One
It was as if the moment the words left her mouth, the world around them changed. Life was different. Liviana couldn't explain how, as it was a mere feeling- a pang in her heart every so often as she becomes painfully aware of her situation.The realization hit like a truck when the thought first crossed her mind. She didn't want to believe it, but there was a nagging feeling in her gut that told her something was wrong, and she needed to look deeper. It was over the course of a week, after days of trying to ignore that unsettling feeling stirring inside her, that Liviana's demeanor began to crack and the thoughts she had tried so hard to ignore became all she could think about. They consumed her, and soon, they were the only thing on her mind. She should have known it would have come spilling out of her sooner or later- she never had been good at secrets of her own.Liviana hoped that telling Blaze would help. She wasn't sure how as there was nothing he could do- he was a mere listene
Re-Arranged Chapter Ninety
The question plagued Liviana's mind, and it didn't take long for the fear and worry to join it.She couldn't stop thinking about it. Why would Emilia run away when it seems as though she already had everything worked out? She had a plan, and Emilia had always been strict with her practicality. What would be grave enough to have her abandoned it all completely? What could possibly be so bad that it would make Emilia abandon her family? Her siblings? Liviana didn't understand. It was all so sudden, and yet, that night, she never thought to question it.Liviana cursed herself for being so thoughtless, though she couldn't hold herself at fault entirely. Back then, she had no reason to question her sister - who had mentioned running away more times than she could remember during their youth. In all honesty, Livi believed it was only a matter of time before Emilia snapped and finally went through with it. And though she missed her sister dearly, she could never blame or resent Emilia for he
