Alexandra withdrew a bottle of fine red wine from the racks. It was from her grandpa's favorite heaven collection. It was only consumed at events of celebration. Like holidays or birthdays. She never got the taste of it because she never really had anything to celebrate in life. Birthdays were a reminder that she was a child her mother never asked for. And the birthday gift Anastasia had given on her twentieth birthday made her regret being born into this world. Speaking of birthdays, it's Anna's birthday tomorrow. She clutched the bottle in her palms. A sickly smile appeared on her face. It would have been such a shame if Alexandra hadn't returned the gift of four years ago. "What's the wine for?" Jonathan asked, upon her entering the open balcony with a wine bottle in her hand. He had already changed clothes into a simple gray shirt and black sweatpants. "To celebrate 'us'." She beamed, placing the wine glasses on the table. "This wine is special to me. It's made by my
"Your father was supposed to marry my mother?" No wonder Catherine looked at him in a long, unnerving way. How did she not know of this? Why hadn't anyone mentioned this before? And not even Aunt Margaretta, who knew everything that has ever happened in this household? Jonathan poured himself another glass. "My father was engaged to a woman from England, Catherine Winchester. They had been promised to each other since childhood, but my father never loved her." Promised? Of course. Alexandra found it absurd why her mother hadn't married Joshua Jonas for an alliance when they could have made the ideal partners in the eyes of Grandpa Karl and her grandfather. "What about your parents? How did they meet?" "My parents studied at the same university. Mom said it was love at first sight for her and for Dad, too. I found it ridiculous, but now I know it's true." He smiled dreamily at her. Her face went red and she couldn't tell if it was because of the one or the way he gazed at her.
The cool of the humid monsoon air coasted over Halton's naked back as he rose from his six-hour slumber. He inhaled the refreshing scent of jasmine. A residue left by Evangeline's freshly washed hair last night. He reached his hand to grab her and pull her close, but then met with nothing but the rustling sheets. His slow smile crooked down into a frown. He pulled his eyes open to see the room was empty of Angela and Evangeline. Tension curled around his neck like a python's grip. Droplets of sweat prickled out of pores of his skin and a layer of shivers rolled over his entire body. Silence infiltrated the entire house. Angela's high-pitched voice was nowhere to be heard. Or maybe she was still asleep. It's Monday. Maybe she doesn't want to go to school today so she might have hidden somewhere? Helton pulled himself off the bed and stepped into the bathroom. He didn't find Evangeline taking her usual morning shower in their bathroom. Dry saliva clogged the base of his throat.
"You look tense, Miss." Alexandra loosened her tight shoulders and looked ahead at the man in the front seat. This was her newly assigned bodyguard. Adam Dale. The man was in his late thirties with a distinct American accent. "I guess I've become too obvious." She answered dryly. "I hear you're meeting your father." She flinched but didn't let it show. "Yes. That's right." Meeting her father wasn't such a nerve-wracking process unless she did something she would get in trouble for. The last time she felt this tense was when she was about to reveal her relationship with Edward to her father. The consequences weren't dire back then. Because it was the first time she made a mistake. Father forgave her and made her swear to not let it happen again. But then, she was repeating the same scenario. The same mistake. By marrying the rival. The Irish Mob and the Italian Mafia in Boston had been at each other's throats since the world war. The fight over the provinces proved bloody
The sound of Alexandra's heels clicking against the marble floor ebbed across the hallways as she strutted towards her father's office. She found Halton waiting outside the closed door of the office, with Jordan standing next to him. They must have been waiting for her arrival. "Do you know why he called you here?" Alexandra asked Halton. "Trust me. I have no fucking clue." Halton shrugged. "What about you, Jo?" Jordan was wearing a black two-piece suit and her hair was dyed black. "Looks like you two are in deep shit." Jo mocked, grinning. Alexandra churned her teeth. "How did he know about my relationship with Jonathan?" "This." Jordan opened her phone and showed her a picture of Alexandra and Jonathan on the red carpet of Silvano Clarke's debut. "You were at Silvano Clarke's debut for fuck's sake and you and your husbando were the talks of the town last night!" Of course, after last night, the news of their relationship must have gone viral. Alexandra should have seen t
Years ago...Before Alessandra's death, Alessandro hadn't paid much thought to what it would feel like if his skull hit the pavement after falling on the fourth floor of the balcony. His sister was eighteen at the time of her death. Her suicide. He had been the prankster younger brother, the one who pulled at her meticulously woven braids just to annoy her. Alessandra chased after him with scissors and threatened to cut his hair until he almost went bald. That was the day before her wedding to Luciano Bianchi. She seemed so cheerful. Then why was she lying there on the pavement over a pool of her own blood? Staring unblinkingly at the night sky?Then the whispers answered all of his unanswered questions that were trapped in his brain like a bunch of hornets trapped in a jar. The man Alessandra was supposed to marry happened to be a man thrice older than her. With a daughter her own age. The man was a sagging, ugly rodent. But his riches were attractive, but not enough to attract hi
Catherine's 16th birthday party was going on in full swing. Benjamin Winchester didn't make the party any less grand than the royal wedding. The Winchester Manor was already a monument all to itself, built in the Victorian era, and passed down by a generation of nobles, but today, the manor was at its liveliest Alessandro had ever seen. Alessandro and Catherine were second cousins. His mother's father was an Italian businessman, and his mother was a noblewoman from England. That's he knew many associates in England. Alessandro spent six years learning more about his mother's lineage. Turns out, the Winchesters belonged to a long-lost duchy. They didn't carry titles as they did in the past, but they were widely known in some provinces in Southern England. After their great-grandmother's death, he was granted half of her assets and the other half went to Catherine. At least now he had some property to call his very own. The muscles around Catherine's mouth pulsed from smiling
Alessandro had nothing left in Milan except for some worthless assets left behind by his father. The lion's share went to his Alfonso. Alessandro showed no interest in his father's belongings, so he never questioned Alfonso's position.It was early spring when he returned to England. His patience was running thin as he couldn't stop stressing about the bad news that fell upon his ears. Catherine was getting engaged to Joshua Jonas by the end of this month. And he had to stop it before it was too late. _________________Catherine considered herself in the mirror. Today she wanted to be the subject of envy among her female friends. She couldn't wait to see the besotted look on Joshua's face when she presents herself before the world as his fiancee.The door slammed against the wall as Alessandro stormed in. Startling everyone inside the room. "You're not getting engaged to him, Cathie!" He barked out. The maids gasped and hurried to cover Catherine, who was only half-dressed at this
One could hear in the bleak eerie hallways of the asylum the clattering of chains, as a man dragged it through the metallic floor. His black-and-white striped prisoner’s clothing had bloodstains on it. His pace was slow and wobbly because of the heavy chains attached to his legs and hands and bound skin rotting off along the rusting metal.“Sir, we brought him,” the guard said and looked keenly at the captive. He ducked his head, his lips drawn into a straight line, his eyes covered with his overgrown bangs so they could only see only the white portion of his eyes through it.“Good, bring him in.”The guard pushed open the interrogation room. A person inside could not see or listen to what was outside. The captive was silent the whole time, his eyes still down, looking at the guard’s legs as he followed and another guard closely stalking behind. In the middle of the dim room, there was a light bulb just above the wooden table, the only source of light in that entire room, with two cha
Their dilemma wasn’t over just yet. They had to gain the approval of one more person before their wedding ceremony, and that was Jonathan’s mother, Josephine.Alexandra insisted on building a better relationship with her upset mother-in-law. If Jonathan could impress her fearsome and bull-headed father, then she could coax Jonathan’s mother into accepting them too.Before their wedding takes place, she wanted everyone’s blessings. Including Josaphine’s and she would not shy away from appeasing Josaphine to gain her goodwill.***The place was the classic American home. A porch, a long veranda, high rooftops, and a yard that was big as a children’s park. It seemed like Josephine liked to keep the place uncomplicated and clean.Jonathan’s mother, according to his words, was the finest cook in the world. A woman who liked to do her own chores and leave them to the housekeeper. Who dressed simply, loved handling household affairs, and went to church religiously every single Sunday and pra
The soft silk sheets rustled as Alexandra stretched her arm to cuddle her husband. Her core was still sore from the slow-burning, passionate sex they had all night long. Letting out a groan, she buried her face into his neck which was specked with dark stubble. Oh, how she loved his beard. The rough texture was so satisfying to caress, and the feel of a stubbled cheek grazing her between her thighs was simply titillating.As she draped her long leg around his waist, a sharp, needle-like pain shot in her womb.She lifted the duvet and to her panic; she saw two blots of bloodstains on the sheets, mocking her. Her breath shriveled up in her throat and a malaise emerged in her womb.Swinging her legs to the floor, she rushed to the bathroom and removed her panties, and inserted her finger inside her, coating them with warm blood.“You will never be a mother.” The devil hissed, drawing out its forked tongue. “You will never get back what you’ve lost.”Her hand flew to her mouth to prevent
Sunrays poured through the tall windows of the church’s bridal suite, giving the white room a golden touch. The ladies were all busy tending to the bride’s wedding dress.Evangeline could barely breathe withch her bosom caged in the tight corset. “I will die.” She wheezed, holding on to the vanity table.“Oh, you won’t! I will see to it.” Catherine said, determined to make the dress fit. It seemed perfect when they tried it out in the bridal boutique.“I will become the first person to die for fashion.” Evan joked.Alexandra laughed, listening to this as she flipped a glossy page of a fashion magazine. She closed it and approached Evan to see what was going on with the dress.“I think it would be better if we pinned it first,” Alexandra suggested.“Pass me the pin, dear,” Catherine said, holding the edges of the corset tight.Alexandra skimmed through the small box of safety pins and passed it to her mother. Catherine pressed the ends of the corset securely and pinned them together. “
TRIGGER WARNING: The following chapter may be upsetting to some viewers. It contains violence and gore.***Blackness leaked into Gabriel’s subconscious like thick tar, impeding him from registering his surroundings for a few minutes. He blinked off the bleary vision and discovered himself in a bleak chamber, tied up in a metal chair with ropes that bit into his skin. The only source of light was the pale yellow lightbulb hanging above his head.He felt brainless, as one would get when drunk on spirit. He tried to recall where he was before ending up in this place. At the police station, the officers had locked him up for several days and questioned him for evidence. The trial was still ongoing, but an anonymous bailed him, giving the officers a hefty amount to free him. Gabriel didn’t know anyone who loved him so much to bail him out of jail, even after being aware of what evils he did. The moment he got out of the police station, a masked, who had bailed him asked to join him to me
The steel door shut before Anastasia with a rude screech and an ear-splitting rhythm of metal against metal, resounding around the cell walls and into her ears like pinballs. Anastasia gripped the metal bars and squeezed herself against it. “How long will I be here?” She asked.“Until someone comes in here and bails you.” The forty-something-year-old blonde officer sneered.She had confessed all of her crimes to the police this morning and stupidly thought they would let her go home. Home? Where will she go? Mama didn’t want her anymore. Papa will soon be prosecuted for all the crimes he had done in his lifetime.Kameron probably didn’t want her anymore, since their marriage was incomplete. Silvano was her only way out of here. She hoped he would come and free her.If he still loved her.“You smell like periods.”It was then Anastasia realized she wasn’t alone. A brunette prostitute, who was past her prime, hunched in the corner on the bench, covering her knees around her arms. She wr
All the guests who had witnessed the scene gasped in dread. Some of them, including Merideth Parker and Thomas Clarke, ran for their lives, realizing it wasn't safe to be in the presence of this maniac who just shot his wife. The metal gun slipped from Gabriel’s hand, his face sagged and his eye enlarged out of its sockets, seeing his wife bleeding on the floor. “C-Cathie…”His legs immediately took him towards Catherine, but Kameron lunged forward and boxed him in the face, knocking him to the ground and pinning him to the floor.Anastasia clung to her Catherine and cried helplessly, not knowing what to do. Alexandra stood there and stared expressionlessly at her mother, whose blood spilled out of her body. Catherine fluttered her eyes to keep them open. The tears in her eyes made those honey-brown irises shine like topaz as she gazed at Alexandra.If she was to die, she wanted to do it seeing her oldest daughter whom she had wronged all these years.Silvano came up to them and drop
Alexandra’s fierce, amber eyes bore right into Anastasia, who was on the verge of passing out from the built-up anxiety. Her weak knees buckled and she could barely pull herself together. The bouquet fell, the roses scattered, and she stared back at her sister in horror at what was yet to come.Placing a black-gloved hand on her chest, Alexandra put on an apologetic expression and swept her gaze over the audience. “My sincere apologies for the interruption, ladies and gentlemen.”Gabriel stood up and stalked towards her, his face heavy with anger. “What the hell are you doing here?!”“Can’t you tell? I was invited.” Alexandra lifted her chin, a gesture of disdain.The deep red shade on Gabriel’s face paled when he turned towards Kameron, who had a devilish smirk upon seeing Alexandra. “My heartily welcome, Lady Alexandra.” Kameron greeted.The audience broke out into a cacophony of mutters and whispers. They looked at each other with perplexed faces. What was going on here? And why di
“Looks like our beautiful bride is ready.” Kameron’s ridiculing voice broke Anastasia from her trance. She looked back at the woman in the mirror. Her doe-like brown eyes had turned red after she had mourned the night away. She had never shed a single tear for her grandfather’s death, but now misery had plagued her ability to realize the outcome of her past deeds. No one can escape fate. No one. “I am-,” Her voice had died out. She couldn’t ignore the pain in her throat. “Save that for the vows,” Kameron warned. He approached for a closer look at his bride, whose eyes were still glued to herself in the mirror. It was then he realized how beautiful she looked in the ivory white wedding dress. The makeup artist concealed all the wounds and bruises he had given her under that makeup. Her eyes seemed so clear and pure. She resembled Catherine physically, but her personality leans on the contrary. She wasn’t brave, nor had she had the unwavering disposition