(ANASTASIA'S POINT OF VIEW)A month has passed since I discovered my biological father and lived with him, learning about the type of work he did and the people he associated with.I still wasn't able to call him dad; I wasn't prepared, or the word felt so wrong coming out of my mouth, and he understood just fine. In time, I would become accustomed to it, he said, but I just couldn't picture myself calling him dad. But it didn't matter if I called him Dad or not; he was still my father, and that was what mattered.In a month, I've blended in so well with the Grayson squad, as they called themselves, with Max as their leader. He was nice but a total man-whore which I had come to know since the first day I stepped into the mansion, and he had never tried to hide it, throwing parties five times a week that only included himself and his harems, as he called his girls."Are you prepared for your first mission as a Grayson?" Max winked at me as he entered his private basement, where the res
[ANASTASIA’S POINT OF VIEW]In order to celebrate our victory, we hit the nearest club. I sat on one of the bar stools, watching as the rest of the squads celebrated their victory, but it did not feel like a victory to me anymore, more like a defeat as I remembered the dread in Enzo's eyes, the pain in his expression.I’d always wanted him to show his emotions, and when he finally did, I couldn't seem to bear it. I'd complained that he was too blank, but tonight I wished he had remained blank and not revealed anything to me. Maybe he knew what those emotions would do to me, and that is why he had them all over his face; he knew they would haunt me for a long time.I closed my eyes, and my mind immediately replayed the events of an hour ago. I shivered as I shot him, thinking he was going to pull his own trigger, but he didn't, and he never planned to. But what if my bullet had hit somewhere else, perhaps his chest?Suddenly, my mind conjured up an image of Enzo lying in his pool of bl
(ENZO'S POINT OF VIEW)The more I looked at the pills in my hand, the more I wanted to listen to the voices in my head telling me to throw them out on the balcony I was on.My hands began to tremble a little, the voice in my head grew louder, and the memory flashes became more intense with each minute that went by without me taking the pills.I held onto the balcony railing as my wrist veins began to show, my breathing became slightly labored, and I noticed sweat dripping from my forehead.I took a breath and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, the surroundings had changed, and I had returned to the scene of my mother's death.I saw how the bastard smashed the bottle on her head and how she fell to the ground, a teardrop rolling down the corner of her eyes, mixing with the blood on the floor as she stared directly at me.Her eyes screamed for help, but by the time I reached out, it was too late; she was gone, and I was still unable to save her. I watched as the bastard laughed
(KHIONE'S POINT OF VIEW)Giovanni's eyes screamed with rage as he left his father's side and entered through the balcony entrance.I shook my head, clutching Enzo tighter, but this only fueled his rage as he roughly grabbed my wrist and yanked me to my feet."Let go of me!" I struggled, my gaze returning to Enzo, who was now cowering at the edge like a kicked puppy. My heart ached at the sight. I reached out, but Giovanni drew me to his chest, and I met his angry blue eyes. "You just don't freaking listen, do you?"He did not wait for my response before dragging me out of the balcony, despite my protests, and he did not stop until we were in the four corners of my bedroom.I yanked my hand away from his grasp. "Give me a fucking break!""I told you to stay in your fucking room. You are not allowed to step out whatsoever!" Jw erupted in rage, which was visible in the swelling of his shoulders and chest.I gave him a hard stare. You do not have the right to order me around, Giovanni; I
[KHIONE’S POINT OF VIEW]Giovanni simply did not know when to stop, and when I anticipated him to leave me alone, he did the opposite, possibly to annoy me, by walking into my room the next morning, grabbing me by the wrist, and hauling me out of my bedroom.I went with him ungrudgingly, feeling too drained from last night's barney to start a new one. I said nothing as we entered the dining area.He finally released his grip on my wrist and motioned for a chair while giving me a look that implied I must sit down. I sighed, took a seat, and maintained an expression of indifference toward the table. He went to the chair across from me and clapped his hands twice, and two maids rushed over with two trays of food, placing them on the table in front of me. I gave the food a chary look before lifting my head and raising an eyebrow at Giovanni. “What is the meaning of this?” In a snide tone, I inquired. “You reportedly skipped breakfast this morning and last night's dinner, according to th
(ENZO'S POINT OF VIEW)Antipsychotic drugs—I remember the first time I started taking them. It was a year after I was aborted by Sandrino when he realized perhaps the blood he smelled on me wasn't as normal as he thought. I started taking these pills at 16.They kept the voice at bay; they suppressed the unyielding desire for chaos; they were the only thing that made me human and not want the entire world to bleed, but what if I threw them out?I stepped into the bathroom, heading to the toilet with a bottle of newly supplied pills. My eyes flitted back and forth between the pills and the toilet as I stood in front of it.Human? What was the point of trying to feel human when I wasn't? Perhaps I was supposed to be insane, to be mentally ill. Maybe if I had not been trying so hard to be something I wasn't, I could have avoided the emotions, but regret was one thing I did not do. I never look back on my decisions. But what if I did not need these pills to function as a human being?I re
[KHIONE’S POINT OF VIEW]I noticed the restaurant I was in was getting less and less crowded as I looked around. When I turned on my phone, I discovered that the person I was expecting was 10 minutes late. I tsked and grabbed my soda off the table before sipping it. However, I noticed the door opening, and there stood the person I had been waiting for.She looked different.She wore a white dress shirt under a denim vest, black tights, brown ankle-length boots, and glasses. She smiled and waved as she walked up to me, her brown hair bouncing on her shoulders and her hips confidently moving from side to side. She didn't have or show that when she was in the mansion, or it was as she claimed, I never knew her.She came over to the table I was sitting at and took the empty chair in front of me. "I am sorry for keeping you waiting; I got caught up in something." She removed her glasses, revealing dark bags beneath her eyes. "Wow, Anastasia, you looked tired," I observed, and she nodded.
(KHIONE'S POINT OF VIEW)I sighed as the driver pulled up in front of Mezzesalmas' mansion. I locked my gaze on the driver through the glass. "Giovanni can never know I never went to the hospital; do you understand?"Once he nodded, I stepped out of the car and went in through the front door. I noticed the house was empty of the Mezzelsalmas as I stepped into the elevator, which took me to Giovanni's floor since that was where my new room was.Once the elevator opened with a beep, I stepped out and waltzed towards my door without glancing at Giovanni's room; however, I retreated and stood at the front of his door instead. Was he inside? I needed to make certain that he had no idea I had not gone to the hospital as I had told him this morning. With a nod to myself, I grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open. "Giova-"I paused at the call of his name at the scene I walked into. I froze at the door as Giovanni and whoever was under him swerved towards me."What the fuck, Khione!"