[KHIONE’S POINT OF VIEW]It was gone.My baby was gone.I placed my hand on my stomach, and it was flat; I could no longer feel my growing stomach. It was all gone.I burst into tears as the void in my stomach was suddenly filled with crushing, empty pain. The pain and grief deluged me; it was too much for me to bear, and all I could do was cry. At that moment, I felt broken and lost, unable to understand how I had let this happen. My baby was gone, and it was all my fault. More tears streamed down my cheeks, and my sobs echoed in the hospital room, where I found myself when I opened my eyes—isolated and broken.*^*Time flew by, and I had no idea how long I had spent on the bed crying my eyes out until I felt like every tear in my eyes had dried up, and now I felt numb as I gawked blankly at the white and bright ceiling. And I did not move when I heard the door open and a chair being dragged to the side of my bed or when the shadow of someone sitting cast me on. I didn't move a mu
[ANASATSIA’S POINT OF VIEW]-TWO MONTHS LATER-Time flew by when you did not want it to, faster than any rollercoaster, and before I knew it, two months had passed.I stood before the Mezzesalma, a hoodie over my head and my hands tucked into the pockets of my sweater as I stared at the mansion. After months of being away, it still looked the same, except it looked like there was now a dark cloud over it.Possibly due to the fact that everything had changed. Following the passing of his father, Enzo assumed leadership of the Mezzesalma Empire and established a solid reputation in the underworld. If he had previously been referred to as the devil's son, he was now the devil.He was feared by the populace as though he were a ticking time bomb or a walking plague. My head hung low in desolation as I realized they had triumphed in turning him into what they wanted. He had transformed into the weapon that would expand their empire just as they wanted. And I missed him.I missed him so m
[ANASTASIA’S POINT OF VIEW]I remained, pacing from one corner of Enzo's room. It had been hours since the soldiers threw me in here like some pile of trash, laughed at my face, and walked off. But Enzo had yet to arrive.This was exactly what I wanted, so why was I feeling so anxiously overwhelmed? It was probably because nothing good was going to happen the moment Enzo walked into this room. I sat on the bed, hugging my knees to my chest and concealing my face beneath my hoodie. I was prepared to take anything just to be this close to him, but he wouldn’t kill me, would he? I gulped and hugged my knees tighter.Again, time flew by, and I didn't know how long I sat in that position, but finally, I heard the sound of the door opening, and when I lifted my head, Enzo walked in aesthetically.He did not look me in the eyes as he removed his wristwatch and upper jacket, leaving him in his white sleeves that he carefully folded to his elbow, and then, like lightning, his eyes struck me
[ANASATSIA’S POINT OF VIEW]I woke up with blood all over the sheets, but I could not tell where it was coming from because my entire body ached and throbbed like my skin was peeled off. I hugged the bedsheets to my sheet and wrapped my arms around my knees to my chest, ignoring how my body screamed for mercy as the previous night's events flashed through my mind.He didn't stop when I told him to, but what did I expect? My eyes welled up with tears as I remembered how merciless he was; he knew I was in pain, but he did not stop until I passed out.I blinked my tears away as the bathroom door opened, and Enzo emerged, wearing only sweatpants that looked good on his hips. He moved closer to the bed and tossed a pack of condoms in front of me. I gaped in horror at it before abruptly lifting my head to look at his face. "I am up for another round, darling. You passed out last night, which was not fun." He tsked, then sneered, an inhumane expression on his face.He didn't care that my
(ANASTASIA'S POINT OF VIEW)Enzo did not return until after midnight, and when he did, he was with a girl. From the bed, I watched as he slammed her back against the wall beside the bed and kissed down her neck while she giggled, probably relieved that Enzo was paying attention to her.The longer I watched, the more my heart felt like it was being sewn and pinched with needles. But I couldn’t take my gaze away as they moved from the wall to the couch, and he hovered over her, leaving a bite whenever his lips touched, while she worked to remove his upper coat, which was quickly discarded on the bed, and she began taking off his belt.W-was he going to fuck her when I was watching? The thought hit me like a ton of bricks in the chest, and when his eyes met mine, I knew exactly what he was thinking.He wanted me to watch it. And that was cruel."Let's move over to the bed, babe." The girl purred, and they got off the couch and moved closer to the bed.I almost decided to leave, but he
[ANASATSIA'S POINT OF VIEW]-Three Weeks Later-I could only cry as I washed the blood off my body. The more places my hand touched, the louder I sobbed from pain.My palms were bleeding from old and new wounds that were not treated, yet new ones were being added every day. Even though the water from the shower was warm, I shivered in a cold sweat as I thought about how many times my palms had been cut, how many times he had used the leather whip on my skin—it was supposed to be a source of pleasure, but every time he did, I only felt pain—and how many times I had bled during sex—perhaps something had broken inside of me, but he did not seem to care. He remained indifferent.Everywhere in my body hurt to the point where I felt like dying; I wanted to die because I felt like my body wouldn't be able to take it anymore.He was inhumane, and he had proven it, but if he wanted me to fight or flee, I wasn't going to do it, no matter how much it hurt. Once I stepped out of the shower, I d
]ANASATSIA'S POINT OF VIEW]Five days later, my injuries were healing properly, and no new ones had been inflicted yet.I smiled and bit into my apple, rethinking how caring Enzo had been. Given how much pain he had caused me over the previous few weeks, I knew I was being foolish, but I also knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to return. And the single act of caring made my heart swell with warmth.When I heard the door open, I reeled my head to the door, and the smile on my face faded as Rue walked in. I averted my gaze as I continued biting into my apple. "What brings you here, Rue?" I inquired casually. "If you have come to find out if I am dead, I am sorry to disappoint." I shifted my gaze to her. She was now standing at the foot of the bed. If looks could kill, I would have been dead the moment she ambled into the room."You think you’ve won?"I shrugged. "If you consider this a fight, I think I have won. But we all know you've already lost even before I came, s
(RUE'S POINT OF VIEW)At the age of 17, I witnessed the most brutal and inhumane deaths of my parents. They also watched as I was sexually assaulted by seven different men, after which I watched as their bodies burned.I was prepared to burn alongside them as I lay there covered in blood, sweat, and tears but he showed up with his men.He saved me and gave me hope for the future, and with him by my side and holding my hand, I worked harder and healed faster, but I also fell in love, which he dismissed as an obsession.I scoffed at the thought. Perhaps he was right, or perhaps he was wrong. Was it wrong to desire someone so intensely that you were willing to destroy everything and everyone to have them? I wanted him that badly, but he never gave me the same glance. To him, I was just a helpless girl he saved from being burned alive with her parents’ corpsesHowever, nobody was interested in my story or curious about how I managed to survive or how I suffered. It was as if my story had