Ellaya's world was in turmoil. Each day felt like a storm, with every moment echoing Iden's absence. His silence wrapped around her like a suffocating shroud, leaving her gasping for answers. Desperation gripped her as she dialed his number, only to be met with the deafening void of unanswered calls. Seated before a mirror, Ellaya gazed at her reflection. The woman staring back had eyes like amethyst orbs, wide and hauntingly deep. Cascading waves of dark hair with a mystical purple sheen framed a face that defied convention. Her complexion, a delicate shade of baby pink, hinted at otherworldly origins. In the mirror's gaze, she saw a being that transcended mere humanity. It was a face marked by whispers of ancient power and forbidden allure. Inside, emotions roiled—anguish, defiance, and a fierce longing for acceptance. Her form spoke of a silent struggle against judgment and isolation. The reflection before her was not merely a woman; she was a paradox. In her mother's words, a d
Ellaya refrained from stopping her or asking more, feeling a sense of unease. Memories of recent events flooded back, creating tension in the air. She guided him to their room and helped him onto the bed. Gently, she removed his shoes, socks, and tie, tenderly wiping his face with a damp cloth. As her hand brushed his cheek, he grasped it, locking eyes with her. The intensity in his gaze sent shivers down her spine. He held her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as he drew her closer, his gaze focused intently on her face, examining every detail. With his other hand, he caressed her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath his touch. She closed her eyes briefly, then met his intense look once more. Running his fingers through her hair, he pulled her nearer, his scent mingling with the faint tang of alcohol, enveloping her in a daze. The world around them faded into a blur as they breathed in sync, their desire palpable in the air. The warmth of his palm against her skin creat
In a tense room thick with apprehension, the man's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "I'll ask you this one final time, my dear princess. Who is Leo?" His words hung in the air, heavy with expectation and a hint of danger. Her eyes snapped from his hand to his gaze. His expression was eerily composed—too composed—which only hinted at the storm brewing within him. Uncertainty clouded her mind as she shook her head, faltering, "I... I don't know." Beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead, her heart racing as if desperate to break free from her chest. A pulsating ache throbbed in her temple, and her breaths came in short gasps. Almost instantly, a barrage of photos flew towards her, grazing her skin as they scattered across the bed and floor. Among the chaos, her gaze locked onto one of the fallen pictures. Shock contorted her features, her eyes widening in horror. One burning question echoed in her thoughts: how? How did he find out? His next inquiry snapped her back t
Ellaya moved with deliberate grace, the clinking of dishes softly counterpointing the morning stillness. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the room, mingling with the scent of warm pastries. Iden's gaze bore into her, his body tense, betraying the storm brewing within. As he sipped his coffee, the ceramic cup clinked against the saucer, harsh against the quiet tension. His eyes, dark pools of emotion, followed her with an intensity that made her skin prickle with unease. The silence between them was heavy with unspoken words, each gesture laden with meaning. After their latest confrontation, he didn't leave the house. Instead, he sought refuge in the guest room. Anger boiled inside him, driving him to smash everything in sight. Despite hating to waste money, he took out his frustration on the furniture. Each blow was intense, showing his inner turmoil. The room echoed with his destruction. From the adjacent bedroom came muffled cries, fueling his rage even more. Breaki
Fuck the marriage. Fuck the damn woman Fuck this feeling. It was the fifth bottle of whiskey—maybe rum or vodka, who knew? The burn, the goddamn burn, was still there. He tried to soothe it with alcohol, but the more he drank, the more the unbearable fire engulfed him. It was an inferno that never dimmed, swallowing him whole. His coat jacket was thrown somewhere in the corner, necktie dangling loosely, shirt buttons ripped and lost. His disheveled hair mirrored his total mess of a state. His phone rang, and for a second, he wished it was her—the woman who had turned his world upside down. At first, he married her for revenge, to show her what poverty felt like, to make her realize the sting of broken trust, to leave her surrounded by people yet utterly alone in darkness. To make her feel heartbreak. But now, whatever was happening was totally different from what he had planned. He didn't know when and how he had fallen into the dark grave he had dug for her. Not only was sh
Ellaya wiped her tears as she exited the washroom, trying to regain her composure. Her eyes were red and puffy, evidence of the emotional storm she had just endured. She took a deep breath, hoping to steady herself, when she was suddenly startled by a voice. "Hello, rockstar." The deep, husky male voice came from the shadows. Ellaya looked up, her eyes narrowing. The man seemed familiar, but she couldn't place him. He had long hair tied neatly, and he was extremely handsome. "Had a rough night, I see?" The voice carried a hint of mockery. Ellaya saw the man leaning against the wall, arms crossed and smirking at her. His dark eyes seemed to pierce right through her, making her feel even more vulnerable. She tried to mask her emotions, but the pain was still evident in her eyes. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. Kaito pushed himself off the wall and took a step closer, his smirk never wavering. "Just here to enjoy the party, like everyone else. B
Iden's knuckles turned white as he cranked the wheel at the upcoming bend, but the car careened ahead, unyielding to his desperate pressure on the brakes. An unfamiliar terror clawed its way up his chest, betraying the battle-hardened warrior within him. This wasn't a battlefield with enemy fire; this was a different kind of war, one where his allies' lives hung precariously in the balance. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his jaw clenched in determination, and his eyes widened with raw fear, a stark contrast to the steely resolve usually etched on his face. Iden had always been a warrior, unflinching in the face of battles and bullets, his resolve unwavering even in the shadow of death. Yet today, a different kind of fear seized him, one that clawed at his insides with icy fingers. It was not his own life he feared for, but for the women who stood beside him. The weight of the promise he had made to his dear friend pressed down on him, a solemn vow to protect Annabel at all costs.
Sitting rigidly in the car, Ellaya watched in horror as her husband, holding her best friend, jumped out, leaving her utterly alone in the speeding vehicle. Her face lost all color, and her body shivered uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her cheeks like raindrops, and her grip tightened around the car seat as fear crept into her bones, sending chills down her spine. Her fingers trembled as she grabbed the handle of the car door, contemplating jumping out to save her own life. But as if something shifted within her, she dropped the idea. She retreated, folding her legs to her chest and hugging them tightly, hiding her face between her knees as if shielding herself from impending harm. She felt cold and numb, her mind unable to process anything but her past—her abusive and manipulative parents, her struggles in childhood to live a normal life, her desperate craving for parental love, and then Iden, who had entered her life like a sweet melody. Everything had seemed surreal at th
A gust of wind tore through the room, sweeping papers off the desk like shreds of the past being ripped into the present. Kai stood in the doorway, chest heaving, drenched in sweat. One hand dragged a man by the collar—a mangled heap of flesh and bone. The man's face was grotesque, beaten to a pulp, barely conscious. Blood dripped steadily from his nose, painting a red trail behind them like a signature of vengeance. Arthur followed, silent as thunder before the strike. His fists were clenched so tightly the knuckles bled white. His eyes—cold, ruthless—locked on Iden like a scope lining up its mark. Without a word, Kai kicked the man’s legs out. He collapsed at Iden’s feet in a graceless heap. Silence held its breath. Then a weak, hoarse cry spilled from the man’s throat. He trembled, unable to meet Iden’s eyes. “Having fun, Danny?” Angelo’s voice sliced through the stillness, low and mocking as he crouched beside the man. A cruel smile twisted his lips. “Didn’t expect t
“This is the video we pulled,” Angelo said, turning the laptop toward Iden. He hit play. Young Ellaya hurled a glass of wine at Leo. Her voice sliced through the air like a blade. “You sewer rat! You don’t belong here! You should’ve died in the gutter you crawled out of!” Her finger jabbed toward his face, trembling. “You’re dirt-poor—and that’s exactly what you deserve! You should die like the scum you are!” Then, louder—each syllable laced with venom: “You’re poor—and that’s all you’ll ever be. Die in it.” Iden’s jaw locked. He didn’t blink. Couldn’t. His stomach twisted into a slow, suffocating knot. He’d seen this video so many times, it was seared into his memory. Burned in rage. It was the reason he hated her—or tried to. Failed to. But this clip, this moment... it was the beginning of everything. He had sworn over his friend’s grave to destroy her. And he did—masterfully. “She’s yelling at Leo,” Angelo said. “That’s what the clip shows. And we all believ
She smirked as she shoved a stray book off her lap. “You know… you don’t have to be the Don. You can just be who you are.” Iden tilted his head slightly, lips twitching into a faint smile—small, but real. “You’re the only one who gets to say that.” And in that moment—grief shadowing his eyes, the scent of blood still faint on his shirt—he smiled. He rubbed her hair playfully, gently mussing the strands like he used to when they were kids. “Really?” she grinned, sitting cross-legged on her bed. “Okay… if you say so. But I can tell you mine.” She beamed, reaching for a thick leather diary. “I used to keep memos, you know? I’d write down everything I enjoyed. The places I loved, food I liked, people I met. Kinda old school.” Iden sat down beside her, intrigued despite himself. Her glittering eyes—so full of life—reminded him of someone else. Someone who once laughed shyly and smiled like an idiot. Ellaya. His gaze drifted from his sister to the window, where night pressed it
Days passed like smoke—slipping through fingers, vanishing before they could be held. Time didn’t move forward; it bled. Minutes dragged like hours, and weeks collapsed in on themselves. Iden didn’t sleep. He didn’t eat. He sat in silence, trapped in his own mind, spiraling deeper into a storm of memories and questions. The moon became his only witness. Some nights, he watched the stars, others, the rain. Most nights, he simply stared into the void, heart thundering beneath skin that no longer felt like his own. A storm churned in his chest—loud, endless, and hungry. He saw her face in every shadow. Heard her voice in every silence. Her scent still clung to his lungs like smoke from a fire he could never put out. It had been a week since the blast. A week of searching. A week without answers. She wasn’t listed among the dead. But she wasn’t among the living either. She was missing. And Iden knew—deep in the part of his soul that still burned for her—she was alive. Hidi
The room was breathtaking—paneled in dark mahogany, steeped in the scent of old paper and aged wood. Floor-to-ceiling shelves held leather-bound books, their spines gilded and cracked with time. But it was the massive oil painting that stole Ellaya’s breath. A woman with wild purple hair and luminous skin smiled down at them. Her eyes—familiar, haunting—seemed to follow Ellaya across the room. She froze. The resemblance was undeniable. Same striking bone structure. Same purple irises. But the woman in the painting looked lighter—freer. Her smile held none of the weight Ellaya carried. None of the pain. Photos cluttered every surface. In one, the woman stood beside a tall, devastatingly handsome man—mid-laugh, hand wrapped around her waist. Their wedding photo. They looked hopelessly in love. Another showed them cradling a baby. The man's eyes brimmed with pride. The woman’s arms curled around the infant like a shield. The baby… was her. There was no mistaking it. Ellaya stagge
Ellaya didn’t remember when they moved her. One moment, she was in her cell—cracked walls, the stench of sweat and rusted iron, a tray of untouched food rotting in the corner. The next, she woke in hell. Not the metaphorical kind. The real one. The kind where screaming and silence existed in the same breath. Where punishment wasn’t given for madness—it was fed to it. You weren’t treated. You were drowned. The asylum was never quiet. Men laughed at the ceiling. Women whispered to the walls. Eyes followed her—hungry, hollow. Human only in name. She didn’t scream. Didn’t fight. She just watched. Watched them drag limp bodies behind rusted doors marked “TREATMENT.” Watched them come back quieter. Emptier. Sometimes not at all. They said she was dangerous. Deranged. A monster in a pretty shell. She didn’t correct them. Let them think she was mad. Let them forget she existed. At least then, no one expected her to survive. She’d already buried herself inside. What was left to
The room hummed with tension. Blue light from dozens of monitors painted ghostly shapes across Angelo’s office. Cables tangled like veins across the floor, machines blinked like they were breathing. The sharp scent of hot metal, sweat, and cigarette smoke hung thick in the air. “Everything’s set,” Kai reported, voice clipped. “Cameras, medics, chopper in the air. Our men are spread across the asylum. She's walking into the lion’s mouth.” Iden stepped into the room, slow and silent. This was the war room. It looked like one. A place where lives were traded, decisions signed in blood. He moved to the center of the chaos, eyes drawn to the wall of screens. Every angle of the massive asylum flickered in shaky grain. Corridors lined with flickering lights. Rooms filled with twitching shadows—patients, doctors, ghosts. The asylum was a tomb disguised as a hospital. Built on illegal records and rotting experiments. A hellhole. A cover for human trafficking, organ harvesting, un
It had been a week. And their plan—cold, calculated, inhumane—was working.The medication laced into her system had done more than sedate her. It blurred the edges of time, pulling her into hallucinations stitched from trauma and shadows. She saw things that never happened. Heard voices that whispered lies in familiar tones. Faces from the past flickered before her eyes, only to vanish like smoke. And when she spoke, it was to people long gone.Kai gave the daily reports, short and clinical. “She’s deteriorating. Fast. The hallucinations are getting worse.”But Iden, arms folded and gaze fixed on the monitor, wasn’t convinced the drugs were fully to blame. “Or maybe it’s not the meds,” he said quietly. “Maybe it’s just her past… clawing its way out.”“Does it matter?” Kai muttered. “She’s breaking. That’s the goal.”It didn’t sit right with Iden. Nothing about this did. But the truth was, it was working.His eyes locked on the screen in front of him. There she was—sitting on the cold
*If she chooses never to return to your life… you’ll let her go.* The words dug into Iden’s chest like nails, each syllable burrowing beneath skin and bone until all that remained was a hollow ache. His mother's voice echoed long after she was gone, like a ghost haunting the edges of his sanity. He collapsed backward onto the bed, limbs flung carelessly like a marionette with severed strings. His arm dangled limply off the edge. The bedsheet twisted under him, bunching like the knots in his chest. His eyes didn’t move. Not even to blink. "Princess..." The word escaped his lips in a breathless rasp—more of a ghost than a name. *You are my knight in shining armor, my hero.* "I'm not," he choked, barely above a whisper. "I never was." His throat tightened. He swallowed hard, but it didn’t help—the guilt still rose like bile. "I’m the fucking monster, Laaya," he muttered, fist tightening in the bedsheet. "You should’ve avoided me. Hid from me. Run as far as you could."