Without taking her eyes off of him, Ellaya managed to break free from him she stepped back, averting her gaze from Iden again, before turning to open the door as Austin stood grinning and holding a bouquet. Iden glanced at him and then at Ellaya, furrowing his brows and puckering his lips before turning and walking away.Austin brought Ellaya a bouquet, which she put in a vase before going outside with him. "Who was that man?" While seated in the driver's seat, Austin inquired."He is Mr. Raun's assistant". She answered while glancing at his room's window.He gave her a frown but said nothing. "What is wrong?". She asked, flinching her eyes at him."Somewhere, I think I may have seen him?""Where?""I am not sure, I mean I cannot recall right now, let's go and forget about him". He cranked the engine and made no further attempt to bring up the subject.She was greeted by the group of hotel's managers and all of his hotel employees in an upscale hotel." Welcome, Miss Stone, we ar
"What" he gripped her tighter "Ellaya, this is the first time someone has touched you, which is why you are feeling this way. It is fine, everything will be fine; you will get used to it." He held her face and attempted to kiss her, but was thrown to the ground before he could even do so.Iden took hold of his color, pulled him, and punched him once more.HOW. DARE. YOU. MOTHER. FUCKER . Kapow, he struck him, furious.Austin regained consciousness after a moment and struck him in the chest, causing him to stumble back. As Iden's shadow bodyguard pointed their gun at Austin from a distance, he lifted his eyebrows and motioned for them to stay out of his way. Austine charged him once more, grinning and wiping the blood from his lower lip, but Iden blocked the blow and struck instead. "Did you not hear what she said?" KAPOW"She does not want you to touch her you mother fucker" . KAPOW"She does not want to marry you a fucking bastard". KAPOW"How the fuck you dare touch her, you fucki
Ellaya woke up the following morning to her phone ringing nonstop. Glancing away from her sleep, she extended her hand to grab her phone. Her phone exploded as soon as she pressed the green button, and a sharp voice called out from the other side "Ellaya, how did it happen and why were you not in contact with us last night?" Her mother's stern voice sounded in her ear, confusing her. "Mama, what happened and what I did not tell you?" her confused brows knit."Oh my sweetheart, I know you do not want your parents to worry, but please don't; everything will work out just fine. I wish I could be with you right now.""Mama..." she was interrupted."You are a star; you just need to control your image. It is okay, my darling, do not cry so much."Ellaya was staring at her phone, unable to make sense of what her mother was saying or what was happening. Her voice came through as she put her phone back to her ear."Austine's parents will be arriving shortly, so you can go and relax.Oh, my s
"Ellaya, are you ready?" Iden grabbed her arms and looked at her, concerned.Ellaya nodded her head and pressed her lips firmly. Two women assisting her in handling her gown, and the other two helping her with her microphone.Her naturally purple hair, worn loose, complemented her purple long gown perfectly, bringing out the brilliant purple in her eyes. Iden told her that she looked like the most beautiful woman in the world and forbade her from using any artificial lenses or makeup to cover up her natural skin tone and hair colors. Her pink skin was glowing with a hint of shiny makeup. And there she stood looking like a goddess."Ellaya" Iden said, gazing into her purple eyes, "You do not have to be nervous okay.""All I am worried about is that they might think I am endorsing a cartoon character at this charity event, or that they might throw tomatoes and rotten eggs at me for looking like a purple princess". Ellaya repeated her statement nth time while biting her inner cheek.Iden
She turned to look around; she could only hear screams and loud footsteps in the empty hallway. She slowly walked while holding her gown and trying to make sense of what was going on. The farther she walked, the more distinct the creams and heavy footsteps were. She looked around for people but was unable to locate even one. She picked up her pace quickly but was startled by a burning smell that she could not identify. She was terrified and wanted to enter the party hall, but a thick cloud of smoke obscured her vision, making it feel burning. She wondered where the cloud of smoke was coming from as she turned to look at her left and saw a huge flame shoot out of one of the guest rooms. She felt the flames roar angrily towards her face and fell down with a scream, avoiding a near-death experience. She realized the hotel was on fire, she broke out into a cold sweat "The hotel is on fire, shit, shit, oh god, please save us". She muttered. She knew she had to flee, but her body w
His phone had rung multiple times previously, but he had decided to ignore it and watch her perform. After she finished, he left and went outside to the garden, where he lit a cigarette and dialed the number. Kaito had been explaining to him how the Russian mafia had invaded their territory; during the attack, over ten soldiers were killed, but they were able to capture three of their men alive, who were now in his custody. "How much time will it take, man?" Frustrated, Kaito asked"Do not kill them in your fret already, Kai, keep them alive until I return".Moments passed in silence before Kaito answered, "Yes."He was aware of Kaito's prolonged silence, which was likely an attempt to maintain composure. He loved his people the most, and his weakness was that he could not keep his cool; he lost it easily. Kaito was a short-tempered and ignorant individual. He needed to finish his business here and return as soon as possible if he did not want Kaito to kill them and rush to the Rus
"Ellaya Wake up, you lazy head. How long are you going to sleep?" A gentle voice kept repeating in her head. She tried hard to open her eyes, but everything was blurry. She closed them, forcing hard, and then opened them again, only to find everything white.'Is this place heaven? No, I cannot be in heaven because I have not done anything good to deserve it. It might be hell, but how would I find out if I asked someone?' She tilted her head and saw nothing but white walls and darkness. She blinked several times to clear her vision, and now she could see a table and a sofaâeverything earthly. With confused gaze.Her face was filled with pain. A voice spoke again in her head "I died without telling him that I started to fall in love with him. Did he also die in a fire? "The fire" was so painful. "Iden.." with a scream, she abruptly sat up on the bed. "Iden..." She looked around, her eyes watering, and began to cry. She felt as though someone was holding her heart in tight grip, she bit
There was an eerie silence in the ward, not a single sound could be heard, and Ellaya was restless because she was alone. It had been hours since Iden left to finish his important work. She was incredibly bored as she fiddled with her fingers. She was starving and could not leave the hospital room. When she closed her eyes, all she saw was his stunning face as it rose from the fire, embracing her and addressing her by name. She snapped open her eyes as the door opened and she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. When a pair of black shiny shoes appeared in front of her, her gaze shifted from the shoes to the well-built body to the breathtaking handsome face. Iden hurled a paper bag onto the table next to her and collapsed onto the couch, drained "Hmm! what is this?" Ellaya closed her eyes and hummed as she lifted the paper bag to her nose and inhaled the mouthwatering aroma of the food. She repeatedly inhaled the delicious aroma of the meal, then opened her eye
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 collarâa 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 eyesâcold, ruthlessâlocked on Iden like a scope lining up its mark. Without a word, Kai kicked the manâs legs out. He collapsed at Idenâs feet in a graceless heap. Silence held its breath. Then a weak, hoarse cry spilled from the manâs throat. He trembled, unable to meet Idenâs eyes. âHaving fun, Danny?â Angeloâs voice sliced through the stillness, low and mocking as he crouched beside the man. A cruel smile twisted his lips. âDidnât expect t
âThis is the video we pulled,â 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. âYou sewer rat! You donât belong here! You shouldâve died in the gutter you crawled out of!â Her finger jabbed toward his face, trembling. âYouâre dirt-poorâand thatâs exactly what you deserve! You should die like the scum you are!â Then, louderâeach syllable laced with venom: âYouâre poorâand thatâs all youâll ever be. Die in it.â Idenâs jaw locked. He didnât blink. Couldnât. His stomach twisted into a slow, suffocating knot. Heâd seen this video so many times, it was seared into his memory. Burned in rage. It was the reason he hated herâor tried to. Failed to. But this clip, this moment... it was the beginning of everything. He had sworn over his friendâs grave to destroy her. And he didâmasterfully. âSheâs yelling at Leo,â Angelo said. âThatâs what the clip shows. And we all believ
She smirked as she shoved a stray book off her lap. âYou knowâĶ you donât have to be the Don. You can just be who you are.â Iden tilted his head slightly, lips twitching into a faint smileâsmall, but real. âYouâre the only one who gets to say that.â And in that momentâgrief shadowing his eyes, the scent of blood still faint on his shirtâhe smiled. He rubbed her hair playfully, gently mussing the strands like he used to when they were kids. âReally?â she grinned, sitting cross-legged on her bed. âOkayâĶ if you say so. But I can tell you mine.â She beamed, reaching for a thick leather diary. âI used to keep memos, you know? Iâd write down everything I enjoyed. The places I loved, food I liked, people I met. Kinda old school.â Iden sat down beside her, intrigued despite himself. Her glittering eyesâso full of lifeâreminded 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 smokeâslipping through fingers, vanishing before they could be held. Time didnât move forward; it bled. Minutes dragged like hours, and weeks collapsed in on themselves. Iden didnât sleep. He didnât 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 chestâloud, 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 wasnât listed among the dead. But she wasnât among the living either. She was missing. And Iden knewâdeep in the part of his soul that still burned for herâshe was alive. Hidi
The room was breathtakingâpaneled 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 Ellayaâs breath. A woman with wild purple hair and luminous skin smiled down at them. Her eyesâfamiliar, hauntingâseemed 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 lighterâfreer. 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 manâmid-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 womanâs arms curled around the infant like a shield. The babyâĶ was her. There was no mistaking it. Ellaya stagge
Ellaya didnât remember when they moved her. One moment, she was in her cellâcracked 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 wasnât given for madnessâit was fed to it. You werenât treated. You were drowned. The asylum was never quiet. Men laughed at the ceiling. Women whispered to the walls. Eyes followed herâhungry, hollow. Human only in name. She didnât scream. Didnât fight. She just watched. Watched them drag limp bodies behind rusted doors marked âTREATMENT.â Watched them come back quieter. Emptier. Sometimes not at all. They said she was dangerous. Deranged. A monster in a pretty shell. She didnât correct them. Let them think she was mad. Let them forget she existed. At least then, no one expected her to survive. Sheâd already buried herself inside. What was left to
The room hummed with tension. Blue light from dozens of monitors painted ghostly shapes across Angeloâs 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. âEverythingâs set,â Kai reported, voice clipped. âCameras, medics, chopper in the air. Our men are spread across the asylum. She's walking into the lionâs mouth.â 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 shadowsâpatients, 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 planâcold, calculated, inhumaneâwas 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. âSheâs deteriorating. Fast. The hallucinations are getting worse.âBut Iden, arms folded and gaze fixed on the monitor, wasnât convinced the drugs were fully to blame. âOr maybe itâs not the meds,â he said quietly. âMaybe itâs just her pastâĶ clawing its way out.ââDoes it matter?â Kai muttered. âSheâs breaking. Thatâs the goal.âIt didnât 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 wasâsitting on the cold
*If she chooses never to return to your lifeâĶ youâll let her go.* The words dug into Idenâs 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 didnât move. Not even to blink. "Princess..." The word escaped his lips in a breathless raspâmore 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 didnât helpâthe guilt still rose like bile. "Iâm the fucking monster, Laaya," he muttered, fist tightening in the bedsheet. "You shouldâve avoided me. Hid from me. Run as far as you could."