Adele parked her vintage Ford pickup truck in front of her small store, and relaxed before turning off that old rusty engine. A twenty-six-year-old model and her father's first vehicle, her first gift to Adele. She looked at herself in the rearview mirror before elevating her chest with more oxygen. "Today will be a good day," she declared to herself. Her eyes docked on her store display board to read: FLOWER FETISH - A flower shows love. Before her was the store built by her parents with love and care.Her mother died when she was five, leaving three of them alone.After some time, her father decided to marry again for the sake of the girls. And there, Adele's stepmother entered her life. She often struggled to get love from her stepmother, but never received the attention she desired. Soon, the woman gave birth to a son, which made Alede’s dad happier than ever. Sadly, her stepmother never loved her daughters as her own. Her focus was to entice her husband and love her only son.
“Hello, I am Adele,” she introduced herself. Mr. Vincent’s eyes widened, looking at her. “Sorry, come again.” “I am Adele, from Flower Fetish,” Adele smiled as she extended her confirmation mail. “Oh, yes,” Mr. Vincent replied. “Will you be comfortable helping us to decorate?” “We are in a bit of a hurry...” “Excuse me, Mr. Vincent, please give us two minutes,” Blaise mustered an urgent smile and took Adele a few steps away from him. “What are you saying?” “But we are here to deliver the flowers, not to decorate,” Blaise clutched Adele’s hand as she whispered. “It’s ok. They need our help.” “Look around. Do you think we will get another chance to come here?” Blaise shrugged. “But..” “Come on, let’s enjoy the view,” Blaise winked. “We are happy to help you. Mr. Vincent,” “Tell us from where we have to start?” Adele followed the lead. They started decorating the hall with white flowers. “This is mesmerizing,” Adele thought, looking at the light coming from a massive chand
Sitting across the charcoal table, Adele tried to calm her stress by fudging her finger.“How the hell do you think I will expect this proposal?” Adele thundered.“There is no need to shout, Miss Adele. We are giving you an option. This way, you can save your farm and shop,” the bank manager drawled. Adele took a sharp breath. The options given by the manager were not official but could help her save the only thing that belonged to her father.After a long silence, she looked at them. “Fine, I want to meet him.” She sighed as she rubbed her red eyes. They left the room quietly.She could not figure out how to pay the debt for the last eight sleepless nights. The money she got stolen by her step-brother. But here, sitting in this air-conditioned office, the bank manager came up with an alternative.He told her to meet with a person in business ready to help her, but she had to accept his few conditions. Adele didn’t understand this shallow situation. But at last, she had to give it a ch
~ADELE~ After enduring so much in my life, I didn’t know what more I needed to see in this lifetime when my family didn’t want me, and the person who sent me the marriage contract didn’t bother to show himself. How can I sleep when strange thoughts are brewing in my mind? Oh! I wish I could close my eyes and vanish into thin air. But no, the pain in my heart made me realize it’s all an illusion. Get up and face these challenging balls life throws at me. I touched my lips, which were swollen from yesterday's action. I got up, did my morning business, and came down to where I saw Mr. Vincent waiting for me. Honestly, I wanted to throw him out of this house, but I knew this man brought a piece of news for me dressed as an angel. In reality, he was a demon sent by the devil himself to capture my soul in hell. “Hello, Adele,” he extended his hand. Mom is looking at me with expectation. She thought I called this gentleman to bring sufficient money to save my brother’s ass. “Hello, M
~ADELE~ For my entire life, I waited for that moment when I could find myself in the arms of a loving man. I still remember I used to claim to my sister Amber. I would marry someone who loved me more than myself, and she used to laugh at me. “Adele, it’s bullshit. Love is conditional.” We always argued about this topic. Amber’s thoughts differed from mine. “How could you be so sure about another man loving you unconditionally?” “It’s a fact; we only fall in love with that person who treats you nicely, but what if he treats you like you don’t exist? Would you be able to love him?” She argued. “I believe true love exists,” I proclaimed. She laughed and looked at my dad. Our dad used to see how her girls turned from his little princess to rebellious teenagers. We used to fight and love, but we differed from each other. My dad was worried about her rather than me. He always thought she could change the world, while I am just a homesick puppy who could adjust to any situation. Amber
~ADELE~ I slept like a baby. I must say, I never slept like this, not for the last few years. It could be the change of room or my situation. Mike did not annoy me this morning, but I was about to face a new challenge. I flapped my eyes and looked around. It feels like the room got bigger the last time I saw it. The morning lights sprinkled every part of this room and gave it an energetic look. “Good morning to me,” I sighed. Thinking of last night, I was about to lose my virginity to my unknown husband. I touched my lips where I felt his presence the most. He felt like a hungry lion who wanted to eat me roughly. I gulped at the thought of his company with me. I fear how he would treat me the following nights. But I needed to discover a lot about him. I got up from my bed as my feet landed on the fluffy white rug underneath my feet. I enjoyed a moment rubbing my feet against this soft thing. Isn’t it strange we all do some childish thing in the middle of a stressful situation to r
~ADELE~ The following day, I woke up finding myself under the silk sheets. I could feel the path of the dry tear on my face. I must have been crying for a long time at night. Standing in front of the mirror, I could see the bite marks on my collarbone and neck. He was not a human. His clutch’s blue to black imprints on my hand and waist left me in pain. How long am I going to protect myself from him? I slid into the water tub and stayed there longer than expected. After wrapping my little frame in the bathrobe, I checked those marks, which turned a shade lighter. But what’s the use when he will present me the same tonight? I didn’t have a choice but to hide them. I am sure nobody would like to see his painting over my body and consider its love bite, but in reality, it was something else. I wore a high neck and jeans to cover my body and stood next to the window. I was lost in my thoughts when my eyes caught a waving hand from the garden. I waved back towards Angelo with a thin
I could hear his voice, but I ignored it because I knew this was the right thing to do. I ran to my room as my heart was pounding heavily with an unexpected encounter with Angelo. Why did he behave like that? Didn’t he know about his master? How could I tell him his master is a devil who knew every breath I used to take? My life had changed upside down. I hate ignoring Angelo and fear the nights. For the entire day, I was thinking about Decker. His touch was fresh on my fingertips. I closed my eyes as I tried to remember his sculpted body, but his words were buzzing in my ears. His touch, his warmth, alerted me he would come soon. My heart beat fast again, as I could feel strange knots in my stomach. These knots were not the excitement, but the fear he created in my mind. It felt like you were trying hard to see in the darkroom, but you could only feel his presence, unable to figure out who he was. I was not tired, but I wanted to push this sinful night where he could push himself on
Margarita looked out at the moon, standing next to the fountain. The breeze played with her long curls, emphasizing the coldness. She was not expecting her dad to reveal the situation like this. She heard the footsteps approaching in her direction, and she was not willing to talk to anyone right now. She rushed towards the garden, thinking she could hide. “Margarita,” a voice brushed in her ears, and the goosebumps started to crawl out from her skin. She didn’t turn because she knew she would look weak and vulnerable in front of Samson. Margarita’s fingers tightened around the edge of her dress, her knuckles turning white. She could sense Samson’s presence behind her, the weight of his gaze, the unspoken words that hung in the air between them. But she remained committed, determined to protect herself from the pain that had once shattered her world. “I know... I have never missed an opportunity to hurt you, but we both know how much...” Samson whispered close to her ear; she turned
Three of them went inside. Samson could feel the resilience aura coming his way from Mateo. His presence might have been accepted by the Italian don but by the brother of Margarita Costello.The room was filled with a tense silence as Decker’s sharp gaze fell on Samson, his expression unreadable. Mateo stood by, observing the interaction between the two men.“Samson,” Decker’s voice was steady, his tone devoid of any warmth.“How are you now?”“I am... better,” Decker gestured toward a chair, indicating for Samson to sit. As they settled around a table, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation.“Mateo, could you please call everyone? Our friend here came to have dinner with us,” Decker instructed, his eyes never leaving Samson.Mateo nodded and left the room, leaving Samson and Decker alone for a moment. The silence was tangible, and Samson could feel the weight of Decker’s scrutiny on him.The silence filled with the click of glass when Decker poured whiskey into two glasses and dr
Master’s cold eyes flickered with intense emotion. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlaced, and recounted his side of the story.“It all started when you shot Elijah, leaving him to die.” That sight was still crisp in Master’s mind, watching his son bathed in his own blood pool.Master’s voice was low and filled with bitterness.He paused for a moment, his gaze distant as he relived the memories of that fateful day. “Elijah’s condition only fueled my rage further. He was left paralyzed, and I couldn’t bear to see my son suffer like that.”“The pain of watching our son consumed my wife, and she chose to die by taking her life. I lost everything that day, and the pain consumed me because of you.” Master’s eyes didn’t flicker from Decker’s face.“I wanted revenge, and I wanted Decker to suffer as I had suffered. So, I searched for the worst criminals, those who would carry out my bidding without question. That’s when I found Vasco Ivankov and helped him establish the Spanish
In a quiet corner of the room, Adele and Elijah sat closely together. Both of them were old, and time had carved its marks on their faces, but their eyes held the same warmth and love that had bound them together for decades. Adele looked at Elijah with concern, her heart aching for the man she once loved deeply.“You look beautiful,” Elijah stammered.Adele smiled thinly and shook her head, withering away the worries about what was happening outside.“Is this because of the bullet in your spine?” Adele asked gently, her voice barely above a whisper.Elijah nodded slowly, his lips twisted in pain as he struggled to speak. “Yes,” he uttered. “I got punished for what I did.”Tears welled up in Adele’s eyes as she reached out and cupped Elijah’s hand in her own. “No, Elijah,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. “You didn’t deserve this. You were caught in the crossfire, and it was never your fault.”Elijah drooled, and Adele picked to wipe his face.“Is he handsome enough?” He chuck
The thick scarlet liquid dripped from the on the wooden floor, slithering down at the Master’s shoe. He finished, placed his cigar back on the ashtray, and looked sideways to see the lifeless body of Capo on his patio. His face twisted in disgust and anger. He looked at the man who had once been his friend, his ally, but was now nothing more than a hindrance to his plans. “Your blood stains my patio, making it dirty,” he muttered, his voice cold and devoid of any remorse.“I thought your son was better than you, but these Costello bitches always win the men with their charm,” he greeted, his teeth watching over Elijah as he made his way to the patio.“Don’t look at me like this,” Master rolled his eyes, watching Elijah’s judgemental eyes.Capo’s phone started to buzz on the coffee table, displaying the name “Samson” on the screen, but Master didn’t bother to pick up. He threw the phone aside, frustrated by the turn of events. His plan to defeat Decker and take control of the underworl
The room was shrouded in darkness, the heavy curtains drawn tightly shut, blocking any sliver of light from the outside world. The only source of illumination was a single dim lamp perched on the edge of the heavy wooden desk. Its soft glow created dancing shadows on the walls, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the room.Capo sat there, a solitary figure amidst the darkness, his face partially concealed by the shadows. The lamp cast a faint light on his troubled expression, revealing the lines of sorrow etched on his face. His eyes, filled with a mixture of grief and determination, remained fixed on a picture of his beloved son, Aslan, which lay on the desk before him, his handsome face smiling back at him, and tears welled up in his eyes.“I’m so sorry, my boy,” Capo whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “I never got the chance to tell you the truth. I wanted to explain why I punished your mother. Why I had to make the choices I did.”His mind drifted back to the painful memories
The morning sun gently streamed through the curtains, waking Sarah from her restless slumber. As she opened her eyes, she saw Margi sitting beside her, her face filled with concern.“Hey,” Margi said softly, “How are you feeling?”Sarah mustered a weak smile. “Better, I guess. Thanks for taking care of me.”Margi nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of everything that had transpired. “Of course, Sarah. I’ll always be here for you.”Tears welled up in Sarah’s eyes as she looked at Margi. “I’m so sorry, Margi. I never meant for any of this to happen.”Margi reached out and gently squeezed Sarah’s hand. “It’s not your fault, Sarah. None of us could have foreseen any of this.”Sarah’s voice quivered as she spoke, “Will you ever be able to forgive Dominic?”Margi looked at her friend, unsure if she could ever find it in her heart to forgive the man who had caused her so much pain. “I... I don’t know if I can forgive him,” she admitted, her voice filled with uncertainty and vulnerability
Margi looked down at her trembling hands, her dress stained with blood and dirt. One part of her heart was relieved. Sarah is safe and under the doctor’s observation. Her mind drifted back to that horrifying day when she witnessed her brother Ethan’s tragic end. The image of him being engulfed by bullets haunted her, and her own screams echoed in her ears. She felt the guilt creeping in, wondering why it was always her loved ones who suffered while she managed to survive.Aslan’s face flashed before her eyes, his hazel eyes filled with love and happiness just hours before his life was taken from him. The memory of his gentle smile and the promise of a new life together crushed her heart. She couldn’t bear the thought that she was with him in his last moments, and yet she couldn’t save him.“Why does it always have to be them? Why can’t I protect the ones I love?” Margi whispered to herself, her voice filled with desperation.Amid her thoughts, Antonio extended a glass of water towards
The road ahead seemed uncertain and dark. The headlights of the car cut through the night, illuminating the winding path before them, but it did little to dispel the heaviness in their hearts.In the silence of the car, broken only by the sound of the engine and the soft hum of tires on the road, Margi and Sarah couldn’t help but contemplate the shattered trust that lay between them and Dominic.Margi skimmed in her direction and knew how the pain etched on Sarah’s face. The dry tears and blank eyes were a reflection of the shattered trust that mirrored her own feelings. Looking at Sarah, Margi saw a reflection of her own heartache, and she knew that they both shared a similar pain.“Do you love him?” Margi asked, her voice soft and understanding, knowing the weight of that question.Sarah hesitated for a moment, her lower lip trembling with fear of revealing the truth. She squeezed her eyes and swallowed the truth without uttering them in words.Margi knew the ache of loving someone