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BETWEEN FIRE AND DESIRE
Last Updated:
2025-02-26 03:25:08
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FURY OF THE HEART SHATTERED ILLUSIONS
Elara’s POV Although I had never visited this hospital before, just now it felt all too familiar. Everything appeared to reflect the chilly indifference of the world I was born into—the white walls, the distant buzz of fluorescent lights, the faint whispers of staff strolling past. Though Mafia life had advantages, it also had drawbacks; I had always loathed the coldness around it. Here I was, though, standing at the emergency room's threshold, clutching sweets and flowers in a plastic bag, trying to somehow make the visit less embarrassing. About Marko Kuznetsov, I conflicted emotions. Indeed, he was the ex-sister of mine and indeed, he was a dangerous man in every respect. But there was something about him that made me pity him. Not the merciless monster my relatives depicted him to be. Though no one ever bothered to find out, he had also suffered. "Excuse me," I began, attempting to keep my voice steady as I went forward to the front desk receptionist. Here I am to see Marko Kuzn
Last Updated : 2024-12-05FURY OF THE HEART A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
Elara’s POV I lost my breath. Standing still in the living room, the weight of the confrontation enveloped me like a suffocating cloud; my pulse was thumping in my ears. My sister, Isabella, stood a few feet away, her brows narrowed with an expression I couldn't quite understand; my mother, Viktoria, was standing with her customary grace and hard, uncompromising stare. Until it struck me. There was no guilt. Not regretful at all Just that known, stifling air of supremacy. I had not sought any of this. "Very true Elara," said Isabella's contemptful voice, cutting through my fog. "Are you going to create a scene around something so small? Dmitri and I—“ "Don't you dare," I yelled, my voice trembling with fury. I couldn't quite finish the statement though. Words failed me in that instant as nothing I said would restore the harm they had done. Dmitri, The man I trusted—the one I had imagined would be by my side no matter what—had betrayed me. My intended boyfriend had also betrayed
Last Updated : 2024-12-05FURY OF THE HEART TIES THAT BINDS
Elara’s POV I ought to have known more. I ought to have been ready for the cruelty running through the veins of my family like a poisoned thread. But I was not ready for what lay next even as the weight of the past hour fell on me. I had assumed I had locked the draw-on. The one I kept the money I had stashed away from my family over the past few months. It was my means of guaranteeing my escape should the dream of my life in this mansion ever become intolerable. Now, though, that sense of anxiety wriggles at my belly. I understood. I knew it vanished before I even started to open the drawer. Pulling the drawer open, my heart crashed into my chest and discovered it empty. My last means of escape, the carefully buried money disappeared. "Elara, darling, did you honestly feel you could keep secrets from your mother?" Behind me, Viktoria's words sounded like a slick, deliberate calculation. I turned, angry flashes in my eyes. "You—." I gasped, but as I whirled to meet her words left
Last Updated : 2024-12-05FURY OF THE HEART THE PRICE OF SILENCE
Elara’s POV The drive to Marko Kuznetsov's house resembled a funeral procession. As I watched the familiar cities vanish into the unknown, lonely terrain, the weight on my chest got heavier and oppressive every mile that went. The vast estate that awaited us was far from the luxury of my family's mansion; it was solitary, surrounded by overgrown woods and darkened by the approaching gloom of the planet I was now being compelled onto. My daughter Mila was especially quiet in the backseat; her small face was plastered against the window and fixed on the foreign scene. Though there was no way I could protect her from all of this. I wished I could. There was no turning back, no matter how much I detested the life my family had denounced me to. I shivered coldly down my spine as the automobile drew up before the enormous, gloomy estate. The mansion seemed like a fortification, its black and menacing windows above us and iron gates towering above us. It chilled me to my very core since I
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Marko’s POVThe space was overly silent. The grandfather clock in the corner ticked, and the sound resonated in the stifling silence all about. Though it was one I hated, it was the silence I had become used to lately. I stayed limited to this chilly, gloomy home while the outside world was moving, busy, vibrant.My body no longer served the machine it once did. That had been visible from the accident. A few missteps, a poor break in the wrong location, and here I was—helpless, unprotected, a prisoner of my own house. Nevertheless, the hardest aspect of all was not the bodily suffering. The loneliness was what drove it. The sense of put away, forgotten.I had built an empire, bled for it, and now it was slipping through my fingers.The door creaked open, and I turned, looking for Tatyana, the housekeeper, with some menial chore to deflect my own self-pity. But the visitor that entered was not her. Elena called it.Though at first I thought I was having hallucinations, it was Elena. On
Last Updated : 2025-01-24FURY OF THE HEART FURY OF THE HEART
Elara's POVMy hand still on the handle, I stood transfixed in front of the door and felt my heart hammer in my chest. The last person I ever would have expected to see again was the man just entering the room.Leo Voltov.The one man I had attempted to ignore but had never really succeeded—the one who had tormented my thoughts and nightmares for years. His presence seemed to me as a sudden, piercing punch to my gut. His dark eyes, still bursting with the same intensity, latched onto mine and I felt my breath stop. His lips closed into a half-smirk, the same one that had once caused my heart to skip in an incomprehensible manner."You're looking as gorgeous as ever, Elara," Leo's voice was low and carried the deadly undertone I had grown too familiar with.Though my pulse accelerated, I suppressed any feeling. I wasn't ready to let him know how much he still impacted me." What are you doing here?" My speech came out frigid, betraying none of the emotions running inside me. I wanted t
Last Updated : 2025-01-24FURY OF THE HEART LIES THAT BINDS
Elara's POVDmitri's fingers sank into my skin, each second stretching longer than the last, and I could sense his heat on my wrist. Though every muscle in my body screamed at me to break free, the room was tense and I couldn't move. I felt caught.Leo's look stayed fixed on Dmitri; his expression was incomprehensible. Benevolent on the surface, though, I could see the storm building in his eyes—one I had been too terrified to confront. Dmitri, on the other hand, was like a beast captured, his resentment boiling just under the surface."What the heavens is going on here?" Dmitri's voice was a low growl full of the kind of fury that made the room feel smaller. "You think I should let you pick her, Leo?"Leo did not reply straight away. Rather, he shifted his slow attention toward me, his eyes locked with mine, and momentarily all else vanished. My stomach tightened as the raw feeling in his eyes hammered in my chest.Though I realized this was a risky game, in that brief second I paid
Last Updated : 2025-01-24FURY OF THE HEART THE CROSSFIRE
Elara's POVDmitri's bullet sounded sharp and deafeningly through the hall. My heart missed a beat, and everything in me stopped. Though everything around me was blurring into a haze, one thing was absolutely clear: the rifle was pointed at me.Leo yelled behind me. "El Tara!"I had no time to consider. Instinct seized, and I dove for the floor, my body skidding across the slick wood as the air seemed to crackle with tension. Though my breath was shallow and my chest was tight, I couldn't concentrate on fear—not now."Get Up!" Leo's footsteps pounded closer as his voice sliced through the anarchy.I forced myself to kneel, hardly able to control my breath, then turned back to him. The look on his face—fury, desperation—made my chest contract. But I felt more than just the wrath in his gaze. He was staring at me as though he had lost something he could not afford to lose once more.But time did not allow one to address those ideas right now. The gunshot had been rather near. Dmitri was
Last Updated : 2025-01-24
Latest chapter
FURY OF THE HEART BETWEEN FIRE AND DESIRE
Elara’s POVOn the trigger, Mara's fingers quit. I'll shoot if you go one more step.I choked hard. "Would you?," asked?Still quiet.Her hand trembled just for a split second.And it was all the required assurance.Though she had always been frigid and manipulative, Mara was not a killer. Not in reference to me specifically.Dmitri also noted it.His delighted look veered toward something worse."She won't pull the trigger," he said, sneering. But I will.Time slowness.Dmitri pulled his rifle.Leo pushed me back behind him.Still another shot rang out, deafening and breaking through the darkness.I was startled.Leo stumbled."No!," I gasped.Blood in particular. His blood. Staining his shirt. A red bloom spreads too quickly.Leaving one knee down, Leo grabbed his side.Though she hadn't fired, Mara's gun was shaking now. She stood still.Dmitri moved forward, gun still trained toward Leo."You ought to have stayed out of this," Dmitri said, sounding nearly casual. But you have to p
FURY OF THE HEART A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
Elara’s POVMy bones sank with a frigid coldness. Then what are our next steps?He bent forward, laying his forearms on the table. "We head for the docks. But not just by themselves.I scowled. "The said message—that is,""I know what it said," he added, interrupting. But do you honestly think I would let you leave there without backup?I let out a sneer. "Leo, should they spot someone else, they could kill you right away."His lips drew into a grim smile. Then I suppose I will simply have to be invisible.I started to blink. "You seem to have a plan."always. His eyes sparkle. And you are going to believe me.The air smelled strongly of gasoline and salt, and the water lapped gently against the wooden piers. Every shadow seemed to be a pair of eyes waiting on me.My heart hammering as I approached the meeting point, I moved slowly, deliberately.Then I turned to see her.Mari.With arms crossed, she stood close to the edge of the dock, her face invisible.I paused just a few feet apa
FURY OF THE HEART BETRAYAL IN THE DARK
Elara’s POV"You’re going to regret this, Elara," he seethed.I glared back. "Get in line."Leo covered us as we rushed toward an escape. Just as I reached the door, I peered back—Mara hesitated, appearing torn."Mara!" I shouted.She swallowed hard, then followed.We broke into the night air, rushing for the SUV parked a block away."Get in!" Leo ordered.We barely slammed the doors shut before he sped away, tires roaring on the tarmac.My heart was still racing. My hands wouldn’t quit shaking.I turned to Mara. "Start a conversation. These days.She did not look at me.Mara!She inhaled and sucked. "Elara, I had nowhere to choose from. Dmitri is the owner of me.Leo laughed. "That's a darn handy justification."She gasped but did not object.I started to tighten my hands. "For what duration?"Mara gasped. "A year."Over me a cool wave passed. "a year?"She said yes. "Elara, I got in hot water. I bargained with Dmitri to guard you. He left you alone if I worked for him, he told me. T
FURY OF THE HEART A LINE IN THE SAND
Elara’s POVYou are not obliged to do this.Leo's voice was tight, his grip strong on my wrist as if he could physically stop me from walking into the storm we were about to unleash.My pulse thundering, I wrenched free. " I'm not sprinting. Not with Dmitri. Not drawn from this struggle.His jaw contracted. "This is more than simply a struggle, Elara. It is a war. You believe Dmitri sent that email merely to intimidate us? He left already.My stomach turned, but I spoke steadily. "We then strike back."Under his breath, he muttered and ran a hand over his hair. "Damn it, Elara; you do not grasp—"Then make me understand! I snapped and pushed him to look at me, walking closer. "Because I refuse to sit in the shadows while you risk everything alone."His chest surged and dropped as his irritation collided with the heat flickering between us. At last he said, his voice hoarse and low, "You're too important to me." "I won't let go of you."I gulped hard, emotions stranding around my neck.
FURY OF THE HEART BETWEEN FIRE AND DESIRE
Elara’s POVOn the trigger, Mara's fingers quit. I'll shoot if you go one more step.I choked hard. "Would you?," asked?Still quiet.Her hand trembled just for a split second.And it was all the required assurance.Though she had always been frigid and manipulative, Mara was not a killer. Not in reference to me specifically.Dmitri also noted it.His delighted look veered toward something worse."She won't pull the trigger," he said, sneering. But I will.Time slowness.Dmitri pulled his rifle.Leo pushed me back behind him.Still another shot rang out, deafening and breaking through the darkness.I was startled.Leo stumbled."No!," I gasped.Blood in particular. His blood. Staining his shirt. A red bloom spreads too quickly.Leaving one knee down, Leo grabbed his side.Though she hadn't fired, Mara's gun was shaking now. She stood still.Dmitri moved forward, gun still trained toward Leo."You ought to have stayed out of this," Dmitri said, sounding nearly casual. But you have to p
FURY OF THE HEART A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
Elara’s POVMy bones sank with a frigid coldness. Then what are our next steps?He bent forward, laying his forearms on the table. "We head for the docks. But not just by themselves.I scowled. "The said message—that is,""I know what it said," he added, interrupting. But do you honestly think I would let you leave there without backup?I let out a sneer. "Leo, should they spot someone else, they could kill you right away."His lips drew into a grim smile. Then I suppose I will simply have to be invisible.I started to blink. "You seem to have a plan."always. His eyes sparkle. And you are going to believe me.The air smelled strongly of gasoline and salt, and the water lapped gently against the wooden piers. Every shadow seemed to be a pair of eyes waiting on me.My heart hammering as I approached the meeting point, I moved slowly, deliberately.Then I turned to see her.Mari.With arms crossed, she stood close to the edge of the dock, her face invisible.I paused just a few feet apa
FURY OF THE HEART BETRAYAL IN THE DARK
Elara’s POV"Mara, kindly put the gun down."My heart was slamming against my ribs but my voice was steady. Standing a few feet away, my sister clutched a silver pistol as natural born with it in her hands.She laughed. “Why? Does it frightens you, Elara?Leo moved in front of me, his hand hanging over his own rifle, his body stiff. What the hell are you doing, Mara?Tara should be asking you that, Mara replied, tilting her head. "Playing hero and running about with Elara, avoiding Dmitri's troops. It's very lovely, honestly. It will not save her, though.My gut turned whirl. "You are handling Dmitri." It was not a matter of inquiry here. The revelation knocked me like a fist to the stomach.The smile of Mara grew more pronounced. You were always the slow one.I thought the ground underfoot had vanished. The one person I considered trustworthy—my own sister—had been fooling me all this whole time.Leo's mouth closed. This thus was your entire strategy all along. To turn over Elara to
FURY OF THE HEART BENEATH THE SURFACE
Elara’s POVLeo hissed, his fingers tightly around my arm as he dragged me into the dark alley, "Don't say another word, Elara."I yanked my arm free and whirled toward him. "What is your issue?," I snapped, my voice cutting, my chest heaving from the turmoil we had just escaped."My Problem?" He moved forward, his blue eyes almost ablaze in the low light. "Your problem is you almost got yourself killed back there because you think you can take on Dmitri's men without a plan!"Ignoring the stifling heat between us, I poked a finger into his chest. "You are not allowed to lecture Leo! About what we were walking into, you did not exactly warn me!"And you believe that to be acceptable to dive into the crossfire?" His voice grew and for the first time I could see actual terror in his eyes. "If you deny me, I cannot protect you.""I never asked you to shield me!” I shot back, even though the words felt like a lie the instant they left my mouth.For a minute, we just stood there, our heavy
FURY OF THE HEART SHADOWS IN CROSSFIRES
Elara’s POVHissed, glaring at Leo as we stood in the conference room's corner, "Tell me you didn't just plan this entire thing behind my back."He leaned against the edge of the table, his sharp blue eyes fixed on me. He said just, "You're angry," his voice shockingly calm."Angry?." I spitted. "You mentioned little risk, so I consented to this meeting. But I'm caught in your mess while Dmitri's men circle like vultures!"You're not stuck," he said, coming forward with easy grace. "We have any leverage at all thanks in large part to you.""Use?" Though tension flared in the air, I shot back, keeping a quiet voice. Leo, you are not a pawn. And I most definitely do not represent your leverage.Leo's jaw hardened, his usually lighthearted smile replaced with something darker, more severe. Elara, you are not a pawn. Whether you like it or not, though, you are now in this struggle. Dmitri cannot stop. He has demonstrated that rather clearly.I ran a hand through my hair and breathed stron
