OCTAVIA'S POVThe sound of the doorbell startles me away. Rose and I had fallen asleep in the middle of the movie. I look at the wall clock; it is twenty minutes last eleven. Who would be knocking on my door this late in the night? The doorbell rings again. Why is the person so inpatient? I check to see the person outside through the intercom. Nile's face came into view. I pressed the button and told him I'd be out in a minute. I walked into my bedroom to put on a robe over my pajamas. I opened the door but stepped out before he could come in. Rose is asleep in the living room, and I wouldn't want us to wake her. I looked up at him; he is dressed in a suit and still manages to look immaculate by this time of the night; the only thing that gave him away is the tired look in his eyes. I leaned on the wall and looked at him. "What are you doing here, Nile?" I asked"I wanted to see you." "This late at night? You disappear on me all day, and now you suddenly knock on my door when the w
OCTAVIA'S POVI watched Nile's face shift from surprise to a mix of anger and disbelief as I confronted him. His eyes widened, and for a moment, it seemed like he was searching for the right words, but nothing came. The silence between us felt heavy, almost suffocating. "How did you find out?" he finally asked, his voice low and strained. I could see the tension in his jaw and the way he clenched his fists at his sides. It was like he was trying to hold back a storm of emotions. I had expected him to deny it, to try to twist the truth, but instead, there was a flicker of vulnerability in his gaze. I took a deep breath and replied, “Your wife came to the café earlier this week.” I could see the realization dawning on him—the weight of his choices crashing down. "Wait, you have known for a while and you didn't say anything,? He asked.I gave him a deadpan look. "Really, that's what you are going to say; is that the point?" He looked away, as if he couldn’t bear to meet my eyes, and
OCTAVIA'S POV I rest my back against the door and I watched Nile walk away. My heart is heavy; I don't know what to feel. I have been used, I have been trampled on, I have been molested, I have been beaten, my hope has been dashed too many times, and now that I started to think I had a shot at happiness, it turns out it was all a lie. I walk quietly to the bathroom and turn on the shower. Sitting in the bathtub, I pull my knees to my chest and let the warm water envelop me. The shower is on; the sound of the water cascading down is almost comforting, but it can’t drown out the storm inside my heart. Tears flow freely down my cheeks, mixing with the droplets that splash against my skin. It feels like a release, a way to let out all the pain I’ve been holding inside for so long.I close my eyes and let the memories wash over me—each one a reminder of the times I’ve been hurt. The degradation I have had to go through, Philip, my father, who hurt me when he was supposed to keep me safe,
OCTAVIA'S POV As I stepped into the club, the pulsating music hit me like a wave, but my heart wasn’t in it. I glanced at Rose, who was already beaming with excitement, ready to dive into the night. “Come on, Octavia! Just a little fun!” she urged, tugging at my hand. I sighed, feeling the weight of my recent breakup hanging over me, but I let her pull me inside.The atmosphere was electric, filled with laughter and flashing lights. Rose darted to the bar, her energy infectious. “Two mojitos, please!” she called out to the bartender, her voice rising above the music. I stood back, still feeling out of place, my arms crossed defensively. “Are you sure about this?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light, even as doubt crept in. “Trust me, you’ll love it! Just wait until you taste this,” she replied, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. The bartender slid two tall glasses filled with vibrant liquid garnished with fresh mint and lime. As Rose handed me one, I took a tentative sip. The r
OCTAVIA'S POV "Are you okay?" Rose turned to me and asked. I nodded my head in response; I was a bit shaken by what happened, but the intervention of this mystery guy completely interrupted the panic attack I almost had. I shake my head again to expel the thoughts trying to creep in. "Let's go get another round of drinks; this whole episode has made me thirsty," Rose said, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the bar. As we got to the bar, Rose flashed a playful smile and leaned in closer to the bartender, giving him a flirtatious wink. "Hey there, handsome! Can we get two more of those fruity cocktails?" she asked, her tone light and teasing.The bartender raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the attention. "Only if you promise to keep dancing like that," he replied with a smirk. "What’s your secret? I need to know how to keep the crowd moving."Rose laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Just a little rhythm and a lot of fun! But I think your drinks have something to do with it," she sa
OCTAVIA'S POV I opened the door humming to myself. I woke up feeling rather energetic this morning and decided to give my house a deep cleaning. I had been working all morning, scrubbing the kitchen floors and cabinets, washing the bathroom, changing my curtains, and rearranging my wardrobe. My house looks as clean as ever. I disposed of the trash, and my hand and I waited for the elevator doors to open, and I walked inside, still singing to myself as I pressed the button for my floor. When a hand suddenly appeared in between the doors as it was closing, the door opened, revealing the last person I would imagine seeing here. He looked up and saw me, his striking green eyes still taking me aback like last time. I see the recognition click in his eyes. As he stepped into the elevator, I felt my heart race; he leaned against the wall looking at me, that cocky grin plastered on his face. He looked like he owned the place, and I lowkey regretted standing leaving that night. "Well, well,
ZION’S POV I leaned against the wall of my new apartment; the movers had brought in all the furniture, but there were still lots of boxes left to unpack. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Octavia lived next door. I was shocked when I first saw her; I honestly thought I’d never see her again after she literally ran away from me at the club. The mix of disbelief and excitement hit me hard.I couldn't help but think back to when we ate together this afternoon. We clicked instantly, sharing jokes and laughter. Octavia has this incredible sense of humor that makes everything feel so easy and fun, and she makes it so easy to tease her. I love how she can make me laugh, even when I’m trying to play it cool. And let’s be real, she's incredibly attractive. The way her eyes light up when she laughs is something I could get lost in.There’s this tension between us that I can’t ignore. I feel drawn to her, and it doesn't help that she is so attractive. Her hair is so full an
OCTAVIA'S POV I turn in my bed, unable to sleep; the noise of bodies slapping fills the air; he is at it again. This guy Zion is such bad news. I really thought he was a reasonable person. Even since he moved to the apartment next to me, it's almost always noisy. It is like he throws a party every fucking night. He plays music so loudly every time he is around and late into the night, and that is like the least of it. I never knew that the walls of this apartment were so thin because I can hear almost everything that happens in his house, and it doesn't help that he makes no effort to tone it down. I punched the wall a few times to let them know that noise is disturbing me. It seems like his bedroom is on the opposite side of the wall from mine, and saying he had an adventurous sex life is an understatement. "Uhh! Yes, baby!" I hear the sound of his flavor of the night moaning. He could have at least put on some music as he does normally to protect my ears from this. Disgusted, irri
‘’You are still in bed, Zion?’’I opened my eyes slowly and looked at the disapproving look on Nile’s face. I rubbed my eyes and rolled to the side. ‘’Can’t I sleep in peace?’’ I grumbled. I had partied the night before and my body was still trying to recover from all of the fatigue.‘’No,’’ he said, walking in and drawing the blinds away. It was almost dark outside. I glance at the clock. Past 6.‘’The party doesn’t start until 8, Nile. I can sleep for another hour,’’ I said, pulling the duvet over my chest. I was interested in any parties my brother was organising, especially a ‘Family reunion.’‘’We are hosting, Zion. I need you out of bed,’’ he said and finally walked out of the room.I laid still on the bed for minutes, staring at the ceiling. I pulled myself up into a sitting position and felt nauseous. Beside me, Sophia was still sleeping deeply. I pushed the covers off and my feet hit the cold tile. The bedside rug had been ruined and it was threadbare in some places
I tossed in bed for hours. I had barely slept for a few minutes when I was woken up by a nightmare. I stared at the ceiling, clutching my arms and reminding myself that it was a dream. I was safe at home in Palmero. The clock ticked slowly but i could not return to sleep anymore. Thoughts of the men brutally assaulting me played in my head nonstop, despite all my attempts to block them. The screams of those men as Dmitir fired lethal bullets into their heads added only to my torment. I turned to my side and twisted my finger into a fist, grimacing. I laid there for hours, my eyes and mind awake, but my body tired. Finally, I got up and strolled out of the room in my night wear alone. The house was silent and the corridors were dark. I took two flights of stairs until i arrived on the first floor. Then I walked to one of the rooms. Without hesitation, i turned on the handle and opened the door. He always left his door unlocked.He opened his eyes and reached for the light swi
I met Rory on the way. I wished I had not. I just wanted to return to my room, to bury my head in my pillow. Dad had not been able to hide his disappointment. I could see it all over his face even though he said nothing. He was going to get revenge for what had been done to Bree, and he would be killed and my life would be in ruins. I thought of the prophecy that man had said about my past and I shivered as I walked down the corridor.‘’Hey, Raven,’’ she said, leaning on the wall and clutching at her loose robe.‘’I can’t deal with this right now,’’ I said, walking past her.She held my hand. ‘’We’ve been together before we met, raven. I didn’t go behind your back.’’I pulled my hand away. ‘’Stay away from my father,’’ I said and walked away.It felt like ages since I left on this trip to Russia. So many things had gone wrong in just a few days. I had lost the respect I had just earned and I had lost a friend too. I pushed the door open and flung myself on the bed. Strange
The flight back to Italy was quiet, but there was a storm brewing in our minds. I couldn’t look at Bree without being consumed by guilt. I had promised to watch over her, and I had failed woefully. The mission had failed also, and I was at the verge of setting both families into war. How would I face my father and tell him that the mission had failed? How could I explain it without mentioning what happened to Bree?Byron was standing in front of the mansion, anticipating our arrival. I looked at the large smile plastered on his face as our car parked and I felt my heart brea. He was healing well and the bandage over his shoulder had been removed. I was responsible for that too. I looked at Bree.‘’Bree?’’She raised her eyes to meet mine. ‘’Don’t tell anyone yet, please,’’ i said, feeling my voice crack with guilt. She nodded. I touched her hand and rubbed it gently. I was going to make the Bravta guys pay for what they had done to Bree, and the humiliation I had faced..
It was almost 8pm when Dimitri arrived at the hotel. This time, the look on his face was different. It was a sullen look and I was almost too afraid to ask what their search had yielded. They had found Bree, I could tell.‘’We found her,’’ he said, walking into the room and reaching for a bottle of water on the fridge which he emptied. My stomach was in knots. He let out a deep sigh as he dropped the empty bottle on the table. ‘’There was some mix up,’’ he continued. ‘’She was mistakenly taken by some of our men.’’I clenched my teeth. Mistakenly? They were going to pay with their lives if anything happened to Bree. ‘’But we were able to find her.’’ He turned to the man beside him and barked some orders. ‘’She is here with us.’’The door opened and closed as the man stepped out. Few seconds later, I saw Bree being rolled in on a chair. She was in a clean dress and her hair was packed up nicely, but I could see the bruises on her skin and the pain and exhaustion in her ey
My worst fears were beginning to happen. I realised now that saying I had gone to get food was such a bad story. What kind of bodyguard left their ward for two hours in search of food in a strange city?‘’Huh?’’ he asked again, raising his brows. He looked furious. ‘’Is this a plan to destroy whatever alliance we may want with da Vinci? Who are you working with?’’The questions came out in a flurry of words and I was surprised to see the angle with which he was viewing the whole affair. He thought this was a mission to sabotage, that I had planned the kidnap of Bree. I wasn't sure if it was a relief or not.‘’And why did you wait so long before you informed us?’’He stood erect and began to pace. Midway, he turned towards me and a heavy slap landed on my face. It stung to my feet and my hands flew to my face in reaction.‘’When I ask you a question, you respond. Do you understand?’’I was outnumbered. There was no way I could react. I thought of the prosthetic nose. If it
Her phone was unreachable. I paced back and forth in front of the lobby, anger and worry boiling within me. Where could she have run off to without telling me? Why was her phone unreachable? I glanced at my watch. It was just fifteen minutes to the wedding. If we don’t show up, there would be questions. If I showed up without her, there would be questions too.I rubbed off some dust on my forearm as I approached the front desk again.‘’I’m unable to reach her,’’ I said in English. ‘’Can I check the CCTV camera? Maybe someone picked her or something. We don’t know anyone here.’’The woman looked at me blankly and for a second I thought she probably did not understand English. ‘’Give me a moment,’’ she replied in English with a heavy accent.I drummed on the counter as I watched her walk to one of her colleagues. They spoke for a while and I could see them looking at me and shaking their heads. She made a sign that she was going to consult someone else and she disappeared d
I watched him walk away. I wasn’t sure who he was. I had never met him before.‘’Is that a problem?’’ Bree asked, watching me. I could hear the panic in her voice and I was beginning to regret telling her what I had noticed.‘’I don’t think so. We just need to know they know we’re armed.’’Deciding to have the wedding on a yacht instead of the family house seemed strategic to me. We were far away from where I could get vital information I came all the way for. The only way out of this predicament was to slip away in the middle of the party without raising suspicion. But that would be hard to do since we had a marked table.I picked the glass of champagne and emptied half of it in the vase quickly. Bree raised her brows. I said nothing.Half an hour into the event, I knew all was not well. The wedding had not started. I could see the look of concern on the faces of the women, the hushed whispers and the going back and forths. Perhaps Natalia had escaped just as she had thre
I watched her face twitch with concern as she looked at the photo. I wasn’t sure what was wrong but she seemed quite concerned.‘’Do you know the name of this guy she is getting married to?’’ she asked finally, raising her head from the screen.I shook my head. ‘’No. But i heard he’s like a distant cousin.’’The Bravta guys had done it before. In fact, I had heard there was a time one of the Dons married his sister. It was hard to believe that something like that could be happening in the twentieth century.She furrowed her brows again and looked at the photo before stretching the phone back to me.‘’Is there any problem?’’ I asked. ‘’It seemed as though you know him or something.’’She shook her head and pulled the duvet over her head. With Octavia, it was best to just trust her blindly. It was one of the few things I was learning with her. Whenever she didn’t want to give information about something, it was for the best. I looked at the photo one more time before responding