All Chapters of Love and Shadows : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Chapter 1: Kira RojasThe city is pushing me away, and I don't resist. After what I've done, maybe I deserve the cold winds and judgmental skyline. It's trying to push me off the rooftop of the tall building I'm sitting on and I can't blame it either.I don't deserve to be alive. I've just killed five people without any hesitation. The worst part is I don't feel sorry—I've long gone past that stage. I've trained to take life without hesitation, without question. But if I feel anything at all, it's disgust—aimed squarely at myself.I think of the looks on their faces as I carried out the deed. It's my job to kill—efficiently, emotionlessly—but tonight, I can't escape their faces. The mother’s face twisted in agony, her beauty shattered in the instant my blade pierced her gut, the dad, angry and rushing to help in vain, and the children screaming in agony as I ended the parents first.They did their best, but it wasn't any match for my expertise. I left no survivors, no traces. Yet part

Chapter ThreeLuca RomanoThe stranger girl doesn't even give me her name. All I have is her beautiful smile, and somehow, it lingers in my mind for days. I don't know why I feel this pull towards her. It doesn't make sense. I mean, I'm an extrovert, but even I wouldn't just randomly connect with someone at a club like that. There is something different about her, something meaningful. Even now, more than two weeks after the encounter, I keep getting flashbacks. Her skin, soft and delicate, contrasting with her pretty eyes that have a certain She’s stunning, even more so in ways I can’t explain. I’d been with plenty of women. That’s what my life is supposed to be—freedom, indulgence, the perks of a wealthy family. But this... it’s different with her.I walk into the room from my office feeling drained. It's evening and 10 o'clock already. Not exactly the time I am supposed to be coming home from work, but it is what it is. I flop down and lounge on my bed, scrolling through my phone

Chapter 5Vanessa HollowayWhen I got his text, my heart skipped a beat. How long had it been? A month? A year? I checked his last text and found, to my surprise, that it had been only a week. I sighed, realizing that I was still pining over him. He's the most amazing person, but it's frustrating that he only calls me when he needs me. His actions denote he doesn't want anything deeper than our erotic encounters, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to win him over with time.I had gotten ready in my usual professional journalist attire, but with something beneath in preparation for our encounter: a jacket to go with the otherwise revealing blouse and my pretty jean skirt. It didn't take me long to get to his company, but the minutes wound slowly when he didn't show immediately.I was, however, glad to be in his car, already turned on by his apology and the possibilities before us. Currently, I'm in a hotel room with him, unbuttoning my dress sensually. There's soft music in the backgrou