Chapter 88ALESSIA~~~°~~~I woke up started, my eyes hazy and my entire body feeling like I had been run over by a whole train the night before. I leaned against the headrest and allowed myself a moment before finally opening my eyes. Last night, I had the most terrifying nightmare. I sighed, but then the first thing my eyes registered was the unfamiliarity of the bed I was lying in. I looked up, scanning the entire room urgently, that was when I realized that I was indeed in Russel's room. Oh my God, so last night was not a dream?Quickly, I got out of bed, rushed to Russel's closet and grabbed one of his shirts which I hastily put on. Then I ran out of the room, all the way down the stairs. My throat was burning from all the screams, sobs and desperate cries I had made last night, a desperate attempt to get Russel to let me go, but he didn’t.Kegan was the first person I found, he was standing at the foot of the stairs, directing some men who were dragging some stuff outside. Wh
Chapter 89RUSSEL~~~°~~~“Fucking New York,” I cursed silently, “I don’t know which one I hate more, the city or the people in it.” I mused as we entered the car. Kegan looked watched me through the mirror and grinned, “You're about to become an in law there, how sweet does that sound?” “Fuck you!” I hissed loudly. I rested my head on the seat and closed my eyes as Kegan drove out of the estate. The nostalgia was there, more than I had ever felt about leaving this house. But so was the resentment bubbling deep inside me. Fury burned within me like an unquenchable inferno as I tried to convince myself that it was the right thing to do. Her presence in my life would only keep driving me to inexplicable points, compelling me to shatter the carefully constructed barriers I had painstakingly built for years. No, I couldn’t give her that right. She was just another girl. Despite my conviction that it was the best thing to do, the pang of knowing I had hurt her gnawed at my insides,
Chapter 90RUSSEL~~~°~~~We pulled up at Ignacio Salvatore's mansion at exactly twelve noon that, accompanied by two convoys plus the one I was driving in. As soon as we stepped out of the car, Ignacio's men surrounded us, eyeing me suspiciously. One of them particularly, a burly brute fellow with an ugly scar running down his left cheek, a scar which I could easily tell was an unfading signature from my brother, Marcel.The man stepped forward, seizing me like his eyes alone were enough to lay out all my plans before him. He flexed his burly muscles menacingly, sniffing the air like a wolf in heat while I remained unfazed and just returned his gaze with a hard one of own.“Why have you come?” He asked in a deep voice. "Tell Ignacio I'm here," I replied curtly, my tone brief and dismissive.“He's not expecting you.” The man returned icily.“Well, he has something of mine that I need, so it doesn't matter whether or not he's expecting me, I'm here to collect it.”The thug exchanged
Chapter 91RUSSELA WEEK LATER~~~•~~~I sat in front of Ignacio Salvatore, flanked by his men and mine. To his left was Matteo Salvatore and to his right his daughter, Stacy Salvatore, my unlucky fiancée. Nikolai strolled into the crowded room, taking a seat on the armchair next to his father, which left him sitting directly across from me. For Ignacio’s benefit, Nikolai would maintain a moody facade while I kept my expression stoic, only nodding when Ignacio made sly remarks or gestures for my benefit. Kegan sat silently beside me, his eyes scanning the room as he took occasional sips from the glass of Martini in his hand. I tried my best to keep my face straight each time I stared at Stacy, but each time, I couldn’t help the deep sense of aversion with my own self that ghosted underneath my skin like a persistent bug. It didn’t take me long to realize that Stacy was a fucking bitch from the minute I met her last week. At the time she stepped into the room after her father sent
Chapter 92 RUSSEL ~~~•~~~ Stacy's possessive grip on my hand tightened as she led me through the dimly lit corridors of the Salvatore mansion, her voice a constant buzz in my ear. I tried not to appear as uninterested as I actually felt while she kept prattling on about things that didn’t go beyond my right ear. My mind was consumed by the overwhelming sense of unease that had settled over me like a suffocating shroud from the first day I stepped feet into this place, which had become like a prison. “You know, Father has always known that you and I were made for each other,” Stacy was saying. I gave her a sidelong glance and lifted a brow, “Oh? Is that so?” “Of course!” She rattled on with a proud smirk, “He told me you were a busy man and that it would take more than just a few winks at all those parties he took me to just so I could get a chance to see you to seduce you.” I swallowed, “Seduce me?” I asked with a surprised frown, “You’ve been— trying to?“ “Oh yes,” She s
Chapter 93RUSSEL ~~~°~~~I entered my room, still reeling from the unsettling encounter with Stacy. As I closed the door behind me, I was taken aback when I found Kegan comfortably lounging in the armchair, a cigar in hand and a smirk playing on his lips. The grin on his face faltered when he saw the scowl on my own face, but then he scoffed, “For someone who is rumored to be the devil you sure look like you've seen a ghost," He remarked, amusement dancing in his tone. "Or perhaps another lesser demon?”I brushed him aside and went straight for the small wine cellar in the room. I came back with a bottle of scotch which I chugged down straight from the bottle. Kegan watched me with curious eyes as I let the liquor burn against my throat, the familiar taste a bit soothing on my raging nerves. When I had nearly chugged down the entire thing, I set the bottle aside and sank into the nearest armchair. But even that wasn't enough, so I lit a cigarette and stood by the window, from where
Chapter 94ALLESIA ~~~°~~~The day had been a long, strenuous one. I stepped into the changing room, my new uniform clinging to my body like a second skin. As I made my way towards the locker where I usually keep my personal items before work, I greeted the two ladies who were coming in to take over my shift with a tentative smile while adjusting the name tag on my perfectly ironed white shirt."Hey… Allesia,” A cheerful voice startled me from behind. I turned to see a handsome young man with friendly brown eyes and a welcoming smile staring at the tag on my shirt, "You must be the new girl,” he said, extending his hand for a handshake, “I'm the old guy.”I nodded awkwardly before slowly taking his hand in mine. His palms felt very soft, I noticed, and he looked too cute to be waiting drinks at a coffee shop, I thought too. It took him tilting his head, which was thick with dark afro curls around the edges with the center dyed gold like burnt noodles, for me to notice his extended h
Chapter 95ALLESIA~~~°~~~One of the best things about moving to New York, as I was getting to know, was Mrs Willowby’s obsession with making sure I don't end up alone as an old, frustrated cat lady. It was actually something to look forward to, considering I was beginning to warm up to her. She was always there when I left for work and I looked forward to the short chitty chats with her when I returned. Today, I was preparing for Nolan's party, so I had just come home from picking clothes when I ran into her. She stood back and let her eyes scan my body with surprise etched between her brows. “I've known you for two weeks and this is the most sophisticated I've seen you!” she squeaked with delight, “Looks like you finally took my advice.”I shook my head mechanically, “Nope, I didn't. I'm merely preparing for a party.” “And you're certainly dressed for the part!," She teased, eyeing the cargo pants I had carefully selected, which was tucked into a rather fitting corset top, “Got