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 92RUSSEL ~~~•~~~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 smiled, “B
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
Chapter 96RUSSEL ~~~°~~~I was hunched behind the small desk in my room, the soft glow of my laptop screen casting shadows across the room as I worked stared into the screen. My fingers flew across the keyboard in uncontrollable impatience as my eyes scanned the monitor desperately.But despite my best efforts these last few days, it seemed like Allesia had simply vanished from the surface of this earth, leaving no fucking trace for me to follow. It's been a whole week and Luca has been working tirelessly, sending half my men out to trace her, yet she was nowhere to be found, and it was driving me insane.I had been keeping an eye on her family’s house through the CCTV cameras, hoping to catch a glimpse of her returning home, but so far, there had been no sign of her. What baffled me even more was the fact that her mother and Renzo did not appear worried at all. Did she get into a fight with them for them to be that relaxed when she was missing?The thought of her out there, alone a
Chapter 97 ALLESIA ~~~°~~~ I woke up in a daze, my head pounding and my limbs heavy. My gaze blurred once again, but I blinked severally, desperately trying to stay awake but it felt like my eyelids were being clipped shut with pegs. Ignoring the heavy throb at the back of my head, slowly probed myself into a sitting position with a pillow. I sat for a while before my senses slowly returned to me, I realized I was lying in a room that was both beautiful and intimidating. The walls of the dimly lit room were painted in shades of pure white and gold, with intricate designs adorning them. The elegant yet masculine furniture was a glaring confirmation that my captor was male. The thick black and gold curtains were drawn tightly shut, obstructing any intrusion of sunlight from the tall windows as they battled for dominance, but only a warm glow from the reflection of the sunlight on the curtain penetrated the room, casting a warm glow over everything in the room. My heart r