LOGINWithout waiting for my reply, the old man turned around and walked back inside, his cane clicking against the marble floor."Damned old bastard..." I growled under my breath. One of these days, I was going to cut that old throat myself and feed him to the dogs.I rolled my eyes, turning my head slightly toward my right-hand guard. "Have my dogs been fed today?""Yes, sir," the guard replied respectfully. "They were fed an hour ago."A small smirk touched my lips. At least, there was something I could smile about in this hell hole. "Good. I'll go say hi to them later."The smile vanished instantly as I turned back toward the dark hallways of the mansion. I hated going to the west wing.As I walked down the dim corridor leading to my grandfather's quarters, the air grew thick and heavy, smelling strongly of burnt herbs, bitter tea, and traditional medicines. Traditional herbalist nurses lined the walls, standing nervously in the shadows. As I passed them, they bowed their heads shakily
~ Raymond's POV ~I hated the Giordanos. I had always hated them, with every fiber of my being.They were a family built on sick, twisted rituals. They raised their children like wild animals, locking brothers in rooms to fight each other for scraps of power, teaching them that mercy was a disease. Tch! It was hell in there. Every single Giordano child grew up to be more evil than the last. Cruel, arrogant, and ruthless. But out of all of them, I hated Dante the most. Fucking Dante!Dante was a cold-blooded monster who looked down on everyone else as if we were nothing more than insects beneath his expensive shoes. He was undeserving, they all were. For people who grew up in hell, and I, who had a more better childhood than those demons, why then does it look like I'm the one really in hell?I hauled Orion into the backseat of my car and slammed the door shut. The kid was still sobbing hysterically, his small shoulders shaking violently as he pressed himself against the car door,
I slowly turned my head, my blurry eyes landing on Ezekiel. His shiny clothes were soaked in blood. He was so happy just an hour ago, dreaming about his future, smiling about his tips. I shouldn't have come to him. Raymond was right. It was my fault. I brought death to his doorstep. If only I had never asked him for help. Oh God! Why? Ezekiel… just why?I was so broken, the guilt eating away at my soul until there was nothing left but agonizing pain.Raymond tapped Orion's shaking shoulder gently. "Remember our deal, Zayn. Three days. Time is up.""I can't do it!" I cried out, my voice cracking as I slammed my fist weakly against the floor. "I can't do this anymore! Please, Raymond, find someone else! I beg you!"Raymond's icy eyes immediately darkened. The fake gentleness vanished. He suddenly grabbed a fistful of Orion's hair, pulling the boy's head back sharply.Orion cried out in sharp pain, grabbing at Raymond's wrist with his little hands."No! Wait!" My eyes blew wide in panic
TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ "Ezekiel!"I screamed so loud my throat tore. The gunshot was still ringing in my ears, but all I could see was the blood. It was pouring from the side of Ezekiel’s head, pooling thickly across the cheap linoleum floor. A piece of his skull was cracked open, and his eyes were wide, staring blankly at the ceiling. Just a minute ago, he was smiling, bragging about his night. Now, he is dead!Before I could even process the horror in front of me, heavy footsteps pounded into the tiny apartment. Half a dozen men in dark suits rushed inside, filling the small space completely.Then, walking in slowly behind them, was Raymond.His fiery red hair was perfectly combed, his expensive suit immaculate, but his icy blue eyes were blazing with anger.My eyes blew wide open in shock. “Raymond!” This bastard had found me.At that exact second, the bathroom door creaked open. Orion stepped out, rubbing his sleepy eyes, freezing the moment he saw the crowd of strange men an
The night felt endless. My phone wouldn't stop buzzing on the hard floor beside my blanket, the screen lighting up the dark ceiling every few minutes with fresh notifications.Rocco was of course very relentless. When I blocked his number, he started calling from different burner numbers. Over and over, the phone vibrated until I had to manually decline and block every single one. Then came the barrage of frantic text messages.-Zayn, please just talk to me. Did I do something wrong?- -Is it about my family?--If you're not comfortable around my brothers, I swear I won't bring you back to the main house again- -We can stay at my private apartment. Just tell me you're safe--Babe, please. Don't do this to me. Answer the phone-Reading those messages tore my heart into tiny pieces. I could feel his desperation and worry through every word, and it killed me inside. I wanted so badly to pick up, to tell him where I was, to let him come pick us up and wrap his big arms around me.But I c
I pulled Orion out of his school early, my heart racing the entire time I waited at the front gates. Before picking him up, I had already rushed through my apartment, throwing a few clothes, Orion's favorite toy, and our important documents into two worn canvas duffel bags.We couldn't stay there anymore. Raymond knew the address, and Lorenzo knew I was a liability. The street felt like a trap waiting to snap shut on us.With nowhere else to go, I called Ezekiel. Ezekiel was one of the ladyboy dancers at Elysium. We weren't tight friends, but a few months back, when Eve was ready to fire him over a missing stage earring and a lost VIP bottle, I had stepped in. I had begged Eve to give Ezekiel another chance, taking the blame for the mistake myself. Luckily, he had never forgotten it.When we arrived at his place on the far edge of the lower district, Ezekiel opened the door in a silky pink robe, his long silver acrylic nails clicking against the wooden frame."Oh, sweetie! Come in, c
Alex scoffed. "Hurry back then, since you're missing your sweetheart so damn much while I'm basically still heartbroken over mine.” He made a face. “You just had to rub it in huh, jerk!" He sneered then brought out his phone and typed on it. "Check your phone asshole."I pulled it out instantly and
"I don't know," I admitted in all honesty. "I honestly don't understand my own feelings, Antonio." The frustration in my voice was clear. Antonio stared at me like I'd just confessed to the most impossible thing. His jaw dropped slightly as he shook his head in utter disbelief. “I can't believe th
~ Dante's POV ~I watched Liam fall asleep slowly, the rise and fall of his chest moving slow and steady beneath the covers. He had finally drifted off minutes after I finished cleaning him. I stood up, moving silently to the shelf to grab a small jar of soothing ointment. The skin on his back, whe
“And why would we give this to the police?”I laughed dryly, trying to mask the slip up. "The police? Of course not! I just misspoke."Rocco gave me a long, hard stare, his eyes assessing me up and down. “That was a really dumb thing to say considering how useless the police are anyway.” He rolled







