Chapter 1

AUTHOR’S WORDS:

TO ALL MY GOOD GIRLIES WHO FELL FOR THEIR DARK RUTHLESS STEP-BROTHERS, TWO TIMES THIER AGE.

AND TO ALL THE BAD GIRLIES WHO INDULGED IN FORBIDDEN ACTS DESPITE KNOWING THE DANGER THAT LURKS IN THE SHADOWS.

THIS ONE IS FOR YOU.

~~~~~~~~~

HAZEL'S POV

All my life, I have always thought that the devil is cruel and evil, but growing up and experiencing what real evil and cruelty entail, I've come to the conclusion that humans are more evil and dangerous than the devil himself.

We humans would do whatever it takes to survive, even if it meant killing others or ripping them of their rights, just to satisfy that greedy and selfish interests of ours.

“Your step-dad is dead,” Mom said over the phone without a sign of empathy or whatsoever.

She was so point-blank that I wouldn't have believed that the same man whom she announced his death so easily was once her husband for ten fucking years.

My step-dad who treated me like his own daughter, even more than Mom could ever.

He made sure I never missed the presence of my biological anonymous father after being classified as a bastard child by my Mom.

Lorenzo Veneti. The father I never had.

I sucked in a deep breath just so I could suppress the burning rage inside of me. The rage which was obviously directed at the woman who birthed me. “How could you say that so easily?”

“Were you expecting me to be crying and wailing over a dead man?”

Jesus Christ…. This woman never ceased to make me question if she was really my mother or I was adopted at birth.

“Mom….” I drawled, trying to make her understand the weight of her words.

“What Hazel? What do you want me to do? I'm not one of those pathetic women who cried over the death of their husband. After all, Lorenzo is old. He deserved to die.”

My pupils dilated at her words.

How could a wife say that about her late husband?

“You're pathetic, Mom. I wish I never came out through you.” I seethed. Anger, hatred, annoyance clawed at my chest.

“Yes, I'm pathetic. It still doesn't change the fact that I won't and would never cry over a man.” She snarled. “Come back to Ireland for his burial. It would be the last time you'd ever see him.”

Reality dawned on me at my mother's words.

It was going to be the last time I would be seeing my stepdad forever.

A slow lonely tears cascaded down my eyes, rolling down my cheeks at the unpleasing and heart-wrenching reality.

“Don tell me you're crying?” Mom snorted, her laugh blaring through the speaker of my phone. “You're the pathetic one not me. Are you forgetting that you and this man shared no blood relation?”

“I fucking know that! You shouldn't remind me of that. I wish he was my biological father. I wished you didn't sleep around like a bitch and got pregnant!” Slamming my hand on the table in front of me, I yelled. Frustration and anger lodged in my throat, making it hard to breath.

“Well, keep hating on yourself. I don't bloody care. Be at your step-father’s burial in two days time and pay him your last due.”

Knowing her message was well received, she hung up like nothing had happened.

Throwing my phone away and out of sight, I fell on the bed, my gaze fixated on the chandelier sitting prettily on the ceiling.

My mind drifted to one person. The only son of Lorenzo Veneti. Simon Veneti, my step-brother.

It's been five years since I last saw or heard from him, and I swear, I wasn't looking forward to meeting him for some reason.

If not for the fact that I've to go to Lorenzo’s burial, I wouldn't have bothered about returning to Ireland.

I already made up my mind five years ago not to return unless it was for something important.

“I'm breaking my promise already,” I heaved a sigh, sinking my lower lips in between my teeth. “Let's go pay our last due to Dad.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

The flight from California to Ireland took ten hours and when I arrived at Corktown, I was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes opened.

I flagged down a cab who took me back home.

The home I once lived in almost all my life. Lorenzo Veneti’s very own home.

The same home I shared with my once happy family, but everything changed drastically after my sudden decision to study in California.

Standing at the gate of the mansion, I sucked in a deep breath, grabbed my luggages and entered.

Getting to the entrance door, I heard loud music and screaming, causing a frown to morphed my face.

What was going on?

I pushed the entrance door open, only to meet an unbelievable sight in front of me.

Right from when I was little, I knew the kind of person my mother was. A bitch. A greedy, selfish, self-centred bitch.

But never in a million years did I thought of her as an evil and cruel woman.

She might be a bitch but not cruel and evil, but it turned out I was in the dark.

I never knew what kind of woman she was.

Remind me if I was wrong. Her husband died barely twenty-four hours ago, yet, she was seated on the lap of a younger man, kissing and sucking on his lips like a whore.

The music paused and all eyes snapped towards me including that of my mother.

“Oh, Hazel, you're here.” She didn't regard my presence.

I meant nothing to her because she turned around and continued kissing the younger man like I wasn't watching.

“Mom!” I stomped my feet to the ground in frustration, anger brewing from the top of my head.

“What? Just go to your room upstairs and stop trying to ruin my fun.” She snapped at me.

“Your husband died barely twenty-four hours ago and yet….” My voice trailed off as tears stung the corners of my eyes and my throat tightened. “Yet, you're already kissing another man. Does Simon knows about this?”

She paused at the name of my step-brother. I was sure she's afraid of him as I am.

“Don't you dare tell him!” She spat, pointing an accusatory finger at me.

“And if I do?” I brought out my phone, ready to dial his number, knowing fully well that I don't have his number anymore.

Hell, it's been five fucking years, so it was normal for us to lose contact.

He never contacted me and I didn't bother to do the same, not after what happened five years ago that prompted my sudden leave for California.

“Stop being a bitch, Hazel.”

“Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you? Your husband just died and you're already sleeping around like a whore. How sure am i that you weren't even the one who killed him?”

Gasps and murmurs erupted inside the spacious sitting room, while Mom stood up from the man’s lap, strode towards me, connecting her hand on my cheeks.

I felt a sharp sting from the slap as I bit my lips, almost drawing out blood.

“Don't you ever accuse me of the death of Lorenzo. Never in your miserable life!”