Love and Shadows

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

Chapter 7 - KiraI walk into the car, knowing exactly who is waiting inside and feeling my heart beating in trepidation at the prospect of what I'm about to do. He's sitting in the backseat and, once again, using his phone. I can't blame him - billionaires and rich people in general tend to be less aware of their surroundings and so cocksure that everything is going to continue going smoothly, even when people like me have their eyes on them.Once again, I wait for him to look up and realize that his life is about to end. I'm not about to kill him while he's unaware. Just like before, he raises his eyes. "Our friend driver, aren't we supposed to be on the way now?" he questions.I turn around quickly, pulling my gun and pointing it straight at his forehead. He freezes in shock. Well, that's the reaction I was expecting. I was supposed to pull the trigger the next instant, but I hold for a second when he raises his hands in the air in surrender."Oh, you again," he starts. I smile swee

Chapter 9 - Luca Romano I don't do anything particular in my office. No, I simply spend the time thinking. But I don't beat myself up for it - what with my life hanging in the balance at the moment, I can't exactly blame myself for wanting to secure my survival first of all. That feeling, wanting, not minding if she tries to kill me again as long as it means we'll meet with each other once more, still nags at me, but I force it down. It's my life we are playing with at the moment, and it's a very expensive joke if anything. It's best I never see her again, but somehow just the prospect of that ties my stomach in knots. "Where did I get such a masochistic trait?" I question myself, rubbing my fingers on my temples and feeling like a fool. Even with my experiences with Vanessa, it has never come close to death before. But this with her - death is but a moment away, and I actually find myself excited by it. "This is getting really unhealthy," I tell myself, making up my mind to make