Chapter 5 - The Devil's Whisper

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Chapter 5

~Elena's Pov~

Night came quickly, faster than I expected. The winds howled outside, rattling the windows, while shadows crept and stretched across the corners of my dimly lit room. Every creak in the house felt louder at night, almost as if the darkness itself was alive.

I lay in bed staring at the fading patterns of the ceiling, tracing the cracks and worn-out designs with my eyes. Sleep refused to come no matter how hard I tried. I tossed from one side to the other, pulling the blanket close, but rest seemed miles away. My thoughts betrayed me, circling back to him.

“Adriano…” I whispered softly into the empty room.

The name tasted dangerous on my tongue, a devil cloaked in a beautiful name. Devil and beautiful didn’t belong in the same sentence, yet with him, they did. My chest tightened at the thought of the future, my father had tied me into, soon I would belong to Adriano. Finally, with a frustrated sigh, I pushed myself up. “Maybe a glass of milk will do the trick,” I muttered to myself though , I doubted it would silence the storm raging in my chest.

Sliding into my fluffy slippers, I tiptoed to the door. Peeking through the narrow crack, I saw no one. It was only 11 p.m., but the hallway already felt eerily deserted. The weak light bulbs flickered, casting long, shifting shadows on the walls.

“God, I hate the dark,” I whispered, rubbing my shoulders for warmth. The thin fabric of pajamas I wore did little to protect me from the cold air seeping through the house.

I walked quickly to the kitchen, every step echoing against the wooden floor. Grabbing a cup from the counter, I poured myself some milk. But just as the rim touched my lips, a sound drifted in from the living room. A muffled noise, low laughter . A faint gasp , distant coming from the living room.

I froze. For a moment, I told myself to ignore it. But curiosity clawed at me. I placed the cup back on the counter and, against my better judgment, tiptoed toward the noise. The closer I came, the clearer it grew, murmured voices. A breathless moan . My heart pounded in my chest as I leaned forward and peeked.

My breath caught.

Marcus

My half brother

He was sprawled across the couch with a blonde girl draped over him , their bodies tangled together. His lips crushed against hers , his hands roaming shamelessly around her body. The girl giggled breathlessly, tugging at his shirt . The sight made bile rise in my throat. Nostalgia and disgust twisted together inside me until I thought I might vomit.

I began to retreat quietly, praying they hadn’t noticed me .But fate wasn’t on my side. My elbow brushed against a vase on the stand. It toppled and crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

I gasped and ducked behind a pillar, clamping a hand over my mouth to stifle the sound of my heavy breathing. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I fought the panic clawing inside me.

“Who’s there?” Marcus’s voice sliced through the silence, sharp and commanding.

I pressed my eyes shut, praying. Marcus was anything but good news. Memories of the times he'd cornered me in the hall , whispering cruel things , his eyes glistening with malice. He had always been trouble. Getting on his bad side will the last thing I would want right now.

“Babe, there’s no one there,” the blonde said lazily, her tone dripping with shamelessness. “Forget it. Come back.” There was a pause. My pulse thudded against my throat . Then Marcus grunted, muttered something under his breath and returned to her arms. Peeking from my hiding place, I saw him return to her, already too distracted to care. Relief flooded me, and I bolted for the stairs, my feet barely touching the floor.

Slamming my door shut behind me, I leaned against it, chest heaving. Finally, I slid under my blanket, eyes squeezed shut, as if that could erase what I’d just witnessed.

But sleep still wouldn’t come.

No my thoughts betrayed me again, dragging me back to Adriano , his eyes cold , unreadable. He was a storm in human form and soon, I would be in the arms of that devil. The thought sent shivers across my skin, goosebumps rising in the cold night air.

What would life with him be like? Would it be more hellish than the one I already lived? Or was I about to step into something darker than I could ever imagine?

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