LOGINHAZEL I stood there for a few seconds longer, staring after them as they disappeared down the staircase. The sound of Vasilisa's laughter echoed through the hallway, and it grated on my nerves. It made me so damn angry that the two of them had been making fun of me, that Cara had been listening in, and that Vasilisa had threatened me for their amusement. At first, when I met Cara, I thought she was cool, how could I have been so stupid?I was angry at myself. Angry that I kept misinterpreting people, kept misunderstanding every Moretti. Because all of them were the same, weren't they? Cut from the same cloth.I was done, I was finally done. Done with all of them. Done with Vasilisa, Done with Cara and Done with the Morettis. I was done with whatever weird game everybody seemed to be playing against me while I was the only one who didn't know the rules.I slowly went back into my room and closed the bedroom door behind me, leaning against it. The room suddenly felt too small and too s
HAZEL It was A drawing..... I stared at it, confused immediately. What is this supposed to mean?I sat up on the bed properly now, wiping my face as I looked at it more carefully. It wasn’t just a drawing. It looked like a map. Rough, Handmade and Deliberate. My heart slowed without permission. I frowned. But the question stayed stuck in my chest. Who put this here And what is this map? Where does it lead to?I turned it over again in my hands, searching it as it might suddenly explain itself. But it didn’t, it just stayed there, silent and waiting. Without thinking twice, but knowing very well I wasn’t going to get answers tonight, I folded it carefully and neatly, like it mattered, because it probably did.Then I looked around the room. Where to hide it? I had to put it somewhere safe. Somewhere no maid would find and Somewhere Angela wouldn’t think to touch. Somewhere even this house wouldn’t be able to reach it. With the paper still in my hand, I stood there wondering where I co
ARIELLA I wasn't looking at the same Cara anymore. I was looking at the woman from that night.... The woman covered in blood, the one laughing hysterically and the one killing people like it was sports.Cara was crazy. The whole family was crazy. Absolutely insane And somehow that scared the hell out of me. Because she was beautiful, creepy, and terrifying. So I quietly walked back to the chair and sat down. No arguments and no attitude. Nothing. Silence fell immediately after that. Heavy silence. Then suddenly Cara stood up and smiled toward Vasilisa."Why don't I give you a tour of your future home?"Vasilisa immediately lit up."Thank you, Cara. I can't believe that soon the two of us are going to be sisters."They did one of those ridiculous air hugs, giggling together as they walked out. Axel stood after them without sparing either of us a glance. He straightened his suit jacket and walked away without saying a single word. Cassio and Remo exchanged one final hateful stare befo
HAZEL A plate was quietly placed in front of Lisa and everyone just naturally continued on again with their dinner, with Cara talking and Vasilisa proudly talking about the wedding.I was fuming.I've never been this angry before, or so heartbroken. I couldn't believe that this whole time Axel had apparently been signing marriage contracts while sleeping with me..... While I had been letting him inside me.What the hell did I expect? Vasilisa had reminded me time and time again that she was his promised wife and I was too stupid.I was so angry that I couldn't even contain it. With nothing to do or say, I took out my frustration on the poor food in front of me."Are you okay there, Sleeping Beauty?" Cassio suddenly asked.I froze in place, feeling all eyes were on me, and wondering if they could tell the thoughts in my head. I looked up from my plate begrudgingly."I'm just..." I swallowed thickly. "....I'm good."Cassio narrowed his eyes suspiciously."You do know Vasilisa, right?
HAZEL Cassio walked over toward Vasilisa, and they did this hug-air-kiss thing. I never understood why people would kiss but not actually kiss, but whatever.Cara immediately pulled Cassio toward her, and the two of them, of course, kissed hungrily and passionately right there in front of everyone which gave Vasilisa the chance to look around slowly."I must say, this place is beautiful." She exclaimed with exaggeration.Cassio, of course, was already back to being his charming self."Welcome to the Moretti Empire." He exclaimed with his arms wide.Vasilisa laughed softly towards the head of the table And I couldn't help myself. I glanced toward Axel too. Of course, he had no emotion on his face. Nothing. But I knew he wasn't expecting this new arrival.Still, he looked completely unbothered. His usual cold, not-giving-a-fuck expression sat perfectly on his face. Vasilisa started walking around the dining room and then, of course, started moving straight toward Axel.She came around
HAZELShe wasn't holding too hard on me and it didn't hurt. But as she stared at me and held my gaze, I knew this was her showing me that she could do much worse if she wanted to. It was a warning. A scream was caught in my throat as my arm went towards hers to defend myself. Finally, Axel leaned back in his chair and spoke.“Lisa.”Just one word. Lisa looked at him immediately and her face fell from whatever was in Axel's expression. She let me go and narrowed her eyes at him angrily but Axel looked completely unbothered.For a second nobody moved. Nobody breathed. Then Lisa smiled, and somehow that smile scared me way more than if she had shouted or snapped.She nodded slowly.“Okay.”She pulled out a chair directly across from me and sat down. She crossed her legs, rested her chin on her hand And smiled right at me.“Let's eat.”The food was brought over, and for a few minutes, everything was... normal. Normal in their strange kind of way. Cassio was busy stealing food from Cara'
HAZELAxel slid his phone into his pocket. Then turned his head toward me.“You didn’t pick up your phone.”I blinked.“What phone?”“I was calling you,” he said calmly, as if I were the crazy one. “To tell you to get ready. You weren’t picking up.”I stared at him, completely confused.“I… don’t h
HAZELAxel didn’t look at me again. He just turned back to his phone as if the conversation was finished on his end and there was nothing else to talk about.The phone he gave me felt cold and heavy in my hands. I stared at it like it was a snake about to bite me. Like if I blinked hard enough, it
HAZELWith those parting words, Vasilisa linked arms with her mother and glided away, leaving me standing there, stunned, her words echoing in my head like a threat. And I suddenly felt very, very alone.I kept standing there, all alone, in this room full of people who talked like they were schemin
AXEL I smile at Damien before I continue. The favour isn't what he thinks it is.“In the meantime, I want her trained to be a wife.... My wife. Not a princess. Not a sheltered girl. She needs to learn what marriage is. She needs to understand she won’t be living in a fantasy. She’ll have a husband







