ログインELLIEThe gates were wrought iron, at least twelve feet tall, with security cameras mounted every few yards along the perimeter wall. The car rolled through smoothly, tires crunching on perfectly maintained gravel that must have cost a fortune to import and maintain in this humidity.Singapore's heat hit me the moment we'd stepped off the plane, thick and wet, clinging to my skin like a second layer I couldn't peel off. My father had immediately ushered me into an air-conditioned SUV with windows tinted so dark I could barely see out.Now, as we pulled up the circular driveway, I got my first look at where he'd been hiding for almost a decade. The mansion sprawled across what had to be several acres, all white stone and massive windows, modern architecture that screamed money in a way that made my stomach turn.Blood money. Palm trees lined the drive, their fronds rustling in the breeze I couldn't feel through the sealed car. Gardens stretched in every direction, manicured within an
ELLIEThe private jet smelled like leather and expensive cologne, the kind that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe back in New York. My father sat across from me, sipping scotch from a crystal glass, looking at me with those sharp blue eyes that I'd inherited from him and my mother, not that I'd ever wanted anything from them.Being connected to them alone felt like a stain, a rather sad twist of fate that left me feeling like I was a mistake even before I was born.My mother had gotten caught up in my father's 'charms' and money and she cheated on her husband, Elijah's father, with my father. It's why my stepdad never liked me...and on some occasions thought it was okay to try and assault me, the fucking asshole.Elijah never let it happen. Seeing my father's face brought ack these memories and they made my stomach churn."You look so much like your mother," he said again, for the third time since we'd left Italy. Like the repetition would make it true, would make us family i
SILASThe drive back to the cottage was silent except for the sound of tires on packed snow and Lorenzo's ragged breathing from the passenger seat.I kept my hands on the wheel, knuckles white, jaw clenched so tight my teeth ached. Noir sat in the back, his mismatched eyes staring out the window at nothing, his long hair falling forward to hide whatever expression was on his face.Lorenzo had blood crusted in his hair from where they'd knocked him out. His hands kept flexing and releasing on his thighs, the movement compulsive, like he was trying to grip something that wasn't there anymore.We'd found him slumped over the steering wheel in the restaurant parking lot, the place completely empty, no sign of Ellie or Vittorio or anyone else. Just Lorenzo, unconscious and bleeding, and the absence of her hitting me like a freight train to the chest.She was gone.Ellie was gone, and none of us had been there to stop it.The cottage came into view through the trees, warm light glowing from
LORENZODinner tasted like ash in my mouth, though I couldn't say why until I looked up and saw Ellie's hands shaking as she cut her chicken.She'd been quiet all day. Withdrawn in a way that set off alarm bells in the back of my mind. But I'd written it off as her processing everything with Silas, with her father's organization, with the weight of secrets she hadn't asked to carry. She's been acting alright with it, but I know better than anyone the weight that comes with such a reality, the guilt that also comes with it. How part of you is always asking questions, wondering if you could've helped or save any of the lives that might been destroyed by your parent.Hating the fact that their blood will always run in your veins.Always.But this isn't that. Her eyes are unfocused, her gaze sometimes rests on me and I feel the intensity from it like a physical thing.Now, watching her fork tremble as she brought it to her lips, I knew it was more than that."I have to go to town tomorrow
ELLIEMorning light streamed through the massive windows, warm light came with it beautiful, almost peaceful. I woke up warm, sandwiched between Silas's chest at my back and Noir's arm draped across my waist from where he'd somehow ended up on my other side during the night. Lorenzo was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed pulling on a shirt, his dark hair still messed from sleep."Morning," I mumbled, my voice rough.Lorenzo glanced back, his lips quirking in what might have been a smile. "Morning. Coffee?""Please."Silas groaned behind me, his arm tightening around my waist. "Too early for consciousness.""It's almost ten," Lorenzo said, standing and stretching. The movement pulled his shirt up, revealing a strip of tanned skin and muscle that made my mouth go dry despite just waking up."Exactly. Too early." But Silas was already shifting, pressing a kiss to my shoulder before rolling out of bed with exaggerated dramatics.Noir's eyes opened, green and silver finding mine
NOIRHer face shifted, that hurt deepening before she tried to mask it. I'd done exactly what I'd feared—made her feel rejected when this had nothing to do with her and everything to do with the demons living in my head."I'm sorry," I forced out, my voice raw and scraped. The words felt inadequate, pathetic. "I can't—I'm sorry."I was moving before I'd decided to move. Crossing the living room on legs that didn't feel stable, yanking open the front door so hard it slammed against the wall. Stepping out into the night.The cold hit me with brutal intensity, stealing what little breath I'd managed to recover. My lungs seized, the air so cold it burned going down. Snow crunched under my boots as I stumbled off the porch, away from the cottage, away from the warmth and safety and her.The temperature had to be below zero. Maybe significantly below. I wasn't dressed for it—just jeans and a t-shirt, no coat, no gloves. The kind of cold that could kill if you stayed out too long. Already my
ELLIEI stood in front of my closet, staring at the clothes I'd accumulated during my time at the mansion. Lorenzo left one day and just came back with an entire wardrobe of brand clothes that I couldn't refuse. My hands hovered over different items, but then I remembered—most of my things were s
The apartment was small—a living room that doubled as a dining area, a galley kitchen barely big enough for two people, and two bedrooms off a narrow hallway. But it was clean, thanks to Mrs. Rodriguez who came every three days to tidy up and make sure nothing went bad in the fridge while Dylan was
ELLIEDylan looked better than yesterday.It made no sense, but there she was—propped up against her pillows with color in her cheeks that hadn't been there the day before. Her eyes were brighter, more alert, and when we walked in, she actually smiled."There's my girl," she said, her voice still w
I settled into one of the seats, and the men arranged themselves around me—Noir beside me, Lorenzo across from us, Silas in the seat behind. Like they were forming some kind of protective circle, even here in the relative safety of the plane.The flight attendant—a professional-looking woman who Lo







