TWO YEARS ONE MONTH AGOThe moment was encapsulated in an eerie, palpable silence that reverberated through the air, echoing relentlessly in the depths of my ears. Each passing second seemed to stretch indefinitely, amplifying the extent of the trepidation devoured my every thought. As the lights flickered and emitted eerie clicks, I found myself devastated by a deep sense of fear—a fear so grand, so colossal, it surpassed my ability to contain and control it. I couldn't help but brace myself for the relentless onslaught of my deepest fears. It was as if they had plotted to embody themselves in very being, to finally confront and consume me, forever tainting the purity of my existence. Awaiting their arrival, my trembling hands betrayed my attempts to maintain composure, as if desperately seeking solace in an ephemeral display of strength.I seeked solace in prayer, desperately begging for a respite from the impending waves of panic. Wishing ferventl

“Calm down…” Tobias was by my side for the rest of the evening. He was mad at Papa, but just like me, he was helpless. He insisted on joining us for dinner at The Orchard Hotels—one of the buildings that belong to Romanos. I was nervous, fidgeting with the hem of my short light-pink dress reaching barely above my knees. The full sleeves gave me an illusion of security, the bandages wrapped around my arm still scraping yet I kept my expressions unwavering. This wedding was going to happen, one way or another—Papa would make sure of that. I still hadn’t any idea why he wanted an alliance between Romano and Morris so desperately, but I didn’t want to be a pawn in his game. The terrace was booked exclusively for our families, with an enthralling city view and start night sky. The soft breeze danced past my hair, untangling the waves in the process. It wasn’t hard to locate Romanos. A surge of anticipation rushed through my veins when my eyes landed on a very familiar face—the face I wa

PRESENT DAY“What the fuck are you doing?”“Oh me, I’m making fuck off pie. With one cup of no one cares, two table spoons of kiss my ass, and pinch of blow me. Stir it up and shove it up your ass!” With a contemptuous expression carved on his face, Killian snarled in mockery as he deftly flipped the omelette on the sizzling frying pan.Alexei gently held me in his arms, carefully descending the grand staircase that led to the ground floor of the wealthy mansion.Upon reaching the bottom step, we entered the expansive living room, which sprawled grandiosely before my eyes. Its largeness seemed to intensify the air of affluence and intricacy that saturated every nook and cranny. Adorned with an open kitchen and boasting a colossal dining table, it was apparent that no expense had been spared in the design and furnishing of this luxurious space. The exquisite chairs that encircled the table, sufficient to accommodate a party of twelve, were meticulously crafted from African Blackwood, a

Ralph let out a ferocious chuckle as his fists collided with the man’s face. ‘This world could never be a better place, you have to become worse to survive.’Another harsh blow landed on the man’s face. Ralph didn’t stop, his heart pounding loudly and the voice in his head whispering. Taunting laughs, mocking glances. He couldn’t forget it. ‘Fire when consumes you, you are no longer afraid of the heat.’ The man’s low unheard grunts, his fist colliding with the man’s face, blood splattered all over the floor, his barely moving body. Ralph felt it all and nothing simultaneously. The blood in his veins roaring, searing with rage, with resentment and anger pent up for seventeen years. Blood. He needed more blood. Breaking heavily he grabbed the small blade placed on the table and flipped it open. His mother’s lifeless body dancing in front of his eyes, her wide green eyes dead and cold, blood oozing through her head, the white dress she adored now drenched in blood. Her blood. He shut

My hands clenched tightly, a surge of apprehension seizing me like an iron grip. Gazing into Alexei’s eyes, I suddenly became aware of the countless moments he had spent clandestinely observing me, hidden away in the shadows. A chilling sensation raced down my back, igniting an electrifying shiver. For how long had this been going on? Months? Years? My graduation day couldn’t be the first time he had me tailed. I swallowed hard the bile rising in my throat. Alexei tilted his head, his eyes lowering to my fisted palms and then to my face. “Did I interrupt something?” His thick Russian dialect had my words freeze in my chest as I shook my head desperately unclenching my sweaty fists. He hummed walking closer, his every step powerful enough to rattle the walls of my heart. “You must be hungry. Killian is cooking you dinner, it’ll take some more minutes. You can have some fruits for now.” I flinched as he placed the tray on the bedside table standing towering over me. “I heard hot choco