All Chapters of Flames of love and war: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

LauraThe sound of Alec’s voice still echoed in my skull long after I’d run.Every word he’d said about Nikolai replayed in my head like a broken record, refusing to fade no matter how fast I moved.My heart hadn’t stopped pounding since then.It wasn’t just the running or the fear of being chased, it was the betrayal curling like smoke in my chest.The cold night air bit at my cheeks as I stumbled down the street, my vision blurry and my breath coming out in chugs.I didn’t even know where I was heading, I just needed to move, to put distance between myself and what I had overheard.Between myself and him.Alec said things he wasn’t supposed to. Things that made me doubt everything all over again, making me wonder if I could ever truly trust anyone.By the time I got back to the beach house, my legs felt like rubber and I was this close to falling to my knees.The house was quiet, too quiet… the kind of silence that runs uncomfortably against your ribs and allows the hair on the back

LauraIn the split second it took for whoever Damien's mysterious guest was to show up, I could feel tension creep into the space, making each breath one breathed in choke up with molecules.Already, too much has happened since the Gathering started yet he's throwing another unknown into the mix.As it stood, we were all wary of each other and the trust was close to fraying.From the corner of my eye, I could see some of the guards reach for their weapons, making sure it was within reach in case anything happened.I stiffened, wishing I had something to grab onto or hold to steady the avalanche of emotions pouring through me but I didn't.Kelvin, on the other hand, appeared cool and calm, apparently unruffled by whoever Damien was bringing in, but I saw his fingers drum restlessly against the armrest beside me.“Who is this person, Damien?” Anton spoke up, asking the questions that were on our minds.Damien only smiled. That slow, deliberate smile meant he’d saved the best for last.“

KelvinThe night was too quiet.The kind of quiet that doesn’t calm you… It just presses down, heavy and watchful.The ocean outside whispered against the sand, and from the open glass doors of the beach house, I could hear it breathing.Laura was upstairs, asleep, her soft rhythm out of reach of the war in my head, oblivious to the turmoil in my head.My father’s voice hadn’t left me since that talk earlier.Old men like Ezra Aldoracco didn’t raise their voices… they didn’t need to.A simple sentence or look could slice deep enough to make you bleed for days.“You’ve my son, you've got my blood…. That I don't deny. You've just forgotten how to use what I taught you.”He said it with that half-smile of disappointment…. the one that always made me feel twelve again, trying to impress a man who didn’t believe in softness.I poured another drink, watching the amber ripple as it swirled in the dark.The reflection of the night sky in the glass looked fractured… fitting.He was hiding some

LauraThe days seemed to roll past pretty quickly, mornings blurring into quiet evenings and before you knew it, you were starting it all over again. Kelvin on the other hand wasn't helping much as he disappears and reappears at will. Like now, he'd been gone since morning, something about a meeting with Dylan.I tried distracting myself with a book, but the words kept sliding off the page, as if my mind refused to cooperate. So, I tossed it aside and reached for my phone.A quick glance let me know that I had no new messages.I sighed, sinking deeper into the couch, the hum of the air conditioner the only thing keeping me company.I thought that being here would be another new experience for me but instead it's the opposite.It's almost way worse than it is in New York… at least back home, I had Katie to talk to.I tried not to dwell on my depressing state, so I looked out the window.The sunlight poured through the wide glass windows, glinting off the marble floors… it was beautifu

LauraComing back from that brunch/ dinner date with the girls had me feeling better than I had all week.After the weird conversation I had with Sergei, Skye managed to pull me out of my funk, and the meeting turned into a karaoke/ drinking night.I couldn't lie, it was the most fun I've had in months.But then I walked into the beach house, noticing the stares I got from the guards and then I was directed to the rooftop.Confused, I kept walking only to stop short when I saw Kelvin waiting for me with his back to a romantic setup.And then words I thought I would never hear left his lips.The sound of my name rolled off his tongue like silk.“Laura Alderaco, will you do me the honor of having dinner with me?”For a moment, I honestly thought I’d imagined it.Kelvin stood by the table, the faint amber glow of candlelight carving shadows along his sharp jawline.The entire room looked like something out of a dream or a memory that didn’t belong to people like us.Soft music played in