All Chapters of KNIVES AND HEARTSTRINGS: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

“Are you absolutely sure you want to spend your vacation in Greece?” my mother asked, her brow furrowed in concentration as she took her time, folding one of my blouses and placing it into the open suitcase.“Yes, Mama.” I replied without looking up, focusing on carefully tucking a bag of my absolute favorite snack—Flamin’ Hot Lays—into my carry-on. “Mykonos is quiet. Peaceful. And after the stress I’ve faced with Baba for the last two years, peace is what I need right now.”My headache made an unwelcome appearance at the mere thought of last night’s argument with my father. Eight years shadowing him, two years as COO, and yet he acted like taking a vacation was a betrayal. My father treated ambition like a battlefield, and I was his faithful soldier, expected to march without rest.Mama sighed, pulling me out of my thoughts, “I just think Greece is too far away. Why not go to Canada instead? I looked it up, and there’s a fantastic gyros spot in Toronto.”“Gyros?” I asked, trying to h

I think we should go clubbing later tonight,” Penny declared, her voice light and breezy.I stared at her, fork hovering mid-air above my third plate of kleftiko, utterly dumbfounded.“Clubbing?” I repeated, incredulous. “Are you serious?”My cousin’s tiny frame belied the force of her personality. Her black hair shimmered under the soft light, and her brown eyes sparkled with barely contained mischief. Mischief, it seemed, was aimed directly at me today.Having arrived at the family home in Mykonos from Athens a mere five hours ago, I had envisioned a serene afternoon by the pool. Catching up with Penny had been the plan—relaxing, low-effort, completely free of stress. Her idea was a sharp divergence from my completely chill plan.Penny leaned forward, her determination practically radiating from her pores. “Yes. Clubbing. Why not?”Good question. Why not?I stuffed another piece of lamb into my mouth, hoping to evade her question. Should’ve known that’ll never work on her.“Oh, no,

The audacity of this man!I mean, it’s not like I intentionally wanted to fall on him—though I might have entertained the thought once or twice. Or thrice. Sue me; the man is undeniably fine. If God had a favorite, it would be him.Even seated, I could tell he was big and the way all the other men in the room seemed to defer to him suggested he was the boss. I could barely see him under the dim lights, but his eyes shone like beacons—blue enough to rival the clearest ocean. And let’s not forget that midnight black hair, currently styled into a man bun that screamed, “I’m too handsome to care!”I was pretty sure the server hovering nearby was about to offer him her tits as a drink service, which is a new level of dedication I might consider for the next job at the company.But I should have known that someone as jaw-droppingly beautiful as him would also have a sour personality, hence my current position sprawled on the floor like a common rat after my heels chose this very moment to b

As I strolled into my room, I began to peel off my dress shirt, attempting to massage the tension out of my neck. Today had been nothing short of shocking, that much was clear.I don’t know if it was sheer luck—or perhaps fate—that the daughter of my family’s sworn enemy had somehow ended up in my lap. Coincidence? Maybe. But I’ve never been one to believe in coincidences. This was clearly meant to happen, and I’d be damned if I didn’t milk this golden opportunity for all it was worth.Recalling how pretty she looked with those wide, terrified eyes, I chuckled to myself. I could’ve sworn I saw a glimmer of longing in there too.Ah, it seems my little captive is affected by me as well. How delightful!I’m going to have so much fun with her, I couldn’t help but think.As I prepared to head to the shower with my towel in hand, my phone rang, jolting me from my thoughts.It better be Iason with some good news, I thought as I answered the call.“It’s done boss,” he said, his voice devoid o

As I stood in the room, brushing my fingers against the ornate floral patterns on the duvet covers, I felt an odd sense of nostalgia mixed with regret. The morning sun streamed through the delicate pink curtains, it's warm rays an unwanted reminder of the previous occupant of the lavish pink room– my dead sister.Selene loved this room very much. ‘My pink haven’, she called it. And while I didn't want to dwell in the past, it was hard to ignore the shadows it cast on my present. Walking away from her room, bittersweet memories flooded my mind, but I ignored them. Today, I had other things to deal with, namely, Adira. I had acted like an ass to her last night, something I’d never admit to her but I still felt a need to make up for it somehow.With a withdrawn sigh, I pulled a sleek black box from my pocket, my fingers playing over the cool face of the wickedly curved blade of Tuto. The ornate knife, though flashy, always seemed to accompany me wherever I go. There was just something so