Todos los capítulos de Cherished By the Devil: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 5

POPPYChicago. Six Months Earlier.I stared at my reflection in the mirror, surveying the recent damage. It was worse than the last time, but perhaps I should have been grateful that my nose and teeth were intact. A small consolation.My trembling fingers gingerly checked the swollen spot beneath my left eye, and I inwardly winced. This would surely turn into an ugly bruise; that much I knew from experience. The darkening spot on my jaw looked even worse—a mark left by Ardian's signet. It hurt like hell, but I knew I was lucky. I was alive. I had survived another beating. And tonight, I would make sure that this was the last one.The banging on the bathroom door made me flinch. “Angel, our guests arrived. Hurry up and join us downstairs,” Ardian called out, his voice coated with a usual layer of sweetness, as if he had already forgotten he had just beaten the shit out of me.My mask fell into place as I answered, “Um… I will need a moment. I need to do a little heavier makeup, and—”T

It would have been wise not to stare at him. Only someone with a death wish would look directly into those black eyes. I knew that much, and yet I couldn't look away.His dark hair resembled an unruly mass of silk, and my fingers suddenly itched to dive in and savor the feel of it. His face was a compilation of perfectly carved lines, sharp, symmetric, captivating. His full lips had been made for sin, and my mind eagerly sent me more than a few ideas on how they might be used…My stubborn eyes fell lower, where the final lines of his tattoo swirled on his neck. His black shirt covered most of the pattern, but my imagination was already working on forming the entire picture. God, this was reckless. I should have minimized my contact with him, not fucking provoked him! But my eyes continued to roam until I saw one side of his lips curl up into a smug smirk. Fuck.Dragging my gaze away from him, I finally turned on my professional mode, dutifully reciting the best options on the menu. My

GREYI passed a red-carpeted corridor heading to a banquet hall. I'd spent less than five minutes in this place, and I already knew this was a mistake. I despised going to those underground auctions. The last time I'd been in a place like this one was when my late foster father had dragged me with him by force. So what was I doing here now? I was making sure that Emidio Abramo wouldn't do anything stupid, like spending several grand on a forged painting.“I truly appreciate you're here,” Emidio muttered as we were entering the hall. “Of course, I could have gone alone, but…”“That's not a big deal. I owed you for telling me about Tavolo Verde,” I tossed before shifting my attention to a man dressed in a black tux.“Mr. Maladetti, Mr. Abramo, your table awaits.” His lips stretched into a trained grin as he bowed at the waist.“Lead the way,” I said curtly. The last thing I wanted was to draw too much attention, which was the exact opposite of what Emidio would want. He knew that showin