All Chapters of The Pensive Gentleman: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

AngelicaBarely anyone is here when the bouncer leads me in, not after biting his lower lip and wiggling one brow at me suggestively. It should've been the first red flag because while I hoped for not much of a crowd, this kind of empty feels... wrong.I tell myself it's not an issue and adjust my curls again, making sure it covers my face as I take in my surroundings. From the outside, the club looks small, but the interior is anything but. The lighting burns low and red, like the walls themselves are alive, like the entire place is breathing heat. Apparently, it's known for its mean drinks and fiery decor—which makes sense, given the name.I hang my head low as I walk to the round bar which houses three bartenders, though I'm sure with the amount of people here, they've barely done any work."Welcome to Inferno, pretty lady. What can I get you?" One of the bartenders, a blond, spike-haired dude with one dimple asks.I lick my lips, my eyes going over the menu hung behind him before

AngelicaMy lips tremble as I take in rushed breaths, trying to get as much air as I can in my tight throat.Coming here was a mistake, but it’s not like I had a choice. This was the part of the night Nicolas warned me about.“Behave yourself tonight.” His words from earlier ring in my ears. It was short for ‘don’t embarrass me tonight.’ And I just did.The psychiatrist called it Enochlophobia, something I acquired when I was eight. And because Nicolas is who he is, he denied me help when I needed it—until it got worse.Then it became my problem. It didn’t matter to him as long as people didn’t know about it, and as long as I behaved myself wherever I went. Like I can control what happens to me.I shut my eyes, trying to steady my breathing and think through what I’ve just done. I reek of spilled alcohol, but right now that’s the least of my concerns.What have I done? I think to myself.“You don’t ever run out of ideas to show yourself, do you?” a familiar voice hisses from behind

AngelicaI thought of many ways to escape this nightmare, but they all end with blood in my mouth and Nicolas’s hand around my throat. Or worse, with me standing at an altar beside a man I don’t know.Of all the times I wished I were Nadine, this is the only time I badly needed it to be true so I could escape this fate, just like she did."...gelica? Are you with us?" A female voice from my screen pulls me out of my thoughts. I refocus on my laptop, blinking, embarrassed at being caught spacing out."Yes, I am," I stutter, clearing my throat.My lecturer on the screen narrows her eyes, and I press my lips together, mouthing an apology even though she can't see me. She carries on with her lecture and I shove all my thoughts about my upcoming nuptials to the back of my mind.Nicolas thought it beneath him to keep me uneducated, so I attend college, but from the comfort of my bedroom. And in exchange for my tuition fees, I'm not allowed to fail. If I do, I get beaten and it'll be added t

Marciano A piercing shriek cuts across the street, drawing attention as the scene turns grim. Slowly, I tuck my gun into my waistband while the four guys who had come with me rush towards the twitching body. They surround the area, creating a barrier between the body and the curious bunch. Letting out a breath, annoyance rolls off me in waves as some dude barks to the little crowd to call an ambulance and the police. “Boss,” one of the six details I’d put on my sister greets, bowing his head. I don’t spare him a second of my attention because I’d rather not shoot anyone else right now. And also because my focus is locked in the little body underneath, trying to claw her way out from the body pinning her down. The bastard beside me, as if now noticing her, runs towards the scene, lifts the dead body, and pulls my wife-to-be out. She’s a mess. A bloody, heaving mess. My gaze darkens, jaw tightening as instead of moving away from the body, she latches herself onto it, gripping an

AngelicaGetting married was never a part of my list because it was something I knew I’d do after gaining my freedom from Nicolas.I thought I’d meet someone nice and smart, preferably an academic, like Alex, who would cherish me. We’d have a small house that we’d fill with our laughter and children.The fabric of my dress pokes at my skin as if to remind me it’d never happen in this lifetime. I stare outside the window of my suite. The sky hangs heavy and unmoving, like it’s mourning something it can’t bring back. Just like I am.A sigh escapes my lips. I didn’t even have enough time to mourn him. The door to my suite, which was conveniently locked from the outside, pulls open and my heart races as I whip my head in its direction.“Don’t you look lovely?” Nadine giggles with her hand under her chin, her brown eyes shining with mockery, which I expected.“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” she continues, still giggling as she makes her way further into the room.“Want to know