جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 180

M A R C OWe arrived at Malibu a few hours later and I stared at the huge building standing in front of us. I could already imagine the white walls and forced group therapy sessions I would be subjected to. I had tried to be better many times but nothing made me want it as much as I do now. I wanted to be better for Chloe, for Damian, for my cousin and most importantly for myself."Let's go," Alejandro said, getting out of the car. "They're expecting you."I got out of the car, my heart pounding in my chest. I was about to face my demons, and I was terrified.We walked towards the entrance, the automatic doors sliding open. A woman in a white uniform greeted us with a warm smile. "Mr. Salvatore?" she asked, her eyes on me.I nodded, my throat too dry to speak."Welcome to The Seaglass Center," she said, gesturing for us to follow her. "We're so glad you're here. I'm Dr. Evans, the clinical director."She led us down a bright hallway. The air was filled with the smell of salt and lavend

B I A N C AChloe and I were getting our nails done. A small act of normalcy that felt desperately needed. The manicurist was working on my cuticles with a tiny electric file that buzzed with an irritating intimacy."Thank you for dragging me out of the house," Chloe said, her eyes closed as a woman massaged her hands. "I think I was starting to get house fever.""Any excuse for a little pampering," I said, trying to sound light, but my mind was miles away. On the balcony last night, Damian had shown me a piece of his soul. A piece I knew was heavy with burden. This morning, he left for work with a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there before. I so badly want to just take all his pains away."Everything okay?" Chloe asked, her eyes opening, sensing the shift in my mood."I’ve been so worried for Damian. The whole problem with his twin brother has been taking a toll on him even if he tries to hide it. Elijah is evil, yet Damian feels bad about all he went through that he was

B I A N C AWe were held in captivity in the middle of nowhere, Elijah had switched us to a room that had windows and we were able to see that there were miles and miles of desert surrounding the property. There was no chance of escape.Chloe and I were sitting in our prison, our hands still tied behind our backs. My head was pounding and my body was aching from the blow Elijah had given me. I could feel the bruise on my cheek forming.I looked over at Chloe, her face pale and drawn. She looked scared but tried not to show it. Guilt was eating me alive because I had somehow brought my best friend into my mess."I'm so sorry," I whispered, my voice shaky. "This is all my fault."Chloe shook her head, her eyes full of concern. "No," she said, her voice firm. "Don't apologize. This isn't your fault.""It is," I said, tears streaming down my face. "I'm the reason we're here. I'm the reason you're in danger.""We'll get out of this," she said, her voice laced with determination. "I know we

E L I J A HI stared at my brother’s beautiful wife as she ate in my new mansion, finally realizing that I had won. I had really won. Bianca was mine. Mine to do as I please and I could already imagine the many things I’d do to her.A slow smile spread across my face as I watched her. She was beautiful, even in captivity. She had this fire in her, this defiance that made her even more desirable. I knew she hated me. And that made me want her even more.I wanted to break her. To shatter her spirit and make her completely dependent on me. I wanted her to beg for my mercy. I wanted her to be mine in every way possible. I wanted to own her.But I had to be patient. I couldn't rush things. I had to savor this victory. I had to enjoy every moment of it.I took a sip of my whiskey, my eyes never leaving Bianca. She was talking to her friend, her voice soft and low. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could see the fear in her eyes. She was scared. And that turned me on.I had alwa

B I A N C AIt was midnight and we hadn’t heard anything from Anna. Chloe and I lay in the darkness, feigning sleep but we were both wide awake, our senses stretched.Then, we heard the sound of the click of the door unlocking. My breath hitched. Chloe sat up beside me.The door opened slowly, and Anna slipped inside. She closed it quietly behind her. She hurried over to the bed."I did it," she whispered. "I got a message out."I sat up, my heart pounding. "What did you say? How did you send it?""It wasn't easy," she said, her breathing ragged. "The connection was terrible. I couldn't risk sending coordinates or anything direct like that. He monitors the data packets for anything that looks like location data.""So what did you send?" Chloe asked in a low whisper."A photo," Anna said. "A photo of the property. A few months ago, when I was trying to find a way out, I took a picture of this unique stone sculpture at the entrance of the driveway. There's only one like it in the entire