Painted Devils

In my last life, my brother Leo—the heir to the Moretti crime family—stripped our estate bare of every last soldier, all for a Vegas jaunt. All because his new flame, Scarlett, had a jones for the high-roller tables. The Volkovs—our rivals, the very ones Leo had just pissed off—saw their opening and stormed our gates. My mother, Sofia, took a bullet meant for me. Died protecting me. I blew up Leo’s phone, my pleas turning to screams. He didn't answer. He waltzed back in after the shooting stopped, bringing our men home, but far too late for it to matter. Then, the news from Vegas. Scarlett was gone. A suicide note left behind. In it, she painted me as the monster. The one who’d leaked our weaknesses to the Volkovs. The one who'd orchestrated a fake kidnapping and torture plot, all to drive her to despair and lure Leo home. A perfect, tragic lie. Leo read the letter calmly. Then he burned the letter and told me, "Forget it. It's handled." Father tore into Leo for abandoning his post, for leaving his family to die. And me? I was named the new Consigliere. But after the celebration, Leo cornered me in the wine cellar. His face was a mask of cold fury as he pressed the barrel of his gun to my forehead. "This is for family traitors," he hissed, his voice pure venom. "The throne is my birthright, not some backstabbing bitch's prize!" When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Right in the middle of the fire and the blood. This time, I shoved my mother behind me, dragging her toward the panic room. And the bastards who were too blind to believe me? They’ll regret it.

Lily Evan is a 23 years old ambitious girl who did her graduation in mass media and communication works in Scotland's top news agency. Young Mark Scott is from a Royal Devil family of Scotland. The identities of devils are hidden and now they live in this modern world to maintain balance along with the heavenly angels. Destiny plays a game and makes these two souls meet. Mark who never felt any kind of emotions in his life, started feeling them when he met Lily. But there are some dark secrets behind this man's identity which started revealing as Lily got closer to him. ~~~~~ "Lily, do you love me?" Mark asked which startled Lily. "I do," Lily accepted. "Why do you love me?" Mark asked from her. "I think love doesn't need reasons," Lily replied. "I don't love you," Mark asserted. "Will you still love me if I go away from your life or will you move on?" Mark asked. "What do you mean?" Lily queried Mark worriedly. "Just answer," Mark told Lily. "I don't think I will ever forget you especially your eyes," Lily answered. "I am not going anywhere," Mark stated and averted his gaze from Lily. "Are you saying the truth?" Lily questioned him. "Why do you think I am lying?" Mark asked. "Because I don't want you to go away. I found you after 6 years and if you will again go away then, I might feel sad," Lily truthfully replied. Mark's eyes grew big as this thing he never heard once from anyone. Everyone told him to fulfill his duties but no one said to him that they would feel bad if he would go away. Mark lifted his hand and cupped Lily's face and the next second she was shocked by Mark's move.

The biggest mistake I had ever made was falling in love with my Alpha stepbrother, Cayden Gates. I was 12 when my mom remarried, and he was the only one in the new pack who treated me kindly. I fell for him at first sight. When I was 16, I was attacked by rogue wolves, and he fought off ten of them alone to protect me. At 18, he was poisoned by silver. He nearly died. That was when my wolf told me he was my fated mate. Without hesitation, I donated my bone marrow to save him. That night, watching him asleep with a pale face, I couldn't help but kiss the corner of his lips. He opened his eyes at that exact moment, his face flushing red. "Tessa, we're siblings. You shouldn't cross that line." From then on, he started avoiding me, like I was a mistake he couldn't afford to make. His fiancée, Rosie Lloyd, had been diagnosed with a rare blood disease, and I was the only compatible donor. For the first time, he pleaded with me. "If you're willing to save her, I'll agree to anything." But I was already weak from the marrow transplant. Giving blood again might kill me. I said no, and Rosie died in the end. He didn't shed a single tear, like nothing had happened. But at her funeral, he smashed the portrait I'd painted of him in front of everyone and said coldly, "How filthy of you to dream of being with your own brother." Later, I became a disgrace, a walking joke. Humiliation and despair swallowed me whole, and in a haze, I fell into the lake and drowned. When I open my eyes again, I'm back at the moment he begs me for blood. I say yes calmly. I consider it the final debt I owe the Gates family. Cayden, from now on, we're done. There are no more ties between us.