LOGINTWELVE HOURS EARLIERIsabella Gambino was preparing to go to bed, when Anna walked into her room.“Melina? Is that you?” She called out to the maid assigned to her.“I'm sorry, miss Isabella. Melina couldn't make it tonight. She asked me to stand in for her,” Anna said, making herself visible behind her.“Oh that's fine, Anna,” she replied with a smile. “I asked for you when I came initially, and was told someone else is in your care.”“Yes,” she beamed. “It's the boss' Bride. You must have seen her tonight,” she said, taking over from her to continue brushing her hair.“I did see her. That's another reason I'm glad you're here. She's so pretty. No one told me Vlad got married.”“It came as a surprise to us too, miss. No one saw it coming. But I'll say I for one am glad she was chosen. She's so kind.”“And drop dead gorgeous,” Isabella added.“I know right?” Anna giggled. “I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw her. I told the other staff that the last time we had such beauty in
IVYI couldn't sleep.For half the night, I tossed, turned, and rolled on the bed, trying and failing to fall asleep.I thought scrolling through the phone would help, but my social media feed just kept feeding me with kissing quotes, and actual kissing videos.Out of frustration, I almost slammed the phone against the wall. I caught myself just in time, and only seconds later, was super grateful I didn't surrender to my impulses.“Damn you Vladimir Bratva!” I swore over and over again.It wasn't enough for him to be damned. I needed to dance on his ashes after he was completely finished!“Evil man! Wicked, brutal, barbarian!” Everything was his fault. I had not known peace from the moment the existence of Vladimir Bratva became known to me.As if it wasn't already a humongous deal that I was tied to him in the most legally binding way, I also had to deal with my family history.At the ripe age of eight, my sleepless nights used to be filled with thoughts of my parents being some sup
Vladimir straightened up after the pain in his groin area subsided, and broke out a rumbling chuckle.His fingers went to his lips, smiling hard as he replayed the kiss in his head over and over again.She tasted exactly like he had imagined. Naive, vicious, very delicious.He chuckled again when he thought of how quick she had hit him in that very sensitive spot.It wasn't funny at the moment, but in hindsight, he gave her a lot of points for being smart enough to go that route.“I'm going to figure you out, Princess. Whether you like it or not.”His hand left his lips, and went to the back of his neck where he rubbed as he turned around.“My office room, huh?” He mumbled in realization of where he was.In the heat of the moment, he had just wanted to storm into any room he could lock with a key. He was grateful this was the one he ended up finding himself in.A knock on the door called his attention towards it.The door opened, and Andrei stepped into the room. “I have been looking
IVYI froze.When I readied myself to be struck by him, I expected for him to use his fist, and not his lips.Whatever this was, sudden and invasive, knocked me off my senses, and my ability to think.I was still as a statue for a couple of seconds, before it finally dawned on me what was truly happening.Panic erupted in me like a volcano, the moment everything clocked for me.Naturally, my first instinct was to push him away, so I tried.With every strength I could muster at that jittery moment, I pushed.He didn't budge. His lips only just clamped down harder around mine.“No, please no!” I screamed in my head.This wasn't happening. It was a dream. There was no world in which it was possible that I– that I– I just couldn't even bring myself to say it without completely falling apart.The nerve of him to grab my hands which were still hitting hard so he could let me go, and pin them to the side.The gall of this blonde demon to try to force my lips more open for his greedy lips.H
Vladimir's chair scraped against the floor, as he dragged it to the back, and rose to his feet.“I told you to let me deal with that girl, Son. I told you. See how she thinks–”He ignored her, and walked straight to the door.“I'll talk to him,” Serena reassured her, running straight to him. “Vlad? Wait up.”He had just crossed through the door when she caught up with him. “Seriously? You're just going to walk out on your mother and everyone else like that?”“I'm not going to say it a second time. Stay away from me,” he warned, his voice dark and straight to the point, as he took a turn.Serena's feet stayed glued to the ground, unable to bring herself to go after him.He had warned, and she knew better than to defy him.“Blyat!” Vladimir cursed in Russian at the situation, as he just walked on.However, something pushed him to lift his head, only for him to see he was almost at Ivy's room door, just a few paces away from Anna, Ivy and her grandmother.Suddenly, he had something to sa
Isabella Gambino entered the dining room with her head held high, escorted by a guard.The moment Natasha Bratva saw her, she halted the conversation she was having with Serena Lowe, turning her gaze to her.“God grant me patience please,” she muttered under her breath, already overly irritated.Andrei got up, and dragged out the chair between himself, and Hedeon for her to sit.“Thank you,” she said with a smile, taking her seat.Hedeon felt her beside him, and his heart rocked a little.The free conversations happening in the large dining room quieted for a moment, as tension gripped the air.“You look in high spirits, Gambino.” Vladimir broke the silence with his usual light banter when it came to conversations with Isabella.“You know I like to eat,” she replied, following it up with a light giggle.“Are you sure you do? Because it sure as hell doesn't sh–”“Mother!” Vladimir stopped her right in her tracks.She rolled her eyes hard, but went silent.Isabella only chuckled interna
IVYMy sleep paralysis demon always came around just before the first light of dawn.Grabbing me by the chest, and choking until I was completely paralyzed and under the mercy of the unknown.Because of her strength, yes, my demon is a girl, I call her Millicent. Millicent was absent tonight. She
“You brought mercy along?” Andrei questioned the boss as their car came to a stop in a vast, empty field.Vladimir stepped out of the car, shut the door, and then leaned against it.He only spoke when Andrei made the round to stand next to him.“She hasn't had the opportunity to play in a while,” h
Ivy was slapping some balm on her lips to finish up her dressing for the day, when she heard the knock on her door.Her fingers paused on her lips, and then her mind tried to figure out who could be knocking.Anna usually knocked once and came in. Whoever it was outside was clearly waiting for a re
IVYBar the man who pointed a gun to Grandma's temple earlier, and the one who approached me with determination in his eyes, I hadn't seen any other man this up close in five years.Usually, the men who dropped by our all female villa were delivery guys, who I only ever caught glimpses of.This one







