LOGINCellie’s POVAbsolute silence echoed throughout the room.I stared at her clutching her cheek. I hoped to God it hurt as much as mine did. I could not bring myself to feel anything but justified. Slapping her back could never heal all the years of watching her stand by while Gasper terrorized my life, with her only contribution actively slut shaming and bullying me every chance she got. I could never fill the family-sized hole I carried around in my chest caused by Penelope and Gasper’s brutality but I had made my peace with that. It was time to cut them off… For good.Penelope stared at me, her wide eyes brimming with disbelief as though she couldn’t believe that I had dared to strike her back.“You...you insolent little-” she started, taking a threatening step forward but the sound of the door opening cut through her words.Demetrio stepped in, holding a pizza box in one hand, his tie slightly loosened as if he had just stepped away from the reception. His gaze swept over the room,
Cellie’s POVThe funeral had gone smoother than I had anticipated, and it was almost comical because during the mass, I had convinced myself that everyone’s eyes were on me, accusing me of being the cause of Manuel’s death. It felt like I could feel their stares on my body wherever I turned; sharp and heavy, full of judgment. It was dramatic but a part of me had expected whispers to grow louder as soon as I stepped into the church, to be chased away like some sort of witch.But the truth was, no one had even looked at me that way. It was just me. My own guilt twisting the world around me, making it hard to breathe, making it hard to believe that no one had given me more than a cursory glance. Even in a moment as somber as a funeral, it was my own mind making me the enemy.I wanted to laugh at myself for all the worrying I had done. Everyone was focused on their own grief, their own loss. They weren’t looking at me in judgment. They weren’t even looking at me at all.It was just me, ma
Cellie’s POVI traced the small stones lining the sleeve of my dress with a trembling finger, anxiety climbing up my throat. There were exactly twenty-five stones. I knew because I’d counted them five times already, a telltale sign that I was nervous.Counting was something that I used to do whenever I felt overwhelmed and more often than not, it always succeeded in calming me down but this time, my chest felt like it was about to explode, my dress suddenly feeling too tight even though I knew it was a perfect fit and the more I stared at my reflection, the more the world around me seemed to blur out of focus. Perhaps it was because of all the crying I had done in the bathroom even without meaning to.The woman in the mirror looked nothing like the Cellie I was used to.Her eyes were wide and rimmed with red, her shoulders stiff under the weight of the black dress that clung to her frame like a second skin. Her blonde hair was swept into a tight bun, a few loose strands framing her fa
Demetrio’s POVThe steady rise and fall of Cellie’s chest was the only thing that convinced me that this wasn’t a dream and that she was right here, with me.I was cocooned in her scent. She lay curled against me, her body fitting perfectly into mine, her warmth seeping into my skin like a balm. My hand rested lightly against her back, my thumb tracing soft circles over her soft milky skin.She stirred slightly, snuggling closer, and my chest tightened with a rush of emotions I rarely allowed myself to feel.I had come so close to losing her. Too close. Again.I needed to find a permanent solution to this. To keep her by my side forever. So that she’s aware of her position by my side. So that she never thinks that leaving will ever be a plausible idea when it comes to us.The very thought made my chest tighten with worry. I’d always known that my world was no place for softness, no place for vulnerability. I’d spent my life carefully constructing walls around my heart, allowing nothin
Cellie’s POVDemetrio’s expression didn’t soften at my apology; if anything, his jaw tightened, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and pain. He looked like a man holding himself together by sheer force of will, and for a fleeting moment, I wondered if I’d broken something in him that couldn’t be fixed.My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach at the thought of it.“Sorry,” he repeated, the word like venom on his tongue. “You’re sorry…” He moved closer, his movements slow, deliberate, and terrifyingly controlled; a sharp reminder that beyond being my lover, he was a dangerous man. He leaned down, his face mere inches from mine, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Tell me, what exactly are you sorry for? To wake up and find you gone? To read that pathetic excuse of a note and realize you thought so little of me—of us—that you’d just disappear? Do you even understand how much you mean to me?”“I didn’t mean—”He cut me off, raising his hand and I swallowed. “Cellie, I was
Cellie’s POVRunning.I was running like my life depended on it. It was the only thing I could do anyways; the only thing I was ever good at.The air was thick, suffocating, and I couldn’t see a thing but that didn’t stop me. Not when I knew what I was running from. My legs pumped furiously, carrying me through the black void, but no matter how hard I ran, the sinister figure behind me drew closer.“Cellie,” Gasper’s voice echoed in the darkness, sharp and mocking. “You can’t run from me. I’m going to catch you...” he warned in a sing-song voice.Bright lights flashed for brief seconds, punctuating the complete and total darkness. The clicking sounds of a camera accompanied the flashes of light as I ran and ran and ran.My chest heaved, my lungs burned, and my heart pounded hard against my ribs like it was going to explode but I didn’t stop, not even for a second. Just as I thought that I had finally put some distance between him and myself, I tripped and fell hard onto a cold, unyiel
Cellie’s povIt was that day on the DeLeon patio all over again. Gunshots fired off all around me, likely killing whoever was the target. A full on war was going on but I was crouched in the dark space of a rusted mediumly large container, my hands pressed over my ears as I rocked myself in an atte
Demetrio’s povThirty Minutes Before“Don, we need to make a decision now.” Santino cautioned, flipping his gun in hand. “You said that Russian fucker gave you two hours, it’s been an hour and a half, we can’t wait any longer.”I turned away from my living room window to glare at him. He was right
Cellie’s povWhen I woke up and realized Demetrio was gone, I wasted no time in showering and getting dressed, barely sitting through my poor breakfast of cold cookies and instant coffee.I found Sergio and Nino exactly where I knew they’d be— outside my door. “We are going to Salato’s.” I said, pu
Demetrio’s povGrigori left to meet up with a local gang who had information on the car rental company Alexei rented from while Dominic and I retreated to my office.As soon as Grigori found the rental company, we’d track down Alexei’s license plate and keep track of his movements around the city w







