The lunch had ended, and now everyone sat in the hall, quietly penning down Haven's fate as though each stroke etched into the parchment of her life story. Aerius, unexpectedly triumphant, couldn't suppress a mischievous grin. His scheme to seize everything from Ivan unfolded seamlessly beneath the watchful eyes.
His exhilaration to realize his dream overshadowed any empathy for Haven's plight. His mind was consumed by the prospect of attaining the power to dismantle the ROMANOV'S.
Meanwhile, Haven remained seated, her heart racing with every fleeting moment. The discourse orbited the determination of the engagement date, yet she found herself unable to muster the courage to voice her thoughts.
Metaphorically, Aerius wielded the pen of destiny, crafting Haven's narrative in ink that bore the weight of his ambitions, while she lingered in the shadows, her voice stifled by the echoes of impending decisions.
She wanted to speak up, yell, scream and cry but the memory of Aerius showing Aezvan's video being tortured sealed her lips. She wished she had died along with her mom and dad in the accident.
She pondered over the conceivable sins that might have led her into a predicament worse than hell itself. Trapped and helpless, Haven wished only to retreat to her room as the finalized engagement plans loomed a week away. The oppressive atmosphere induced queasiness, and as Ivan's family departed without acknowledging her, it reinforced the notion that she was merely a transaction, a finalized deal in their eyes.
"Congratulations, to-be sister-in-law," Maverick's seemingly harmless appearance belied the unsettling truth revealed by his eyes, sending a chill down Haven's spine.
Forced to nod and wear a strained smile, Haven sensed the weight of Hayden's and Ivan's intense gazes. Maverick departed, Sebastien immersed in his phone screen as he left the room.
Ivan approached Haven, who remained motionless.
"Good girl, Eva. Just endure this for two more weeks, and I promise to set things right. We'll return to how we were a few months back," he assured. Despite glimpses of the man she had once loved in his eyes, the scars he inflicted ran deeper than anything Aerius had ever caused her. Haven couldn't forget the pain, and though her heart longed for his love, the truth remained—he was a betrayer. She vowed never to forgive him for the enduring scars he left on her soul.
After a swift peck, he tenderly caressed her hair, casting a glance at Aerius with an authoritative command, "Take care of her, Hayden."
"Yes, boss," Aerius responded, his voice unwavering, concealing the tumult of emotions within. Despite harboring a burning desire to unleash torment upon Ivan, the current circumstances thwarted such retaliation.
As Ivan departed, leaving only Aerius and Haven, a cascade of curses erupted from Aerius.
Haven winced as he seized her wrist in a painful grip, forcibly engaging her in another unwelcome kiss. Clutching his shirt, she struggled to push him away, tears welling up in her eyes.
"STOP IT!" she screamed, finally succeeding in breaking free from his grasp.
Aerius stood, consumed by rage, his eyes piercing into her with an intensity that spoke of the storm within him.
"Why are you subjecting Aezy and me to this torment? What do you want? We were meant to be a family, as we once were. You were supposed to care for us, protect us. Yet, look at what you're doing. How could you be so inhumane? Now, you're even betraying your own country by disguising yourself as a cop," Aerius, who had been listening to Haven, started to laugh. Haven fell silent, unable to comprehend his actions.
Aerius's POV
Tsk, tsk. What an innocent little doll she is.
"A cop? Who, me?" I burst into laughter again. She still clung to that bastard's fabricated tale.
"You," I chuckled, "You are so innocent, little snow. You still believe in him. Oh, come on, I thought you were smarter." I taunted her while she sniffed, likely fatigued from the day's dramatic events.
"My little snow, neither he nor I have anything to do with being cops," her face paled as if she had seen a ghost. Oh, poor baby.
"Do you even know his full name, hmm?" I asked, approaching her and wiping away her tears.
Stunned, she couldn't even blink.
"Vincent... Vincent Ivan Salvatore." Her reaction was utterly priceless. My naive little love must be thinking this was the end, but there's so much more for her to process.
"He's no officer, not on any duty to eradicate the mafia; he himself is a mafia," her heartbeat echoed loudly.
"Or should I say the European mafia lord himself... ever heard about VICIOUS?" I asked rhetorically, savoring her clueless reaction.
"My dear Snow, if you think I'm a monster, you wouldn't want to know the devil he is. By the way, you thought you fell for a prince charming... tsk, tsk, baby, you got the king of hell himself. And, oh, I forgot to tell you something—he doesn't know my or Aezvan's identity. If he ever finds out, you'll be doomed in his cage," I disclosed.
She stood motionless, she wondered how much worse it was more to go as if Aerius had read her mind. He smirked dropping another bombshell on her.
"I am sure you wouldn't want to be with the person who killed our family, now would you?" The lie hung in the air, and there she stood, the last thread of the string connecting her to him finally unraveling.
YOU ARE READING
Shattered
General Fiction"ahhh" she screamed in pain but her cries and screams got muffled as his hand slammed on her mouth. "shhh, another noise from your little mouth and they would hear you, do you want them to join us and fuck you as well huh" He groaned as he thrust in...
