Sinner's Paradise|| 18+

Monster

                  Liliana's POV:          

I woke up abruptly, my heart pounding with the anxiety that had plagued me all night. It was Friday. Luciano had promised to return today, and the weight of his impending arrival settled like a stone in my stomach. Ever since Tia Isabelle confided in me about him, revealing his deep-seated hatred for our family and his belief that Grandpa killed his dad, I hadn't been able to stop wondering what he planned to do to us.

I joined Tia Isabelle, Tio Carlos, and my cousins for breakfast. The usual morning warmth was gone, replaced by a silence that pressed down on us. Tio Carlos looked particularly tense, worry lines etched deep across his face as he absentmindedly poked at his food. After a long pause, he finally looked up and said, "We need to leave. Pack your things and head to the farmhouse in Havana Vieja. We'll stay there until I can find a solution."

My cousins and I exchanged nervous glances. Tia Isabelle's expression was steely, but her eyes betrayed her fear. She shook her head. "We can't hide from the Santos cartel, Carlos," she said softly, almost as if reminding herself. "They'll find us wherever we go."

Her words lingered in the air, making everything feel suddenly more real, more dangerous. I hurried to my room to pack, my mind racing. What did Luciano have in store for us? Would we even be safe at the farmhouse? For now, all we could do was trust Tio Carlos and hope for the best.

As I gathered my things, I looked around the room, a pang of sadness hitting me. I hadn't been here long, but it had already started to feel like home. I hoped this wasn't goodbye. After a moment, I decided to find Tia Isabelle, wanting to ask her one last question. But as I made my way down the hall, hushed voices from the backyard caught my attention.

Peeking through a crack in the door, I saw Maria on the phone, her voice urgent. "We're going to the farmhouse," she whispered. "I'll do everything I can to delay the leave. Just get here fast enough to stop them." My heart stopped. Who was she talking to?

I cleared my throat, loud enough for her to hear. Maria turned, startled, but quickly masked her surprise with a forced smile. "Lily, estás bien?" she said, trying to sound casual. "I was just talking to my friend Rosa. She knows everything. Her family's been helping us."

I forced a smile of my own. "I was just looking for Tia Isabelle. Do you know where she is?"

"Mom went out with Dad. They'll be back in the afternoon, and then we'll go," she replied, still smiling, but her eyes flickered with something else—a lie, maybe. Suspicion gnawed at me, but I let it slide, returning to my room as unease settled in my bones.

Sitting down at my desk, I decided to dig deeper. I typed "Luciano Santos" into the search bar, bracing myself for whatever might pop up. The search results painted a picture of a successful businessman—over a hundred companies, forty restaurants, endless charities. But it all felt like a mask. The tabloids even went on about his glamorous life, featuring his rumored fiancée, Alissa De Silva, always by his side at events. But I saw through it. Tia Isabelle's words echoed in my mind: he believes Grandpa killed his father. The hatred had festered for years, and now he was back for revenge.

I leaned back, piecing together the threads—Maria's phone call, Luciano's arrival, our sudden departure. It felt like a puzzle I wasn't ready to solve.

Hours slipped by until it was 2:30, the rain pounding outside in relentless sheets. I found myself waking up in front of my computer, still groggy. Looking out the window, I noticed Tia Isabelle's car. She and Tio Carlos were back. It was nearly time to leave. I decided to take a shower, maybe the last time I'd use this bathroom. But even as the water poured over me, my mind was far away, tangled in fear.

Heading downstairs, I felt the tension in the air tighten like a drawn bow. The rain outside mirrored the storm churning inside me. I found Tia Isabelle and Tio Carlos ready to leave, but something felt off. Pulling Tia Isabelle aside, I caught the sadness in her eyes, the way she was struggling to hold back her emotions.

"Why are you sad? And why is Maria crying?" I asked softly, my voice barely a whisper.

Tia Isabelle's voice trembled. "Your tio...he's staying to stall Luciano."

The words hit me like a punch to the chest. I pulled her into a hug, trying to offer some comfort, but my heart felt heavy, bracing for the sacrifice he was about to make. Afterward, I hugged Tio Carlos, whispering a tearful "thank you." But then, gunshots shattered the silence, and the guard's frantic barking filled the air.

Our guard stumbled into the room, face pale. "Jefe Luciano Santos is here," he gasped, terror in his eyes as he looked at Tio Carlos. A cold dread settled over me.

And then the door burst open, wood splintering as Luciano strode in. His eyes were dark, his smile a cold slash across his face. "Going somewhere?" His voice was smooth but filled with contempt. His gaze locked onto Tio Carlos, who stood frozen with a mixture of fear and defiance.

Luciano's voice sliced through the tension. "I gave you time, and now that time is up. Where is my money?"

Tio Carlos, his voice wavering but resolute, replied, "This is between you and me. Let my family go."

Luciano laughed—a low, chilling sound. "I will not repeat myself. Where is my money?"

Before anyone could react, he turned to my cousin Mario and struck him, the punch landing with brutal force. Mario fell back, gasping in pain. Luciano struck him again, each blow more vicious than the last. Desperation surged through me, and I tried to intervene, grabbing Luciano's arm. He turned, his hand seizing my wrist in a painful grip as he looked down at me with cold disdain. His other hand gripped my throat, and I felt the press of his gun against my stomach.

He sneered at Tia Isabelle. "And since you can't pay me on time, I'm going to take my money in blood."

Before anyone could stop him, he swung his gun toward Mario and fired. The shot rang out, and Mario's body slumped to the floor. Tia Isabelle let out a heart-wrenching scream, collapsing beside him. I struggled against Luciano's hold, but he pulled me closer, his grip iron-tight.

As the room spiraled into chaos, Luciano looked at Tio Carlos, his face twisted in mocking calm. "I made a new deal with your daughter. She promised I could keep her cousin if you failed to pay me. Evidently, that's true."

I couldn't believe it. Maria had betrayed us. Luciano's gaze shifted back to me, and his grip tightened as he dragged me toward the door. My family's cries faded into the distance as he pulled me out, each step sealing my fate.

Once outside, Luciano shoved me toward one of his men. "Take her to the penthouse," he ordered coldly. "I have something to sort out."

Before I could scream, the man grabbed a fistful of my hair, shoving me into a black van. My world spun as he threw a cloth over my head, plunging me into suffocating darkness.

I could hear my heart hammering in my chest, the helpless terror clawing at me. As the van lurched forward, all I could think of was my family—the pain, the betrayal, and the monstrous man who had just torn my world apart.