Trapped in the ruthless world of Fenix Romao, a cold-hearted mafia kingpin, Venus Hart's innocence becomes both her shield and her curse. As their lives collide in a storm of passion, danger, and betrayal, love becomes the deadliest game of all. Wil...
Venus sat cross-legged on her bed, wrapped in her favorite fluffy blanket, the glow of her bedside lamp casting a soft light. She tugged nervously at the strings of her pajama pants as her phone pressed to her ear.
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"You’ve been off all day," Ashlyn said on the other end of the line, her voice laced with concern. "What’s going on, V?"
Venus hesitated, her fingers gripping the edge of her blanket. "It’s... it’s insane, Ash," she finally admitted, her voice shaking. "You won’t believe what happened."
"Try me," Ashlyn urged, her tone sharp but steady. "You sound freaked out. Did something happen at college?"
"No, it’s worse," Venus said, exhaling shakily. "I saw someone get killed, Ashlyn. Right in front of me."
Ashlyn was silent for a second before her voice came back, louder now. "What?! You saw—what the hell, Venus? Where?"
"An alley near campus," she whispered, her chest tightening as the memories flooded back. "I wasn’t supposed to see it. And the guy who did it... he found me. He grabbed me, Ashlyn, and—" She stopped, her voice breaking. "He let me go, but he said this isn’t over."
"Holy—Venus, this is bad," Ashlyn said, her panic barely contained. "Did you call the cops?"
"No," Venus cut in quickly, shaking her head even though Ashlyn couldn’t see her. "You don’t get it. He’s not just dangerous—he’s... he’s something else. If I talk, he’ll find out. I don’t know what to do, Ash."
"You’re staying home, right? Lock the doors. Don’t even think about going anywhere alone," Ashlyn said firmly. "I’m serious, Venus. Promise me you’ll be careful."
"I promise," Venus murmured, her voice barely audible. As the call ended, she clutched the phone tighter, trying to push away the terrifying image of Fenix’s cold, furious stare.
Venus ended the call with Ashlyn, her heart still racing. She dropped her phone onto the bed and buried her face in her hands, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
"Venus!" her mom’s voice called from the kitchen, snapping her out of her thoughts. "*Come down, sweetie. Your dad and I need to talk to you about something important.*"*
Important? The word sent a chill down her spine. She stood, brushing off the unease, and made her way downstairs.
Her mom was wiping her hands on a dish towel, and her dad had just walked in, still in his work clothes. They both looked unusually serious, the kind of look that immediately made her nervous.
"What’s going on?" Venus asked, crossing her arms as she leaned against the doorframe.
Her dad cleared his throat, his jaw tightening before he spoke. "Venus... there’s something you need to know about our family. About me."
