Page 54

Veronica

~H is obsession is a sickness. It will eat into your bones and rot you from the inside. The longer you stay locked up in this castle, the harder it becomes to remember who you once were before him. But there’s a cure. A single stroke of blade, a whisper of steel against skin, and you will be free~

Veronica’s fingers run daintily across the words written on the paper, her mind reeling.

Her thought had been fear when she saw the first note some days ago. She couldn’t help but think this is something Kael is capable of doing. He does have a thing for twisted games. Maybe he’s testing her, to see if she will betray their sham of matrimony. But that doesn’t make any sense. He only came home at midnight the morning she received the first note. How could he have left her the note if he wasn’t even in the country?

Then her second thought was hope . Now that’s a dangerous, fragile thing. But what are the chances that someone else is aware that this isn’t a happy marriage? That she didn’t ask for this? That she’s nothing more than a prisoner in this castle? That could mean she isn’t alone, right? That someone else sees her. Cares about her freedom and might help in setting her free. But then again, hope is a double-edged blade. And timelessly, she has been cut by that blade before.

Then earlier, while she was in the bathroom, she thought she heard someone enter. She had assumed it was Kael returning home. But when she came out, she saw no one. She wanted to lay on the bed. But there was a note there waiting for her. It has the same handwriting and the same ink as the last note. But this time, the note came wrapped around a shiny golden dagger.

Now, hope was quickly obliterated, and doubt shut down her mind. The dagger isn’t a fake one that can somehow turn out to be lipstick. It’s a real dagger with sharp edges that will slice a skin without a thought. With the presence of the dagger which suggests killing Kael, the note is definitely from someone who has a hidden spite for Kael or Raidon. They’re just trying to use her in their game.

Knowing this fact, she can’t help but still feel like the person behind the note really gets her. At that part where he mentioned how soon she will no longer remember who she was before she met Raidon—Kael. She knows what Kael has desperately been trying to do to her. To awaken the darkness locked away in her mind. To fill her head with poison. Soon, she will forget happy things and kinder things and be filled with spite and evil. Soon, she will forget friendship. She will forget Shiro.

And she doesn’t want to forget Shiro.

Now she’s caught between her loyalty to her husband and her freedom. She has never been this confused in her life.

As she stares at the majestic use of the alphabet in this note, she hopes the answers somehow bounce to the surface. What is she to do in a situation such as this?

She takes in a sharp breath, her heart pounding, a gentle throb pressing against her skull. Maybe she should just throw the note in the fire just like she did the first one, pretend she never saw it. Maybe the person will leave her alone.

“I’ve been waiting for my wife to join me for dinner for over ten minutes.” Veronica doesn’t realize when the door opens and Kael steps in.

“Why?” he demands.

Quickly, she tucks the note under the sleeve of her arm warmer, happy that the dagger isn’t with her. She hid it earlier in one of the drawers in her section in the walk-in closet.

“I’m not hungry,” she says, her voice raspy. She squirms slightly as the heavy pad of his footsteps echoes against the floor.

She feels the heat of his presence even before he finally appears next to her. She raises her eyes to him, and he is staring at her through the curve of his lashes, his hands in his pocket.

“You didn’t eat lunch. Barely touched your breakfast.” He points out. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“I said I’m not—”

“I don’t care what you said, Veronica.” His voice is controlled and low, though his jaws clench. He pulls a hand from his pocket and thrusts it in front of her. “Let’s go.”

Taking in a deep breath, she raises her hand from her lap, placing it gently on his. With ease, he pulls her off the bed, leading her across the room.

Silence settles between them as they head away from the wing, arriving at the dinner table. Riccardo Gambino is on the table, and so is Aiko, the sister. And the sight of that vindictive woman alone floods Veronica with memories that she wishes she can lock away at the darkest part of her mind. Her stomach lurches, and her fingers twitch, irritation brewing in her mind.

Constantly locked away in their wing, Veronica has tried her very best to avoid Aiko since she came here. But at dinner time like this, their encounter is unavoidable. And Veronica will always catch her stare across the table, feline eyes sharp, filled with dark intentions. At first, Veronica thought she was just being protective of her brother, something that might pan out the longer they have to share a roof. But earlier today, after Kael stepped out of the house, Veronica finally realized that the girl actually does hate her. And she found out why.

Desperation, they say, can make you feed from your enemy’s hands—or was it hunger they referenced like that? Anyway, Veronica didn’t know what she was doing when she left her wing in search of Raidon’s sister. She just can no longer nurse the situation of not knowing how Shiro is doing since she left. But she was sure if Aiko didn’t like her, that meant she would be pleased with the idea of helping her disappear. All Veronica wanted was a phone call to Shiro, ask how he was doing, and talk about how to get her out of there. She doesn’t know how she is going to convince the witch to borrow her phone, but she is putting everything on the line for a chance.

But arriving at her door, she grows cold with doubt, fear, and worry. This could end up working in her favor or put Shiro in danger. What if she decides to flip a switch and report to her brother? What if the crazy wanker decides to hurt Shiro because he thinks Shiro and her are conniving against him?

This rid her of all the courage she managed to muster, and she slowly turned around to leave. But she could swear she was hearing a strange sound from behind the door. She finds herself turning back. She finds herself raising her fist to knock on the door. She finds herself twisting the door and opening it when no answer comes.

Entering the room, it was empty, and it smelt of slight lavender and cigarettes. Then she hears it, a muffled sound, a lot like a moan from behind the bathroom door.

She should leave the young woman to her privacy, right? But when she thought she heard a familiar name from her mouth, Veronica froze, heart racing. She doesn’t realize it until her feet are planted right in front of the bathroom door, her ear pressed into the cold wood.

“Oh, fuck, Raidon yes, yes.”

Veronica had stilled at first. Then her head snapped away from the door, her lips parting, her breaths leveled. She felt her hand ball into a fist, something bitter swirling at the pit of her stomach.

Nausea pressed at Veronica’s chest. She knew Kael was out. She saw him leave in the car with a few of his men five minutes before she came down to his sister’s wing. So Veronica knew it wasn’t him doing such a disgustingly abominable act with her.

But still, Veronica’s fingers curl around the door handle, twisting it gently. And over the sound of the Japanese pop song playing from her iPod, she didn’t hear the gentle creak of the door as Veronica’s head peeked through the little crack.

She was in her luxury bathtub, naked, head thrown backward. It took everything for Veronica not to throw up or walk right there and drag her by the hair when her body locked and she came all over own fingers, her brother’s name a prayer on her stupid lips.

Veronica was green with disgust and red with furry. She had heard of and read about step-siblings having a sexual attraction to each other, but never when they are related by blood. So why the hell was the bitch having sexual fantasies of her big brother? What kind of sickness is that? What kind of family is this?

Right now, sitting across from her on the table, Veronica glares right back this time, wishing she can slither over the table and rip her gut out for being so disgusting, dreaming of her brother’s cock.

This time, Veronica can’t help but physically gag, and unfortunately, it attracts the attention of some people.

“Is everything okay?” Kael asks, his dark eyes staring at her across the table. She can’t tell what his gaze holds, and even if it’s worry, she doubts it’s genuine. He doesn’t care about her. Not in the way she wishes.

“Knocked up already?” A sinister voice slithers through the air, laced with spite that she masks as mockery.

“Far from that, actually,” Veronica says, her eyes on Aiko. “Just remembering the disgusting movie I watched this morning.”

“What’s it about?” Riccardo Gambino asks before taking a gentle bite of his meal.

“Trust me, you don’t wanna know.”

The silence stretches between them as silverware clinks against fine China, everyone busy with their meal. Even Kael.

Yes, Kael eats. Unlike Raidon, Kael eats a lot. Veronica guesses that’s why Raidon still stood tall even though he didn’t like eating. That’s because his second personality eats for the body.

“Boss.”

Veronica and everyone else at the table pauses at a sudden intrusion. A soldier has hurried in, armed and alert.

He pauses a few feet away from the table, veering his body in the direction Kael sits. He raises his hand above his head, back straightening and locking in place as he salutes Kael.

Kael nods, and the soldier’s heavy boot pads against the floor as he crosses over to Kael, leaning down and whispering something in Russian.

Kael’s eyes darken at the information, his jaw locked. He nods, waving the soldier away. Gently, he raises the napkin to his lips, dabbing it, then places it aside to grab a glass of water. He takes a sip before pushing his chair backward and rising to his feet.

No one asks if everything is okay. The room is left in silence as he follows after his soldier into the hall.

The longer he stays without returning to the table, the tighter Veronica’s hand around her spoon. An inexplicable chill wraps around her spine.

She glances at the door Kael disappears through. No sign of him coming back. Just a soldier with a gun hovering over the door.

Something is wrong. She can feel it. It’s in the air that has suddenly thickened, a shift in the atmosphere.

About ten minutes passed—she counted.

Then she hears it now—shouting. Muffled exchange of threatening words. Then the door bursts open.

A group of men enter first. Veronica’s eyes widen. Something about their sharp and crispy suits tells her their identity. Marlene also wears sharp suits too.

She finally looks behind them, and a wave of blond hair comes into view.

Shiro.

Air is completely sucked from her lungs. Her hips jerk against the table as she abruptly rises from the chair. She stumbles on her feet, her heart a wild drumbeat in her chest.

“Vee.” Relief washes over the boy’s eyes. He tries to push past the officers to her, but they hold him back gently, one whispering something to his ear.

Then Kael enters, calm, controlled. It almost appears as though he orchestrated this whole meeting, and he wasn’t blindsided at all. His presence shifts the balance of power, as he adjusts his cufflink, his expression a mask of indifference. But his current emotion is in his eyes. God, his eyes. They burn with fury.

“Finally, something exciting is happening.” Veronica’s jaw clenches at Aiko’s comment from the background, wishing she can slap the amusement from her lips.

“Mr. Volkov.” One of the officers steps forward, his tone is even but wary. “As we were trying to say outside. We received a report that this woman was taken against her will. And we have a reason to believe she’s a victim of abduction.”

“Oh, this is good.”

Veronica turns and glares at Aiko. Her eyes fall briefly on Riccardo Gambino. He doesn’t have any expression either, but he looks ready to obey Kael’s order.

She looks back at Kael, catching a feathering muscle in his jaw. He isn’t looking at her. Not yet. Instead, he lets out a slow, measured breath, his hands in his pocket.

“With all due respect, detective.” Kael’s voice is a blade honed to perfection. “You have been misinformed. This woman right here is my wife. Now, why in the world would I abduct my own wife?”

The three officer’s gaze flickers to Veronica. “Is that true?”

A tense silence.

Kael finally lifts his eyes to her, his gaze a noose tied around her neck, heavy and commanding. A silent warning.

A plea.

She swallows hard, her eyes momentarily straying to Shiro and Shiro is shaking his head, a silent plea to tell the truth.

“Yes,” she says, her voice wavering. “We’re um, we’re married.”

The officers exchange glances, confused.

“Vee, come on,” Shiro says sharply, his voice raw. “Tell them the truth.”

The detective’s sharp eyes return to Veronica. “Did you consent to the marriage?” one of them asks.

The room seems to shrink, pressing in on her. Her pulse pounds in her ears. She can feel Kael beside her, his presence electric as he waits for her next words.

Then she takes in a deep breath, voice barely above whispers. “No. He—he forced me.”

The silence that follows is deafening.

One of the detectives steps forward. “Then, you’ll be coming with us for now.”

Kael’s shoulder tense, almost imperceptible, but she catches it.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t take her.” His voice is cooperative and smooth. But there’s something lethal hidden beneath it. A warning.

“You have no legal grounds to keep her,” the other detective counters. “She’s leaving with us. You can join us later to prove your case in front of a judge.”

Kael steps forward, slow and deliberate, exuding an unshakable power that makes even armed men hesitate. “You’re in my country. Standing in my house. I can make you disappear.” His voice is low and filled with poison. “But of course, you can escort her back today. But don’t be so foolish and be mistaken. This isn’t over yet.”

A stalemate.

Veronica staggers backward, her knees weakening as one of the officers comes to grab her by the arm, leading her out.

Kael shocks Veronica. He doesn’t stop them. And when some of his soldiers charge forward with their guns, he raises a hand in protest against it.

But he follows Veronica and the detectives out to the front door. He doesn’t step beyond the door. He just stands there, merely watching, cold, controlled…dangerous.

Shiro rushes to Veronica’s side, grabbing her hand in his.

The further they head away, the more it dawns on Veronica that Kael doesn’t have any intention of stopping them…stopping her.

He doesn’t need to.

Before she enters the black car the detectives brought, she glances over her shoulder. Their eyes meet.

This isn’t over. This is just the beginning.