TILL D£ATH DO US APART
(The•Devil•I•Loved)
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or reposted in any form, or by any means without a BOLDLY written permission from ME.
Copyright © 2025
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★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Lissa got up from the floor, slowly, skeptically. She doesn’t even know who to look at.
Stanley who’s supposed to be dead?
Or…
Leonardo who’s supposed to be in bed with her instead of the crazy stranger in bed right now.
“Stan…” His name fell off her lips fast, and Stanley dryly smiled.
“Long time no see, Lissa Armando. No—actually we met yesterday at the door of the convenience store, but I was flashing you my crooked teeth, so your guards pushed me.’
Lissa’s eyes dilated again. “That….” She pointed a finger forward, her heart shattering in her chest.
“That was…you?” She gulped, losing her mind again.
Stanley said nothing, so she rushed over to the guy, but he shifted back, and her hand met air.
“You weren’t dead? How? My dad burnt you on the bridge that night! How!!!” She yelled.
“And that’s where your mistakes started from, Lissa. I thought you knew Ghost the most as his best friend, but turns out you know nothing. If I really tried to poison him and he caught me, he’d never hand the lighter to your father and tell your father to burn me.”
“He’d have done my burning by himself, and Ghost would never have blindfolded me on that bridge to burn me! Instead, he would have made me put fire on myself, and I would have watched myself burn from the damn start! Ghost wouldn’t cut my tongue to keep me from shouting when he’s obsessed with the scream of pains from sinners!” Stanley shouted at Lissa’s face.
Lissa gasped, her mind going twisted and wringed.
She shook her head, gasping again.
“No… Stan…”
“It’s understandable that your father knew nothing about him, but you? Embarrassed on your behalf. My death was faked, and then you grew an unhealthy obsession with Ghost cos he’s the one who ordered your father to burn my fake body? What a dumb sin… Waste of sin.” Stanley scoffed.
Lissa tried touching him again, and this time, he pushed her off, and she fell on the ground, the sleeve of her nightie falling off her shoulders.
Her br+sts poured out, but she didn’t care. Her tears fell on the two.
She’s already in tears.
Leonardo has been sitting, watching the drama silently and just allowing his cigarette to burn away in his hand. He only had five drags, and now it has turned to ash, so he dumped it on the ground before rolling his eyes to Lissa.
Their eyes met, and Lissa quickly covered her chest.
“You…you planned this from the start? You planned to use me from the start? That’s why you’ve been silent and staying at the hotel with me since two weeks ago, pretending to have bended, but you were just making a show and was actually in contact with Stanley despite the fact that your phone was always monitored you devil!!” She yelled, spranging up.
“You could have set me up with Stanley! I would have happily carried Stanley’s baby and I would have left you alone, but a man from the psych ward? How could you!!! You’ve ruined me!” She barked.
“You and your family haven’t even started, yet.” Leonardo smiled, looking at the cigar that’s burning away on the ground.
“For doing that to the Cooper family, y’all haven’t started suffering…” He muttered, smiling again.
“Wait….this is for trashvanna? This is for the trash girl? You made me sleep with a madman cos of trashvanna!!! Leonardo!!!” She screamed in shock.
Leonardo picked the cigar from the floor and stood, towering above her. She was shocked again when he forced her mouth open and threw the burning cigar inside, then he pressed her mouth close forcefully.
The cigar fire burned her mouth roof and tongue, the walls and carpet, then he let her go, and she spat the saliva-soaked cigar away.
Her mouth burned with the fire effects, and she threw a punch at his face which he caught and redirected to her own face.
He made her punch herself, and Lissa’s lips bled.
He gave her his own personal punch on the lips again, and her lips split, bleeding down into her br£àsts.
“Iva…nna.” He corrected, holding eyes with her as tears rushed out of her eyes again.
“And whenever you see her, you get down. You’re not qualified to breathe in the same here as my woman!” He punched her the second time.
Lissa staggered, holding her mouth In her palm as she fell in bed…
“I’m the Don’s daughter, you know this. Your father isn’t the Don anymore, so you’re an Underboss under my father now!”
“Of course he’s the Don….for now.” Leonardo smirked, and Lissa spranged up, her eyes finding Stanley’s.
“I loved you, trusted you! I—”
“No, Lissa. Don’t mix things up. You loved my c+k, trusted my c+k. You were obsessed with it cos you never got f+ked before me! I admit I took your v+rgin ¡ty, and since you got familiar with the taste of s+x, you got obsessed and didn’t want to let go! There was a time you made me f+k you in a gas station on my way to a mission… You double-crossed me and forced me to… F+k.” Stanley chuckled, nodding.
“You’re a good taker, I’ll give you that. You can take it in any style, but that’s where it ends, Lissa. You have no ability to love anyone, you can only love what they give to you. The only person you only genuinely care about is yourself!” He said.
“You’ll regret this, Stanley. You’re going to cry, and I’m going to make you cry harder!” Lissa snarled.
“Bring it on, Lissa.” Stanley shrugged, walking to a camera hung in the corner of the room.
He took it, and Lissa gasped when he handed it to Leonardo.
“You didn’t —-“
“Oh I did,” Leonardo replied casually. “The camera has been recording since you entered this room last night, it only stopped recording this morning when you both finished destroying each other in bed, and the video has been successfully sent to Marko with three devises. If he fails to see the first, he’d see the second, and if he fails to see the second, third will be available.” Leonardo muttered.
He removed the memory card of the camera and then threw the camera on the ground.
He left the room with Stanley, and Lissa’s hands went shoved into her hair, her legs carrying her around the room lackadaisically.
“Aghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Her scream was voluminously high, and the moment she stopped, she picked the glass table in a corner in the room and ran to the bed with it.
She raised it high and brought it down on the bed.
It shattered on the person sleeping under the white duvet, and blood spread on the duvet instantly. Blood soaked the bed all-round.
She killed the mad guy.
Satisfied with the blood she’s seeing, she began picking her clothes and shoes from where it’s scattered on the ground last night.
Remembering how the mad guy was flinging these things away from her body made her scream out again, and when she remembered how he was slamming into her, she stopped.
Now she remembers the smell of dirt, the stench of unhealthiness. Everything her drugged brain couldn’t process last night, she’s now getting it.
The clothes she has gathered fell from her hands, and she screamed out again, rushing out to pick the knife from the eating table.
She ran back inside the bedroom and climbed the bloody bed.
The guy is dead when she raised the duvet from his face. He’s covered in blood,but she wasn’t satisfied.
She began stabbing him with the knife repeatedly, blood spilling to her face till there was no space to stab anymore.
With bloody hands and face and clothes, she faced the ceiling, screaming out again.
—
[Outside]Stanley drove, and Leonardo sat at the backseat, silently.
He’s with his phone though, scrolling through pictures.
His Chicago spies have been sending them secretly to his phone Wall where Marko’s supervision won’t reach.
The Wall can take only one file, so he deleted the training book file there so he’d be able to receive this one, and this is what has been keeping him sane.
They’re Ivanna’s pictures.
Throughout his two weeks stay here, they’ve been sending him pictures and videos of every f+kin minute of her except when she’s in the bathroom or dressing up.
He gets every footage.
He’s scrolling through them right now, especially the New Year’s Eve pictures where she just sat inside her parents house and didn’t even bother coming out to watch the 12am New Year fireworks.
Instead, she sat inside the house and cried slowly.
There were a lot of times she’d just stand, grab her leather horsewhip, dress in her leather p+nts, ready to visit the valley to just kill Marko, but whenever that happened, she’d look at her parents, and she’d go back.
Thanks to her parents, she has been holding herself back for those two weeks. They’re like her calming pills cos the Joy he knew would never sit still. She’d have caused trouble one way or the other.
His Joy isn’t gentle.
He smiled when he saw a video of her sitting at their small yard with Robert and Ginny, but there’s no parents to tell moon stories since they’re both still sick.
She held a cup of tea, and Ginny held Mimosa glass while Robert smoked.
Ivanna drank from the tea, but she frowned, spitting it.
“The sugar isn’t enough, Robert!”
“What do you mean it’s not enough? I poured one teaspoon of sugar and it’s not enough? You’re a woman, you seem to not know the risks of taking too much sugar,” Robert scoffed.
Ivanna poured the tea away and stood, hissing.
“Don’t tell me you’re gonna go make it yourself then pour handfuls of sugar instead!” Ginny blinked.
“Why not? When he made tea for me in the yacht, he knew the exact sugar i wanted in my tea and—”
Ivanna stopped talking suddenly, and Ginny stood too.
“Made tea for you in a yacht? Who?” Robert asked.
Ivanna couldn’t give him an answer, so she just rushed inside.
Robert wanted to follow, but Ginny pulled him back.
“You’re clueless, aren’t you? She was talking about—”
“Ghost? I know.” Robert interrupted, and Ginny blinked.
The video shifted into the house at the cereal table where Ivanna is making a new cup of warm tea for herself, and Leonardo smiled when she kept pouring small sugar spoons into the tea without stirring.
“Joy…” He whispered, his hand tightening around the phone.
“Is this really you? Eh, I can’t believe this.” Stanley said suddenly from the driver’s seat.
Leonardo paused the video and looked ahead.
They’re driving to the airport actually.
“Can’t believe what?” Leonardo’s face went hard.
“That you’d actually be entrapped with a woman at all. You? Still feels like a dream. You’re the same person who saw women as weakness and plagues. You hated getting close to them, Ghost.” Stanley said in awe.
Leonardo just rested back on his seat, shutting his eyes.
“But I might get why you’re to into her. Last time you made me monitor her in Britain, she was glaring the whole time and even broke into a run one time. “You are reading from www.mhiztaemy.com.ng” I Chase her for three damn minutes before I caught up. She just suddenly bursted out of a corner and punched me to the ground. I was still recovering on the ground when she was like…. Give me your boss’s location and stop following me like a creep, or I’ll punch you again, and you’ll die. She’s crazy.” Stanley muttered, shaking his head.
Still closing his eyes, Leonardo smiled.
“You deserve to be punched every morning, should have thanked her for that punch.” He said.
“Knew you’d say that. You’re irredeemable.” Stanley scoffed, and Leonardo smiled again.
The car stopped on the airport road, and Stanley looked back.
“Is this the part where we wait for the trap order to be lifted?” He asked, seeing the number of Marko’s guards in that airport.
Without Marko’s orders, Leonardo can’t get on the bombardier.
“The order will probably come in less than an hour, but before then, I have somewhere to be,” Leonardo got down from the car.
Stanley followed him, and they started heading to the exclusive Chanel store beside that road.
“You have plans in place, right?” Stanley asked behind him.
“Your granddad’s influence over you has to reduce, for real. He still has the ability to seal you here and you still have to await his orders before you can fly. Even when you get to Chicago, how sure are you that he won’t make you his toy again? His influence is too much.”
“His power is understandable, he has been building it since he was born. His parents weren’t a part of the empire. He paved the way for himself and took The Outfit on his own through blood-shedding, and his heartlessness got him everything he has today. He has killed allies and enemies, hates attachments and softness. He has alliances in thirteen countries apart from Italy and America, so if I’m gonna beat that man, I have to break his allies one by one, and that’s gonna take nothing less than a year or more even with good strategy.” Leonardo explained.
“Fûck, did I just get chills?” Stanley said dramatically. “But now that Thaddeus is the Acting Don, you might actually break the allies easily. I’m here now yunno, and no pair has ever worked better.” Stanley said.
Leonardo looked at him, shortly before entering the chanel Ex.
“You have a plan, I can feel it!” Stanley followed him inside.
But Leonardo’s attention already shifted to another thing entirely.
On the VIP glass at the top floor of the store, something is on display.
Leonardo imagined it on Ivanna’s skin first, and his head felt full as he kept seeing the visuals.
He took his seat.
“That one,” he pointed at the screen showing the glass.
The staffs around did a bow and stepped back, then they sent signals to the top floor for the wear to the brought down.
“That’s…freaky.” Stanley grinned.
“She loves freaky,” Leonardo replied, checking the time.
—
[Chicago, Phoenix Valley]Robert didn’t come here to join the guards like Marko said. Instead, he came here to clean.
He got treated like a slave with no one to question Marko.
He was even handed a mower to mow the lawn, and he was told to feed the new set of fishes in the pond, then he cooked meals for the brigadiers and brewed coffee for them too. He hasn’t been allowed to rest, and while doing that, he still couldn’t get Hilda’s death out of his head at all.
He cried at a point yesterday.
He was cleaning the meal table for the third time today when Marko came out to the guestroom.
His trusted guard handed him his tab, but immediately Marko took it and turned it on, Thaddeus came inside.
He hasn’t greeted Marko when he snatched the tab and threw it to the ground, breaking it.
Marko remained seated, not moved like that act meant nothing, but his guard stepped into Thadeus’ face.
“What do you think you’re doing!!?” He yelled.
Thaddeus took the guard’s phone from his pocket too and smashed it like he did the tab.
Lissa actually called him to report what happened in Paris, and since Leonardo said he sent the video to three places, he has destroyed two now. He started looking for the third place where the third one could be.
“Don Thaddeus Armando!” The guard yelled, but he wasn’t listening.
He was running around the guestroom, searching till he go to Robert and searched his pocket too.
“Thaddeus!” Marko finally talked.
That did it.
Thaddeus stopped his frantic search, rushing back to Marko.
He bowed.
“I’m so sorry, Padrino. I heard something, and I was anxious, so I had to—”
“What did you hear!” Marko snapped.
Before Thaddeus could reply, Renata entered the guestroom.
Thaddeus’ eyes widened, his head booted that Renata might have the third video.
He went after her, but Renata expected this.
She revealed a knife in her second hand, thrusting it forward till it met Thaddeus’ throat.
Thaddeus paused, holding his breaths as the coldness of the knife settled deep, but it’s not hurting him.
It just stayed there, but one wrong move from him will cost his life.
“Take it!” Renata said, throwing her phone with her second hand.
The trusted guard picked it and gave it to Marko.
Thaddeus stepped away from Renata’s knife and started rushing over, but before he could arrive, Lissa’s moans already took over the guestroom from the video.
Thaddeus stopped, his eyes widened.
Renata lowered the knife, a satisfied look on her face.
Marko still remained unmoved, expressionless under his glasses as he watched the video.
He watched only for ten minutes before dropping the phone, then he stood and walked up to Thaddeus.
He raised his walking cane and slapped Thaddeus in the face with it.
Thaddeus went on his knees, and that cheek reddened with a long cut from the blade that’s on the cane’s body.
“Padrino, I’m—”
“No you’re nothing! Your daughter committed that sin, and you came here trying to cover it by breaking two gadgets? I made you the Don, and I can easily get rid of you if you keep this shameful act up! How dare you try to bury it!” Marko barked.
“That’s because my daughter was poisoned! Lissa wouldn’t sleep with another man in her right senses!” Thaddeus defended.
“Well she’s stupid for getting poisoned! Is she really the future Donna I was rooting for? How could she get poisoned easily! The ability to smell poison in foods was one of what Vera taught her and Leo! You’re telling me she forgot already?” Marko glared.
Blood ran down Thaddeus cheek as his face went up to the ruthless man.
“Your daughter is incompetent,” Marko muttered, and Thaddeus’ jaws gritted.
“And that’s why I’m leaving her back. She won’t get support from me from now on, and the fact that you tried to keep this from me will make me annull the marriage!” Marko said.
“No!” Thaddeus stood.
“Back on your knees, Thaddeus!” Marko commanded.
“But—”
“On your…knees!!” Marko slapped him with the walking cane again, forcing him back to his knees.
Thaddeus cheek bled more.
“Get me the marriage papers!” Marko ordered, and the trusted guard went inside only to return with the papers after two minutes.
They were given to Marko, and Marko threw it into the fireplace inside the guesthouse.
As the marriage documents burned, Thaddeus fists pulled, and the blood from his cheek entered his mouth.
After burning the papers, Marko got his working laptop and went to the empire blood web. He cancelled the submitted copies of the documents and proceeded to deleting them.
He even deleted them from the bin and also threw that particular laptop into the fire.
Then… He stood.
“Don’t try to get smart with me, Thaddeus. You know what I hate most? Deception. Your daughter lost the chance to become the future Donna, but you might even lose your Acting Don position if you try to bury things from my sight again!”
Thaddeus’ face went down, and he nodded twice.
“Forgive me, Padrino. I’ll do better.”
Then, he stood and left the house.
Marko sat back, and the trusted guard received a permission request on the second tab.
He showed it to Marko.
“Permission request to leave Paris?” Marko muttered.
“From Sir Leo.” The guard replied.
“Leo, Leo, Leo…” Marko chanted. “Always proving that he inherited his mother’s smart-ass genes. Can’t believe he got out of this despite my heavy supervisions.”
He went quiet, and Renata held her breaths behind them.
“Granted. Let him come back home and face me. Lissa is gone from the board, doesn’t mean he gets to act the way he likes…He only just made things harder for himself” He muttered..
“Also… someone thought dead was caught on camera.” The guard said, showing pictures of Stanley.
Marko scoffed. “Dead? Leo will wanna kill his closest guard who betrayed him, and he’d tell Thaddeus to set him on fire? It’s obvious from the start that Stanley was alive.”
The guard took the tab away, and Marko just kept sitting there, staring dangerously into space.
Renata left too, and as she walked the corridor back to her room, she met Robert who’s just finishing his third cleaning round.
“Is Sir Leo really coming back?” He asked, and Renata stopped, facing him with a large smile.
“What? Are you happy for your sister?”
“Of course! She has been deceiving herself arguing that she doesn’t miss him, but I know her…” Robert replied, and Renata smiled again.
She left him, and Robert pulled his phone out on his way to the kitchen for breakfast.
It’s Bacardi video calling.
He snuck into the kitchen and picked the call. Her face and body came to view. She’s in the bathroom, bathing!
“Cardi…” He gasped.
“Does the owner get shocked when he sees what belongs to him? You should have gotten used to this now, boo.” She winked, using her body scrubs and soaps.
Lather covered her body, but not her pvxxy. That one is visible.
Robert playfully brought the phone screen to his mouth, licking it through the screen.
“Ouu… Rob!” She moaned, and he giggled, but he was too engrossed that he hit his head on the kitchen wall, and he fell with the phone.
“Rob! Rob?” Bacardi shouted.
He picked the phone back up, rubbing his swollen head.
“F+k! I’m so sorry!” She laughed.
“And you’re laughing?” He replied.
She just laughed louder, and he giggled again.
Unknown to him, the guard is by the kitchen door, watching him.
—
[House Of Esposito]Thaddeus was brimming with fury when he got back.
The way his car slid into the park without restraints made the drivers and guards shift away, but not all of them were lucky cos the moment Thaddeus got out of his car, he pulled his gun and started a shoot down.
One mobster, two drivers, four guards. Seven people in total went down to quench his anger.
That bruise he received on his cheek from the walking cane slap is still fresh…. stinging.
He would have shot the eighth person, but Penny’s arrival stopped him.
She pulled his arm down.
“You can’t waste mobsters like that! You’ll have the Padrino to answer to! Thad!”
“The marriage was annulled. Psychical documents burned, electronic documents cancelled and deleted! He even burned the laptop!” Thaddeus yelled.
“What!!” Penny shouted.
Thaddeus couldn’t even say another word anymore.
He stood there, panting as mobsters vacated the vicinity for the fear of getting shot down.
“You should go home, have a rest now… Thaddeus. I’ll take over the plan for the next mission till you’ll be back in the evening.” Penny said eventually.
“Don’t you get it? Even if I come back, Leo would probably be back by then, and I’ll have to give him the duties that’s meant for you! I thought Marko didn’t care about his grandson’s life, but that oldie actually cares in his own twisted sick unhealthy way!” Thaddeus shouted.
“For now, go take a rest. Emma is at home, tell her to treat your face before you come back.” Penny cajoled.
Thaddeus got back in the car reluctantly, and as he drove out, Penny pulled out her gun too, gunning down three guards who’re under the oak tree.
She literally closed the number up, making ten dead bodies.
As she lowered her gun, she let out a loud breath.
“Marko is biting more than he can actually chew. How dare he…hurt my daughter this much?” She muttered.
—
[Armando Mansion]Thaddeus was still fuming when he arrived, and he entered with that annoyance, expecting to meet Emma in the living room, but he met Island instead. She sat there, snacking.
But she stood the moment Thaddeus entered, dropping her snack bowl.
“Judging by the bruise on your face, sir. You’re probably here for Emma, but she left the house with the maids some minutes ago…to shop for groceries.” Island explained.
Thaddeus stood there for a splitting second like he wasn’t gonna move, and Island was already thinking of what to say again when he talked.
“Go up, to my room. Shower, get n+ked and lay in bed. Wait for me,” he ordered.
Island’s eye lit.
She didn’t ask questions.
She pushed her snack bowl away from the couch and rushed upstairs, already pulling her skirt down.
Thaddeus waited for five minutes before climbing the stairs too.
—
[Suburbs, Relaxation House]Anthony and Felicia eventually got Hilda’s body, and thankfully, there are lots of private unused lands in the subs, so one was bought completely for Hilda.
It was Nino who brought her body, and it was Felicia who did the last bath for Hilda to wash away the blood and dirt before they rewrapped her body into another coffin.
The burial is just ending with just four people in attendance.
Felicia, Anthony, Nino and Ivanna.
“I trust your gentle soul to rest in peace, Hilda, and don’t worry, Crimson Cave will pay for this.” She said after dropping the last heavy grain of sand.
“Be good, Hilda. Be good, up there, and I promise to find your daughter and…take care of her.” Nino said.
“I wasn’t good to you when you were alive, but trust me I’m a changed person now. Hilda, if I luckily get pregnant again and give birth, my girl child will be Hilda. Rest on.” Felicia said gently.
“Thank you for living well, Hilda. For feeding my kids when my heartless wife neglected the responsibility. Thank you for being a mother figure to everyone till death. I hope you rest in eternal peace where the perils of the world will never touch you.” Anthony said.
There was silence for ten more minutes before they all left the site, and since it’s at the back of the house, they arrived at the house in just one minute.
“We should return to the estate now, I don’t wanna put you in trouble with Thaddeus and Penny for being here when we should be in the clan.” Nino said immediately.
“I understand,” Anthony placed an hand on his shoulder.
Felicia looked at Ivanna, but Ivanna didn’t give her face before leaving with Nino.
As they walked back to the car, Nino kept grunting, and Ivanna wondered why till he suddenly turned.
“Come out, I know you’ve been following us,” he said.
Ivanna sighed, “So you see her too?”
“Of course,” Nino scoffed.
Sandra came out of her hiding, and they both folded their arms across their chests.
“Why the heck would you follow but refuse to appear when we were burying her?’ Nino asked.
“I appeared, y’all just didn’t see me! I was at the back” Sandra frowned.
“I saw you at the back, dumbo. I’m asking why you didn’t come close!” Nino scolded.
“You’re in no place to shout at me!” Sandra shouted.
Nino walked to her and grabbed her by the arm.
Sandra gasped.
Her eyes popped. Her heartbeats picked up. Red appeared on her cheeks.
When Nino looked up at her face to talk and saw the changes, his face rumpled deep.
“You don’t like me romantically, do you?” He said.
Sandra broke free immediately, and she rushed back into her car at the other end.
She drove off, and Nino sighed before starting the return to Ivanna.
He was on his phone as they both entered the car.
Ivanna drove with an hand and rubbed her necklace softly with the other hand.
“Have you heard the latest? Lissa and Sir Leo’s wedding got annulled, and he’s currently on his flight back.” Nino suddenly said.
Ivanna stopped the car abruptly, and they both jerked forward on their seats. Ivanna’s ponytail band nearly snapped off.
But…she grabbed the wheel again without saying anything.
She resumed the drive. Nino smiled lightly, staring at her.
—
[Crimson Cave, Distillery]Monika sat on a tall stool, alone inside the lab.
She’s currently injecting the new collection of bedbugs with the poisons, and she’s smiling, watching them grow in the purple flame.
But her smile isn’t genuine, cos as she smiled and watched, her mind is reliving the past.
[28 Years Ago]
Monika is from the Crimson family of hardened criminals and organized gangsters, and in the Crimson family, weakness is forbidden.
Boy? Girl? Everyone must exhibit his or her own strength and carry out assigned responsibilities.
That policy stretched to chosing life partners. The family elders aren’t opposed to chosing partners. They aren’t opposed to love.
But if you must fall in love, fall in love with someone from a influential family of organized crime too.
The family of your partner must match freaks with the Crimson family.
Monika was well aware of this, but still….she fell in love with Santos Nikova who’s not only asthmatic but weaker than weak.
He’s an orphan who lost his parents at a tender age, so he works in a riverbank as a fisher, and Monika met him there that fateful day.
She became a regular, always coming for fish, and through that, they became each other’s world before they knew it.
Despite the fact that there was another woman wanting him, Santos only had eyes for Monika.
After a year, Monika got pregnant, and according to the rules of the Crimson family, Monika was banished from the family.
She didn’t fret.
Instead, she left the Crimson family estate and travelled across the city with Santos where they settled down in a river house.
Thanks to the river, Santos caught fishes, made sales and took care of her and their baby.
Monika would always wait for him in front of their house everyday, waiting for him to come back….
Just like she’s doing right now. Monika stood in front of the house, rubbing her heavy tummy.
The pregnancy is seven months old, and she’s already seeing her delivery date in front of her in a few weeks.
She was drinking from a warm bottle of sweet tea when Santo’s boat rowed to a stop beside the river.
“Santos!” She shouted, dropping her bottle. She wanted to run down to him, but he stopped her.
“No! I’m coming!”
He rushed over the stairs to her and took the bottle from her first. He drank from it.
“The doctor still told you last week that sweet things should be stayed away from. Do you even listen?” He scolded.
“I can’t possibly fight my cravings! I’m heavily pregnant with your baby!” She frowned.
“You and this blackmail,” he smiled, lifting her up in his arms.
“You left the river early today!” She said as he walked inside.
“Your due date is almost here, I have to be near always, so I’ll spend less time on the water from now on.” He replied, and she blushed.
[Present Time]
Monika wiped the tears in her eyes before they’d fall, then she opened her locket and kissed it.
“Happy 28th birthday to you wherever you are, my child.” She muttered, shutting her eyes.
But not for long, cos she composed herself when she heard footsteps.
Bradshaw entered the distillery.
“I received your mail, Leader, the gangsters are gathered.”
“Good. While I prepare the bugs, I’ll prepare the gang too. Now that Thaddeus is the Acting Don, he’s surely gonna come after the billions I took from Felicia’s account. Thaddeus is money-driven, so preparations have to be in place.” She said.
“I understand,” Bradshaw nodded.
“Where are the others… Moo and Hayden?” She asked.
Moo entered the distillery first, her features hardened like carving stones.
Her dress is all purple.
She’s back to her slay color. Her original look with the shine eyeshadow and purple lips.
She’s so back.
Hayden followed after her, shirtless.
He held a knife, obviously just returning from the training hall.
“How do you feel?” Monika asked.
“Bradshaw here told me this place is my home, and Moo here said our main purpose is to kill those who committed against us. I can’t wait.” Hayden replied.
Monika grinned, nodding.
“My top 3 are finally back!”
—
[Armando Mansion, 7pm]Emma received a call from Lissa about her landing, and an order to come pick her up.
She didn’t wait before rushing out of the house, and she drove Lissa’s favorite car out.
The ride to the airport took few minutes, and Lissa emerged from the private terminal.
Emma didn’t talk. She heard about what happened already, so she just took her bag and led her to the car.
“Take me to my first secret place, I’ll give you directions.” Lissa said as they entered.
“Finally,” Emma smiled, starting the drive while receiving clear directions from her.
She followed.
There was no conversations except the direction points from Lissa till they arrived at a gated building.
Lissa came out of the car first. She opened the gate with a remote, and when they stepped inside, Emma was flabbergasted.
There’s nothing inside the property.
No building at all.
The only thing in the middle of the empty enclosed compound is a heap of sand, and on top of the heap, there’s a cenotaph which belongs to Stanley.
Stanley Marcus.
On top of the cenotaph, “RIP, Best D+k Ever” was written.
Lissa kicked the cenotaph down, then picked up the golden slate and was about to jam it into her throat when Emma held her back.
She tried to shake the cenotaph away from her hands, but Lissa held so tight the slate hurt her palm.
“No… Miss, you can’t hurt yourself cos of them!”
“Can’t hurt myself? I’m already more than hurt!!!!” Lissa yelled, throwing Emma’s arm away from herself.
Tears ran out of her eyes, hot and painful and burning.
“They played me! The two of them played me! My best friend and the guy I loved with myself!!! They played me Emmaline! For the first time ever, I was played! I, Lalissa Armando was played!!!”
She picked the cenotaph again and tried stabbing herself on the wrist, but Emma blocked the hit, so the cenotaph stabbed Emma’s wrist instead.
When her blood splashed, Lissa’s eyes widened.
“Get back to your senses, Miss. Men don’t deserve all of these you’re doing for them!! They don’t deserve you!!! You don’t deserve getting hurt physically cos of them!! They hurt you emotionally? Then become their nightmare and payback! You’re still Lalissa Armando, the heartless bîtvh! Nothing has changed! Get back on your feet I beg you!!!” Emma yelled, holding her bleeding wrist.
Lissa stopped crying, staring at Emma’s blood, then she quickly dragged her out of the empty compound, back to the car.
She pulled out her bag, zipped it down and picked a scarf to tie on Emma’s wrist.
As she’s tying, another car stopped beside them, and Penny came down, smirking sternly as she walked to the girls.
She actually followed when Emma left the mansion.
“So…this is the main secret place?” She said, her eyes freezing, then she exploded.
“How dare you go this far for a man, Lissa. You dedicated a whole compound to a nameless Stanley and even did a golden cenotaph for him? When did you become this stupid!!”
“I did it cos I loved him back then, I was blind back then! I was senseless yes! Say whatever the f+k you want! I am just like you who’d do anything to get the d+k I want!!! Don’t shout at me like you’re any better! Don’t!” Lissa screamed at her.
Penny slapped her, and Lissa gasped, her earrings flew off.
—
[House Of Esposito, 8pm]“Home sweet home!” Stanley commented when the car rolled inside the vast estate.
Everything feels new, feels foreign, but the familiarity wasn’t lost. After all, he was only gone for a year.
He slammed the car door shut and stared around the park with his arms on his hips.
“Can’t believe I missed this place…” He hissed, smiling.
Then, words from the female gangsters reached his ears.
• He’s really f+kin alive?
• I wouldn’t be surprised, crazy things are occuring in here these days.
• Ghost is sure who he thinks he is. Heard he made Lissa f+k a psych ward patient.
• Should I sympathize with her? Or laugh at her?
• Feel like the real drama begins now, and I can’t wait.
• But heyy, Stanley is fuckin…
• S+×y? He has always been, duh.
Stanley smiled widely, resting on the car body as Leonardo came out of the car too, slamming the door.
He’s on a call, with the Chicago spies.
“It’s ready? One mistake means I’ll be killing one of you as my welcoming bloodshed show to Chicago.” He said strictly, opening the car again.
“Already?” Stanley asked.
Leonardo hasn’t replied when Bobby and the rest of the siblings appeared, and the way Bobby hugged Leonardo first made him cut the call.
“The f+k is up with him?” He frowned.
“He misses you, just let him display his affection.” Bacardi replied.
Leonardo didn’t hug back, he just stayed, patting Bobby’s back.
“Welcome back from the dead, Stanley Marcus!” Sandra bumped her knuckles with his own, and he laughed, hugging her and Bacardi.
“You and Leo, I hope whatever holds you together never breaks. Your relationship is too tight I can’t even peek inside.” Bacardi said.
“Oh stop trying, you’ll never be able to peek!” Stanley grinned.
“Why the hell did it take so long to return, brother?” Bobby asked gruffly when he let go of Leonardo.
“You really think I’d play my usual fast ones on a person like Marko? I had to play efficiently, Bob.” Leonardo replied.
“And right now, you’ve been summoned, sir” Nino said, appearing at the park with a slight bow.
“Padrino is in his office, and he wants you inside.” He said.
“Go back and tell him that I ain’t stepping that office till I settle stuffs,” Leonardo replied strictly.
“Sir?” Nino nearly gasped.
“If you won’t go, Nino. I’ll go.” Bobby said and left immediately.
Nino followed behind.
Leonardo just gave Bacardi and Sandra pats on their shoulders before getting back in the car.
He drove out of the estate.
—
[Cooper Family House]Tierney and Ginny are in here with Ivanna, but while they did coding on their systems outside the room, Ivanna stayed inside the room.
She finished feeding the parents an hour ago. She only gave them the food though, Erica and Leroy ate by themselves, then she put them to sleep after a little chat.
She was covering Erica’s legs when Ginny came inside.
“Anna! The guards outside are leaving!” She said loudly.
“Leaving?” Ivanna frowned.
As if to confirm that, the guard in charge of the lock came in and unlocked the outfit jewelry on the ankles of the couple.
He left too, and the house became completely free of guards.
“Ok….that wasn’t strange?” Tierney muttered, coming in too.
Then they all rushed out of the room.
They were halfway down the corridor when the first crack split the night. Loud and crazy.
It’s not thunder, this one is deliberate and celebratory.
Another followed, then another.
They’re fireworks, blasting brightly through the night sky.
Tierney and Ginny ran the remaining distance outside, too eagar to see a better view.
Ivanna stopped short, her heart leaping into her throat as light from the fireworks spilled through the tall windows.
Red and gold reflections skittered across marble floors.
Curiosity overruled caution.
She turned and ran, the edge of her short gown gathered in her fists, and her pulse loud in her ears till she arrived outside.
Outside, the fireworks bloomed over the house in violent, gorgeous bursts—sapphirine blues, molten gold, blood-red stars tearing open the sky.
The sound rolled through her chest, through bone and breath, leaving her laughing despite herself as she stepped onto the terrace.
But suddenly, the fireworks paused, darkness settled, and that was when she saw them.
At first, they looked like stars rearranging themselves in the sky.
Hundreds of tiny lights lifting higher in the dark clouds, spreading wider, moving with impossible precision.
Ivanna’s breath caught as the realization hit her.
Drones.
Not a handful. Not a stunt.
A fleet of drones!
Six hundred and twenty drones, each glowing white-hot against the night, snapped into alignment.
The sky became a canvas. The lights shifted, tightened, and then….words formed in the sky.
Huge. Undeniable. Crude in a way that was unmistakably him.
BACK WITH THAT CØCK UNTOUCHED.
Ivanna’s mouth fell open.
Her hand flew to her lips, shock and heat crashing through her at once.
Her heart slammed so hard she thought it might break her ribs.
The drones dissolved, scattering like sparks, only to reform again with ruthless patience.
Then another word formed…
MISS ME, JOY?
Her laugh came out shaky, breathless.
Joy.
Only Leonardo called her that. Only Leonardo would dare write something so indecent, so intimate, so public, and make it feel like a private whisper pressed to her spine.
The lights shifted one final time, slower now. Softer.
The last message glowed warmer, almost gold.
HAPPY 28TH BIRTHDAY, DARLING WITCH.
Ivanna stood frozen beneath it, eyes burning, chest aching.
She doesn’t even know her own real birthday, but Erica and Leroy picked her up on the 9th of January, and they’ve been wanting to celebrate her birthday every 9th of January, but she always declined, saying she’d wait till she met her real family so her real birthday would be decided, and because of that, she has never celebrated her birthday before.
But now… Tonight… Night of 9th of January, she couldn’t hold her emotions inside as the words kept shinning in the sky.
The last words didn’t scatter like the first two. They stayed there, and she felt her eyes getting warm.
A Rolls Royce came to a stop in front of the house, and like the king of this damn city, he came out.
The face she has been missing like a deranged fellow.
The hair, the lips, the voice and smile she has been missing.
He came out, sleek in his casual slightly baggy jean with chains by the side and a soft jacket with a fur polo. Tucked neatly inside is the white undershirt and a s+×y tie.
His shock of long dark hair sprawled over his eyes, and even with the distance between them, she smelled cedar. She smelled him.
“Hey, mama.” He smiled, and that ran her crazy instantly.
Her tears fell, and her legs carried themselves in a mad run, to HIM.
TBC.
