✔️ ILLICIT DESIRES | 18 +

PROLOGUE

WHEN THE INGENUE MEETS THE DEVIL'S HAND, WHAT HAPPENS?

SHE GETS DEFILED.

Who is the mother of all kind? Mother Nature.

Humankind is crafted from nature, and it is in our nature to either cherish or destroy the very elements we are made of. My heart, not vile like venomous flowers, chose to be good in my nature.

But then I thought: Mother Nature, like humankind, carries a tinge of darkness behind the veil of her beauty. Otherwise, why would she strike us with vengeful force every time we recklessly destroy the planet that gifts us life?

Of course, Mother is forgiving; she gives us warnings, scolding us for our misdeeds with thunder, tsunamis, and earthquakes. But the human, blinded by greed, doesn't see that its destructive actions erode Mother.

And so, Mother grows mad. She unveils her darker side, showing the greedy ones the fatal beauty of her power. She is both beautiful and deadly — like an Angel's Trumpet.

I take Mother as my role model. I want to embody her: to be beautiful and deadly at the same time. My beautiful shall lure you. A kiss of mine shall bring a flutter of butterflies that paralyzes you from within — a fatal gift for daring to touch me.

So, I embodied Mother in her Nature. Small doses of her dark, venomous leaves seeped into me, turning my insides vile, like hers. Still, my beauty illuminates, hiding my darker side behind a mask of innocence and elegance.

Today, I am the very personification of Mother as I attend a masquerade ball with my family. My forest-green dress hugs my body, showing the tantalizing curves that Nature crafted.

My hair, sleek and wet, appears as though Mother cried over it; it is adorned with Oleanders. My mask, designed like tangled roots, sits upon my face.

But my favorite part of my appearance is my lips. Their lilac hue, tinged with the essence of deadly nightshade, draws every man's gaze. I sway to the music in the room, a seductive smile daring them to risk a fatal kiss.

Yet none dares. Because of Father. Every child has a mother and father. And so do I. I have a powerful Father. His shadow looms over me, a vengeful force capable of destroying any soul who dares to pluck his innocent, little flower without his permission.

When the music ends, I curtsy and return to my family's table. My mother and father await me. No praise is exchanged for my elegant dance — just a nod from my father, acknowledging my display.

Like a flower in bloom, I whirled around the room, presenting myself to the powerful men gathered here, each a potential suitor. For my hand in marriage.

That's why I'm here — to be displayed, a delicate offering to these powerful men, being able to seed me. My father decides to choose the one. The thought terrifies me, and I excuse myself to the bathroom.

The music fades behind me, replaced by a sense of peace. In the bathroom, I escape the prying eyes that follow me like a peacock's tail.

Washing my hands and patting droplets of water on my face, I steel myself. But instead of returning to the ballroom, I head to the balcony.

The cool night breeze hits me, calming down my nerves. Yet I am not alone — the balcony is occupied by others.

Two occupiers catch my attention. They stand apart, silent, but their eyes speak for themselves. A subtle nod from the man in black signals the woman standing away from him to follow him, who understands immediately.

Without a word, she excuses herself from the company of an older man next to her — one ready to erode in a few years, and be one with earth — and follows inside.