BOOK II.
Four months have passed since Ashton and Ria's relationship fell into ruins. He's convinced that she hates him and she believes he never loved her. Giving up on each other, they attempt to mend their loneliness in the arms of their past; Ch...
❝ It would be interesting to see you in this world. An angel tainted in darkness.❞
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I'LL BE GONE for a couple of days. There's this show out of town that Soph dragged me into. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone.
Too late for that.
The text from Jared seems omniscient in nature as if he can sense the recklessness in her current actions. Stupid is a level that she has surpassed. Perhaps crazy, delusional or outright insane would fit best as she nears the den of demons.
Every strike of her boots across the stone path that breathes elegance brings her closer to a mansion made for kings. Tugging her coat around her is a futile attempt to keep the evil from seeping into her skin.
Men layered under grey and white winter garb stare at her with eyes stolen from the dead. If it weren't for the slight tightening of their fists around illegal artillery as she passes them, she would mistake them for strikingly human wax figures.
The entrance to Vincent's home is ambitious, a grand white door towers above her head with graceful carvings decorated along the surface. It's almost as if she's about to enter a palace. A palace of criminals.
The guard by the door lays dirt-colored eyes on her and parts his scared mouth. "Ria." One word twisted around a Russian tongue.
"Um, yes." Despite her nod, she can't convey the same tranquility to her veins ridden with anxiety and bones aching to flee. "I'm here to see Vincent." Fine layers of sweat build on the palms of her hands despite their stiffness from the cold.
A terse nod and the guard turns his back to her. With an effortless pull, he opens the massive door and releases a world of ominous elegance. Ria's gaze expands as she eases inside and takes in the unrealistically high ceilings with crystal chandelier shimmering above her head. Two grand staircases curve down like outreaching arms welcoming her inside.
He lives like a king. Her jaw hits the ground and she turns her head every which way. It's impossible to capture the expanse of the layout even if she were to turn a full circle. Massive hallways and entrances drenched in obsidian and burgundy appear to be portals leading into worlds of riches.
"Breathtaking, isn't it?"
Ria is quick to pick up her jaw as Vincent's cold voice echoes from the ceilings. There he is in his snake-like aura, leaning against the center railing of the grand stairs, leaving her to wonder when he got there.
He must slither fast.
"Welcome to my home." He lifts his arms, revealing his unbuttoned physique as he climbs down the stairs on her right. His pale abdomen peeks through the opening of his shirt, exposing every muscle working with his slick movements. Ink is painted across his skin beneath the shirt, leaving her to wonder if he has tattoos on every inch of his body.
