Stunned, Haven stood in disbelief, the words escaping Aerius's lips reverberating through her like a seismic tremor. It was as if she had misheard a haunting melody that shook her to the core.

In the recesses of her mind, she revisited the tragic night that claimed her parents' lives. The memories, like shadowy figures, danced before her, and she recalled her own stubbornness on that fateful birthday, a day now stained with regret. She had pleaded tearfully with her dad and Aerius to let her out, unknowingly sealing a tragic fate.

As the revelation unfolded, her eyes welled up once more, tears threatening to cascade like a torrential downpour. Taking a deep breath, she grappled with the realization that the untimely demise of her parents wasn't a cruel accident but a deliberate act of murder, a malevolent plot that shattered the sanctuary of her family.

The weight of this revelation pressed on her like an unyielding boulder, the knowledge piercing through her like shards of glass. The innocence of her memories tarnished, Haven faced the chilling reality that her parents were victims of a premeditated crime, and the echoes of that revelation resonated in her soul like a haunting melody refusing to fade.

Aerius fixed Haven with a malicious grin. "You see, little snow, it was your beloved Ivan—or should I say Vincent—who orchestrated the demise of our parents," he declared, relishing in her disbelief.

Haven, her world shattering, whispered, "I can't... I can't believe it."

"Tell me that this is once again one of your lies. Tell me that you are lying," Haven demanded, her fingers clenching his collar in a fist. Her eyes, now red with anger, bore into Aerius with a fiery intensity.

( i will be now mentioning Ivan's real name - Vincent)

"Let's not discuss all of this here," Aerius declared, revelling in the success of his manipulation. He took the same hand that was clutching his collar and led Haven to his room. With a firm grip, he revealed a secret chamber. Haven, though skeptical, found herself with no choice but to follow.

In the dimly lit space, Aerius flicked on the lights, revealing walls adorned with damning details. Vincent's family photos were displayed, each carrying a trove of information that left Haven speechless, her eyes absorbing the incriminating evidence surrounding them.

"Why do you think I changed all of our identities?" Aerius questioned, but Haven's eyes remained fixed on the various photos of the Salvatore family.

"You think their goal was just to kill mom and dad?" Aerius turned her towards him, his arms now enclosing her within his grasp.

"They wanted all of us to be gone. It was our luck we got saved," Aerius explained, but Haven, desiring solitude, stood silent. She longed to pour out her feelings but chose to keep them guarded, feeling far from fortunate on a day that had already taken so much from her.

""Why do you think we ran far away from our own house, wandering with no destination? The least you and that mutt brother of mine could do was be grateful to me," he hissed, his hand slowly rising to caress her hair before gripping it painfully and pulling her closer.

The physical pain made her wince, but the emotional pain had already left her shattered.

"But look at you shameless bitch, sleeping around with the murderer of your own parents. Tell me did you like being his whore. Did you please him, did you touch him. SPEAK BITCH" Haven trembled in his painful hold.

What was she supposed to say? She felt betrayed, but now shame engulfed her. She had given her heart to someone who had taken away someone so precious – her dad.

"Don't talk about me like that. I was not his whore. We loved ea—" Her words were abruptly cut off as Aerius raised his hand and delivered a harsh slap, the force throwing her across the hard floor.

"Such audacity," he hissed, seizing her arm and compelling her back onto her feet.

"You stupid bitch, you told him your real identity. Now that bastard is hell-bent on finding me and Aezvan. What do you think he's gonna do once he finds out our real identity? He's gonna kill all of us – not just me or Aezvan. He will kill you as well without any second thought. He's keeping you alive so that he could get to us," Aerius sneered, and Haven looked at him with wide eyes.

"How does he not know that you are Aerius?" she asked.

"I was trained to be a mafia king, little snow. You think I wouldn't know how to hide things. Long story short, I earned his trust, erased our past like it never existed, and got us new identities. He knows me as Hayden. Hayden Alestaire Wraith. He never got to know about you; I had hidden you so well," Hayden smirked, pride evident in his achievements.

"So he doesn't know that you are my br—" Haven clenched her jaws in disgust as she muttered, "brother."

Aerius rolled his eyes, refraining from correcting her and revealing the truth. He had a bigger plan in mind.

"We would have been six feet under the ground if he was aware of that," he scoffed.

"By the way, this reminded me of something that you might have told her." Before Haven could think about anything, he grabbed her throat and slammed her against the wall.

Haven struggled against his hold, aware of the impending ordeal that awaited her once again.

"You lied to him, little snow" his hand went inside her dress and removed her panty as he hurriedly fumbled around with his belt.

(You can read the scene on INKITT)

.

.

She crawled back as she found Aerius walking over to her again.

Aerius smirked, saying, "I hope now you know the difference between the two terms. Right, little snow?" He asked as he tucked her hair.

Haven nodded, not daring to look into his eyes again. The world feared the devil and his hell, but Haven feared Aerius more than any devil or hell.

"You're better off without him. Helping me in killing him will free you from his deceit and the betrayal that you caused to Mom and Dad by jeopardizing our identities," he said, further playing his cards, invoking his parents' names and intensifying her emotional turmoil.

"Will you assist me in my plan?" Aerius questioned, savoring her silence. Haven, unable to respond, stood up whimpering.

"Take your sweet time, baby, but remember he is not the man you thought him to be. A hint of our true identity, and he will turn into the monster he is," Aerius warned. Haven moved numbly towards her room, and Aerius, confident in her eventual compliance, let her go.

As Haven wandered aimlessly, she collided with a stranger who prevented her fall.

Looking up, her ocean-blue eyes met the stranger's sea-green eyes. The stranger looked confused as he observed her current appearance.

Before he could inquire, Aerius appeared and snatched Haven away from his grip.

"Are you up for another lesson, hmm. Go back to your fucking room, right now and don't you dare come out unless i give you permission" he hissed. Haven horrified already, rushed off to her room.

"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my premises?" Aerius interrogated, a bit edgy because if this guy was Vincent's man and informed Vincent about Haven's condition, it could spell trouble for him.

"I'm Stefano, sir, here to guard Ms. Evangelina (Haven) as per Mr. Salvatore's orders," the stranger explained.

"Damn it," Aerius muttered under his breath, realizing the guard would likely inform Vincent about what he witnessed.

Aerius, visibly irritated, received a call from Vincent. He was about to give an excuse for raising his hand on Haven, but before he could say anything, Vincent spoke. "Dad sent some Stefano guy as a trusted guard for Eva. Don't stop him, or the wedding's off. Don't do anything suspicious. Just meet me in the office right now," Vincent commanded.

Aerius shot one last look at Stefano and walked away. The guard, Stefano, watched Aerius until he finally disappeared from his sight.

He took his phone and called someone.

"I'm in," he said before disconnecting the call. Despite the desire to feel proud, looking at Haven's disheveled form and the way Aerius treated her tugged something in his heart. He couldn't shake off the pain in her eyes and the fear he witnessed.

Fuck it. Stop thinking about her. She is none of your concern Michael.

Hi guyzzzz

Hope you liked the chapter.

Finalllyyyyyy the brothers have entered.🫠🫠

What do you think gonna happen next ??

Thankyou for reading 💃💃