Neveah Aurora North:

The door slowly opens and I look up. Celine steps out of the room. She's tired of working all day, but that's none of my problems.

No one told her to chip us. She did it because Rafael told her. So here we are, waiting for Cataleya to wake up.

Rio seems more concerned than I expected, but not enough to make it seem like he actually gives a damn.

'And?' I ask as soon as she looks at me.

The fact that she didn't want to look at Cataleya, but didn't seem to bother looking at me, even after she talked to me earlier that day, still bothers me. It just indicates how much she cares. How less she actually cares.

'She needs to rest, but she'll be fine.' She sighs, slowly moving her gaze towards Rio.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Cataleya wasn't supposed to get sick, Rio wasn't supposed to drug her that much for her to get sick. Celine didn't want any of this to happen at all, yet she let it happen.

'Can I see her?' She nods, not giving a single shit about Rio's input.

I liked Celine. I really did. I liked her because she stood up for me against Tiago. But after today, after this, I don't think I can ever completely trust her. She did the thing she knew would doom us forever because Rio told her to.

She knew what this meant. There would be no way out after this. And that didn't stop her because she didn't care.

'Just try to keep it down, for her sake.' She whispers as I walk past her, into the dimly lit room. Cataleya is sleeping oh so peacefully as if none of this is happening.

I sneak up to the bed, slowly taking a seat next to her, and grab her hand gently. She doesn't feel cold like two hours ago, but I don't trust it one bit. I know how fast health shit can change and I can't let her die.

All of this is my fault. None of this would've happened if I told her about the Curzio's earlier. None of this would've happened if I didn't meet up with them again six years ago. All of this is happening because I fell for an idiot with gorgeous eyes.

Cataleya is in danger because of me and I won't forgive myself if anything happened to her.

I look at her, trying not to cry out of fear. If something happens to her, I'll lose my shit.

She has so much to live for and she's the only family I have left. So if she goes, I go.

'I'm sorry.' I mumble for the seventh time today. Again, she doesn't respond, because she can't. She can't because Rio messed her up. 'I'm so sorry Leya..'

The tears I've been trying to keep in, escape my eyes. I hate crying. It makes me feel so damn weak, but I'm a real crier. I cry over almost everything. When I'm mad, when I'm hurt, when I'm frustrated, when someone shouts at me, even when I'm tired. It's insane.

I get out of bed and rush into the bathroom. The last thing I need is for Leya to wake up to me crying. That will only stress her out more.

The girl I see in the mirror doesn't display how I feel. She looks completely different. Clean. I don't feel clean. I feel disgusting, I feel used.

I decide to take a shower, ignoring Celine's demand to keep the stitches dry. I need to get cleaned up. I need this feeling to get out of my system.

So I hop into a warm shower, coating myself with all kinds of soaps, and scrubbing my skin until I feel a bit better. My skin feels fresh when I wrap the towel around my body, but as soon as I look into the mirror I feel disgusting again.

As if the shower I just took was all for nothing.

The wound, on my left shoulder, is way too noticable since the skin around the stitches turned purple. It's hideous and will forever be noticed by everyone who sees my shoulders.

I move closer to the mirror and stare at the stitches for a second.

Celine did a great job, but since it hasn't totally healed yet, and I showered, it burns. Could I?

I shake the idea out of my head and take a deep breath. I'm crazy enough to think that nothing would happen when Tiago left, but I can't cut it out myself. Right?

Tiago... Did he know this was going to happen? Is that why he told me to stay until he got back?

My thoughts stop because of the burning pain of the wound. Shit...

Maybe I should've listened to Celine's advice. I mean, she's the doctor and all, but fuck it.

I stare at the wound again and watch as a drop of blood trickles down my back. Oh no...

I've watched enough medical shows to know this isn't good. Maybe I could get it out myself? Since it's not totally healed yet? I take a deep breath, debating if I should.

If I can get the chip out of me, I just might cut it out of Cataleya too and then we would have another chance. Fuck it!

I hop into some shorts and a random shirt that I quickly grab from the closet, and rush to the kitchen.

To my luck, no one's there. But I hear voices in the hall. Someone's shouting and it sounds like Rio.

I walk over to the drawer, where the knives are, and pull it open. If I want to do this, I have to do it quickly, because if Rio finds me, I'll be dead.

I grab a random kitchen knife. To see how sharp it is, I pinch it against my finger. I watch as my skin breaks under the pressure and hiss at the stinging pain rushing through me. This could work...

I take a deep breath, before moving my shirt out of the way. Just as I'm about to pinch the knife into my skin, I hear a loud gasp behind me. I stare at Manuella, who stares at me with wide eyes. No!

'Manuella please-' 'Master Curzio!' She shouts before I can even finish my sentence.

No one in this fucking house can be fucking trusted!

I drop the knife and rush out of the kitchen, into the living room. It's dark since all the lights are off, but the glimmering of the moonlight is just enough for me to see where I'm going.

'Neveah?' I stop at the sound of his voice and slowly turn around.

It's Tiago. He's standing in the doorway to the kitchen and tries to catch his breath, as he slowly steps towards me.

Even in the dimly lit room, I know it's him. Not just by the sound of his voice, but by the way his eyes shine. They're glowing, watching my every move. 'Tiago?'

He takes it all in, letting his eyes roam over my body, unashamed.

'What are you-' He pulls me towards his chest and wraps his arms around me tightly, almost squeezing me to death again.

'Did you find her?!' Rio shouts, walking in behind me. I don't dare turn around. But I don't have to. Tiago nods and keeps me in his arms, not letting me go whatsoever.

'I'll talk to her, you can go back to bed.' He sneers, grabbing me even tighter. I just stay quiet, since I would much rather be with Tiago than Rio.

'Whatever.' Rio sighs. His footsteps slowly fade away and I lean back, trying to get out of Tiago's arms. 'Aren't you supposed to be in Spain?' I ask, trying to sound as direct as possible.

He nods and sighs deeply, before pulling me into the hall, towards their side of the house. He opens the door to his room and waits for me to get in, which, for some reason, I do.

'How are you back so quick?' 'Celine texted me and-' He stops and looks at me again, scanning my body as if he might find something that way. 'You didn't keep your promise...'

A flash of sorrow flashes through his eyes, but it's the truth. He didn't keep his promise. He promised me nothing would happen until he got back, and it did.

'What were you doing?' 'That's not fair.' I state, walking towards him. He backs away but keeps his eyes on me. 'Answer me, Neveah.'

'I tried taking the stupid thing out myself!' I shout, pushing him away. He stumbles back and takes a deep breath, before turning his back on me for a second. 'Where did she place it?' I raise an eyebrow at him, I thought he already knew.

I lower my shirt, just enough for the stitch to be exposed. He rushes over to me, gently gracing my sensitive skin with his cold fingers. 'Don't.' I sneer, pushing him away again.

'Neveah I-' 'You promised!' I shout, feeling the anger from earlier consume me again.

Deep down I know this isn't his fault. Not entirely. He has a part in it, but he's not the real monster. The real monster is Rio.

'I know.' He mumbles, before taking another step back. 'You fucking promised Tiago! And-' My breath hitches at the back of my throat, 'You said we would talk about this! About us!'

He nods, not knowing what to say. 'You said you wouldn't let him near us and he did! He fucking chipped us and now there is no way for us to get out of here! Ever!'

For the first time since I started shouting at him, he looks at me again. Directly at me.

'I wasn't going to let you go Neveah.' My heart shatters. If that's even possible. All of his bullshit words the day he left, the words where he promised me that he would let me go if I still wanted to, it was all bullshit.

All I can do is smile. I should've known this was going to happen. He's too obsessed with whatever is going on in his mind. They both mapped it all out. Both of them.

'You fucking liar.' He sighs, taking a step forward again. I shake my head, stepping away. The last thing I need for him is to get close to me.

Because if he does. If he gets close, I don't know what might happen. I can't control myself when he gets too close.

'You are a piece of fucking shit!' I shout at the man I thought would let me go. 'I didn't want it to go this way, I really didn't. But I wasn't going to let you go either.' 'But you said-' He closes the gap between us, pressing me against the wall gently, and locks me in his arms.

'Tiago.' He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, 'Please.' I whisper, gently touching his arms. I need him to see that I want to get the fuck out. I need him to see that I'll do anything for us to get the fuck out of here.

'No.' He says firmly, making sure I know that the decision is made and it won't be adjusted. My hand clashes onto his cheek and I feel the burning sensation rush through my hand as I notice what I just did.

I fucking hit him.

He chuckles and looks back at me. 'You have some nerve.'

'I hate you.' I sneer, meaning every word of it. He shrugs and leans closer, making me wish I could teleport through the wall behind me. I look at his slowly turning red cheek and follow a purple-looking trail towards his neck. Wait, what...

Before I know it, I hit him again, making him look at me in total shock. 'What the fuck was that for?'

'You slept with someone, didn't you?' I point at the hickeys in his neck and push him away from me with all the power I have left. He stumbles back and turns towards the mirror to his left. 'Danazionne...' He mumbles under his breath, before turning back to me.

'So first you want me to stay, for god knows what reason! And then you have the audacity to sleep with someone else!' 'It's not like you would let me fuck you anyways.' He sneers at me.

As if that makes any of this better.

Just as I throw my hand in the air, to hit him again, he grabs my wrists tightly, making sure I won't hit him again.

'That's not how this works!' I shout as I try to pull my wrist out of his grip. He chuckles and looks me in the eyes again. His eyes turned darker, almost leaving no glow at all. No spark. No nothing.

'You are so fucking bipolar!' He shouts, letting go of my wrist and stepping back. What? 'First, you let me pleasure you and then you tell me you want to leave and never come back again! After that, I fuck someone else and you have the nerve to tell me that this is not how it works?!'

I look at him, watching as he starts pacing around the room. He's trying to clear his consciousness but to the wrong person and at the wrong time.

'I don't-' 'Tell me what the fuck this is then!? Explain to me what I did wrong! Tell me how to work with, whatever the fuck, this is!' If he wasn't so far away from me, I would've hit him again.

I'm just too tired to move. All this time I thought he didn't change. But God was I wrong.

'What am I to you?' I ask, trying to not sound like a total crybaby. He sighs and looks back at me, before stepping forward. I raise my hands at him and step away, trying to keep our distance.

'You know exactly what you are to me.' He turns away from me and walks over to his bed.

I look at him, not giving a single shit about the fact that tears are escaping my eyes again. I can't look weak in front of him. Not now. Not ever again.

'If I mean so much to you, why keep me here by force? Why sleep with someone else?' I ask, knowing that, whatever the reason is, I won't be able to handle it right now. 'Neveah-' 'Tell me.'

His eyes pierce through me as he looks at me again. The spark comes back a little, just a little- before it disappears again.

'Because I wanted to.' He states firmly, making my skin crawl. I wipe away my tears and take a deep breath. 'You are absolutely disgusting.'

If he only did all of that to get into my pants, he can fucking rot in hell.

I turn towards the door, stopping at the sudden movement behind me. 'If you take another step,' He mutters as I take another deep breath, trying not to cry like a complete maniac in front of him, 'We're done.' What?

'You're kidding me right?' I ask, turning back around. He's the one who went to fuck someone else, and now he has the nerve to tell me that if I take another step, we're over? 'I'll leave you alone forever and never talk to you again.'

'So send me back! Send us back! Let us go!' I shout, letting all my anger out on him. 'Never.'

I step back, trying to process his words again. No matter how hard I try, he won't let me go. He won't melt.

'The Tiago I know would've let me go.' I whisper and he chuckles softly. 'That Tiago died the moment you decided to fucking leave.' And that was it. The last part of light disappears from his eyes.

'I hope you die.' I mumble, before rushing into the hall, running as fast as I can. Everything is blurry, but I keep running.

I run towards our room and stop in the hallway, trying to calm myself down before entering the room.

All this time I didn't think he changed, but I was wrong. He changed in the worst way possible. He became an almost exact replica of his heartless cousin. No light, no spark, no nothing. He became dark and heartless.

'Neveah?' I turn towards the soft voice and flinch at the sight of the pretty Asian woman I thought wouldn't turn on us. 'Is something wrong with Leya?' She shakes her head and steps closer.

'But I wanted to-' 'Save it! I know how this works now. Everyone in this fucking house is, and will forever be, loyal to Rafael Adriano Curzio, and him only.' I fume, letting all the build-up anger out on her.

'Correct. He saved all of us at some point, so we owe him.' I scoff, not giving a single shit about any backstory.

Everyone has morals, at least so I thought.

'Look. I just wanted to say sorry and I wanted to tell you to not be mad at Leon for the thing in his neck,' She continues, making my blood boil even more, 'He had to sleep with her.' What?

'Sleep with who?' Celine sighs, knowing that whatever she started might get her in trouble. She also knows that if she wants me to ever like her again, she has to tell me what the fuck is going on.

'Monica Santos, one of the biggest mafia women in Spain.' She explains, taking another step forward. I keep my eyes on her and nod, waiting for her to continue, 'She's the one who helps out with our shipments. In return, she wants Leon to... You know.'

I nod, feeling my stomach twist and turn at the thought of it. He's basically selling his body to help with shipments.

'How old is she?' 'thirty-four.' Oh god...

We both go quiet for a while, not knowing what to say. I want to thank her, but then I remember what she did not so many hours ago. She fucking chipped us.

'We need Santos's help, otherwise, we'll fall.' I don't fucking care... 'So please, don't be mad at him. He's just keeping the empire running.' 'I don't care. He can fucking rot for all I care.' I mumble, turning towards the bedroom door.

I close the door behind me and take another deep breath, waiting for Celine's footsteps to fade, before sinking down to the floor and crying my eyes out.

As I said, I'm a real crybaby.