TILL D£ATH DO US APART
(The•Devil•I•Loved)
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Copyright © 2025
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★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
#Short-unedited-chapter.
[Five Minutes Later]
Leonardo finished the whole ointment on her back, and by the time he was done, it was glistening.
She's got wounds on her whole body, but he focused on the back since it's much more over there.
He flung the ointment bottle to the burning bra in the room corner, and the bottle melted in the fire too.
He stood and started walking out of the room, his fingers wet with both the ointment and her blood...
"Mark today's date clearly in your calendar if you have one. I'll kill you with my own hands." She muttered weakly from the bed.
He stopped and stared back at her for a splitting minute, expressionless.
"I wanna grill you and separate your body parts too in a sweet irregular dismemberment, but the time isn't now. Keep your fangs hidden, there's still plenty time to ruin you." He said and finally stepped away.
With difficulty, Ivanna sat up in bed, covering her chest with her palms. She was sweating and aching all-over as she threw her stare around the room, looking for an alternative.
When she found none, she tore a long part of the thick bedspread and tied it on her chest, covering up with it.
Thankfully, she's not the bursty type, so it suffixed.
Two minutes after Leonardo's departure, Hilda and Robert rushed back inside, both gasping when they found her almost n+ked.
"He didn't do anything! Tell me he didn't make you suck again!" Robert said quickly, eyes popped.
Ivanna stayed quiet, unable to even talk. It's like the ointment is inducing sleep with it's scent, and as the liquid seeped into her skin, she grew drowsy—and tired.
Hilda studied her glistening body and went to sit beside her.
She pulled Ivanna's head to her chest, stroking her hair.
"I don't think anything happened, he probably rubbed her back." She said.
"Why would he rub her back?" Robert asked.
"Not like I would know," Hilda looked up. "But be calm, she's fine now."
Surprisingly, Ivanna is already sleeping. A deep, peaceful sleep.
Robert sat gently on the other side of the bed and took her head from Hilda's chest.
He placed it on his own chest.
"Good. I'll go get her one of my clothes. She can't keep going around with this thing tied to her chest, and you can't keep going around wearing your p+nts only." Hilda said, taking a look at Robert's bandaged palms.
After Donna Felicia shoved them into dahlia thorns the other time at her roses sanctuary, they haven't healed.
"It's still a wonder how you went on the mission with wounded palm and Ivanna went with wounded body. You both are something else" Hilda commented.
"The estate doctor did a good job, I don't feel pains in my palms. Don't worry too much, I'm glad Ivanna is now sleeping, at least she'd wake up better." Robert replied.
"Tough, I'll go get the clothes..." Hilda shrugged, leaving.
Robert took over the stroking of Ivanna's hair, and while doing that, his eyes got hooked on her key pendant necklace for a second.
He touched it, and even in her sleep state, Ivanna moved uncomfortably.
She doesn't like people touching this necklace for a reason best known to everyone in the Cooper family.
It's Ivanna's most treasured possession.
He shifted his attention away from the necklace, staring into space while still stroking Ivanna's hair.
Then, realization hit him...
They killed a person.
They went on a mission and killed a full human.
Even on the day of their break-in, they accidentally killed Bobby's bride
The numbers are slowly going up.
Why does he feel it's only the start.
If push comes to shove, will they be willing to do worse to stay alive?
Will they ever see their parents again? Will they ever gain freedom?
Is Ginny really gone?
The thoughts made him shed a single tear, but he wiped it quickly.
--
Hilda's walk to her loft apartment was quick. The building is located beside the estate kitchen.
She opened her small wardrobe, looking for clothes that'd fit Ivanna's slender body.
Hilda is slightly fleshy, so she had a hard time selecting.
She smiled brightly when she finally found an elastic blouse that's perfectly Ivanna's size.
She closed the wardrobe to go out, but she backed up when she saw Island waiting behind the wardrobe wooden door.
"What are you doing here, Island? How did you even enter?" Hilda demanded, fisting the blouse.
Island cackled, resting an hand on the wardrobe body. "You were so dedicated to getting a new clothe for your prisoner Ivanna, you even forgot to close your door, so a snake like me got the chance to slip in" She muttered, revealing her second hand.
She's holding a short shovel, and she swung it to her shoulder, hanging it there like a death messenger.
"What are you gonna do!" Hilda stepped back, the blouse falling from her as a result.
"Donna Felicia wants you tortured, who am I to say no!" Island spat, and Hilda turned to run out, but...
A bang happened, then a straight noise as Island slammed the back of the shovel on her head.
Hilda fell flat on the ground, knocked out and bleeding from her head.
Island snapped her fingers, and the lower maids came in to take Hilda.
As they took her away, Island ordered for gasoline and matches.
She had another set of maids carry Hilda's wardrobe out.
She wet the wardrobe with gasoline and set it on fire, grinning as she watched it burn.
--
[Don Anthony's Office]
The three other siblings waited for thirty minutes already.
They're not complaining. In fact, Bobby is working from there, making calls to his brothel and ordering the clearing of the warehouse to free space for the incoming shipments.
Bacardi and Sandra are chatting about the Christmas and New Year that's drawing close.
They're debating on the possibility of Padrino Marko's attendance since he hasn't stepped Chicago in years.
"Simple, we should send bulk reports to him that there are new thieves in the clan, he'd be on his private jet and get down here even before Christmas." Sandra said.
"You seriously think Padrino Marko has no idea what's going on already?" Bacardi frowned, nudging her. "Stop disappointing me, Top Girl."
"This whole shit is driving me crazy. You have no idea how much I dislike seeing the Cooper siblings alive, and don't even try to convince me cos I know you secretly have a thing for the Robert guy." Sandra rolled eyes.
"I only wanna play with him a little cos he looks playable and fun. Don't misinterpret my intentions." Bacardi corrected, mounting her legs.
Don Anthony is in front of them, seated silently on his chair and smoking a vape pen as he put stamp on the upcoming cargo documents.
After he finished stamping the last one, he dropped his ink and removed his vape from his mouth.
"So...Leo is too busy to step this office? It's been thirty long minutes. Now that he won the bet, he's gonna start defy his father's orders?"
"Take a chill pill, father. He probably has something to take care of. Lalissa is in the clan presently, they're probably catching up." Bobby spoke up defensively.
Instantly, Leonardo came in with Nino, and Sandra felt reproached immediately she saw Nino.
There's just something about him she finds irritating,but she honestly has no idea what.
"Get out of this office, now." She ordered.
"But Don ordered me to come," Nino said, not surprised.
"Sandra..." Don Anthony cautioned.
"I can't stay in the same space as him, dad. Try to stand where I stand!" Sandra insisted.
"Are you a kid?" Leonardo talked suddenly, and Bobby looked up from his phone. Bacardi stood too.
"But, Leo...." Sandra whined.
"If you dare step out of this office, Nino. I'll kill you." Leonardo said.
Nino stood firm, and Sandra grunted, turning her back on everyone and folding her arms petulantly.
"I definitely love to see Sandra being put in her place," Bobby muttered.
Bacardi chuckled.
"Why am I here?" Leonardo faced Don Anthony.
The man has resumed smoking his vape pen now.
"You can fool everyone, but I'm not in that list and you're aware. You pulled a stunt during the mission yesterday, didn't you?" He said.
"Be clearer," Leonardo sat in front of the man, and Anthony gave him a knowing stare.
"Yesterday when you arrived at the Triad rendezvous, you left after waiting for some minutes, and you drove from the rendezvous to the city hall where you forced your way into the park. I did the estimate. Three gunshots sounded in that park...one came from Ivanna to the governor's son, and the other two belongs to Moo from the Crimson Cave."
Leonardo stayed silent, but his brow moved a little at the corner.
"You stopped Moo from stabbing Ivanna at that park, you were shot by Moo, and your blood splashed on a car windscreen where i got it from!" Don continued, dropping a bloodstained glass on the table.
"Estate doctor tested it, it's undeniably yours. You were supposed to tackle the Triad guards today, but you left there for an hour to go save your pawn just because you never wanna lose the bet! They were supposed to settle the mission by themselves, you helping them makes it invalid! Mission cancelled!" Don Anthony snapped.
"What do you mean cancelled? The whole clan already heard about their victory, are you gonna muddle things?" Bacardi spoke up.
"I never invited you to talk, Cardi. Keep your voice locked!" Anthony stood, pointing at her.
Bacardi scoffed, barging out of the office without awaiting the rest.
"So...when is the killing banquet happening? Do I need to iron my suit?" Bobby said.
"Shut up, Bobby, or you lose every jacket you've ever stolen!" Leonardo stood, his palms gripping the desk.
"Ohh... stop exploiting my weakness..." Bobby groaned.
"Tommorow, Matador will be dead with his daughter, so you have no right to cancel that damn mission. She killed the governor's son herself, not me! My little help was nothing!" Leonardo snapped
"If it was nothing, then you wouldn't have gone there to render that help in the first place. You lost, son. Their killing banquet happens in two days!" Don Anthony slammed back, getting out of the office angrily.
"Leo...now is when you need to calm down. You're the smartest in this clan, but you inherited the smartass genes from father, so outsmarting him would be rare. Look, he sent his own batch of guards after the Cooper siblings left for the mission, so he knew everything that went down." Bobby said behind.
Leonardo barged out of the office too, leaving Bobby, Sandra and Nino
A glare from Sandra sent Nino out though, and she took a deep drag of fresh air, smirking.
"In the end, I won. Mother was insulted by these two siblings so I see no reason why keeping them alive should even happen! They came in here to steal which should have warranted their death in the first place!" She shouted.
"Yunno sometimes, I wonder if you're really Violent Vera's daughter or Felicia's." Bobby smirked, pushing her out of the way slightly.
He exited.
"Y'all are so same!" She spat.
--
[Roses Sanctuary]
With a elegant look on her face, Donna Felicia admired her new dahlia flowers, pressing her lips together slightly.
The silence was broken when Island came in to whisper something in her ears like a secret.
"There was a change?" Donna Felicia gasped out Island nodded.
"Yes. The Don detected a foul play. Ghost actually helped with the mission and that's why it went very smoothly..."
"I knew it...I knew those siblings couldn't be that tuff..." Felicia smiled.
"Felly..." Don Anthony entered the sanctuary, and Island stepped back.
"You probably heard the news already..." Anthony said, giving Island a stare.
Island shoved her face down.
"A killing banquet is happening in two days for the Coopers, but for now, I'm gonna go inspect the warehouse with Bobby. Our goods might finally arrive tomorrow, so the preparations has to kickstart tonight..." Anthony continued.
Felicia dropped her flower, moving closer to hold his arms.
"Can you shift that forward to an hour from now? I have something to show you, Thony."
Don Anthony didn't ask what, he just followed her to the Painhood where Hilda is on the ground, tied up like a bloody sinner.
Her hair is scattered all-over her head, her cheeks rogue has been smeared by the blood from her head, and she looks helpless.
"Ephedra. She gave Ivanna an hanky soaked in ephedra before she went for the mission..." Felicia reported.
"Ephe...dra?" Don Anthony gritted, anger surging immediately.
It showed in his eyes, his tone .. his demeanor.
"Don! Don ..." Hilda tried to shift to her knees, but the ropes on her body prevented that, so she fell back.
"I know you ordered that all memories of the late Donna should be scrapped and kept with her grave in her mausoleum. I know you hate when anyone uses anything that belongs to her in this place especially the ephedra, but I couldn't help it! The Cooper siblings were way too pitiful! I once lost a child so understand where I'm coming from! I just want to protect them I didn't mean to anger you or mess with the mission!" She begged.
Don Anthony remained silent, no echoes or the wind, just his hateful eyes on Hilda as if she committed a very grave sin.
Time ticked till the tenth seconds, then he talked again...
"Guards!"
Two of them rushed in.
"Stab her tummy, drain blood from her stab, and force her to drink it. Do that five times." He ordered.
Hilda gasped.
"No...no Don... please!!!! Don!!!!!"
---
[Holding Room]
Ivanna is still in her peaceful sleep, and Robert is still stroking her hair when Nino entered the room.
"Nino..." Robert looked up. "Hilda said she wanted to go get clothes for us but—"
"Things are bad right now, like very bad!" Nino said.
"What do you mean?" Ivanna asked, waking up immediately.
She stood with Robert.
"It happened that Ghost came to help you both with the mission, and the Don found out." Nino briefed.
"Wait ..." Robert shadowed his sight. "Don't tell me the person who came to punch the crazy lady away from Ivanna, was.......Sir Leo??"
"Seems like it, and the Don got mad. He scheduled your killing banquet for two days..." Nino said.
"What!" Robert gasped.
"Hilda. Where's Hilda?" Ivanna asked as if she didn't just hear her own deathday.
"She gave you the ephedra hanky, and the ephedra plant belonged to late Donna Vera. In short, Don Anthony dislikes anything that belongs to his late wife inside the clan, and he warned against it severally..." Nino said.
"What!" Ivanna and Robert chorused.
"Now...she has been ordered to take the blood drain punishment. You have no idea how excruciating it is." Nino shook his head.
Bacardi broke into the room immediately.
He came for Robert, taking his hand.
"Come with me, boy toy... Letting you die isn't part of my plan at all." She said, but Robert pulled back.
"I'm not leaving my sister..."
Bacardi's head went cocked, and she smiled loudly.
"I don't give a f+k about your sister, follow me!"
Meanwhile, Island is by the door, placing her ears on it. She's listening to everything.
--
[Boxhood]
With her puffed boxing gloves, tied ponytail, biker shorts and bralette, Lissa threw strong punches at the punching bag, and the thuds from her fist sounds echoed in the silence cos she's the only insider.
She's barely sweating, but her breà sts are jumping on her chest either each punch she threw, and her navel ring glowed with the hood soft lights.
She imagined Ivanna's face as the punching bag, and she got more energetic, headbutting the bag and throwing seven consecutive kicks.
Even before Ivanna entered this clan, she has always wanted to kill that bîtch, so now that she's in this clan, she's not gonna waste the opportunity.
Ivanna's death just has to happen no matter how rough.
"You're deflecting real good," Leonardo's voice filtered in from behind.
With her teeth, she peeled off her boxing gloves and faced him.
His face is buried in his phone where he's watching the British spies.
The spies are inside the fortress already, and they already got the Matador's daughter on her knees.
He paused the footage and faced Lissa who's now standing rigidly in front of him.
Before he could say a word, she hugged him, her arms claiming his abs, biceps and triceps.
She held him tight, a clear hint of possessiveness and ownership.
"I dunno what's happening, but I feel like my mood has been fluctuating these days. Do you think I'm becoming bipolar like you? Though, I wouldn't mind." She said.
"Want something to stabilize your mood?" He replied, his accent disappearing.
She broke the hug, slowly.
"What's that? Tell me before we start boxing." She said.
"The mission got cancelled, killing banquet is in two days..." He said with carefulness, studying even the littlest of her expressions.
"For real?" She stayed blank. "Bad, doesn't that mean you lost to Donna Felicia? Too bad." She said.
"Close your eyes," he suddenly said.
"Why would I—"
"Now." He interrupted.
Reluctantly, her eyes went shut, but she's still conscious of her surroundings.
Still, no amount of consciousness prepared her for what happened next
Leonardo's punch met her jaw, twice before he topped it up with a stinging loud slap to her cheek.
Lissa's eyes flew open, her boxing gloves hit the ground loudly.
"Leo!"
"How dare you!!" He yelled furiously. "Lalissa, you dare sabotage the mission?"
TBC.
Next Episode
omo ,E go far oo
ReplyDeletei always knew Lissa will get beaten by Leo, Ivanna is now in trouble cause leo touched lissa because of her
ReplyDeleteNext please
ReplyDelete