Blaze Castelli was a simple man.He wanted very few things out of life. Money, success, respect, power... And at the bottom of the list, peace, happiness, euphoria.He wanted luxury. He wanted all the best things that life had to offer. And he wanted it now, delivered to him on a silver platter that sparkled.Express mail, he used to say. Telling the universe to send it over ASAP.He was demanding, to say the least. And as a child, he was more. He was worse.“But I don’t want broccoli!” A young Blaze would cry, just repeating the same argument they have had every night for the past month. “I want mashed potatoes!”“Blaze!” Elara would huff, glaring down at the ten-year-old whose face had gone red with rage over what he would call such a disappointment of food. “You will eat what is given to you, or you will not eat at all.”“Broccoli is meant for bunny rabbits and- and raccoons! And other animals, and I’m not an animal!” He would cry, arms flailing as he argued that he would eat anyth
Blaze Castelli is a complicated man.It was a line that had been fed to Liviana for as long as she had known the man. From the moment they met she had been given these warnings, having all his loved one’s precaution her.“He’s more than just those rumors.”“He’s not a bad guy.”“Just give him time. He’ll come around.”And all she could say was “okay”, and go about her day. Even if she was an impatient person- even if she had no time to give, it’s not as though she had a choice but to wait for him. He was her husband. And more than that, he practically owned her now.From the moment they had signed that contract, she knew that it was over. From the second the ink dried on that marriage license, Livi knew that her life was over. Figuratively, and she was sure that one day it would be literally. The question was only when would that be?It was a question that often plagued Liviana’s sick mind. Asking herself what role her doting husband would play in her untimely demise. She wondered wha
For as long as she could remember, Liviana had held a hatred for this one trope.Through all the books she’s read and all the fiction she’s seen through a screen, watching TV shows and movies, there was only ever one trope that she never could stand. And that trope was a love triangle.They weren’t real; she thought. She didn’t believe in them- choosing to call them lies and refusing to give them her mind, treating them the same way she would when she claimed not to believe in goblins and ghouls and all those other tall tales told to scare children into good behavior. They didn’t exist. Except for when they did.It was a rare event in reality; she liked to believe. Choosing to pretend that they were events contained on a screen or a page. One of the few true works of fiction. At least, that was what she told herself. That’s what the hopeless romantic inside her longed to believe- wishing for nothing more to be true. Because if it wasn’t, then that stubborn heart of hers would have to
Liviana has never considered herself to be oblivious.Despite many rumors and stereotypes, and that precious reputation of hers that said she was a daydream of a woman, walking through life with her head in the clouds. She was clueless. A space cadet, according to them. Despite the other stereotype that went with such a title.Livi was always quick to defend herself from these rumors, shooting them down every chance she got. “I may be a lot of things, but a stoner isn’t one of them,” she would deny, scoffing as she called her space cadet nickname ridiculous. “So, I’d really appreciate if you stopped spreading such lies about me. It’d be a shame for people to get the wrong idea.”It was simple enough, a civilized line she fed to every gossip she had come face to face with. And typically, they would get flustered at such a call out and assure her they meant no offense- it was simply a term most used to describe her. It was her reputation, and not just some blatant lie they made up. “Of
The Castelli family was one built on chaos.They weren’t just built on it; they thrived on it. For decades, through generations, this was a family who would raise hell. They would bring the flames and step back with a smile, watching the world burn in their wake. And though they too would get scorned, they would always survive.Emerging from the flames with scars to show their strength, the Castelli’s lived on. They survived, rising from the ashes of their wreckings like a Phoenix being reborn. And they would rebuild, reprise, and thrive. And nobody could ever stop them.The Santora family was the opposite. They strived for serenity, doing everything they could to avoid being swept away in a storm of chaos. They couldn’t survive it. In a moment of panic, they would be left behind, thrown under the bus or tossed to the wolves by every other big name who was trying to save themselves. They were stepping stools, and only with serenity could they avoid being kicked away and left in the di
Las Vegas had become a war zone.Between the rage of Blaze Castelli and the spite of Leona Castelli, fire was catching, and the city was going up in flames.She was doing all she could to get under his skin. Giving their security escort the wrong times and leaving minutes before they were ready, sneaking herself and her three accomplices out of the hotel and out of her brother’s clutches. And they would disappear for hours, leaving Blaze to search the city high and low to locate the trouble makers he found himself responsible for. And by the time he had found them, tracked them down and chased them home, they had already gotten themselves into trouble.Leona was determined to make her brother regret his choice of following them all the way out of state. She was set on making his life hell. He wanted to be a babysitter? She would make sure he would never want to play guardian again. He wasn’t cut out for the job, and she would make him realize that.The trip had been extended, Leona de
Compromising wasn’t something a Castelli was often capable of.They are selfish people, always overcome with greed as they took, and they took, and they took. And it was rare that they gave back.It was as though fair was a word they hadn’t learnt. Their world was never balanced out, their hunger for power always outweighing their sense of rightfulness. Push and pull wasn’t a dance, it was a fight. If someone were the pull on their leg, they would push them off with a kick, and they would keep kicking. Because, along with their drive to get whatever they wanted no matter the outcome, they also had this strong urge to dominate. To destroy.Castelli’s were violent creatures all around. It was simply their nature. And so, when one is under the guise of humanity and that moral code they often did their best to suppress, it was almost like a miracle. And suddenly, anything was possible.The sky was green, and the grass was red, and the world must be coming to an end when a Castelli was cho
Empathy.It was something many people claimed to have, though often failed to use.They would call themselves empaths. Walking around with a kind smile and doing little deeds that would allow them to claim the title of being a good person, and they would wear it like a crown. Acting as though they were special- royalty as they stalked the streets and played to the fragile reputation they had built themselves, crafting their kindness out of glass and carrying it carefully as they strolled with fumbling fingers, and at the first test they would trip, dropping the ball and hearing it shatter. And their persona would crack, showing the cruel human hiding beneath. And they were exposed.Liviana always prided herself on being kind. She truly was an empath. She was kind, caring, considerate. And she relied a lot on her instincts. Her impressive observation skills and her high emotional intelligence- not to mention her unmatched intuition.She could read body language. Watching her people and