Chiara
CHIARA
L eo brought me home late last night again, but nothing happened between us; just more kissing. I didn’t get much sleep after that. Something was bothering me but I can’t put my finger on what. I am now yawning as I take in the scene in front of me.
Mihai sent a text this morning asking to meet him in the courtyard. Giovanni, Nikolai and Connor are sitting down on the stone steps, looking over each of us and wearing those stupid masks.
I cross my arms and lay my head on Cat’s shoulder. “What’s this about?”
“Mihai’s favorite part of Legacy Week,” Is all she says before Mihai speaks again.
What the fuck do they have planned now?
“Gather around,” Mihai says, his voice carrying that authoritative edge that leaves no room for argument.
We all move in closer, exchanging wary glances. I know most of them aren’t particularly fond of Mihai. He’s the type who enjoys exerting his power just a little too much, always testing our limits to see who will break first.
I can say I’m lucky being Nikolai’s step-sister, since he doesn’t take his power out on me. He knows I can take what he gives.
“The Day of Silence is now in effect,” Mihai announces, folding his arms across his chest. “No talking, no communicating in any way. Nothing. You will each have a mic attached to you throughout the day, and the Crowns will know if you break your silence.”
Fucking great.
I feel a flicker of irritation, but I don’t let it show. Of course Mihai would come up with something like this. It’s all part of their twisted games, their way of seeing who has the discipline, the control, to stay silent in the face of everything.
I steal a glance at the others, trying to gauge their reactions. Some of them look nervous, while others seem more intrigued than anything else.
I catch Giovanni’s eye, and can already see his smirk forming beneath his mask. Asshole. Rolling my eyes, I quickly look away, focusing on Mihai again.
“Remember,” Mihai continues, his gaze sweeping over us. “This isn’t just about keeping quiet. It’s about discipline, self-control. You’ll be tested today, in more ways than one. Don’t disappoint us.”
With that, he steps back, nodding to a few men who approach us with small devices. One by one, we’re fitted with the mics, the tiny pieces of tech clipped onto our clothes in a way that makes them almost invisible.
I barely feel it, but the weight of it is heavy, a constant reminder that every breath I take is being monitored. When the last mic is handed out, Mihai gives us a final once-over before stepping back.
“Go about your day as usual, but remember—silence. ”
With that, he turns and turns away, leaving us standing there in tense silence. For a moment, none of us move, as if we’re all waiting to see who will crack first. But then, slowly, we begin to disperse, each of us heading off to whatever part of the estate we’re supposed to be in.
The school day starts off like any other, the halls buzzing with the usual chatter and energy. But for us, the ten initiates, there’s an added layer of tension. We’re all hyper-aware of each other, of the silence hanging between us. It’s almost suffocating.
Leo had to leave the estate for personal reasons, and I feel a pang of unease as I walk through the halls alone. Normally, his presence is a constant source of comfort and support. But today, I’m on my own.
I make it through the morning without too much trouble, keeping to myself and avoiding unnecessary interactions. But as lunchtime approaches, I find myself growing more and more on edge. The silence is starting to wear on me, the urge to say something—anything—gnawing at my resolve.
And that’s when Giovanni decides to make his move, because of course he does.
I’m sitting outside on one of the stone benches, my lunch untouched beside me as I stare off into the distance, trying to drown out the noise of the other students. Suddenly, Giovanni appears, dropping down beside me with a casual ease that makes my skin prickle.
He doesn’t say anything at first, just sits there, his presence heavy and unavoidable. I can feel his eyes on me, a slow, deliberate gaze that sends a shiver down my spine. I ignore him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
But the fucker is nothing if not persistent.
“Morning, Kitten,” his voice purrs from next to me, low and teasing.
I sigh, resisting the urge to snap back at him. He knows damn well I can’t talk today, and I can already tell he’s going to make it his mission to get under my skin.
I continue to eat my fries, refusing to acknowledge him, but of course, he’s not going to make it that easy. After a few minutes of silence, he leans in closer, his breath warm against my ear.
God, his cologne smells so good.
“How long do you think you can keep this up, ?” he murmurs, his voice low and teasing. “You’re dying to say something, aren’t you?”
I grit my teeth, staring straight ahead. I’m not going to let him get to me. He can flirt, tease, do whatever the hell he wants—I’m not breaking.
“Come on,” he coaxes, his tone playful. “Just one little word. It won’t hurt. And if you get in trouble, I’ll take the blame. Promise.”
I shoot him a glare; my eyes narrowed, but I keep my mouth firmly shut. He grins, clearly enjoying himself.
“You’re really going to play hard to get, huh?” he says, leaning back against the bench, his arm brushing against mine. “I like that. It makes the chase more interesting.”
I roll my eyes and turn away from him, trying to focus on anything other than the infuriating man beside me. But it’s hard to ignore him when he’s practically draped over me, his presence impossible to escape.
He shifts closer, his knee pressing against mine as he tilts his head to look at me.
“You know,” he says, his voice soft but with that same edge of challenge, “I’ve always wondered what it would take to make you break. What would push you over the edge. And now, I’ve got a whole day to find out.”
I clench my jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. But inside, I’m fuming. He’s enjoying this way too much, and it’s pissing me off.
Giovanni seems to sense my frustration because he leans in even closer, his lips nearly brushing my ear as he whispers, “You’re even sexier when you’re angry. I bet you’d sound fucking amazing if you just let it out.”
I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks; he’s pushing every button, and it’s taking everything I have not to snap.
He chuckles, clearly pleased with himself. “Come on, . Say something. Anything. I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Does he think I’m stupid? I’m wearing a fucking mic!
He just smirks, his gaze locked onto mine, daring me to break. I’m so tempted to wipe that smug look off his face, but I hold back, forcing myself to stay silent.
Giovanni sighs dramatically, leaning back again as he stretches his arms over his head. “Fine, play it your way. But I’m not going to make it easy for you.”
Of course he’s not. Asshole.
The rest of the day is a constant battle. Giovanni doesn’t leave my side, his relentless flirting and teasing wearing down my patience. Every time I think I’ve managed to shake him off, he pops up again, like some annoying shadow I can’t escape.
In class, he sits beside me even though he doesn’t take the same classes as me, tapping his pen against the desk in a way that’s just shy of irritating.
When the teacher isn’t looking, he slides his hand up my bare thigh; the gesture causing goosebumps to explode all over my skin. I slap his hand away and nearly lose my fucking temper, but then I see his grin and immediately swallow the words.
I’m gonna kill him, I swear to God.
By the time the day is nearly over, I’m on the verge of snapping. Every nerve in my body is wound tight, my muscles coiled like a spring ready to explode. Giovanni’s relentless, his presence a constant, nagging pressure that’s pushing me closer and closer to the edge.
Finally, as the last class ends and we’re dismissed, I make a beeline for the door, desperate to get away from Willow Bridge. But of course, he’s right behind me, his footsteps a casual echo of my own.
“,” he calls, but I ignore him.
I run toward the library, my fists clenched at my sides. He’s enjoying this—he’s fucking loving every second of this torture—and I’m not sure how much longer I can take it.
Running toward the hidden section where I always sit, where I know he won’t find me, I lean with my arms against the bookshelf and sigh.
I don’t even have to turn around when I hear footsteps behind me, and I nearly groan at how relentless he is. What is it about him that has my back up every time? Why does he hate me so much?
He steps up behind me, close enough that I can feel the heat of his body, the warmth of his breath against the back of my neck.
“You’ve been so good all day, Micetta ,“ he murmurs, his voice smooth and teasing. “You want to let go, don’t you? Just a little bit?”
I close my eyes, willing myself to stay calm. I’m not going to give him the satisfaction. I’m not.
He slips his arm around me and slowly slips his hand up toward my neck. It’s a soft touch, almost gentle, but it sends a jolt of electricity through me, igniting every nerve ending.
“You can’t hold it in forever,” he says, his voice low and coaxing. “Eventually, you’ll have to give in and scream for me.”
I whip around, glaring at him with all the anger and frustration I’ve been bottling up all day. He just smiles, that infuriating, knowing smile that makes me want to punch him in the face.
But I don’t. I don’t say a word. I just stare at him, my chest heaving, my fists clenched so tight my knuckles are white.
Giovanni tilts his head, studying me like I’m some fascinating puzzle he’s trying to solve. “You’re stronger than I thought,” he says, almost as if he’s talking to himself. “But I wonder...”
He steps closer, invading my space in a way that’s both maddening and intoxicating. I can feel the heat radiating off him, the tension crackling between us like a live wire.
His hand comes up to cup my cheek, his thumb tracing along my jawline. He leans forward toward my ear and a shiver runs up my spine.
“You can be so good when you try, Kitten,” he whispers in my ear. “But I need you to break.”
He pushes me up against the bookshelf and I gasp when his hand slides up along my inner thigh. Running the tips of his fingers along the lace of my panties has a shiver shooting right through me.
Fuck, why did I have to wear a dress today of all days?!
“No? All you have to do is tell me to stop,” he says, then he leans in close and pulls my bottom lip with his teeth. I place my hands on his chest and push him away, to which he chuckles.
Then he does something that nearly makes me screech … He drops down to his knees in front of me and grips my thighs.
“Well… I wonder how long you can keep quiet,” he says, squeezing my thighs. “I want you to scream for me, Kitten. Will you? Will you be filthy for me?”
Before I can kick him away, he lifts my dress, puts my leg over his shoulder, and bites my inner thigh. I gasp and grip his hair as he runs his nose along my inner thigh, inhaling.
“Fuck, you smell like everything I want but can’t have,” he groans, licking me right up my slit and over my panties. I peer down at him, wanting to push him away, but I can’t bring myself to. Not when he’s looking at me like… that.
He fucking smirks. “Still not talking? Hmmm, okay … Then focus on me, babygirl.”
Oh, fuck. OH FUCK .
Moving my panties to the side, he slides his tongue along my pussy and groans. The vibration has me throwing my head back and sucking in a breath. Shit, I should … I should push him away?—
“ … Please…” Giovanni groans. “You’ve got me on my knees for you, Kitten … Do you want me to beg, too?”
I tighten my grip on his hair and bite the inside of my cheek because there’s no way in Hell I’m losing this game. But that only spurs Giovanni on, and he chuckles before he starts flicking his tongue over my clit. Fast.
Gasping, I bite my bottom lip when he slips two fingers inside of me. I’m hyper aware of the fact that we’re in a fucking library, but no one is going to be here on a goddamn Friday!
“Come on, babygirl. I need those little moans,” he murmurs. “Give in to me, I know you’re just fucking aching to make a noise.”
I stifle a moan and he grins against my pussy while licking me, his thick fingers and the cold bite of his signet ring working me up until I’m a panting mess. Standing on my tiptoes, I pull Giovanni’s hair roughly as I feel myself getting so fucking close to my release…
But then he pulls back and groans before getting to his feet, just as I’m about to fall over that edge. He grins at me and wipes his mouth with the back of hand, then he licks his lips.
“Hmmm, you taste goddamn sweet,” he says, then he leans in close to my ear. “You were such a good girl for me, . But good girls don’t get to come today. I wanted you to shatter and, well…”
I rear back to slap him, and he grabs my hand, smirking. “Why don’t you run along to Volkov and see if he can make you feel a sliver of what I just did to you, babygirl.”
Then he fucking leaves.