Page 1 of Forbidden Deception

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I’m going to participate in whatever my brother decides to do.

I will volunteer, and I will take the reins, because what is life without a little danger and thrill?

I want to live my life without feeling the need to constantly keep a mask on around people. Icouldrun away. I’ve never felt like I have anything to offer people, and I’ve spent years trying to figure out why. I’ve finally pinpointed it to one memory. One night that changed my life irrevocably.

Once upon a time, a little girl was left alone in the dark with monsters. They bit her, clawed her, and feasted on her fear. There was no way out, no strength or fight in her, until she found hope scribbled in small letters on the far wall of the room.

Words that gave her hope for the first time in her life.

The person who’d left the words on that wall appeared. Tall and dark, ready to rescue her from the misery, he destroyed the monsters.

That man was my brother.

Not only did he give me my freedom back, but he also gave me everything I have wanted in my life: a sense of belonging,a home, and a family. He gave me everything that was missing from the first eighteen years of my life.

But now, four years later, I feel as if I am intruding on his family and their friends.

How do I get rid of this feeling of not belonging when everyone tries to make me feel at home?

How do I tell myself that people want me in their presence and that it’s all in my mind?

“Microphones and chipped phones will be equipped. I need candidates by the end of the week.” My brother’s sharp voice pierces the room.

My ear against the door starts to hurt, so I stand up straight and run a hand down my shirt. Heart pounding, I take a deep breath and knock on the door.

“Come in.”

I turn the knob and walk inside. My brother works at his desk.

Remo Cainn looks harsh but all I see is the softness around his eyes when he glances up at me. His shoulders drop an inch and gives me his complete attention as he always did. Every time I need something, he provides it for me. If I am hurt, upset, happy, he is there to notice it all. Paying attention far more than a parent would to their biological child, far more than a friend, far more than anything and anyone. His connection and relationship with me is beyond words and labels. Remo, he is everything to me. A saviour, a knight, a highly intelligent man who ripped apart this country to find me. His ruthlessness is what kept me safe all these years.

My brother is the power that rules London, one of the wealthiest cities in the world, and it doesn’t stop there. Remo’s authority is as established as that of the monarchy.

He’s part of a group called the Elites. Pressed suits, extensive watches, and spending millions is just an everyday thing for abillionaire like him. Remo Cainn is a monster disguised in his suit is exactly how everyone describes him.

I heard what he did for his wife, Aurora. He is ruthless about her safety, and he loves her completely. They make me believe that love that is otherworldly, love that isn’t conventional, and love that is dark and deep, exists. And I don’t want anything less.

I never thought love was necessary, but seeing my brother become someone else entirely because of his wife, it’s proven how much that emotion alone can change everything.

While I didn’t witness my brother do anything that may be frowned upon, he told me what he did. I have read the news articles and every single tabloid that mentions his name, and I’m more than aware of the threat that looms around him.

I’m not bothered by any of it. When I was struggling and feeling hopeless four years ago, he showed up and dragged me out into the world beyond the four walls of my boarding school bedroom.

He showed me everything, gave me the freedom I so desperately desired, and now, at twenty-two, I have everything at my beck and call.

“Venezia.” Remo looks up, his inky eyes locking on me. His voice almost echoes around the quiet office. His floor is secluded from the rest of the building and allows him the privacy he needs.

“Hello, brother.” I grin. He’ll roll his eyes in three, two, one…there we go.

“What is it?” He looks back down at his work, his hands flying over the keyboard, eyes switching at an impossible speed between the papers and his screen.

“I heard your call.” His head snaps up, his wide shoulders pulled taunt.

“Eavesdroppers never hear anything good, Venezia.” He shakes his head, his tone dismissive.

“Thank you for the advice, but I’m actually a little intrigued. Do tell me, why are you hiring someone and need candidates when you have a perfectly capable person right here?” I motion to myself, walk over to his desk, drop his files, and take a seat in the chair.

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