Venus

Palm Beach Royals

YESSSSSSSSSSS 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

The King of the Sea & the Queen of the Land

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“I know you are upset at me, Demetria, but what else was I supposed to do?

Jomana and Demetria were standing in the back of an empty classroom of the 7th floor, both girls wearing scowls on their faces and their arms crossed in front of their chests. Caleb and Sean had bowed out the moment Demi had been unpetrified, sensing the immediate tension that filled the air and correctly assuming that the girls would need some alone time to discuss what had happened. After a particularly uncomfortable silence in which Demi was struggling to regain her composure, she finally spoke.

“As much as I appreciate your noble gesture, Jomana, it really wasn’t necessary.” Demi spat, angrily glaring at Jomana. “I had it all under control. You didn’t have to butt in like that and interrupt the lesson I was gonna teach them.”

“And let you ruin your school record by getting detention over individuals as worthless as those two? I do not think so. It is not a fair price to pay.”

“But they deserved it, Jo!” Demi cried out, red-faced and stomping her foot on the ground. Frustrated tears were threatening to spill, but the brunette fought her hardest against them. “How can they just go along their merry way like everything is fine when it’s really not?! How do they have the nerve to show each other off like that and rub it in my face and make me feel like I was nothing but a joke and the world’s biggest piece of worthless crap in the world?! And I’m supposed to just sit back and take it?! No, ma’am! They fucking deserved it!”

Letting out a frustrated snarl, Demi stormed off, this time in the direction of the party. She made a beeline straight for the DJ booth, deciding that she was done with the damn party for the rest of night. Once there, she excused herself with the party’s organizers for bowing out early, made sure to exchange music devices and leave someone else in charge before stalking off to her secret safe spot.

The Astronomy Tower, as expected, was completely deserted at this time of night. This was the first thing Demi noticed upon arrival, and it instantly made her broken heart feel just a little better. Solitude was exactly what she needed at this very moment, in a place where she would breathe some fresh air and not be bothered by unwelcome guests. Huffing, puffing and trying to catch her breath after going up the many stairs it took to reach this, Demi quickly took a seat in the tower’s floor, making sure to be facing the door in case someone decided to drop by. She checked her dress pockets for her ipod, and once she had it in her hand, she looked up the playlist of sad songs she’d used as therapy ever since Kalder had broken up with her in the summer.

Earphones in, world out.

She tried to use the music to forget about all that had happened that night, but everytime she looked up at the starry nights sky, all she saw was Beatrice and Kalder in that passionate embrace she’d caught them in. This in turn brought back all the conflicting, negative feelings she’d been wrestling with for some time now. Why was Kalder purposely pulling all these stupid stunts to hurt her like this? And why with Beatrice, of all people in the world?

Okay, in hindsight, maybe she wasn’t the right person to pass judgement about that- her and Noel had been involved for some time now, after all. But it hadn’t been on purpose! If she was completely honest with herself, Demi had secretly thought that maybe her getting with Noel would be the push Kalder needed to open up his eyes, realize what he was missing and step up. Instead, things had backfired in the nastiest of ways. Kalder had moved on with her best friend, they looked to be very happy together, and he seemed proud of having her by his side.

This last phrase brought back the nasty insecurities she’d always tried to bury, but that always came creeping back. The question that kept itself in a loop in Demi’s mind was simply: Why her and not me? Why was she the embarrassing, shameful secret he’d had to keep hidden for months, yet Beatrice was the one worthy of being paraded around? Was it because she was American? Or because her father was a construction worker and not a prestigious or important millionaire? Was it because she wasn’t a beautiful, dainty little blonde willing to do anything and everything Kalder asked for? Was she too strong-willed, too outspoken and lacking the grace and poise that being Kalder’s girlfriend required? Was it because she wasn’t pretty enough, rich enough, smart enough, cool enough and overall just not good enough for him?

Shaking her head, she forced herself to shut her eyes and fight her hardest to flush these thoughts away. But in the end, it all became just too damn much.

He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart,
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do

Taking in a deep breath, Demi decided to just let out all the weight she’d been silently carrying in her shoulders for so long. In this moment of loneliness, it was finally time to take off the mask of cold indifference and let the broken girl inside her breathe.

And so, she began to cry.

The Sands of Time

I said I didn't feel nothing, baby, but I lied.
'Cause I ain't got no business catchin' feelings, anyway.
I ain't got no business catchin' feelings.

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It was nearing midnight on the 3rd of July, and Marlie was ready to have some fun. After a boring day spent on the pool of her house, dinner and a much-needed nap had recharged the young woman’s batteries for the long night of drinking and dancing ahead. In typical Marlie fashion, she’d spent over two hours preparing herself for her time out: flat-ironing her hair, doing her makeup, searching for and picking out the perfect maneater outfit that was a periwinkle mini dress paired with some cheetah print ankle heels and a few accessories. There had been a slight hiccup in her plans when Adrian and her father had demanded to know where she was heading and insisted to have their driver Nacho take her to the club and back, an offer which the Mexican girl fought against strongly. In the end, Marlie had come out victorious as always, and after kissing her two favorite men goodbye she was off into the night behind the wheel of the beloved rose chrome Ferrari 458 Spider she’d gotten as her high school graduation gift.

She hadn’t been driving for a whole five minutes when the orange icon of an empty gas tank began to flash in the dashboard. Cussing herself for not checking this sooner and having somebody else do this for her, Marlie sighed and pulled into the nearest gas station against her will. It was only after she’d turned off the car and looked up that she’d realized the mistake that she’d made. The Latina knew the car parked in the pump in front of her very well... And she knew the car’s owner more than she’d liked to admit.

“Puta madre!” Marlie cried out, slamming the palm of her hand on the steering wheel in a sudden fit of anger. What were the odds that she’d happen to run into who was probably the biggest regret of her life? Like, who even left their damn office job at Daddy’s Town Hall at this time of night, anyway? And why decide to fill up the damned gas tank right now, at that, and effectively ruin the mood when all she was supposed to be hyping up for an evening of partying down at the VIP of The Edge? Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead on the same spot she’d just slammed, taking a moment to control her heavy breathing.

The truth was that Blu Carver and Marlena Castillo shared some history between them that went far beyond the ‘best friend’s brother’ relationship everyone thought they’d had. Last year’s summer, back when she and Annalise were still best friends (it seemed like forever ago, when Marls stopped to think about it), the Latina had been invited on holiday with the Carvers to their cabin at Smith Island. On one particular night, after Abraham and Lexi had long gone to bed, the kids had raided the liquor cabinet, and proceed to play a handful of drinking games that ultimately left them all giggly and tipsy. At one point, Anna had excused herself and gone to bed, leaving Blu and Marlie on their own. It was then when Blu, after admitting he’d been attracted to her for some time now, had asked the favor that had been the beginning of the end...

He’d wanted Marlie to be the one to take his virginity.

At first, even in her slightly-drunk state, Marlie had hesitated. This was Blu they were talking about: soft, sweet, kind Blu, who she’d known for over ten years and didn’t want to hurt in a million years. But the influence of the liquor running down their veins that night had been stronger than anything else. The sexual tension between them after the high-voltage request had grown past bearable levels as the minutes went by. And all it had taken was a mind-blowing kiss from Blu to prove he was serious about things for them to rush off to the bedroom and finally make his dreams a reality.

The morning after had been somewhat awkward, with Marlie having to sneak out at dawn to Anna’s bedroom so they wouldn’t get caught. But, ultimately, both parties had enjoyed the experience so much they had decided to do it again. And again... And again. This was how, for the rest of that summer, Marlie and Blu had began an impromptu friends with benefits relationship. He would sneak her into his house whenever nobody was around every chance he got, their interactions crossing the boundaries of what was considered ‘vanilla’ at every encounter. In the end, their run had been short, but filled with an intensity and passion that translated into pure fire between them whenever together: a true rollercoaster of feelings and sensations that neither of them had imagined living with the other. But all good things must come to an end, and Marlena ultimately put a stop to things at the end of the summer.

She’d tried to break it off as gently as possible, knowing fully well how sensitive Blu was. She’d thanked him for the good times they’d had together, and made a joke out of how now he would be ready to fully please all future partners he’d come in contact with like she’d done with her. What she hadn’t expected was for him to have caught deeper feelings for her that went past the friendship they had shared. He never outright admitted this, but she saw the change in him before anybody else, and it was hard to miss the way he would flinch whenever he saw her. Feeling like the biggest scum of the Earth, Marlie had decided to spare the poor man of the pain. She’d started to visit the Carver home less and less, until she was ultimately banished forever from it after Anna put two and two together and the girls had had the blowout that destroyed their friendship.

Even now, nearly a year after the series of unfortunate events, the sight of Blu still made Marlie felt a pang of guilt in her stomach. She’d had her reasons for ending things, of course; she wasn’t the heartless monster Anna made her out to be. But her pride had always bigger than anything else; and she would be damned before admitting that she’d lowered her guard, let Blu slip right through and give her ‘the feels’ of any kind. In her eyes, there was no way things would have worked out between them. He was the Mayor’s son, after all. He deserved a partner who was nothing short of exemplary; someone would make him and his family proud to include and show off.

Bottom line? Blu Carver was much too good for the spoiled daughter of a cartel kingpin.

‘Respira, Marlena. Tu respira y relájate. Párale a lo de pendeja y ándale, que no tienes toda la noche.’

Marlie repeated this mantra to herself over and over again, until she felt she’d taken the words to heart.Taking a deep breath, Marlie exited her car and sauntered to the station, high heels clicking through the pavement as she walked with the arrogant confidence that characterized her family. Head held high and pout in place, she took position behind the painfully attractive Blu- in his very sexy business suit, one might add- on the line for the register, waiting patiently for her turn to pay and silently praying that she would go unnoticed.

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Translations:

• Puta madre!- A way of saying “Mother fucker!”.
• ‘Respira, Marlena. Tu respira y relájate. Párale a lo de pendeja y ándale, que no tienes toda la noche.’- “Breathe, Marlena. You just breathe and relax. Stop being a pussy and get a move on, because you don’t have all night.

The Sands of Time

Everybody gonna go to the club tonight 👀

The Sands of Time

@Prosaic I love Zeke, he is a good boi. 😭💖

✨♡ Venus' Character Storage ♡✨

Marlena Castillo (In-Depth CS)

"If you think I'm spoiled, you don't even know half of it.
_{Get on your knees, get on your knees, get on your knees. Baby, just get on your knees. Say pretty please, say pretty please, say pretty please. Baby, just say pretty please. I'll be back at 11, you just act like a peasant. Got a bow on my panties because my ass is a present | Said little bitch, you can't fuck with me if you wanted to. Now she says she gon' do what to who? Let's find out and see. You know where I'm at, you know where I be.}
>>The Marlie Playlist<<

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Name:

Marlena Alejandra Castillo

Nicknames:

Marlie, Marls, Baby Girl

Title:

Daughter of Emilio Castillo (Mexican drug kingpin associated with the Juarez Cartel) and Heiress to Castillo Cosmetics (her mother’s cosmetics empire)

Sex:

Female

Age:

18

Sexuality:

Bisexual, leans more towards males

Ethnicity:

Full-blooded Mexican

Major:

Cosmetic Chemistry, with a minor in Business Management

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Height:

5’2”

Weight:

127 pounds

Body Type:

Lithe and petite, but with curves in the right places

Hair Color:

Black | Long and layered | Normally straight but can occasionally be wavy with the help of a curling iron | Usually worn down

Eye Color:

Brown

Scars/Birthmarks:

A nearly invisible one on her chin from the one time she had a bicycle accident that required stitches when she was 7. | A light brown birthmark in the shape of a sort-of heart in her right shoulder blade.

Tattoos/Piercings:

No tattoos | Three earlobe piercings on each ear and a cartilage piercing on her left ear.

Fashion Style:

Clothing-wise:

Crop tops | Shorts | Jeans | Mini skirts | Short Casual Dresses | Wedges | Fashionable Sneakers | Always showing some skin.

Makeup-wise:

On the daily, Marlie just wears powder foundation, mascara (recently got lash extensions), black cat-eye liner and flavored lip gloss on her very full lips | On special occasions, she goes all out, but making her full lips be the center of attention with bold lip colors.

Accessories:

Always wears some kind of earrings | Amount and type of other accessories depend on the outfit | Always keeps her square acrylic nails neat and painted a solid color.

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Personality:

The first word that comes to mind when talking about Marlena is SPOILED, which comes as a consequence of being the baby of the Castillo family. However, being born with a silver spoon in her mouth hasn't stopped her from being the kind of girl to get everything her mind sets to… Even if it means stepping over others and using tactics like manipulation, deceit or blackmail. Marls is very determined and persistent, always pushing herself to give only her best. She is also charming, outgoing, sarcastic, a little bitchy, impatient, loves to have fun and is a very big flirt. Her temper is a quick one, and she possesses no tolerance for bullshit. She is also quite shallow, constantly fussing over her looks. Marlie also tries to appear as an unreachable, untouchable force to be reckoned with who will only give you the time of day if she finds you interesting. And if she does… Be prepared to be seduced with her high-voltage antiques and

However, once she lets you in, you see another side of Marlena. She can be caring, sweet and loyal to a fault. She is also very loving and affectionate border-lining with clingy. She’s a very passionate lover who will fall hard and deep for the person who claims her heart. As such, she can be very jealous and possessive of what she considers hers.

Likes:

The Beach | Sex | Lavish Parties | Money | Rose Gold | Chocolate | High Heels | Traveling | Shopping | Pop, Rap and Reggueton Music | Being the center of attention | Expensive Makeup

Dislikes:

Rejection | Being Told What To Do | Sweating | Country and Heavy Rock Music | Being looked down upon or excluded | Being Ignored

Aspirations:

To come out with her own makeup line (Baby Girl Cosmetics, which is currently in the works with her lip kits already being in the manufacturing phase) and eventually taking the reigns of Castillo Cosmetics.

Fears:

Losing any of her family members | Most animals | Being disfigured | Getting an STD | Losing her fortune

Secrets:

Where her father’s money comes from | She was sent to Versailles due to her family finding out about her illicit relationship with the son of their rival family, who happens to be ten years older than her.

Habits:

Bites her lip when she sees someone she finds attractive | Absentmindedly plays with her hair | Chews gum to relax in stressful situations | Constantly reapplies her lip product whenever she feels it’s gone.

Hobbies:

Shopping | Walks on the Beach | Practicing her makeup and hair | Frappuccino Dates | Listening to Music

Strengths:

Determination | Persistence | Strength | Focus | Driven | Seduction | Passion | Loyalty

Weaknesses:

Brattiness | Stubborness | Entitlement | Proud | Jealousy | Vengeful | Impatience

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Relationship Status: Single

Crush: TBA

Friends: TBA

Enemies: TBA

Frienemies: TBA

Exes: TBA

Family:

Emilio Castillo- Father
Gloria Castillo- Mother
Adrian Castillo- Older Brother
Leticia Castillo- Older Sister

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History:

Marlena Alejandra Castillo made her entrance into the world on the eighteenth day of the ninth month of the new millenium, in the town of Salem, Illinois. Born at 17 minutes after her brother, the premature and complicated birth of the Castillo twins was enough for matriarch Gloria to decide she was done in the children department. Because she was born at 33 weeks of gestation, Marlie and her brother spent the first 74 days of their lives in the NICU, with only Marlie having defeated the odds of a low percentage of survival. The difficulty of Marlie’s early days, the very real possibility of death and her ultimate survival branded her as the family’s little miracle. She became the apple of her family members’ eyes: the girl who could do no wrong and deserved the world. From the moment she arrived at her home as a tiny, bundled-up newborn, Marlie was raised to have only the best of the best. This meant having the most expensive clothes, accessories, the biggest birthday parties and toys… You name it. Not only was she spoiled in the material aspect, but in the personal aspect as well. She received all the love in the world -especially from her older brother Adrián, who had pretty much become her protector. It seemed things could not be going better for the picture-perfect Castillo family… Until the castle came crumbling down.

Her father’s imprisonment on drug trafficking charges was a hard hit on Marlie and her whole family. Being as young as she was and a complete daddy’s girl, she didn’t take to the news lightly. The young woman clearly remembers that fateful hard knocking on the door in the middle of the night, followed by a stream of heavily-armed and protected policemen stomping into her home. She watched as these men took her father away in handcuffs, while she cried and screamed and kicked at her older brother to let her go because “the bad men were taking Daddy away”. The heartbroken faces of her sobbing mother, her shocked sister and her brother’s silently furious tears were branded in her head for as long as she could remember. The nightmarish thoughts of ever going through that again with any of her family members still kept her awake at night sometimes.

When she was old enough to attend school at her town’s Saint Luke’s Academy, Marlie found herself completely out of her forever-the-center-the-Universe element. Other kids with knowledge of her past made fun of her, her father, her family and the disgraceful events they had gone through. However, one death glare from Marlie and the mention of what her relatives or family associates could do to said bullies was enough to shut their little mouths, and to discourage any further behaviors like this from them and everyone else. Everybody that crossed paths with her had learned early on the one thing that followed her to this very day: you don’t mess with Marlie Castillo.

With the protection of her mother and older siblings (and eventually her father when she was sixteen), Marlie blossomed to an even more spoiled, imposing, confident young woman. Upon her arrival at Salem High School, she quickly established herself as the reigning queen bee: admired by most, despised by a few and feared by many. Her Hispanic curves got her attention from both males and females alike, which she exploited to her benefit. By the time she had graduated, she was a master at the art of seduction, with a list of victims who’d pretty much had no chance against her.

_{FC: Cierra Ramirez}

The King of the Sea & the Queen of the Land

'Cause baby now we’ve got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look at what you've done
'Cause baby now we got bad blood

Now we got problems
And I don't think we can solve them
You made a really deep cut
And baby now we’ve got bad blood

Band-aids don't fix bullet holes.

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From her position in the corner of the room, Demi saw a very angry Chordeva Erebus stomping in the direction of Kalder and Beatrice. She let out a howl of laughter when she grabbed him by the arm and began to chew him out, the words of which she couldn’t hear over the loud party sounds. Demi was excitedly preparing herself to witness a good blowout between Beatrice and Erebus- because God only knew how much the blonde deserved it. However, she was quickly and highly disappointed. Instead of watching the bickering she’d been hoping for, Demi instead saw Kalder completely disregard Erebus and make a swift exit out of the situation, dragging Beatrice along. At this, Demi’s smug grin was instantly wiped off her face, to be replaced with a look of utmost fury.

“Demetria, no,” Jomana said sternly, placing a firm hand on her friend’s shoulder. She’d watched the scene unfold besides Demi, and knew that her friend’s negative feelings were reaching dangerous levels that would only bring catastrophic consequences, which she wanted to avoid. “You have already finished your revenge plan. Do not go looking for more trouble.”

Demi- anger fueled by high amounts of liquor, jealousy, hurt and stubborness- was not having any of it. “But it’s as if nothing fucking happened!” she snarled, pushing away Jo’s hand. “Instead of being put in his place and looking righfully ashamed the asshole just walked away with that bitch in his hand! And how am I supposed to take it, hmmm? I just stay here pretending everything’s all fine and dandy while they go frolicking off into the sunset? I don’t fucking think so!”

With those words still hanging in the air, Demi stormed off in the direction Kalder and Beatrice had left. She pushed people out of her way along the way, ignoring every single one of their annoyed and disgruntled cries and never once stopping to apologize. The brunette found herself staring at what seemed to be an ordinary wall, but a doorknob could be visible to those who looked closely. Taking in a deep breath, Demi slowly opened the mystery door.

The scene she stumbled on made her sick. Bile rose to her throat at the sight of Kalder laying down on a couch, with Beatrice laying on top of him. The two were tangled up in what was the most heated kiss Demi had ever seen, which only added to her infuriated, disgraced state. The blonde’s traitor little hands were all over his chest -most probably savoring every second of it-, while his disgusting ones were on her thighs. It was as if her deepest, darkest nightmares were becoming a haunting reality on this Halloween night.

Swallowing hard, Demi tiptoed away from the room. As soon as she’d closed the door behind her, she rushed to the nearest empty flower vase and threw up, the sounds of retching masked by the loud music and chatter around. Then came the agitated hyperventilation as she struggled her hardest to not burst out crying right then and there. And, finally: acceptance… And the determination for revenge.

Thinking fast, she hurried back to the party, quickly scanning the room for what she was looking for. A smirk appeared on her lips when she saw it: a pair of barrels with ice water that had been used as makeshift coolers for bears but had been long emptied. Using the trusty Wingardium Leviosa, Demi carefully levitated the buckets away from the corner where they’d previously rested, and guided them inside the room where Kalder and Beatrice were. Once inside, she quietly and meticulously guided the barrels so that they floated over the lovers, and flicked her wand once to leave them static.

Smirking, Demi cried out: “WATERRRRR FOR THE THIRSTYYYYYYY!” before flicking her wand again and pouring the water all over their entwined figures.

The young woman watched with glee as they pulled away instantly, faces frozen with both shock and horror at being discovered in such a compromising position. Whatever alcohol was left in their system was long gone the moment the freezing water made contact with their heated bodies. Meanwhile, the brunette stood a few steps away from them, arms crossed in front of her chest and a mean-looking grin on her face. After the barrels had finished clanging and rolling through the floor, the room went deadly silent.

“Wow. Who knew alcohol could get you two snakes so worked up like that?” she began in a venomous tone, slurring her words enough to be noticed that she was in the beginning stages of drunkness. Her blue eyes were hard as steel, voice as cold as the water she’d poured all over them a minute before.

“For a guy who doesn’t drink or party, it’s hard to believe a little dancing and liquor turns you into such a fucking floozy. she told Kalder, raising a defiant eyebrow at him before she focused on his companion.

“I bet you were especially loving that, weren’t you, Beatrice? Was it looking to be everything you thought it would be? Were you just biding your time to finally open up your backstabbing legs to Kalder? ‘Oh, please, Kalder, fuck me more! Please, Kalder! I’ll do anything for you!’” she mocked cruelly, imitating Beatrice’s soft voice. The brunette let out a sarcastic, poisonous chuckle before her face got furious again. All reason was long gone. “But I swear to God this is the last time you two humiliate me like this! I’m done playing games! I’ll fucking show you you don’t fuck with me!”

Looking positively demented now -an effect further enhanced by her bleeding mascara-, Demetria pulled out her wand from her costume’s pocket and aimed it at Kalder and Beatrice. But before she could open her mouth to hex the both of them, she found herself unable to move anything but her eyes, as if she’d turned to stone… As if she’d been petrified.

She desperately looked around, trying to make sense of what was going on. Neither Kalder nor Beatrice had their wands drawn, so that meant they couldn’t have done this. So if not them, then who?

Her question was answered when Caleb, Sean and Jomana entered her plane of vision. To no surprise, it was Jo who was holding her wand out and pointed at Demi. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to overtake Demi by force, Jomana had opted for the good ole’ Petrificus Totalus to aide her. The petrified Snow White internally sighed in defeat. Leave it to her best friend to protect her from digging her own grave.

After making sure her spell had worked, the Indian girl put her wand away and turned to look at the source of her friend’s everlasting suffering. “I did this for her, not for you,” she said to Kalder and Beatrice, her expression as cold as her tone of voice. “But I will not be around to save the day all the time, so stop egging her on and putting more salt on the wound… Because the next time, I will just sit around and watch her rage.” she warned them before taking Demi’s petrified body away to a safe place with the help of Caleb and Sean.

Crooked Young - An Altered Lies Production

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While her Prince Charming presumably made his way to her home, Audrey Huntsberg was busy staring at her sideways reflection in the full-length mirror. She was pleased to see that the persistent bloating in her stomach had somewhat lessened after a day of nothing but a strict diet of water and almonds and a week of chicken, salads and water; so the faint dizziness she was feeling at the moment had been worth it. For the past six weeks, Audrey's body had been acting up for some reason she couldn’t quite explain. It had all started with that constant feeling of tiredness that had been plaguing her since about three weeks after Thanksgiving dinner. She’d tried to justify it with her body trying to normalize its biological clock after the stress of winter finals and dance competitions, but after that the nausea had made its appearance to further mess up with her mornings. Being the stubborn female she is, Audrey had merely sucked it up and continued to go about her daily life…

Until four weeks ago, when she’d begun to throw up every morning. The Latina had begrudgingly decided to go to the doctor then, but after giving her instructions to get some rest and make sure to stay hydrated he dismissed her with claims that it had been that 48-hour virus that had been going around. But then the puking continued, and she’d noticed that even though she couldn’t keep any food down until mid-day her stomach had started to bloat. None of her jeans seemed to fit her right, and her tight clothes made her look eternally pudgy. Then there was also the time that she had to run out of the cafeteria to puke at the smell of seafood, and the coming-going feeling of sore breasts… Not even the missed periods worried Audrey or gave her any sort of inkling to the thought of what might be her current ‘condition’. There was a nagging feeling in her that told Audrey this was something much more serious than what she considered it to be, but in typical Audrey-fashion, she continued to push these thoughts aside and carry on.

Making sure her makeup and outfit were flawless, Audrey gave herself one last once-over. Her dark brown locks were styled in soft waves, and fell down her back and right shoulder, while her makeup consisted of nude lipstick and a smoky eye to highlight her best feature. She’d opted to wear a silver necklace with a big pendant that resembled the sun, the diamond earrings that Alexandros had gifted her that past Christmas and silver pumps to bring attention to her dress: a short, ¾ sleeved model, made out of mesh and periwinkle-blue sequins with a plunging cleavage. Since the dress had mesh on the abdomen and was form-fitting, Audrey had made it her –successfully accomplished- mission to lose the bloating before tonight. Smirking in satisfaction, Audrey took her small evening bag from where it had been laying on top of her bed and confidently made her way downstairs.

In a strange occurrence, her parents were excitedly waiting for her in the foyer, wanting to see their princess make their way to her last high school Valentine's Day ball. The couple usually went out for dinner on Friday nights, or were most often busy with work, so it was nice for Audrey to see them there for a change. As she went down the stairs and headed in their direction, she gave them a bright smile.

“How do I look?” Audrey called out to them, doing a small twirl before stopping in front of her parents.

The first one to act was Audrey’s mother. “¡Princesa! ¡Te ves hermosa!” exclaimed Elisabetta, hurrying over to her daughter to embrace her in a warm, tight hug. She smelled like Audrey always remembered: Chanel No. 5. “I am so proud of you! You better tell Alex that I'm going to take a lot of pictures when he arrives!”

Arthur Huntsberg followed suit, giving his daughter a tight hug and a loving kiss on the forehead. “Your mother is right. You look stunning, dear.” He gave Audrey a quick once-over before jokingly declaring, “Maybe a little less mesh and cleavage would’ve been nice, but oh well.”

Audrey couldn’t help but laugh: leave it to her dad to make a half-joking, half-serious comment about her dress’ plunging cleavage when he made his living fixing up women to wear things just like Audrey was.

“Daddy, you’re too jealous.” Audrey told him with a good-natured smile. It was then when the doorbell of the Huntsberg Villa, and Audrey’s stomach filled up with excited butterflies. “I’ll get it! That has to be Alex!” she announced to her parents with an excited smile as she hurried to the door and swiftly opened it.

“Well, hello there, handsome,” Audrey cooed, wrapping her arms around Alexandros and planting a quick kiss on his lips before whispering in his ear: “You look amazing, love. I’m so lucky to call you mine.”

The Sands of Time

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The moment her father came back to the picture with Colin’s coffee, Aliana could immediately smell the tension thicken in the air. Although not a devoted Christian like her parents, the redhead chose to elevate a silent prayer asking for peace. Miraculously, her request was answered, because neither Shawn nor Colin chose to go beyond a glance at each other. When the older man finally left to go back to his own devices, Ali breathed out a sigh of relief. Crisis averted!

Ali watched as her big brother took a sip off his coffee, and grinned when she saw him wince. “What? Too strong for ya, bud?” she teased, passing him some cream and sugar.

Colin decided to jest back in another approach. “Pretty sure Shawn and Caroline wouldn’t appreciate you using their lord’s name in vain,” he teased back, giving her a snarky smirk.

Aliana shrugged. “Good think I'm agnostic then," she replied just as snarkily, putting her elbow on the counter and resting her chin on her palm.

“You could always quit. You know they aren’t going to give this place up anytime soon.”

“Yeah, I know.” Ali admitted, letting out a resigned sigh.

”Maybe Zeke could help you get a position at the Java.”

Ali thought about it for a second. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” she mused, but immediately shook her head. “I doubt they’re hiring though: Zeke would have said something.” The young woman looked around for any sign of her parents before talking to Colin in a low voice. “What gets to me is that they don’t seem to understand that one day they’re going to have no choice but to pass on the reigns. So why the fuck not take the chance that you have a daughter willing to learn the ins and outs for a smooth transition when the moment comes instead of pushing her away?”

Aliana’s conversation with Colin was interrupted by a newcomer. Olivia Horton -her boyfriend’s youngest sister- made her entrance to the pub: skateboard under one arm and her laptop in the other. “Hey Ali, I have somethin’ to show you.” she declared as soon as she was within earshot.

Ali smirked, eyebrow raised. “Oh, yeah? What is it?” she asked the girl. This could only go one or two ways: either Liv had some really juicy and enjoyable gossip about someone else that was too hot not to share... Or she had some really juicy and unenjoyable gossip about someone that meant something to her that was too hot not to share. She really hoped it was the former.

Without wasting any time, Liv placed her laptop on top of the counter, with the screen at an angle that was mostly facing Ali but enough that others close enough could see as well. On the screen was a candid photo of Elliot, which instantly cracked a smile on Aliana’s face. She’d always loved it when he got that adorably flustered expression on his handsome face. It reminded her of the first months of them dating, back when they had most of their ‘first times’. Eli would always get nervous whenever things started to get heated, thus ‘the face’ would make its appearance.

But then the logical question popped up: what was the context for this photo?

Her question would be answered as soon as she pressed the right button arrow on the laptop. A sick feeling washed over Aliana, and she quickly wished she’d never asked herself anything in the first place. The sequence of photos showed nothing out of the ordinary to an onlooker: just a young man looking embarrassed after spilling coffee onto an innocent bystander. But to the trained eye of Ali, she could tell that her boyfriend look nervous and flustered… And the blonde in his company was staring at him as if she’d found the answer to all her nightly prayers for her Prince Charming.

“What the-? she began to say, but was cut off by none other than Elliot himself storming into the pub, looking similar to an angry bull stomping towards the bullfighter.

As soon as he was close enough, Eli forcefully slammed Olivia’s laptop. “You! Outside... Now!” he shouted, his usually kind voice now shaking with anger,

“Jesus, Elliot, what’s gotten into you?!” Ali called out to the curly-haired man, scolding him at the way he grabbed his sister so forcefully to drag her outside. Frowning, she watched them argue through the glass windows of the pub’s double doors. If he indeed had nothing to hide, why was he making a scene? It was only making him look worse. She wished she could hear what was being said.

Once Olivia was dragged back inside the pub, it was Ali’s turn to take action. Leaving her spot behind the bar, she grabbed Eli by the arm and dragged him to her office, her face a similar shade of red as her hair. So many emotions were going through her head right now: embarrassment, hurt, betrayal, disbelief… It was hard to pinpoint if one overpowered the other. With the door safely closed behind him and away from the prying eyes of what seemed half the town, Aliana finally turned to confront her boyfriend in the no-bullshit manner that characterized her.

“You’ve got ten seconds to organize the thoughts in your head before you explain to me what the fuck was all that about.” the young woman declared, a deep scowl on her face, slender arms crossed in front of her chest.

The Sands of Time

Knew he was a killer first time that I saw him
Wonder how many girls he had loved and left haunted
But if he's a ghost, then I can be a phantom
Holdin' him for ransom

---

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”Well hermanita, Daddy’s personal accounts are all frozen so he couldn't send you anywhere if he wanted to...”

Marlena scoffed, rolling her eyes. That was the shittiest excuse Adrian could come up with to justify her misery. Was he even trying? “Mom’s accounts aren’t frozen. And as far as I know, Daddy has access to them. So it’s not that they can’t send me anywhere and more that they don’t want to send me anywhere.” she complained, letting out a defeated sigh. “Oh, well. It is what it is, I guess.” the young woman said sadly. She placed her phone and her drink in the safety of the floater’s cup holders and used both hands to propel herself across the water in Adrian’s direction.

Seemingly ignoring Marlie’s never-ending complaints, Adrian made no comment on what she’d said, and instead provided her with ‘solutions’ to solve the ‘problem’ his sister was facing. ”If you are so lonely, why don't you go out and get new connections? Or go be productive.”

The black-haired girl gasped exaggeratedly, brown eyes widened in disbelief. Um, excuse me, what?! “But I don't want to be productive!” Marlie whined in that baby voice that she knew annoyed him so, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking every bit like the spoiled child that she would never admit she was. This wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear! “Why should I be productive? I’m the baby of this family. My job is to laze around and spend the money. Being productive? That's what you and Lele are for,” the young woman added, making mention of the older sister that she was sure hated her guts for some unknown reason. “Plus, it’s my summer break. After five months of ‘productivity’ in college I deserve a little break.”

”What do you know about the eldest Zima son?” Adrian asked Marlie, looking at her expectantly and once again choosing to ignore her comments.

“Who?” Marlena asked loudly, brow furrowed in total confusion. His question had come out of left field, completely obliviating all previous anger at her older brother deciding to ignore her for a second time in the same conversation. “I didn’t even know those people had a son.” she said earnestly, looking taken aback by this piece of information. Once she recovered herself after a few hard blinks, she quickly grabbed her phone. “I may not know anything right now, but there’s nothing that can’t be solved with a little social media digging!”

If there was anyone more skilled in the art of social media stalking, it was Marlie. She had plenty of years of experience in the job, and was nothing short of dedicated when it came to finding what she was looking for. A quick search of the Facebook profiles of the two sisters Marlie knew about quickly produced a name for the subject in question: Aleksandr. Based on that, she pulled up the basic sites: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The first two ended up to be dead-ends, but it was in the last one where she struck gold.

“Ayyyyyyy, papaciiiiiiiito!” Marlie purred, biting her lower lip as she stared at the few gems she’d finally managed to score. His Twitter -although useless in terms of information about himself- had provided the Castillo daughter with plenty of material to lust after. As much as she hated to admit it, Aleksandr Zima was fucking hot. Contrary to his pasty as shit relatives, the young man was tanned to perfection; with impeccably styled dark brown hair and a neatly-kept beard that emphasized his strong, pointed jaw. But it wasn’t this was really got Marlie’s gears going. In a particular picture, the eldest Zima sibling was showing off his chiseled body for the world to see. A pair of strong arms she could picture pinning her down to some surface, rock-hard abs to run her hands up and down in, the beginning of that marked V line that she imagined running her tongue down through…

He looked like a Greek god sculpture that had come to life.

Marlie sighed deeply, taking a long moment to admire the blessings received from the Lord. Absentmindedly, she took a long, hard sip of her piña colada before talking to Adrian again, eyes still glued to her phone’s screen.

“The only thing I know after this quick Twitter research is that I would love to see his face between my legs,” Marlie said candidly, without so much as a hint of shame. Smirking suggestively, she finally tore her eyes away from the screen and turned to look at Adrian, who was looking less than pleased at her spicy comments. “Okay, fine! I get it: something serious!” she complained loudly, throwing her arms in the air in surrender and rolling her eyes at her brother before turning back to her phone. “My god, can’t fucking take a joke…” she grumbled angrily under her breath, thumb furiously scrolling across the device’s screen.

More quick research lead Marlie to Aleksandr’s corporate profile at Zima Enterprises’ official site. Under a very official-looking photo, he young man was listed as nothing less than the Executive Vice President of the Board of Directors of his parents’ company. His education level and university of origin was also listed underneath his position, and once you clicked on his name there were various photos of him at official company events.

Deciding this should be more than enough information to start with, Marlie made a mental recap of all the facts gathered before passing them on to Adrian.

“So from the very limited information I’m seeing -because this fucking guy’s, like, a ghost-, all I know is: A) his name’s Aleksandr Zima; B) he’s your age; C) he came to Salem just a few months ago, and apparently the Zimas threw some big ball over at their snake pit to celebrate him. D) He’s some fancy Executive Vice President of the Board of Directors of those snakes’ company, and E) He’s got a degree from the ‘School of Economics and Political Science at Marlborough College, London’” the young woman finished, saying the name of the school in a mock British accent.

Marlena looked up at her brother proudly, clearly looking for praise at having provided him with some kind of information about the man. But there was something nagging at her, something she couldn’t shake off no matter how hard she tried…

It hit her like a ton of bricks, and she wanted to smack her palm against her forehead. How had she failed to ask the most obvious question of all?!

“Wait a second, why are you asking about him, anyway?” Marlie questioned, increasingly curious as to why in the world her brother wanted to know any type of information on the son of their biggest enemies in town.