Twisted Minds
Author
Cassandra Rock
Reads
š„12.6M
Chapters
111
Chapter 1
Elaina
Are you happy? Itās a simple question, but it digs deep. I used to believe I was, living my small-town life in Ohio, just me and my mom against the world. But happiness, Iāve come to understand, is a delicate thing. It can shatter in a heartbeat, like a fragile glass hitting a hard floor.
Growing up without a dad wasnāt out of the ordinary. Lots of kids turn out just fine with one parent. And my mom, sheās a powerhouse. As the owner of Duvalās Cakes, sheās the kind of woman who can create a whirlwind of flour and sugar and turn it into something magical. I spent my summer after high school graduation helping her out, learning the trade, and finding comfort in the rhythm of our little shop.
Today was supposed to be special. My eighteenth birthday. The big one-eight. The day I officially became an adult. But I hadnāt given it much thought, too wrapped up in the everyday tasks of icing cakes and serving customers. That is until the lights in the shop flickered and died, plunging my world into darkness.
āMom?ā My voice wavered, a blend of confusion and a tiny spike of fear. The backroom door creaked, and there they were, my mom and Kira, my ride-or-die best friend, their faces glowing in the soft candlelight. They sang āHappy Birthday,ā and I couldnāt help but laugh, the tension melting away.
āMake a wish, Elaina,ā Kira urged, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
I closed my eyes, the flickering candles casting dancing shadows behind my lids. I didnāt need to wish for anything. I had everything I wanted right here. My mom, Kira, the shop. I blew out the candles, and when I opened my eyes, I was met with their smiling faces.
āShall we cut the cake?ā I suggested, eager to taste the sweetness my mom had crafted just for me.
We settled at a small table by the window, the shop quiet and private with the āClosedā sign hanging on the door. The cake was perfect, as always, and the gifts they gave me were thoughtfulāa charm bracelet from Kira and a limited edition of my favorite book, The Great Gatsby, from Mom.
Kiraās next words sent a jolt of excitement through me. āIām trying to get us tickets to that Pitbull concert in New York,ā she said, her face a mix of hope and disappointment.
My heart raced at the thought, but my momās voice cut through the excitement like a knife. āNo. Youāre not leaving Ohio, Elaina.ā
I stared at her, stunned. āWhat? Mom, Iām eighteen now. I can make my own decisions.ā
Her eyes met mine, and there was something there I couldnāt quite place. Fear? Desperation? āIām telling you, youāre not leaving this state. Ever.ā
The words hung heavy in the air, a sentence I couldnāt escape. I had dreams, plans to leave Ohio, to explore and live. But my momās declaration felt like chains wrapping around my ankles, dragging me down.
Kira slipped away, sensing the tension, leaving me to face my mom alone. āWhy, Mom? Why canāt I go?ā
She wouldnāt look at me, her gaze fixed on some distant point. āItās for your own good, Elaina. Trust me.ā
But how could I trust her when she was clipping my wings, keeping me caged in this small town? I needed answers, and I needed them now.
The next day, I sat on my bed, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and anger. My mom had always been protective, but this was different. This was suffocating. I had to confront her, to break free from whatever was holding her back from letting me live my life.
I found her in the foyer, her back to me, her posture rigid. āMom? Iām going to Kiraās party tonight. We need to talk aboutāā
My words died in my throat as I saw the three men standing with her. Strangers in our home, their presence setting off alarm bells in my head. My mom turned, her face pale, her eyes wide with something that looked a lot like fear.
āElaina, go upstairs,ā she said, her voice trembling.
But the man who seemed to be in charge, with his thick accent and cold eyes, stopped me. āNo, let her stay. She should hear this.ā
Hear what? My heart pounded in my chest as he stepped closer, my mom moving to block him. āVadim...ā she warned, but he brushed her aside.
āYou have no idea, do you, Elaina?ā His smile was predatory, and I instinctively stepped back. āIām your father.ā
The room spun, and I searched my momās face for some sign that this was a lie. But there was only resignation, a silent confirmation of my worst fears.
āMom! Heās lying...ā But the words were hollow, even to my own ears.
Vadimās laugh was dark, amused. āLetās catch up, my dear.ā
I wanted to scream, to run, but his grip on my wrist was ironclad. āGet out of my house!ā I shouted, but he only tightened his hold.
āWhy are you here?ā I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
His answer sent chills down my spine. āYour mother knew I was coming. This was always the plan. Youāre mine now.ā
Mine? The word echoed in my head, a claim I couldnāt accept. But as Vadim spoke in Russian, his men moved in, and I realized this was no joke. This was my life unraveling before my eyes.
āI donāt want to go,ā I said, struggling against the manās grip. āI reject your offer.ā
But my words were nothing against Vadimās will. āYou need to listen to him,ā my mom said, her voice breaking.
Betrayal, sharp and bitter, filled my mouth. She had known, all along, that this day would come. And she had said nothing.
Vadimās grin sends a chill down my spine as he leans in close. āYou donāt even know who youāre dealing with, do you?ā
I stare him down, my defiance the only shield I have. āYouāre not my dad,ā I snap back.
His hand clamps down on my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. āI am Vadim Vasiliev, the head of the Russian Mafia. And you, Elaina, are my only child.ā
Everything goes black, not from shock or fear, but from the sharp sting of a needle in my side. As I slip into unconsciousness, I realize my life as I knew it is over. And thereās nothing I can do to stop it.
The needleās sting is sharp, a cruel end to Vadimās announcement. My body feels heavy, my thoughts are a jumbled mess as the drug takes over. I try to fight it, to stay awake, but itās like trying to stop a tidal wave with my bare hands.
My momās face appears, her features twisted in pain. āElaina, please forgive me,ā she cries, reaching out as if to touch me, but Vadimās man holds her back. Her apology is a whisper lost in the growing darkness.
I want to yell, to scream at her for her betrayal, but my voice is a mere breath, a futile sound in the vast silence thatās swallowing me whole. Vadimās face hovers above mine, his eyes cold and calculating. āWelcome to your new life, Elaina,ā he says, and then everything goes black.
When I wake up, Iām in a different world. The softness of a plush seat beneath me, the hum of an engineāit takes a moment for my brain to catch up. Iām in a car, a fancy one, and outside the window, the world is a blur of lights and shadows.
Vadim sits across from me, watching with an unreadable expression. āWhere are we going?ā My voice is hoarse, the words tasting of fear and confusion.
āTo your new home,ā he replies smoothly. āYou have much to learn, Elaina. About who you are, about your heritage.ā
I donāt want any of it. I want my old life, my mom, the cake shop. But as the cityās skyline comes into view, I know thereās no going back. Vadim has plans for me, and heās not the kind of man you say no to.
The car slows, pulling up to a towering building that screams power and wealth. Vadimās men escort me inside, through marble halls and up to a penthouse thatās more a palace than an apartment. āThis is yours,ā Vadim says, gesturing to the opulence around us.
I feel like a doll in a dollhouse, everything perfectly arranged for a life I didnāt choose. āWhy are you doing this?ā I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Vadimās gaze is sharp, his voice a low rumble. āBecause you are my daughter, Elaina. And itās time you took your place by my side.ā
I shiver, not from the cold, but from the realization that this man, this stranger, holds my fate in his hands. And as night falls over the city, I canāt shake the feeling that Iām a pawn in a game I donāt understand, a game thatās only just beginning.
The night is long, filled with restless sleep and dreams of shadows. When morning comes, it brings no comfort, only the heavy weight of reality. Iām alone in a gilded cage, the daughter of a man whoās a monster in a suit.
Vadimās words echo in my mind, a mantra of a future I canāt escape. āYouāre mine now.ā And as I look out over the city, a city thatās now my prison, I know that my fight is only just beginning.
But what can I do against the Russian Mafia? Against Vadim Vasiliev? Fear twists in my gut, but beneath it, a spark of defiance flickers to life. I might be his daughter, but Iām not his possession. Iāll find a way out of this, somehow.
And as the sun rises higher, casting golden light across the city, I make a vow. Vadim might think he owns me, but Iāll prove him wrong. Iāll reclaim my life, even if itās the last thing I do.
The door to the penthouse opens, and Vadim walks in, a smile on his lips that doesnāt reach his eyes. āGood morning, Elaina. Are you ready to begin?ā
I meet his gaze, my own eyes hard with determination. āIām ready for anything.ā
But as Vadimās smile widens, I canāt shake the feeling that Iāve just stepped into a battle Iām not ready for. And as he lays out his plans for me, plans that involve power, danger, and a world I never knew existed, I realize that my journey is about to take a dark turn.
