Page 176 of Lovely Venom

“Hey.” Mariella joins us at the table. “Sorry I’m late.”

“We’re just happy you’re here,” Serafina says. “It feels like forever since we’ve all seen each other.”

“It does,” Lucia agrees. “Next time the island goes on lockdown, I want to be held hostage with you.”

“Fair enough.” Mariella laughs.

“Okay, we should probably get this meeting started,” Abella says. “We can go over The Fifth House stuff quickly before we move onto Aegis. Because I guarantee I’m gonna have to feed a hungry baby any minute now.”

“Alright, let’s get started then.” Val nods.

Abella taps away on her tablet as she goes over our monthly insights for the digital publication. Technically, The Fifth House is for members of The Society, but I write my sex column under a pseudonym, so only my friends know who’s behind the name. The website caters to women specifically, with a variety of topics on style, fashion, health and beauty, and other relevant interests.

I’ve enjoyed being part of it, not only because I get to spend time with my friends, but because it’s really helped me.

Women who come from backgrounds like mine and those of The Society are often taught that sex is for a man’s pleasure. Many are undereducated on topics that are considered taboo among polite company, and depending on how closely monitored they are, they may not even be able to do their own research.

My column is buried within a variety of others, making it easier to hide in plain sight. If a man were to flip through the publication, there’s a good chance he’d write it off as boring women’s interests before he ever reached that section.

Writing has been therapeutic for me, and I’ve learned a lot along the way, which is what gave me the courage to go to Sanctum in the first place.

As I sit here now, it’s hard not to imagine how different my life would be if I’d never done that.

“Okay, let’s plan out the topics for next month,” Abella says, her voice drifting into the background as I receive a text.

I pause to check it, thinking it might be Cristian. But what I find makes my stomach drop.

We need to meet. D knows where you are. Come to the north cove ASAP. You can access it via the woods on the backside of the Vitale property - A

On the rare occasions Ares has texted me, he’s always used burner phones with different numbers. He told me if things ever went south fast, he’d give me a heads-up so I could escape.

That’s no longer an option for me, but if Damian knows where I am, I’m living on borrowed time if I don’t find out what’s going on.

I move on autopilot, rising from my seat and handing Nico off to Val as I try to act as normal as I can.

“I’m so sorry,” I interrupt. “I have to go make a phone call. It’s important.”

“Okay, no problem,” Abella says. “I’ll get your topic for next month later.”

I nod, walking into the house on stiff legs as I consider what comes next. This is the absolute worst-case scenario I’ve been waiting for, and it’s too big to handle all at once. So I break it down into steps.

The first thing I need to do is get out of the house without being noticed, which makes the courtyard and front entry nonviable options.

Abella’s wing has a direct exit to the back woods, and I know Angelo is currently off the island, so it’s my best bet for now.

I pick up my pace as I enter their part of the house, feeling like any moment I might be caught.

As my heart races and nausea churns in my stomach, it brings to the forefront how different things have been for me here.

It happened so gradually that I didn’t even realize what a relief it was to unpack my life and let down my guard for a while. Before I came to the island, I spent years planning for every emergency, saving cash, and constantly looking over my shoulder.

Now that I’ve experienced what true freedom feels like, I can’t ever go back to that life. Whatever Ares tells me, it won’t change what I have to do.

This is my reckoning, and I can’t hide from it any longer.

I have to tell Cristian who I really am.

I’ve been terrified of what it would do to us, but I think the relief of finally unburdening myself outweighs my fear at this point.