WHEN THE DEVIL CHOSE LOVE

Chapter 1 The rain had been falling since sunset. It drummed softly against the windows of the small apartment, wrapping the quiet home in a strange sense of peace. Outside, the streets glistened beneath the streetlights, while inside, the rich aroma of homemade stew filled every corner of the room. Nerisse Vale smiled as she stirred the pot one last time before turning off the stove. "Perfect." She reached into the cupboard and took out two white plates. One for herself. One for the woman who had sacrificed everything to raise her. "Mum!" she called with a smile. "Dinner is ready!" Silence answered her. She laughed softly. "You're pretending not to hear me again, aren't you?" It was something her mother loved doing. Whenever Nerisse cooked, she would jokingly hide for a minute just to hear her daughter complain. Shaking her head, Nerisse wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and walked toward the bedroom. "Mum?" She knocked lightly. "If this is another one of your games, I already know you're in there." No answer. Her smile slowly disappeared. She pushed the bedroom door open. The room was empty. The bed had been neatly made. Her mother's reading glasses rested beside an unfinished cup of tea that had already gone cold. Nerisse frowned. "That's strange..." Her mother never left the apartment without telling her. Never. She checked the bathroom. Empty. The balcony. Empty. The small laundry room. Empty. A knot formed in her stomach. Something didn't feel right. Trying not to overthink, she picked up her phone and dialed her mother's number. The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. No answer. She ended the call and tried again. This time it went directly to voicemail. "Come on, Mum..." She quickly typed a message. *Where are you? Dinner is getting cold.* The message remained unread. Nerisse glanced at the clock. 8:17 p.m. Her mother had never stayed out this late without calling. Not once. She walked toward the living-room window and looked outside. Rainwater streamed down the glass. Cars crawled through the storm. People hurried beneath umbrellas. She searched every passing vehicle, hoping to see the familiar blue sedan her mother drove. It never appeared. Lightning flashed across the dark sky. At that exact moment, her phone vibrated. Her eyes brightened. "Mum?" She looked at the screen. Unknown Number. Confused, she answered. "Hello?" Silence. For several long seconds, all she could hear was faint breathing. Then a frightened female voice whispered, "Is this Nerisse Vale?" "Yes... Who's speaking?" "Listen carefully." The woman's voice shook. "You don't have much time." Nerisse's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?" "Your mother tried to protect you..." Static interrupted the call. "...but they're already coming." Nerisse gripped the phone tighter. "Who's coming?" "You must never trust—" The line suddenly went dead. Nerisse stared at the screen. "Hello?" Nothing. She called the number back immediately. *The number you are trying to reach is unavailable.* A chill spread through her body. Before she could think any further... Three slow knocks echoed through the apartment. Knock. Knock. Knock. Relief flooded her face. "Mum?" She hurried to the front door. Without checking the peephole, she unlocked it. The smile disappeared from her face. Two police officers stood outside in the rain. Water dripped from their uniforms. Neither of them smiled. The older officer removed his cap. "Miss Nerisse Vale?" Her fingers tightened around the doorknob. "...Yes." "May we come in?" Something deep inside her heart suddenly felt unbearably heavy. She stepped aside without saying a word. The officers entered quietly. The older man looked at her with sympathy. "I'm very sorry to disturb you this evening." Nerisse swallowed. "Is this about my mother?" The two officers exchanged a glance. The younger one lowered his eyes. The older officer nodded slowly. "Your mother was involved in a serious road accident approximately one hour ago." Nerisse's heartbeat stopped. "No..." The word escaped her lips before she realized she had spoken. "She was taken to the hospital immediately." Hope flickered inside her. "Then... she's okay?" The officer closed his eyes briefly. When he looked at her again, his voice was filled with regret. "I'm deeply sorry..." "...she didn't survive." Everything around Nerisse became silent. The rain. The clock. Even her own breathing. They all disappeared. She stared blankly at the officer. "No." Her voice was barely audible. "You've made a mistake." "I'm sorry." Tears filled her eyes. "She promised she'd come home." Her voice broke. "We were supposed to have dinner together." The plates slipped from her trembling hands. Crash! White porcelain shattered across the kitchen floor. Nerisse didn't even look down. She couldn't. Her entire world had just fallen apart. The older officer gently placed a transparent evidence bag on the dining table. "These were recovered from your mother's belongings." Inside were her house keys. A silver necklace. And a sealed cream-colored envelope. Across the front, written in her mother's elegant handwriting, were five simple words. **For Nerisse. Read Alone.** Her breath caught. She recognized the handwriting instantly. It belonged to her mother. But only one terrifying question filled her mind. How could her mother have written a farewell letter... before the accident ever happened? Nerisse couldn't move. Her eyes remained fixed on the cream-colored envelope lying inside the evidence bag. Her mother's handwriting. It was unmistakable. Her fingers trembled as she reached for it. "May I...?" she asked in a broken voice. The older officer gave a gentle nod. "Of course." She carefully opened the evidence bag and held the envelope against her chest for a moment. It still carried the faint scent of lavender. The same perfume her mother had worn every single day. Tears blurred her vision. It felt as though her mother had touched the envelope only moments ago. "We'll leave you to grieve," the older officer said quietly. "If you remember anything unusual about today, please contact us." Nerisse nodded absentmindedly. She wasn't listening anymore. The front door closed behind the officers. Silence swallowed the apartment. The rain outside became louder. Every room suddenly felt unfamiliar. Empty. Cold. Lonely. Nerisse slowly sat on the sofa. The untouched dinner remained on the table. Two plates. Two glasses. Two chairs. But only one person remained. She lowered her head and finally allowed herself to cry. It wasn't graceful. It wasn't quiet. It was the heartbreaking cry of someone who had just lost the only family she had ever known. Minutes passed. Or perhaps hours. She couldn't tell anymore. Eventually, she wiped her eyes and looked at the envelope again. Across the front were the words... **For Nerisse. Read Alone.** Her heartbeat quickened. With trembling fingers, she broke the seal. Inside was a single folded letter. The paper shook in her hands as she unfolded it. The first sentence stole the air from her lungs. **If this letter reaches you... then I have failed.** Nerisse covered her mouth. "No..." She continued reading. **Forgive me for every lie I ever told you.** **I lied because I wanted you to live a normal life.** **If you're reading this, that life is over.** Tears rolled silently down her cheeks. None of it made sense. Why would her mother write such a letter? She forced herself to continue. **The people who are coming for you are dangerous.** **Do not trust anyone... no matter how kind they appear.** **Most importantly... stay away from Lucien Blackwood.** Neriah frowned. Lucien Blackwood? The billionaire? She had heard the name countless times on television and in business magazines. Some people admired him. Others feared him. Rumours surrounded him wherever his name was mentioned. They called him ruthless. Cold-hearted. Untouchable. Some newspapers had even nicknamed him... **The Devil.** Nerisse looked back at the letter. **If fate ever places him before you... run.** Her heart pounded. "Why?" She kept reading. **Because he is either the only man who can save your life...** **...or the man who will destroy it.** A sudden chill ran through the apartment. The lights flickered. Once. Twice. Then darkness filled the room. "The electricity?" She stood quickly. Another flash of lightning illuminated the apartment. For just a second... She thought she saw a shadow move outside the window. Her breathing became uneven. "Who's there?" No answer. She slowly walked toward the curtain. Every step felt heavier than the last. She pulled the curtain aside. Nothing. Only rain. She let out a shaky breath. "You're imagining things, Nerisse." Suddenly— Her phone vibrated. Unknown Number. Again. She hesitated before answering. "Hello?" This time, a deep male voice spoke. Calm. Cold. "They've already found you." Nerisse's blood ran cold. "Who is this?" "Leave your apartment." "What?" "Now." Her heart pounded violently. "How do you know where I am?" Silence. Then the man spoke again. "If you stay another five minutes..." "...you'll die." The call ended. Neriah stared at the screen. Before she could think— Someone knocked on the apartment door. Knock. Knock. Knock. It wasn't the gentle knock from before. It was slow. Heavy. Deliberate. Every knock echoed through the silent apartment. Her pulse raced. "Who is it?" No reply. Another knock. Louder this time. Her hand instinctively tightened around her mother's letter. Then... The doorknob slowly began to turn. End of chapter 1 When the devil chose Love