Chapter 1

Angel's POV

The New Year had just begun and I couldn't have been happier. My parents always make it a point to visit me at the start of the new year, and it fills me with joy.

For years, I had been curious about where they lived while leaving me in the care of my nanny Erica, but I had never been able to find out.

"Are you this happy, Angel? You seem to be giggling constantly," my mother, Lucia Nelson, remarked, noticing my beaming smile.

"Mom, I am thrilled to see you both. It's been too long and I've missed you so much," I exclaimed cheerfully.

Lucia's face fell as she responded, "We're sorry, honey. Ever since you were a baby, we've only been able to see you once a year. We wish it could be different."

Feeling deflated, I said, "Mom, why bring that up now? We were having a wonderful moment, and you just had to go and spoil it. It's not like you'll stick around if I start crying and throw a tantrum."

"We know how you’re feeling, Angel, but things are going to change soon. Before you know it, we’ll all be together as one big, happy family, making up for the time we’ve lost before you turn twenty. Just one more year to go," my father, Hudson Nelson, comforted me. I nodded slowly, a touch of sadness in my heart, feeling helpless to alter the circumstances.

Hudson smiled, attempting to lift the mood. "Let’s enjoy our meal and not let this bring us down," he proposed. But Just as we were about to lift our spoons again, the door suddenly burst open, and we jumped to our feet, rushing into the living room.

Upon entering, our eyes widened in terror at the sight of three people brandishing guns, with the man in front wearing a mask.

Hudson dropped to his knees. "Ve...nom."

I was too stunned to process what was happening; my father knew the name of the man.

The three enigmatic men approached us, and with each step they took, my heart raced with fear.

They halted in front of my father, while my mother held me tightly, trying to calm my trembling, but her embrace did little to ease my anxiety. I continued to shake in her arms.

“It’s been so many years since we last met,” the man Hudson called Venom said, his mask still firmly on his face.

Even though his face was concealed, his voice, presence, and aura could instill such fear in anyone nearby that they would tremble to the point of death.

The faces of the other two were visible—a man and a woman—both wearing cold expressions that made it clear they were not to be trifled with.

"Venom, please forgive me... Have mercy, I have a family now," a desperate plea escaped Hudson's lips. A low chuckle emanated from Venom, one that could make anyone pee on themselves in terror.

"Should I show you mercy?" Venom asked, his voice icy and laced with sarcasm.

Hudson nodded quickly, tears streaming down his cheeks.

I looked at my father's tear-streaked face. Even though I had never spent much time with him, this was the first time I had witnessed him cry and appear so frightened.

I turned my gaze away from him and looked up at my mother, who was also in tears.

My nanny took the day off since my parents are here, so it's just me and my parents at home.

I gazed at the masked man, struggling to comprehend the chaos unfolding around me.

He crouched down in front of my father.

"You bring me pain, but it won't end with just you. Your entire family will suffer and die in misery," Venom said, pressing his cold gun against Hudson's head, who trembled in fear.

"Please, if you want to kill me, go ahead. I won’t fight it, but please spare my family. I’m begging you, Venom," Hudson pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

"You don't deserve a family. I'll erase you all from this world, and in your next life, you'll steer clear of me and my loved ones," Venom declared. Without a moment's hesitation, he yanked the gun away from Hudson's head and fired a bullet into Hudson's right leg.

Hudson screamed in agony, but Venom didn't give him a chance to recover from the initial pain before shooting him in the left leg, eliciting another piercing cry.

At that moment, Hudson's life flashed before him, and all he could feel was agony.

I watched my father being tortured, and I could feel his pain. Yet, there was nothing I could do to help him; all I could do was cry and watch as he endured torment at the hands of the merciless stranger.

"Your cries are like a sweet melody to my ears, and I can't get enough," Venom said coldly, positioning the gun against Hudson's left eye.

"Venom, please... have mercy... on..." Before Hudson could finish his plea, Venom shot him in the eye.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Hudson screamed in agony, a twisted smirk creeping across Venom's face.

My eyes widened in horror, but my mother quickly pulled me close, pressing my face against her chest.

If I felt this way, I could only imagine how my mother was feeling, watching my father being slowly killed by this cold-blooded man.

I also couldn't help but wonder why my mom wasn’t doing anything or saying a word to stop him from taking Dad's life.

Did she know about this too? I can't help but question myself, but I can feel my mother's body trembling against mine, her soft movements barely audible.

Hudson lay flat on the floor, already devoid of life.

"You don't deserve to say goodbye to your family," Venom said, shooting Hudson twice in the heart. Hudson went limp, blood pooling around him like an ocean.

Finally, Venom turned his gaze to Lucia, whose eyes were swollen and red.

"Please, don’t kill me and my daughter; we’re innocent," Lucia pleaded as I clung tightly to my mother once more.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out beside my ear, and my mother’s grip on me loosened, leaving me in a state of shock and terror, convinced that she had been shot.

The thought of losing my mother was unbearable, and before I could turn around, darkness enveloped me as I collapsed to the floor.

The fear of witnessing my parents' lifeless bodies before that man could take my life overwhelmed me, and I lost consciousness.

In that case, I'll also meet my end while I'm unconscious.