Login to ManoBook
icon 0
icon TOP UP
rightIcon
icon Reading History
rightIcon
icon Sign out
rightIcon
icon Get the APP
rightIcon
The devil you know

The devil you know

Kamkali

5.0
Comment(s)
View
5
Chapters

Carla's world shatters when she uncovers her adoptive parents' criminal empire, leading her into the clutches of The Architect, a ruthless cartel boss. What begins as an "invitation" to his lavish villa quickly becomes a chilling abduction, fueled by his possessive attraction to her audacious spirit. He sees potential, but his "love" is a brutal assertion of dominance-he taunts her with cruel truths about her family, subtly threatens exposure, and explicitly states his intention to keep her captive until she falls for him. Forced into his world, Carla becomes his reluctant protégé, playing a dangerous game of submission and rebellion as she secretly plots her escape. Yet, amidst the power struggles and escalating violence that claim those she trusts, a shocking twist binds them irrevocably: Carla becomes pregnant with his child. When chaos strikes and The Architect is removed from power, Carla, driven by fierce maternal instinct and a thirst for true freedom, seizes control, transforming from his captive into a formidable queenpin, ready to forge her own destiny, free from his toxic legacy.

Chapter 1 Red Note

"Mom, I'm home!" I yelled as I throw my bag

down by the shoe rack and kick off my beat

up sneakers. Making my way to the kitchen, I

am greeted with the smell of Pozole and

beans. "Oh, hi honey, how was your day?" My

mother questions, her voice laced with the

thickest Boston accent. "Alright.

Cookin' dinner already?" "Yeah, Me and your

father are going on a date night with our business partners Smiths, I made you guys lasagna! It's in the fridge" She grinned. "Thanks

mama." I say and she plants a kiss on my

forehead.

With a smile I make my way upstairs into my

bedroom. Expecting nothing more than the

familiar lavender walls littered with posters

and paintings, and the comforting sound of

the a/c being on on I was caught off guard

because my radio was blaring and I usually

turn it off when I leave for the day. When I

walked into the room I sense someone has been

here. Someone unfamiliar. A few things are

misplaced and my bed is disheveled. My

brother might have done it. Thinking I took

something of his. As I turn to shut off the

radio I realize their is a messily crumbled up

piece of paper on my bed so I make my way

over there. I don't usually crumble up paper

but rather put it in a binder or neatly arranged

on my desk, so the piece of paper was easily

spotted by my keen sense of misplacement.

Picking it up I unravel it carefully, the cracks

and pops of the paper moving fill the now

silent room. Once it is fully unraveled

it reads:

"Hello Carla,

This letter is in regards to your

belovedfriend Max. Max is fine, he is

alive. He is doing quite well actually. I

know you have been worried sick

since you were a child, I've been

watching you. Ive been waiting for

this moment. If you want your friend to

stay alive you will come and pick him up.

He is a pain in the ass to be honest

with you, and you are the only person

who hasn't given up hope that he is not dead. I'll explain more over the phone.

Your first assignment is to go to the local gas station on the corner of Main Street and buy a prepaid phone

and put minutes on it.

Here is the

number you will need to call to reach

me...Good luck

-Anon

524-578-1535"

My stomach jumped to my throat. Making me

feel as if I was about to fall from the worlds

steepest cliff side. The butterflies in my

stomach from the thought of being home

alone have just been shot. And their corpse

are coming up my throat right now. I run to

the bathroom directly across the hall and

spew it all out. Shaking and out of breath I

slump down the wall onto the floor by the

bathtub. I hear my heartbeat in my skull and

the world gets dizzy. Just as I was about to

take a deep breath I hear a knock at the

bathroom door. "Hurry up I need to piss!"

Rob. "Shut up a second." I say and stand up.

"Are you puking your guts out cause you look

fat?" My brother says. "Fuck off!" I yell back. I

look at myself in the mirror. I look as bad as I

thought. My skin a paler than usual and my

hands are shaking. With a shake of my head I

brush my teeth really quick and flush the toilet.

Heading back to my room I close the door

and pick the note of off the floor. Reading it

over and over again trying to see if anything

about where Max is would be hidden between

the ink and the yellow paper. Just a I was

about to put my shoes on to head to the gas

station my phone rings. "Carla, hey what you

doing?" It was my best friend Justin. "Not

now. Meet me at the Gas station on the corner

of Main Street I have something I need to

show you." I tremble and hang up the phone.

Slipping my shoes back on, Robert heads

down stairs. "Where do you think your

going?" He says. "Rob, you are a year and

four months older than me I don't have to tell

you where I am going." I huff. "Fine, don't

die." he lets it go, but he doesn't know how

easily it is for me to do just that.

Knowing that this person...the person who

left the note for now we will call Anon is

watching me put me in a paranoia state of

mind the whole drive to the gas station. Once

I got there, paranoia turned to nervousness.

What if Justin thinks I'm crazy and I wrote

the note so people would believe me that Max

is still alive? What if he thinks this and tells

everyone, the whole school, all my friends at

work and so on.. I need to stop with these

thoughts. They will not help the situation.

With a deep cleansing breath I take my key

out of the ignition and open my car door.

Justin is sitting on the parking thingies

looking through his phone. "Hey," He says as

he beams with excitement. "What did you

need to tell me?" I don't know whether its

him or the fact that I feel like I am constantly

being watched now, but it seemed as he was

yelling. "Shh.Get in the car." I say and walk

to the drive side of my mom's 1996 Honda.

I then tell him about the note that I found on

my bed when I got home from work today,

and then I tell him about the feeling I got

when I walked in my room and how it was

unfamiliar. He got just about as shook as I

did. "Okay, this is some NCIS shit right here

we should call the cops." Justin says. "I know

we should but he kinda says in the letter that

if we do that he'll make sure Max is well..I'm

guessing dead." Just talking about Max again

is breaking open wounds I have not yet

healed. Justin knew Max just about as long as

I have so I'm glad he was the person I turned

to.

"Well I guess you should call the number

then." He suggests. I take out my phone and

dial the first three numbers, then the second

and then the last four. Each ring that passes

my heart jumps further and further up my

throat. Finally someone answers. The voice is

almost not human. It sounds so deep its so

hard to understand what they say. "Ah, you

must be Carla I see you calling." Chills run

down my spine. "What do you want." I

tremble even though the statement was

meant to come out very stern and affirmative

it came out as a squeak. "You. I want Clara."

The voice says. Its laced with sadness almost,

but I know enough from law and order SVU

than to fall for that emotional trap. "Where is

Max?" I inquire. "You'll know soon enough.

Ill call you tomorrow some time. Keep this

phone near." With that, the phone call ended

and all I heard were dial tones.

Continue Reading

Other books by Kamkali

More
Carla

Carla

Young Adult

5.0

The Roth family seemed to have it all: the perfect house, the perfect life in the quiet suburbs. But Carla, their adopted daughter, was about to pull back the curtain. A mysterious note changed everything, hinting her childhood friend was alive and revealing a devastating truth: Wendy Roth wasn't her real mother. This wasn't just a family secret; it was a wound, fresh and bleeding. Carla's search for answers led her to Tiffany, her biological mother, and into a world where Wendy and Marty Roth weren't just parents, but cold, calculating figures orchestrating a criminal enterprise. The Roths were deep in the game, laundering money for a cartel, climbing higher and higher. Carla watched, horrified, as their suburban facade crumbled. She saw them kill a man in cold blood, their faces calm, almost detached. The sweet girl she was began to crack, replaced by a fierce, defiant spirit. Carla found her own cunning, her own strength, refusing to be a victim. Her defiance brought her face-to-face with The Architect, a ruthless crime boss, his power radiating from his lavish villa on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. He saw something in Carla. As Carla started to navigate this treacherous world, she often sought out Tiffany. Tiffany was a seasoned survivor, her words sharp, her advice rooted in a lifetime of navigating the criminal underworld, her ancient family feud with The Roths simmering beneath the surface. But Carla's rise ignited a dangerous fire in Wendy. Seeing her daughter not as a child to protect, but as a rival, Wendy descended into a chilling madness, determined to control Carla or destroy her. Marty, caught between his wife's escalating fury and his daughter's fierce independence, tried to hold things together, his every move a desperate gamble. Then came the bombshell: Carla was pregnant with The Architect's child. And just as this life-changing news hit, The Architect was arrested in a massive, public raid. A power vacuum. A sudden, dangerous void. Instead of crumbling, Carla seized it. With her brother Rob by her side, no longer a naive kid but a loyal, partner, she began to build. She looked at the empire The Architect left behind, and she saw not a criminal enterprise, but the foundations of something new. Her vision was clear: to take the dirty money, the illicit power, and scrub it clean. To make it all legitimate. Carla offered Wendy and Marty an exit, a quiet, comfortable life away from the chaos they had created. No prison, no grand confrontation, just a firm, undeniable dismissal. They had built the cage, but Carla was the one stepping free, leaving them to grapple with the silence of a life stripped of power. The future is hers, a legacy built on the very darkness she had once fought to escape.

The seventh princess

The seventh princess

Werewolf

5.0

Crown Princess Isla's life takes a terrifying turn when a bizarre urge compels her to steal iron at the market, triggering unsettling dreams, a disturbing connection to metal, and a public scandal. Her family, horrified and confused, confines her to her room. There, a monstrous transformation begins: Isla's body twists into a wolf-like creature, driven by primal instincts and a chilling connection to iron. As Isla grapples with her horrifying new reality, her sister Anne, fueled by ambition and exploiting the public's fear, plots to seize the throne, even resorting to supernatural means to undermine Isla and marry Prince Caius. Escaping her confinement under the full moon's influence, Isla, now a terrifying werewolf, unleashes chaos upon the city. Amidst the terror, she encounters Kael, an ordinary man haunted by the same curse that afflicts her, a descendant of the woman who cursed the royal line generations ago. They find solace and love in their shared monstrous fate. The curse's origin is revealed: a vengeful act targeting the seventh princess, compelling her to worship the curser and bring her iron. United in their shared affliction, Isla and Kael terrorize the city together, their love story unfolding against a backdrop of fear and destruction. Their reign of terror is ultimately brought to an end when the terrified populace captures them, leaving the future of the cursed kingdom uncertain. The story explores themes of transformation, betrayal, the destructive nature of curses, and an unlikely love born in the heart of a nightmare. Princess Isla Princess Isla possessed hair as dark as a raven's wing, often styled in intricate braids adorned with delicate jewels befitting her station. Her complexion was notably pale, a contrast to the vibrancy of her dark hair, lending her an ethereal quality. She was of a slender build, moving with a natural grace that endeared her to the court and the common folk alike. Known throughout the kingdom for her gentle spirit and compassionate heart, Isla was deeply beloved by her people. Her kindness extended to all, from the lowliest servant to the most esteemed noble, and her genuine empathy shone through in her interactions. This inherent goodness made the sudden, inexplicable darkness that began to consume her all the more tragic and bewildering to those who knew her. Her role as the heir to the throne placed a significant weight of expectation upon her young shoulders, a burden she had always carried with grace and a sincere desire to serve her kingdom. Her relationships within the royal family were generally warm, though tinged with the formality expected of royalty. Her burgeoning connection with Prince Caius held the promise of a political alliance and perhaps a personal happiness she had yet to fully explore. The terrifying transformation that gripped her threatened to shatter not only her physical form but also the very essence of her kind and gentle nature. Anne Anne was a striking figure within the court, immediately recognizable by her fiery red hair, a trait she shared with Queen Isolde. This shared physical characteristic, however, extended beyond mere appearance. Anne possessed a stern demeanor and a sharp intellect, her ambition burning as brightly as her vibrant locks. She was known for her unwavering focus and her keen understanding of courtly politics, often maneuvering behind the scenes to advance her own standing. While not of royal blood, Anne held a position of influence, perhaps as a lady-in-waiting or a trusted advisor, leveraging her intelligence and determination to gain favor. Her relationship with Princess Isla was likely complex, potentially tinged with envy or a competitive spirit given Isla's position as heir. Her interactions with the King and Queen would have been carefully calculated, a blend of respect and subtle manipulation aimed at furthering her own goals. The emergence of the curse within Isla presented Anne with unforeseen opportunities and challenges, potentially shifting the power dynamics within the court in ways she might seek to exploit. King Theron King Theron, despite the passage of years, remained a formidable presence, his rule still carrying considerable weight and inspiring a healthy dose of fear throughout the kingdom. Though age had begun to etch lines upon his face and perhaps slow his gait, his eyes still held a piercing intensity, capable of commanding attention and quelling dissent with a single glance. He possessed a regal bearing, accustomed to absolute authority, and his pronouncements were treated as law. His love for his kingdom was undeniable, yet it was often expressed through a stern adherence to tradition and a fierce protection of the royal lineage's honor. His relationship with Princess Isla, while paternal, was also shaped by the expectations he held for his heir. Her perceived transgression brought forth a volcanic anger, fueled by a deep-seated fear of scandal and the tarnishing of his family

Luna Eclipse : Forbidden Alchemy

Luna Eclipse : Forbidden Alchemy

Werewolf

5.0

In the shadowy depths of the Underworld, Queen Zalara, a being of immense power, dies giving birth to her heiress. Her demise triggers a cosmic eclipse, a testament to her inherent might. In a desperate act to evade eternal damnation, Zalara performs the forbidden Alchemy of Souls, seeking a new vessel. She awakens in the human realm, disoriented and horrified to find herself inhabiting Lyra, a blind, feeble orphan girl, rescued and cared for by her kind grandmother, Elara, in the quiet village of Noldor. Zalara, trapped within Lyra's weak form, grapples with the indignity of a mundane human life. Her frustration boils until the night of a Full Moon, when her true power surges, transforming her into a primal, hungry werewolf. This terrifying freedom allows her to roam and hunt, causing mysterious "mishaps" in Noldor. The village's unrest reaches Emperor Fëanor III and his formidable wife, Queen Isolde. The Emperor seeks the wisdom of Master Alderon, the spirit guide, to cleanse the village, but Isolde, a master of forbidden magic and alchemy, harbors a dark secret and actively obstructs Alderon's efforts. She knows precisely what Zalara is, fearing exposure. Lyra's unassuming presence catches the eye of Crown Prince Aerion, who, charmed by her, invites her and Elara to the Royal Palace. This grants Zalara unprecedented access to the court, fueling her suspicion of Queen Isolde. Lyra, now pregnant with Aerion's child and falling deeply in love, discovers a shocking truth: Isolde bears the mark of the Alchemy of Souls. Zalara's investigation uncovers Isolde's true identity-Shaman Choi, who usurped the real queen's body years ago. As Isolde's borrowed form begins to decay, she frantically seeks a new vessel, leading to a climactic confrontation during another soul-transfer ritual. The powerful Ice Stone, reacting to Zalara's presence, isolates them all, revealing Zalara's full form and the suppressed soul of Lyra. The ultimate twist: Lyra is the original, rightful Queen Isolde. Zalara must now choose between reclaiming her throne in the Underworld or embracing her new life, love, and child in the human realm, knowing her own vessel's decay is inevitable.

You'll also like

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book