The Sins of Duke Evander (BOOK III)

Bonus Chapter #1

--Aurelio POV--

Normality is not a word that exists in my dictionary, it never did, and it never will, and I'm okay with that. I grew up as the son of a Duke and Duchess, jealous eyes pointed at me wherever I went, and while I used to hate it, I no longer care.

My mother is the perfect Duchess. She's always calm, composed, and looks like she belongs in a fashion magazine at any point of any day. She's a beautiful woman with strong morals and a personality that makes it impossible to hate her.

And then there was my father. While he had everything from money, wealth and influence, he was also quite messed up. But to the outside world, he's perfect, just like his wife.

Mama and papa are a couple that everyone's always talking about, they're both good looking, rich, and madly in love with each other despite their differences. But little does the world know that while they are everything they say they are, they are so much more.

Growing up, I was coddled by my parents and everyone who worked in the estate as the only child of the Ludovica Dukedom. I don't remember at what point in time I had begun to realise that I was different from the average person, but my father is the one that helped me realise it, and my mother is the one that helped me overcome it.

"How are you feeling today?" My therapist asked, sitting on the opposite couch as me as I got comfortable on my own seat.

"Same as always," I replied.

"I heard from your father that you sent a boy to the hospital last week," He didn't judge me. It took some time for me to let my guard down towards someone that wasn't either of my parents, but this man is good at his job.

"He deserved it," I defended myself.

"According to you. But what about according to someone else?" Unlike my previous therapists, those people who had their certificates framed on the wall, were always impeccably dressed, and looking to impress my parents, this guy did his job because he loved it, and he was good at it too if he's been able to help me with my mental situation.

Because I'm a psychopath. Like my father.

"...Maybe I went a bit far," I sighed.

"Do you perhaps feel as though the pressure is getting to your head and leading for you to act in the way that you did?"

"What pressure?"

"I don't know that. What stresses you out? What makes you feel like you have to be better than you are?" I scoffed, slouching back on the couch as I thought about it.

"The difference between my father and me is that he had no one while I have everyone. Maybe that's why he wasn't able to hold back his thirst for blood, but I don't have the same excuse as him, that's why I have to work harder."

"That's a good start... Your ASPD isn't something that makes you less human, you should remember that. There is no such thing as normality, and you are one amongst many. Don't conform to any limitations, but don't go breaking them either. You feel emotion differently, but that doesn't mean you have no feelings, it's just harder to understand,"

He's said the same thing to me so many times, and each time I realise that he's right. My father didn't have the right, and neither do I, to bring other people into my problems and make them suffer for it, thinking I have the right simply because I don't have normal emotions.

"How's high school? You make any new friends?"

"Are you making fun of me right now? You know I don't want or need friends," I scoffed.

"Don't you want to love more people? Do you want to limit yourself to the number of people that are allowed in your life? What if you regret it later on and get lonely?"