I sat in a simple knee-length salmon dress that wasn't tight but still had those damn imaginary ties around my chest and neck. Staring at my face through the clean glass of the dresser wondering how I'm going to apply my mask tonight.
My parents were already here, pushing me two seconds when my cousin Carl and I got home, to get ready and dressed because we were going to a dinner party with our family business colleagues. The first thing I did was swear, by accident, in my mother's presence. She just made an expression and sent me a long, sharp glare. Suffice it to say: Don't say any more to my face or I'll make your life more miserable.
It's already made my night worse. Maybe a dinner party will put my mood a bit better because sometimes my parents would get caught up in a conversation with some of their socialite friends and wouldn't bother paying attention to the decorum I have to do in front of everyone. Well, let's just hope they're only here for the damn dinner that's about to start, and then they'll get back to Russia as soon as possible. I pray in hopes of dying for it.
A knock on the door made me wrinkle my nose, Gallena's voice followed, "Are you ready, Git?"
I stood up from the chair, picked up my cell phone and then walked towards my bedroom door. Gallena was already welcoming me at the door, with a wry smile and a dull face. But that changed when she looked up and down at my body. "You're so beautiful!" she exclaimed. As she always does: exaggeratedly and dramatically.
"You too, Gal." I said, my brow furrowed at her appearance. We're twins but Gallena has always been prettier than me, yet whatever choices she makes for her outfits always make everyone frown, and make my father rub his head. This time she was wearing a long, colorful dress like a light bulb in a nightclub that touched her feet, she had her red hair down at the ends, and she was wearing pink heels. “Amazing.” But, I won't lie, somehow what she wears never looks too ridiculous, maybe it's because her face is twice as prettier. But doubt and fear well up inside me. What will our parents think when they sees Gallena like this?
"Right?" passion appeared in her voice. “But this dress was stolen.” She whispered, smiling broadly, showing her fine teeth. “I saw Adeline wear it to a play, and she looked beautiful. So I took it. It's a limited edition, by the way."
I blinked. "Stealing is forbidden." She worked in the performing arts, which was what she had taken up in college, and it took a lot of time to persuade my mother to agree with her life choices. And she has taken ... stolen countless costumes, props and materials for the drama just for her to collect in her room.
"If caught." Gallena giggled, and took my arm for her to embrace. "I love you, Git. If you tell anyone, I'll stop talking to you."
I'm sure I won't have to try to get her caught. Callahan always keeps an eye on her, I'm sure he didn't rebuke Gallena just to give my twin sister a little freedom and happiness.
>>>
"Your mom will lock you in your room when she see what you're wearing, Gal." Carl grinned up and down and shook his head, looking ahead as we entered the luxurious building in the heart of New York. "Can't believe uncle still let you live."
"This dress is beautiful to me. All of you just don't understand fashion." Gall pouted. "I have better taste than you guys. What you guys are using looks boring."
Indeed, she's right.
I'm sure everyone in the room is already staring at Gal in astonishment, and needless to say, Gal doesn't care about that. She would only think that they were amazed by her appearance. I was amazed by her confidence.
"Yeah, whatever." Carl snorted, a chuckle tucked into his voice.
I can only smile without being able to discuss anything else. My chest was tight when we entered this luxurious room. Everything is neatly arranged. Several chairs and a table in the corner, and a not-too-large dining table in the middle of the room. There was a fancy chandelier hanging above it, and, somehow, I was hoping something would make it fall and everyone would die.
It's my demonic side, and I'm sober enough to think that. Maybe it's because I already hate everything in existence, I just wish something would wash it all away.
I sighed as Carl pulled me gently into one of the chairs. Everything was still unoccupied, there was only my older brother, Pascha Mikhalovich—who had always been quiet, and an asshole like he had no siblings. I sat down, one seat away from him, and Carl sat on my left while Gallena was on my other side.
Carl patted Pascha's shoulder who then looked up from his cellphone. "De Sanctis's hasn't come yet?"
I froze.
"Not yet." I can barely hear Pascha's answer. "Maybe they'll be late."
Carl just snorted. "Fucking Italian."
I gulped, my heart pounding in my chest at a speed I couldn't control. My ears were ringing in horror from the terror of fear. "Why the De Sanctis's here?" I asked Carl, while Gall was already grabbing a beer and drinking it.
Carl turns to me, he raises an eyebrow. "You don't know yet?"
"I don't know anything." My voice was almost hissing. My mask is almost cracked.
Carl brings his face to my ear. "There is an arranged marriage." My heart stopped only to take another staggering jump. "Nicholas de Sanctis, and Gallena."
"How.." my eyes widened, looking at him in surprise.
He must be kidding...
Carl put his forefinger in front.
My frantically moving head did not understand. "What do you mean, Carl?"
"Dyadya and Darius de Sanctis arranged their engagement. Are you being unclear?" he whispered sharply.
"And Gallena doesn't know?"
"What do you think she'll do?" he replied.
I blink with something crawling inside me like a deadly fungus. Paralyzing my limbs, one by one.
I don't know what to do. I can't believe this, and didn't expect it. Of all the families in this world... why de Sanctis?
"Don't tell her." Carl said.
I might die. I've never faced any coincidences this terrible.Before the hell named Nicholas de Sanctis came to me, I only knew him as an annoying man who would pass my time just like that, and all would be forgotten. That's why I could only accept whatever it was, resigned to our destiny that met in the middle of a crossroads, and thought that the annoying period with Nicholas de Sanctis would pass me by. But not ..The mother nature must really hate me for what I did in my previous life.How could I find out that Gallena would be his future wife when he knocked me unconscious two days ago and took my virginity? After all, of the many women in this world.. why Gallena? My twin sister?I'm sure somehow it's not a ridiculous coincidence. I never believed in coincidences. Could it be that he did it on purpose?? But for what? His life was so boring that he had to come into my life and bring Gallena into his game?I can't stop cursing whatever this is. Everything piled up in my head until
I didn't try to think any further about what I had seen. About how brutal and horrific it was. About how that came from a man known for his kind hearted attitude, and generosity. Well, nobody's perfect, and the worst will always be.I've met him, and faced the worst of him. But I never expected that Nicholas de Sanctis would be this bad.This completely shocked me, sent chills up my spine with chills and gripping horror. Not only because of the foreshadowing of how we would meet again, but of what he was able to do to me.. and Gallena...He probably wouldn't hurt a woman in such a horrific way. But he will do something else. I've had it before. His words were so sharp and disgusting to remember, something that became a nightmare from my college days. I even had to brace myself while he was still on campus, and then scream with relief when he graduated and he went to his home country. Felt like I was an animal forced to be tied by the neck, unable to do anything but wait for him to unt
I stared at the main hall which was already full of people from the first circular staircase. Several people were already standing in the room, and talking to each other. My cousin Elena was deep in conversation with one of the women in her red dress and high bun.Meanwhile, Pascha was sitting comfortably on the couch, drinking his beer and silently listening to their conversation intently. I saw my parents who were standing outside, beside the swimming pool. They spoke to a couple of the same age and looked very happy. Yeah, of course, they were happy to have thrown their child towards the monster that was going to destroy Gallena, and benefited from that.I don't know where my sister is, and I don't want to know where the monster is. I only wish that I disappeared from anyone's sight, and then all of this would pass quickly. Feeling dizzy and short of breath, I chose to go down the stairs to join Pascha."Are you okay?" I don't know where the Baron came from. He immediately approach
What happened was worse than I thought.I looked at Gallena who was sitting on the floor in her room, leaning against the bedpost. In her hand was a bottle of vodka, which I believe she stole from Grandpa's cellar."I can take care of her, you have to go." I spoke to the Baron over my shoulder. His face looked disapproved, but he snorted and then did as I said.Gal looks up, looks at me with a smile. She had changed her hair color to her original, black. And besides our different traits, our hair is different. If Gal's hair color is black, I have a slightly darker Brunette. That's why it's not hard for anyone to tell us apart. You only have to see our hair to recognize us.Gal hasn't drunk enough yet and I should be thankful for that. I shook my head, and stepped inside after closing the door behind me. This can't be happening. It's not that I don't want to show the courtesy we're forced to do, but it's for the good of my twin sister. She must not be caught drunk by anyone but me. If
Police sirens, low lights, the sound of car horns, and the drizzling rain that adorns the fall of New York in the afternoon accompany me sitting in the cafe.Enjoying coffee in the evening with Elena, my only cousin who is sane and has absolutely no fear of anything. She might look like Gal from the outside. But some people will consider Elena more than Gal. She was the embodiment of rebellion and savagery, and I still don't understand why she didn't fall for the many threats from our grandparents."I didn't expect that such a man would become your future brother-in-law." Elena made a sound between chewing the lasagna which she once called 'the worst lasagna in New York'."Why?" I tilted my head and caught my eye from the two jeeps parked in front of the cafe, and then to the two burly men in boomer jackets sitting not far from us. A quick glance let me know that they were my father's people."He is the dirtiest man, with a bad reputation." Her eyes rolled up, thinking of something. "
"Do you have time for dinner?" Emmett entered the room as Lara and I were getting ready to leave. It's still five o'clock in the afternoon, and my parents are back in Moscow.. so..."Didn't you ever think you were being too demanding?" Lara answered him with a grunt.Emmett narrowed his eyes sharply at my friend."Lara..." my warning went out. "I have time." I said to Emmett. I had agreed to his invitation yesterday, and then I had quite a busy day guiding Gal around the kitchen. I don't have anything else planned today either, so, yeah... maybe spending some time eating dinner with Emmett is a good thing.He smiled brightly. "I'll pick you up at 8?"I nodded. That was enough time to get dressed, after all Baron's apartment wasn't far from my office. I'll dress up there because it's too risky at home. He'd be bleeding at Pascha's hands before he even got to our family town house."I'll send my address." Emmett nodded again and excused himself as he exited our room.Lara looked at me a
I sighed, staring at the way Gallena smiled when she was talking to Darren in the courtyard. How he tried to take her hand, and she took it with passion. There was no one at home except Carl—who was always busy in the basement—and I felt tired because I had just come home after work. Some servants also prefer to be busy with their own affairs rather than taking care of their master's life which is too risky. It was a paradise for Gallena, and when she was free she could do anything. One of them called Darren here and brought him to the room.What will they do when mom and dad come unannounced? I snorted indignantly. My chest feels a little heavier than before. I opened the fridge and pulled cold water to cool my head. I drank it straight from the bottle, and lowered the air-conditioning in the kitchen. I need all of this, don't care if I'm gonna sneeze after.Leaning my butt on the kitchen counter, I pulled my phone from my trouser pocket and typed a message for Gallena.Don't forget
I'm looking for another way to calm myself. The balcony on the top floor is the choice.The view is beautiful because this mansion is close to the Hudson river. An elite and most expensive estate in America, the owner is my big boss, Rhysand del Millero, whose face no one has ever seen. Maybe he's not as narcissistic as the man my sister is already engaged to.I sighed, opened my phone and scrolled boredly through my social media feeds. What happened on the first floor left me breathless. The crowds and all the heavy talk between people displeased me. I've never admired the situation, and usually I can try to keep whatever's stuck in my throat. Usually I try harder, and right now I can't even catch my breath. I felt that the little clothes didn't suit me anymore, and felt that I should temporarily disappear from that world. I never imagined the presence of the De Sanctis could suppress me this much.They are a big family, with awesome intimidation. They were quiet as tombs, and their