II

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.