"Psycho! I know you're in there! Come out!" Mary yelled from outside my locked door.

"No thanks," I said unexcitedly.

She seethed, "Open this door!"

"Find a key," I deadpanned.

Not long after, I heard the door lock jingle.

"Guess she did find one," I sighed, preparing for her wrath.

She opened the door, looking frazzled.

"You." She pointed an accusing finger at me.

I stood up and took very slow steps towards her, careful not to anger the beast. "I don't see why I even have to attend this thing."

She huffed, "How many time do I have to explain this? If Elenora says you go, you go."

I didn't understand why everybody was so willing to do what this woman asked.

But I gave in, nonetheless. "Fine." I held my hands out as if she was about to handcuff me.

"Hurry, we lost a lot of time when I had to chase you down." She gestured for me to follow her. Less than a week ago, Santiago warned me about the Gala which took place tonight. The dreaded event had come sooner that I had thought.

We left the library which I had locked myself in and went upstairs, presumably to my bedroom.

Sitting in the middle of my room was a mannequin.

"Elenora sent over your dress." She smirked.

"That's mine?" My eyes went wide.

Mary only nodded.

"I don't understand, why would she send me a dress?" I looked over to Mary with creased eyebrows.

She sighed. "The better we look, the better my aunt looks."

That stopped me in my tracks. "Y-Your aunt? Elenora?"

She laughed. "Yes, she's my aunt. Moretti is my cousin."

My face still looked obviously confused, so Mary continued.

"Let's just say I got into a bit of trouble with my parents, so they sent me here for some "real-life experience" you know?" She used finger quotes and rolled her eyes.

I shook my head. "I had no idea."

She smiled, "Doesn't matter really, what matters now is that we both get ready in time."

She sat me down at the unused vanity in the corner of my room and began working on my hair. "Good God, do you ever run a brush through this shit?" We both laughed.

Once she was done, my hair looked wavy and voluminous. I ran my fingers through it lightly, careful not to mess it up. "Wow, Mary. Maybe you aren't completely useless." She slapped my arm playfully.

Once she had finished my hair and done my makeup, I attempted to help her with her own. But soon enough, she scolded me for my poor makeup skills and decided she'd do it herself.

Once she was done, I zipped Mary up in her own dress.

The blue complimented her eyes and tan. She had pulled her hair into a complicated updo that I couldn't even fathom trying to attempt to do myself.

"How much time do we have now?" I asked her, unsure of when it started.

"Let's just say, if we leave now, we might be able to arrive fashionably late." She spoke, which was her way of saying "get your ass in the car."

So we left the mansion, Santiago and Moretti already having left earlier in the day to keep Elenora company.

The limousine pulled us into a large building in the city, the lights from inside illuminating the dark city streets.

Two assigned bodyguards followed us on our way inside the Gala. Funny.

Mary gripped my hand tightly with her ring covered one and pulled me inside.

The place was ginormous and filled with tons of wealthy people. The lights of the chandeliers fully illuminated the hall and casted a glow on the people dancing below us.

I could get lost in here.

At least Mary seemed to know where she was going. She pulled us both past the crowds and to the other side of the hall to a small stairway, leading to the second floor terrace that overlooked the main room.

I kept quiet as Mary brought us to a private part of the terrace and a bodyguard stopped us. But after recognizing Mary, he let us pass by him, no problem.

As we walked in, Mary squealed, "Aunt Elenora!" She sped up and ran to give her aunt a hug.

I followed behind her and stood next to them.

Elenora was an older woman, distinguished and refined. But as she looked over Mary's shoulder at me, I saw a fire in her eyes. She gave me a quick once over then pulled back from Mary's hug.

"It's about time you arrived, Dear." She crossed her hands elegantly in front of herself, her hands covered in jewels.

I spoke up, "I'm afraid that's my fault. Had a hard time getting the dress on," I laughed.

Elenora did not laugh. "Oh, was there an issue with the dress?"

"No. No definitely not. Thank you, by the way." I covered up for myself.

She smiled thinly. "Do not worry about it. You are a guest of my son's, are you not?"

I just nodded and smiled thinly, as well.

Mary was still just as excited, "We better be off, see you Aunt Elenora!"

"Goodbye, my Mary," She blew Mary a kiss, then looked my way, "Bella." We nodded goodbye to one another.

That woman was intense. And I get the feeling she was not very fond of me.

Before long, Mary had found herself a man, or two to dance with. And while I had been asked to dance a multitude of times, I stood by myself upon the balcony, watching Mary prance around instead.

Galas were not nearly as fun when you aren't allowed to kill anybody there.

However that did not stop me from strapping a pistol to my thigh before we arrived.

Let's not forget the knife stashed on my other thigh, either.

With a sigh, I watched the people below me dance. Until a particular figure caught my eye. Tall and lean, with just the perfect amount of muscle. His body covered in a tight, fitted suit that hugged his broad shoulders and back. My eyes went from his shoes, to his legs, all the way up to his mess of dark hair.

What I then noticed was the woman he was dancing with. A bombshell blonde, who looked as if she had been melted and poured into her pink diamond gown. Oh, how I imagined turning that dress red.

They were close, her eyes stuck on him for the entirety of the dance. I looked around, eager to find something, anything else to look at when my eyes found Elenora, smiling proudly at the pair dancing below. Perhaps she had set them up. Good. Great. Perfect. I grinded my teeth together.

I looked back at Moretti.

For a moment, he looked up toward the balcony, his eyes catching mine. His movements froze for a second as he watched me stare him down.

Was it fair of me to be jealous of a man I had rejected? I wanted Moretti. I wanted him bad. But I didn't know how to have him and now sacrifice any of my power.

I had hoped that from this distance he could not recognize me, or notice the ugly jealousy that covered my face. Maybe I just looked like some girl in a dress.

But as he left his dance partner and stalked towards me, never breaking eye contact, I realized I was mistaken.