He got in one knee and held out the rose. "Valery, will you go to prom with me?"

And just then, when I glanced around the room, I could see Francis.

Staring right back at me, an unreadable expression.

"Uh..."

Everyone was looking at us as I stared down at Tyler. He looked so happy and hopeful that it made me smile a little bit too.

"Yes."

The room erupts into applause, and I helped Tyler off his knees, and he hugs me, which I return. "Thanks Val."

"No problem." I smile and go to sit down only to be met with a glare. Francis.

He came to sit next to me, but I quickly moved next to Chelsey again, leaving him next to Tyler, aggravating him more.

"We should so go dress shopping together!" she squeals, and I nodded eagerly as we spent the rest of the lesson planning on what shops to go to.

All while I was being sent daggers.

I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead as I glance to my side and find his head resting on his hands, eyes trained on me, but they held a question, almost as if I could read it.

Did you really make the right choice?

It's finally the weekend and I'm free of Francis. He hasn't bothered me at all since that dreadful class and I think it felt nice, but I did feel like something was brewing. I had grown to know that with him around me in a setting like this, something was bound to go wrong.

Thankfully I was at the mall with Ally, Leila and Chelsey and they were keeping me distracted.

We were going from store to store, and I was the only one that hadn't gotten my dress yet, making all the girls more and more antsy.

Finally, it was getting dark, and we all decided that the store that we were in would be my last.

"Come on Val! You can do it!" Cheered Leila as I was in the dressing room, admiring my options.

There were three dresses that each of them had chosen me, and it was one of the three that I was going to wear.

The first dress was a thigh length black dress with thin layers and a tight corset; Chelsey had chosen it for me. I open the dressing curtain and I'm greeted with a squeal of delight coming from Chelsey. She jumps out of her seat and points to the two still seated.

"I told you guys! Black is so her colour!" She boasts and I laugh lightly but look at the other two.

"What do you rate it?" I ask giving them a twirl and they ponder to themselves.

"6.5/10" rates Leila

"5/10" says Ally and Chelsey rolls her eyes with a loud sigh.

"You guys are just jealous mine is the best. 10/10!" I smile at their antics and turn to change into the next option, chosen by Ally.

It was a white dress that was tight around my waist to legs, all down to my feet and had a flowery corset.

Remerging from the cubicle, Ally started clapping, mostly to herself, proudly.

"You have to admit that white makes her look like a princess!" she squeals, and the others shake their heads.

"She looks like she's getting married." critiques Leila and Chelsey agrees "I do like the flower pattern though."

"7/10" Chelsey says

"7.5" Leila says and I scoff at the trio.

"Time for the final dress." I announce and overlook what I was about to put on.

It was a beautiful, silk, blood red dress and it was tight around the waist but flowed all the way down to the floor smoothly. There were sewed on sleeves to the side that were layered and dropped. The dress hugged my chest but let off enough to look natural and the back was bare, in an oval shape. The embroidery was stunning as well.

As I stepped out, everyone's eyes widened, and Leila smiled.

"10/10" she cheers, and the others agree. I smile to myself happily.

All day running around, and it had finally paid off.

Twirling around for the final time, I go and change but not before staring at myself in the mirror a bit more. I loved it.

Getting ushered to the till by my friends, the cashier scanned the price tag and waited for me to pay.

Pulling out my card, I glanced at the price only to freeze at the number presented.

"Your total is five hundred- and fifty-dollars ma'am." She said politely but my eyes are still widened at the words.

Quickly going on my phone, I started to search for my account.

"I only planned on spending 300 max." I groaned and the others gasped.

"Come on Val, you have to get this dress! It was made for you!" Urged Ally and I nodded slowly but stopped as I look over my account.

It used to only have 300 dollars... but now it had 10,300 dollars? Going to my transactions, there was a transaction given by none other than Francis himself.

—————

Prom Dress Donation for my love

+$10,000.00

Transaction made Today, 12:04pm

—————

But it's now 12:10?

"No way! Who gave you that much money Valery?" Ally says, peering over my shoulder to look at my phone but I put my phone away before she could see who it was.

"I don't know. It didn't say." I shrugged "But at least I can afford the dress now!" I said in a cheery tone trying to distract them and they all nodded eagerly as I swiped my card, and it was approved.

Not knowing if it was just my paranoia, I looked around, wanting to see if he was really watching and sure enough, I could see a figure dressed in all black facing the store from across the busy mall corridor, seemingly staring at his phone but I caught him glancing up at me

"Let's go girls" Ushering the girls away from him as quickly as possible, but we still had to wait outside for a taxi to pick us up.

As we were making small chat, there was a car horn that caught our attention and when we looked up, we saw it was a vacant taxi.

I volunteered to go in the front and the others in the back. Getting into the car, I caught onto a suit that looked familiar.

One of Francis's henchmen!

Instantly freezing in my position as I sat down, we locked eyes. He gave me a small smile and I just wanted to slap it from him. I can't believe I'm stuck in a car with one of his spies for the next ten minutes!

The girls in the back were chatting away, but I felt as if I said something that I would end up regretting it.

So, all I did, for what felt like eternity, was stare out the front window, knowing that the suited man was watching my every move. and probably had a loaded gun in his pocket.

I couldn't stay calm.

Finally, the car was empty so none of my friends could get hurt now. It was just me and the enemy.

It's now silent and as we're about to reach my stop, the man speaks up,

"You know that the whole gang misses you dearly? Especially Boss." he questions suddenly, and I turn my head to see his face a void of any emotion.

"That's all I've been told." I sigh and lean my head onto the side window, only to move it back up as we halt to a stop.

I look at him as he fishes a neatly folded piece of paper out of his pocket, and hands it to me. Looking at him, he stares back with all seriousness.

"Please consider going." was all he said before shutting more door and speeding away.

Standing there dumbfound for a few minutes, I finally looked down at the piece of paper in hand and open it carefully, only for my hands to strain the edges as I read his handwriting.

'Before you close this letter Valentina,

Please think about meeting me at midnight at the top of Beacon Hill

Your love, Francis'

Quickly folding back, the paper I buried it in my pocket and stormed back into my apartment.

Did he really expect me to forgive him that quickly? He couldn't just point a gun to someone's head and then bribe me with a dress to make me want to meet up with him.

Who does he think he is?

Slouching into my desk chair, I started to study for end of year exams, not realising how late it was until I looked at my clock to see that it was 10:00pm and the city was now covered in the white and red lights of the lively city below me.

Rubbing my head, I could feel the anxiety of the day catching up and I got out of my chair to go to the bathroom to get some pills. Without even glancing at the mirror on the cupboard, I grabbed onto the container and opened it, only to see it was empty. What?

I knew that I hadn't finished them that quickly, As I look up to the mirror, I see a sticky note on it and instantly clenched my jaw to yet another letter from him.

"This is helping you quit xx " I mock in his tone and scoff. I didn't need his help.

"Maybe I should go get some exercise instead." I utter to myself before shrugging a coat on, opening the living room window, and slipping out.

Once again, I was greeted with the cold air and I took a deep breath in, releasing myself of my worries.

The clouds were lower than usual today, so when I go on top of the usual building I sit on, I'm above the clouds- it was usually a place I observe other's behaviours, but it was hard to see through the fog, even with my eyesight.

Leaning back, I instead look at the skyscrapers peaking upwards and see lights in windows disappear as the night progresses.

I flop onto my back, and I gaze at the dots of light above me, enjoying the clear sky of the night. With the cold air pushing itself against my face softly, my eyelids closed slowly, I was so tired, and I fell asleep there.

Gasp

There was a gust of cold wind and I shot up into a sitting position. Franticly eyeing my surroundings, I sigh to myself as I realised that I was still on the rooftop and pushed myself off the cold concrete.

The climate was getting lower by the second as there was another gust of cold and I stuff my hands in my pocket but pause as I feel something crumple.

I retrieve the paper note I was given by the supposed taxi driver.

I reread it again and grunted as I balled it in my fist and dropped it on the floor before spreading my wings and leaving the rooftop. Fuck it.

The hill was silent, and not how I expected it to be.

Walking through the trees and bushes, I expected him to make a grand gesture towards me but when I emerged to the final hill, he was only leaning on the railing, facing the busy city and I stood silently behind him, knowing that he could already sense my presence.

And we were both wondering who was going to make the first move.

"Not even a hello?" he asks suddenly making me flinch, but I still stayed silent with a staring glare.

Francis turns around and we connect eyes, both holding it intently. He frowns and I furrow my eyebrows and look away, hugging myself to distract from the cold.

We stayed still for so long that I even started to shiver and that's when he makes his move. Walking up to me, he takes off his large blazer and places it around my shoulders, even buttoning it up.

He isn't smiling, nor frowning, but he looks sad in his dark contacts.

My face was red the whole time, warming me up but it ended as he stood back up and stared into my eyes deeply.

"Why did you do it?" he asks sadly, averting his eyes and I tilted my head, confused to what he was referring to, but he just sighed harshly.

"Why did you say yes?" it was vague but after he said that it clicks in my head.

The proposal.

I smile softly and even chuckle a little. "He only meant it as a friend." I say soft but confidently. He looks at me seriously and bends to meet my height. The man raises an eyebrow.

"Are you sure about that?" he said deeply, so deep that I thin my lips and look away, questioning myself.

He had never shown any romantic feelings to me... so why now?

"Yes?" I say but it comes out more like a question.

He groans again grabbing a hold of my waist with one hand and pulling me closer, then moving one of his fingers to tail upwards on my back slowly making shivers travel all throughout it. "And do you feel the same? Him as a friend?"

"Yes." Sounding more confident, his finger trailing on my back stops near the neck, and he leans over my face so that we're inches apart.

"Good." Was all he said before he pushes a single finger on a pressure point.

It was a strange feeling, and a pulse ran all throughout my body and my back arches before my wings appeared and I looked back in shock, curving them in front of me that I could feel them.

"Must've hit a soft spot?" he suggests tauntingly, and I send him a stern look, taking no toll on his mischievousness.

I close my eyes to calm myself but once I reopen my eyes, Francis wasn't in front of me. As I was about to turn around, I was stopped. There was a hot breath pushed against the back of my neck and hands tracing down each of my wings.

"They serve as a reminder. That you're mine. Not anyone else's" He whispered in my ear and a tingle went through my body, I could feel his lips getting closer to my skin, but once it was about to touch, it vanishes.

When I turn around, I greeted with nobody.

We'll see about that.