The evening was spent sipping on fancy champagne glasses and complimenting the expensive booze while picking at the platters of fruits, vegetables and cheese the waiters carried around to serve the room full of people who were practically famous, and not all just for business reasons.It was a room full of dangerous people, one’s known to be involved with crime and others simply suspected, but there were very few guests with a certain innocence, who were either clueless or reckless enough to have befriended these people. It was hard to spot a guest with that title of innocence, though. Next to impossible, really. Which is why a good number of people in the room were also dressed in uniforms that read “security”, standing out from the sea of women dressed in lavish dresses with faces full of makeup and jewelry to match, and the men in dapper suits who sported just as expensive accessories as watches and rings.Everyone was trying to outdo the next person, showing off how much they had,
Today was the day.The day that everyone has been looking forward to all month ⏤ that was everyone expect the bride and groom, who couldn’t possibly dread the day ahead of them anymore. The day they would join their lives and tie souls together forever, giving their hearts away and promising “till death do us part”, as if they had a choice.The morning was pure chaos. Liviana, who hadn’t slept a wink, was forced out of the safety of her bed at merely six in the morning to get ready, welcoming Leona and Violet into her room after they had nearly taken the hotel door down with their fists, pounding until they woke the whole floor and succeeded at getting inside to Livi, who was less than pleased at their arrival, despite how fond she has grown of the two women.“Well,” Leona whistles, taking in the girl’s zombie-like demeanor. “Someone is not a morning person.”“You are not a morning person.” Violet points out, giving her a look before turning to Liviana. “What’s wrong, hon? And I mean,
“This is bullshit.”Blaze Castelli curses as he storms back into his dressing room, his brother and father in tow. “Blaze-““I thought we would be able to get through this as fast as possible, but instead, I’m stuck waiting for her.” He scoffs. “What kind of bride is late to her own wedding?”“One who doesn’t wish to be married.” Lucius says, taking a seat and looking up calmly at his son as he gives a reminder. “It would do you well to remember that you are not the only one opposed to this arrangement. Liviana wants this no more than you do.”“I don’t care what she wants.” He says. “I care about our reputation, and she is putting that in jeopardy right now. What will they think when the wedding is pushed back an hour, or two ⏤ however long it takes for her to get a hold of herself? They’re going to think she’s tried to run, just like her sister. What then? What will they think of us? Of me? Having chased off two brides? They’re going to start questioning our capabilities to hold dow
“May I have your attention, please?” With the voice of Elara Castelli sounding through the speakers, heads are quick to turn. The woman stands in the middle of the room, a microphone in hand and a smile on her face as she looks around. Lucius is by her side, his arm around her back as he addresses the rooms full of guests with a mic of his own.“Thank you. Now, if you’ll turn to the door, we would like to welcome our wonderful family and its recent additions.” He says, turning to where the family was already filing in.Leona and Amara lead Armani and Violet, the Castelli’s before the Santora’s who follow behind the rest.“And now, finally, for the first time tonight, it will be my honor to announce the newlyweds.” Elara goes on, her smile growing as the freshly married couple appear through the curtains. “Please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Castelli.”“Please, put your hands together for Blaze and Liviana.” Lucius adds, and as if that was the permission they needed, applause sounds through t
“I love you.” Liviana sniffles, arms wrapped tightly around her brother as they say their goodbyes. “And I’m going to miss you so much.”“I know it’s like impossible and all, because I’m so amazing, but don’t miss me too much.” He says, holding onto her just as tight as she chuckles at his egotistical words. “But don’t miss me too much. This isn’t a permanent goodbye, you know?”“I know, but still.” She mumbles, pulling away and wiping away her tears. “You’re my baby brother, and I’m going to miss you so much. It’s going to be so strange not being with you every day.”“I know, but we’re still going to talk every day.” He promises, forcing a small smile as he does his best to hold back his own tears. “We’ll call and text, and we’ll visit as much as possible, right?”“Yeah, of course.” She nods, giving a sad smile. “Promise?” She holds up her pinky, the boy laughing as he connects his to hers. “Promise.”“As much as I hate to break this up, you really have to get going.” Violet gently
“You’re surprisingly childish, you know?” Liviana pipes, arms crossed as she stares at the man across from her, a challenging look in her eyes as she looks him up and down. “For a man with a reputation such as yours.”“And what reputation is that?” Blaze asks, holding her gaze well as he waits for her to start fumbling, whether it be with her words or the new confidence she had been clutching onto throughout the day, an act he knew she would let slip sooner or later. “You know which one I’m talking about.”“Do I?” He asks, resting his elbows on his knees as he leans forward, acting as if this were business now, yet his voice was still low with a rasp as he spoke to her, his demeanor different from when he was dealing with anyone else. Liviana watches him, nodding and mumbling out a ‘yeah’.“Spell it out for me.” Blaze says. “After all, I have a fair amount of different reputations. I need some clarity on which you’re referring to.”“The reputation of being a heartless, emotionless,
Pulling the knitted sweater over her head and tucking it into the top of her jeans, Liviana takes a breath, having a silent debate with herself through the mirror to decide if she wanted to do her makeup or not.She knew that if Drusilla were here, the decision would already have been made.“You need to have a face on at all times, Liviana. Being seen without your mask is like walking the streets exposed. It’s despicable and, quite frankly, disturbing.”Her mother’s speech would change every so often, giving the evaluation of a woman walking about without a face being similar to one of those cats without fur, something Drusilla referred to as disgusting.But Drusilla wasn’t there, Liviana had to remind herself. Her mother wouldn’t be waiting outside the bathroom door to ridicule her for looking horrendous without her makeup to cover any and all of her flaws, such as the small beauty mark hidden by her hairline, a mark her mother constantly reminded her about by speaking of how ugly it
A safe haven. That’s what Liviana realized this plane ride was. A stop in heaven before arriving in hell - if hell was disguised as a beautiful island, a private paradise. Which, in her case, it was.Liviana lays in her bed, in this beautiful room she had been given in one of the four large vacation homes that the Castelli’s had built on their island, and apparently, this one was specially made for her and Blaze, because every married couple deserves their own private space, even when on a vacation. Liviana was still trying to grasp the thought of it being tradition for every married Castelli to get their own home as a wedding gift, as if Elara and Lucius were giving one final gift after a life of taking care of their children who were their problem no more, a house acting as a college fund would for a young adult going off into the world for the first time alone. It was a strange, expensive gesture, one she never would have dreamed she would be on the receiving end of, yet here she
"Why are you here?" Luka repeats the tired question, face to face with his supposed best friend who, at this point, he wasn't sure he recognized. Are they even best friends anymore? Could he even call them that? He would always be hers, but... could he call her his? God, he hoped so.Liviana narrows her eyes, refraining from an eye roll as she finds herself right back where she started. When was he going to get it? Could he? Would he ever understand? "Luke, I already told you-""No," Luka denies. "You already lied to me," he corrects. "And now- now I want the truth.""The truth? Oh, my gosh- what are you even talking about?" She stresses. "What makes you think I'm lying, huh?""Because I know you, Liviana!" He says. "I know you, and I know that you don't belong here - that you wouldn't have come if you didn't want to. You have to have a reason.""My sister is my reason!" Livi defends. "I would do anything for Emilia! You know that-""Anything? Really?""Yes!" She nods. "Anything - any
Hours passed by and before anyone knew it, it was 3AM and the party was in full-swing - somehow even crazier than it was before. Liviana almost couldn't believe it, having thought it couldn't have gotten any worse. But of course, she was wrong, and it did - it got worse.Drinks were flowing faster than the blood from her raging heart, and she could hear the wild beat of it drumming loudly in her ears as she danced - or at least tried to dance. Today she had found out that she wasn't such a good dancer, after all. And no amount of ballet lessons had changed that. Mostly, she just jumped around and smiled, calling it dancing as a desperate cover - something her friend had no problem pointing out."Do you even know what you're doing?" Luka wondered, grinning as he watched the girl frolic in the middle of the dance floor, and he just couldn't help himself - he had to tease her, even if only a little, because, otherwise, what kind of friend would he really be?"Of course I do!" She insists
Little Liviana stood tall and alone, pushed to the back of the room while her siblings danced around in the center. Emilia always was better at being the center of attention- she thrived off of the spotlight. And Tino... he lived and breathed to find even the smallest dose of fun. It looked as though they were in their element, having the time of their life. As much as she wanted to leave - even after her touching talk with her sister - she just couldn't bring herself to ruin it for them. So, she stayed.She stayed, sat, waited and listened, watching as the time flew by right in front of her eyes. And then, before she knew it, two more hours had passed, and it was after midnight. It was late, but was it too late? She couldn't be sure. All she had left to do was to hope and pray.The young girl sighs, head tilting to the side as she pries her eyes away from the scene, only to latch on to another. And God, if this one wasn't shocking, she wasn't sure she knew what shocking was anymore.
A young Liviana sat quietly, nervously, in the corner of the over-crowded room, people watching as though her life depended on it. What was she watching for? Not even she was sure. But that didn't stop her from looking.Her green eyes scanned over the crowd with caution, darting around from face to face and person to person. She watches them closely, almost as if she was waiting for something. And in a way, she was. She was looking for clarity, waiting and hoping it would find her and help her make the right choices. Liviana was waiting on her guardian angel to offer some wisdom, but it was clear her angel must have been busy, having failed to provide guidance on each instance as of late. She was beginning to wonder if she even had one anymore... maybe she quit - who knows? Sighing at the thought, she tilts her head back, resting it against the wall and allowing herself a short break. Her eyes fall shut, and for a moment, she just thinks - listens. She just is. The air was hot, thic
Little Liviana stood tall and alone, pushed to the back of the room while her siblings danced around in the center. Emilia always was better at being the center of attention- she thrived off of the spotlight. And Tino... he lived and breathed to find even the smallest dose of fun. It looked as though they were in their element, having the time of their life. As much as she wanted to leave - even after her touching talk with her sister - she just couldn't bring herself to ruin it for them. So, she stayed.She stayed, sat, waited and listened, watching as the time flew by right in front of her eyes. And then, before she knew it, two more hours had passed and it was after midnight. It was late, but was it too late? She couldn't be sure. All she had left to do was to hope and pray.The young girl sighs, head tilting to the side as she pries her eyes away from the scene, only to latch on to another. And God, if this one wasn't shocking, she wasn't sure she knew what shocking was anymore.F
The set of the three Santora siblings approaches the lively house with caution. "Is this it?" Liviana asks, stopping to stare up at the place that was practically bursting at the seams with people. She couldn't believe she was here. She never thought they would actually make it - she hoped Emilia was more reasonable, and prayed she would come to her senses. And yet, here they were. They finally made it."Yeah," Emilia mutters, a smile stretching widely across her lips as she takes in the view behind her. It was everything she could have ever hoped it'd be. It was the perfect picture - practically ripped right out of the movies. And God, she couldn't wait to join in. "Come on! Let's go!"Suddenly, the girl is surging forward and rushing up the stairs, calling for her siblings to follow her in what they could only imagine being an overcrowded, overstimulating mess. It was safe to say that Liviana and Tino were nowhere near as excited as their sister was. "Wait!" Livi calls, taking a st
"How much farther?" A young Liviana questioned, trailing behind her siblings and dragging her feet with her dread. "I thought you said it wasn't far-""Because it's not," Emilia insists. "It's just up ahead.""Are you sure?" She asks, unsure of herself as well as her sister. Emilia didn't seem to know what she was doing, and it scared Liviana. Why did she agree to this?Emilia huffs, nodding. "Yes, Liviana. I'm sure," she says. "Just trust me, alright? I know what I'm doing."Did she? Liviana couldn't be sure, and she wasn't sure she wanted to stick around to find out. Was this really worth it? She didn't think so. "You know," Liviana clears her throat, skipping a step to catch up to her siblings. "It's not too late.""Too late?" Tino echoes. "Too late for what?""Too late to turn back-"At this, Emilia comes to a halt and whips around to face her sister. "Go back?" She asks, her eyebrows knitting together as she asks, "what do you mean turn back?""I mean that it's not too late to ba
Young Liviana sat quietly on her bed, her head hanging low in her hands as her mind spun. What was she doing? What was she supposed to do?Her mind was running in circles, replaying those dreadful conversations over and over again and forcing her to face the questions she hated to have to answer. Which one of her siblings would she stand by? Emilia or Ben? Who did she trust more?The thought alone was upsetting, and she couldn't bring herself to answer it. How could she ever choose between the two? They were both her biggest protectors - in their own ways - and she needed them. How was she expected to pick a side and betray the two people she loved most in the world? It was an impossible decision, and she couldn't wrap her head around it. Emilia or Ben? Her sister or her brother? Her head or her heart?"Fuck," she curses, eyes squeezing tightly shut at the sharp pain she feels shooting through her temple. The question itself sounded difficult and painful, but it felt worse than she
Liviana stood thoughtfully before her mirror, examining her reflection closely as she slowly put herself together.It started with the makeup - her sister's special touch, as Emilia insisted they must look their best - though her version of the best varied from that of their mothers. She had never worn a mask so dark.Next were the clothes - clothes she would never call her own, as she couldn't even call them comfortable."Do I really have to wear this?" She asks, pulling at the bottom of the short black dress in a poor, pointless attempt at making it longer. She had never worn anything so small. "It's basically a shirt-"Emilia rolls her eyes from behind the girl, calling her dramatic. "It's not that short," she disagrees. "And besides, it's pretty.""It is kinda pretty," Livi doesn't deny it, muttering to herself about how nice it looked. "But it's too short, Emilia. It's not for me, okay? It's too... different.""Different is good!" Emilia argues. "It's, like, the whole point, Livi