II

The drive simply took about ten minutes before they arrived at the venue, and she found that she didn't like how familiar the scene was to the ones of her past. A big venue filled to the brim with the rich and famous, faces that wore good will for

costumes only to disguise their vile crimes beneath. For dangerous were those that dressed their smiles with kindness only to hide their true nature.

The towering building was beautiful in all its splendour, the architecture the kind that held character, with a red carpeted runway up the steps that led to the doors, only to lead them to the crowd within.

It was safe to say she was in no way surprised by the stench of money that filled the room, from grand gowns to tailored suits and the cigar smoke that polluted the air. The conversations were from business to designers and very little about the

main reason they attended the fundraiser. Upon seeing her, the events manager was quick to drag Bella from Deacon's arm, who only waved goodbye with amusement at the panicked look she had as she was dragged away.

By the end of the grand hall was a stage, it held a microphone stand and a grand piano to its corner and Bella couldn't help but wonder why they had hired her and not some classical band, for surely that would have surfaced. Alas, she was here with no idea why because it wasn't like she needed the money, or perhaps it was simply because she wanted to play for an audience that didn't consist of her classmates and college mates.

Perhaps she yearned to feel what it felt like to play for those that had the classic kind of appreciation for music, the kind that would notice even the tiniest of mistakes, like pressing the wrong note regardless of how good it ends up sounding anyways, or actually know who it was that had actually composed the piece.

She wanted to pour her soul into it and have it be admired despite it being nothing but tattered old rags, regale them in the tales of emotions unfelt and actually rouse something within their dead hearts. Although a few could care less for what she played, there were those that did appreciate her talents in the way she wished them to, those that were entranced by the movements of her fingers that pressed every key with such stealth and grace, she was musical elegance redefined. One man thought her to be the epitome of enchantment, stunned but this time, pleasantly so.

The applause were what brought her back to reality from the musical world of blacks and whites, symphonic laughs and melodious lullabies. Alas, their end uncloaked her heart as well from the delightful reprieve that had cocooned it, away from the ache she tried her best to not let show. She smiled, and genuinely so despite the sort of audience they were as they applauded. They liked it, and that was enough for her. With everyone in their designated seats, the event continued, only to drone on, her light playing was the background movement until it was done.

As everyone mingled, she decided it time to get herself something to drink, getting up from the bench before the grand musical piece of equipment, she walked toward the bar. She all but asked for orange juice, quite the contrast to what everyone drank within the hall, and that reason being why she receive a look from the bartender, who thought her simply adorable and quite refreshing, compared to the crowd.

"You play beautifully" came the compliment from her side, when she looked up only to recognise the grey eyes from earlier in the day, she merely gave him a blank look, which only gave rise to amusement within his eyes as he looked at the young

woman.

"I'm also sorry, about earlier" he apologised, having decided he would humour her. The very apology making the bartender wonder if whether he had heard the man correctly, for the hell must be nothing but ice then if thee Genovese could actually

apologise, to a woman no less. For he was used to the man being nothing but cold faced and iced eyed, he spoke to a select few and never smiled with anyone that wasn't family. Yet there he was. His apology seemed enough to soften her exterior and she muttered out a

"Thank you" with a tight lipped smile. She really took the man in then, and properly so, he towered over her in such a way she thought him to be quite a mountain of a man, his muscles weren't the ridiculously large kind, from what she could see from the fine tailored suit he wore. He had black silk for hair and a razor sharp jaw that hid behind a light stubble that gave him a rugged look of a grown man.

The kind that was mature and took charge, knew what they wanted in life and quite frankly had their life figured out. His eyes told her of the chaos he could cause should he choose to. It was then that she realised she was a sucker for grey clouds and stormy skies, for they were devastatingly beautiful.

"So you study music at Brickston then?" he started, an attempt to form a conversation with her, for her voice sounded like nothing but sweet melodies he didn't' mind. she nodded, looking into his eyes

"Yes. Now, am I to think you genuine or this is all a big masquerade?" she couldn't help but question his intentions for speaking to her to begin with, he simply smirked and said

"I don't know; why don't you tell me" seeing mischief in his eyes she was about to retort but stopped when her eyes unconsciously landed on the ones that were an ice blue, they again made an unpleasant shiver run down her spine. She merely stood her gaze stilled, as the man patted a hand on the grey eyed man and said

"Am I to assume you apologised, brother?" he questioned, although paused in her entirety she didn't miss the humour behind his words.

"Please tell me he apologised?" the young man shot the question her direction this time, only to see that she had the same expression she had had when they had met earlier.

"Uhh, yeah, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta, uhh yea" she fumbled over her words and turned to leave, leaving behind two very confused siblings.

"Okay, do I smell repelling or something? that's twice that she's had that reaction to me now" the young man complained to his brother who turned to look at him amused

"Perhaps a woman has finally smelt you for what you are little brother, game less" he says with a chuckle, only to his gaze to land back on the young woman that drank her orange juice from a distance, his eyes filled to the brim with intrigue, only for them to turn cold when he saw her laughing at something Deacon said. Having been deaf to his brother's protests, he didn't care to interrupt his words when he asked

"Did you find out what she is to him?" causing his brother to look at what his big brother was looking at only to focus back on the look he had, shaking his head he said

"She's just his friend, and I know that look. Don't even think about it Luka, she looks way too sweet for our world" he cautioned, to which he got a look from the grey eyed man. Luka simply gave a clueless look to his little brother, a terrible mask to hide what he was truly thinking, for his little brother did know him well. Too well in fact.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Luka said, his tone though sounding innocent, the young man knew better. With a groan he said

"I'm out of here" with that he walked away. Although he couldn't understand how she came to be friends with their rival gang considering what a contrast to them she was, he really didn't want to know what would happen, now that she had caught his brother's eye. Alas, there was no escaping for her, for Luka always did get what ever he wanted, after all.

However, a part of him found himself glad that his brother has finally found something to take his mind off of the events of the last few months. From losing their father to having to take up the responsibility of being a second in command to our uncle. Though he was family, he knew that neither of them could ever come to fully trust the man, for they always felt like there was something off with him.

He thought as he couldn't escape a few men that cornered him into a conversation with them, that where his older brother was concerned, he wouldn't mind sacrificing an innocent every now and then.When the night was done for Bella, she decided she would depart, standing outside in the dead of night as she waited for Deacon to come around with his car, a familiar one pulled up before her.

"Need a ride?" he offered after getting out only to lean against his car, his hands shoved in the pockets of his slacks. Although she found him to be aesthetically pleasing in that moment, she merely shook her head

"No thank you, I already have a ride" she said

"Your boyfriend or something?" he couldn't help but ask, a little peeved by the notion

"You heard her Genovese, she already as a ride" Deacon said as he walked toward the two, internally gloating that she chose to ride with him instead. Bella on the other hand couldn't help the twitching of her right eye at the familiar family name. truly, the fates COULDN'T be THAT cruel, right? She thought again. Her eyes looking at the grey eyed man, he looked nothing like HIM. Remembering his question, she says

"My best friend actually" she says, to which Luka can't help but hiss as if in pain only to chuckle

"Ouch, that must have stung, Torres" a smirk on his lips, to which she furrowed her brows, playing ignorant to what he meant knowing fully well of what the situation was.

"What do you mean, I love him very much and that is enough so I don't get why he'd be hurt" she said. Her words made Luka feel some kind of way when she proclaimed that she loved the young man, highly detesting the idea, veiling his face, to keep from showing what he felt, he said

"But of course, my bad, piccola. Sleep tight" with those words, Luka got into his car and disappeared within the lit city. Although Deacon was slightly stung by her labelling him a mere friend, he found that he would be just fine being that if that was what she wanted.

"Need me to tuck you in, Piccola?" Deacon teased when he dropped her off by the door of her dorm room, to which she rolled her eyes and said

"Good night deacon, and I hope those bed bug do actually bite" closing the door in his face, she could only smile when she heard his laughter resonate through the silent hallways walking away. Letting out a big tiresome sigh, she sluggishly changed out of her clothes only to adorn a white long sleeved nightdress that resembled a baby doll in design. Casting one last glance at her roommate that lay fast asleep and ignorant to the world, she could only hope that her sleep would be just as peaceful. Alas, the universe never listened sometimes.

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"Get up and fight, you weak brat!" the girl screamed at Bella who was sprawled on the floor having been punched and kicked at by the screaming culprit

"I don't know what they see in you, just because you're a Sinclair, all of a sudden you're better than us!?" the girl hissed in question near Bella's ear as she grabbed onto her brown locks that used to be in a ponytail, now a mess from being pulled constantly, to the point she thought she was bound to have a massive headache when she wakes tomorrow.

All of a sudden a voice popped up in Bella's mind and asked her to let go, and for some reason she did, and that was when she wished she hadn't, because that was when she released a monster even she couldn't control. Bella's smile was evil and filled with deadly promises. Her sparring partner had no idea what her words had caused, and she was about to know.

"Ever thought that maybe I Am better?" Bella gritted out, as she grabbed hold of the wrist attached to the hand that was grabbing her hair. Gone was the girl that took it laying down, it was her turn to dish it out, and she would serve it hot for she hated the cold.

"For the fact that I don't use measly words to belittle my opponents" she continued slowly as a snap was heard and a wrenching scream was heard, it took a while before everyone realised that Bella had just snapped the girl's wrist like it was nothing, in their eyes however, they were stunned for they had never seen that dark look in her eyes, if they knew, they wouldn't be surprised to know that a monster now controlled her, a monster that was part of her, that Was her. To them she stood with a sinister smile on her face, as the superiors came rushing to the girl's aid.

That day was the first time Bella realised she had two parts in her and that the other part of her was the evillest she had ever encountered, it felt like she had two versions of her and she was glad that she only broke that girl's wrist and nothing more. But she also knew that should she find herself incapable of controlling the other part of her, next time she wouldn't end with breaking just a hand, but she would cause far more damage than that.

The looks she had received that day made her feel like clawing her other half out of her, Bella didn't want to be feared like that, she wanted them to know she was still the sweet Bella everyone was used to, but deep down she knew they'd never see her the same again, and that hurt

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