Elegance with Expense

61. Diamonds, Gold and Arrogance

I stood, slightly pressed against the guard who tried to keep me back, and stared at the 3 people before me. 

Vince didn't even look at me, Armani sighed, then Milan stared directly through me. I swear I saw him curse under his breath, his eyes darkened and sank a little bit. I continued to look at him, he couldn't bare it, what was this, betrayal? He looked down to his expensive shoes.

Being paid by the Rossi's. Of course he can afford them. I never knew he had a job, never mind a job working for my family. 

She was put into danger, under your partial supervision.

Why was my safety his responsibility? It didn't make sense. He was only a few years older than me, and knowing the protectiveness of my family, they would not put my safety in the hands of a teenager. It makes as much sense as putting milk before cereal.

I can't seriously be willing to bless my brother with my theory after he quite literally paid someone to get close enough to me, so that I would grow comfortable with him around. Is this some kind of sick joke? This whole thing, was it all fake?

'Why don't you come inside Alessa.' Armani finally broke the stunned silence, and invited me inside. 

At this point, the guard had stepped back, and had made a clear path. There may as well have been a red carpet, all eyes were on me. But I didn't want to walk the carpet, I didn't want to go inside. 'Come on.' He repeated after he saw my hesitation.

My stubborn self huffed internally, pushed my pride aside and walked in with heavy feet. I travelled to the complete opposite side of the room, the warm browns only fuelling the heat I felt inside my chest.

I wanted to hurt everyone. 

Sometimes I'm weak, and sometimes I'm broke, but now. What on earth was I supposed to feel, what would be an understandable way to react. Should I scream at my brothers, after everything they do for me? Should I pretend as though this doesn't bother me? Should I avoid Milan at school?

Why can't I have an ounce, just an ounce, of normality in my life. 

Being born into a family, dominated by men involved in illegal businesses. Taken by my alcoholic mother to a country, half way across the world, just for her to be murdered in front of my eyes a few years later. I was then tortured endlessly, and later found out that I had a long lost family, living a double life, on the other end of the planet. I witnessed more torture, to me and to others, I met my dead relatives. The person I shared my first kiss with was apparently another bodyguard, and his fake friend wants me dead, because his father knows the Russian mafia, who are supposedly undercover, and working in this house.

When you fully take into account everything that has been experienced in your life, recently or previously, memories emerge that you didn't even know existed. Flashbacks, all the times people lied to me. Even twisting the truth is under the umbrella term of a lie. 

Hurt, is what I felt. They say I can trust them, how am I supposed to give them something like that, when I have had issues with It my entire life. 

I see my friends, living a carefree life in London. After Beth recovered, she began to go out again, finally doing all the things we used to do together. It feels so wrong, being locked up in a giant house, knowing that I am always under supervision, knowing that I need permission of a sibling before I can leave the bloody house. 

And now, something I thought was an escape, school, new friends, a first. It was planned? Obviously not the kissing part, but the principle of the matter is that a supposed friend was paid for. How could I be so naive. Meeting him in the restaurant, doing what he did, and Romeo not skinning him alive.