Ready or not....here I go," Alina thought, walking into the dining hall where she saw the familiar faces of Victoria and Bryce.
Victoria sat down at the dinner table in her all glorious beauty, smacking on her gum noisy and playing with a few strands of her dark blonde hair while Bryson had his head down as he looked at his phone like it was his entire life.
"Bryce, get off your phone and look up." Miranda said, and he groaned loudly, but looked up.
The moment he saw Alina, he gave her a small smile which looked forced and bowed his head back down. Victoria flaunted her manicured nails around, whispering something in the ear of Bryson.
"Well look who's here. What a surprise, little sister. If I may ask, why now?" She asked Alina with no happiness in her tone, only suspicion and annoyance.
Since their childhood Victoria never really got along with her younger sister. In her eyes, Alina was just a competition to her, which is why she never really gave her the sisterly love she received from Ashley.
Alina didn't know how to respond to her venomous words. The tone she used had gave off how much she wasn't pleased with Alina's presence. It hurt her knowing that she wasn't really wanted, it was all a facade, but the hurt and betrayal she was about to give was way worse than a few words from her doll of a sister.
"Good to see you to, Vicki. It hurts a little to know you didn't miss me." She pouted, holding her heart like it was in pain.
"Oh, please. Stop that little game of yours. You might be able to trick everyone else but not me. I know your intentions for being here is far from lovely." She glared at her younger sister, making her shiver inside.
Many thoughts ran into her mind. "How could she sniff me out like some blood hound?" Alina thought.
"Please get along, at least for tonight ladies. I want tonight to be perfect for everyone, so be happy." Their mother pleaded with puppy eyes.
Victoria gave her a fake smile with a roll of her eyes. "Whatever mom, let's just get this over with...shall we?"
Alina sat down beside Ashley and Malinda, while Victoria sat alongside Bryce and across from Ashley.
They passed out the dishes full of different types of food, most of them Alina's favorites from her childhood. By the time everyone got their hands on the dishes, all of their plates were filled.
"So dear, what have you been up to these last few years. You seemed busy." Malinda asked her daughter.
Her breath hitched and her mind was running a marathon in a minute, trying to come up with a convincing story. Tristan and her went over a few different options for answers, but she knew her family could easily sniff out a lie if it wasn't told right. Especially Victoria. She was the goddess of lies, so she knew when you were telling one.
"Actually I got a job at black enterprises. I work as an assistant for the boss and my salary is well. I live a few hours away from here, but I'm currently staying with my friend." She told a half truth.
Their mother nodded and so did Ashley. Victoria wasn't falling for her lies, she knew Alina was up to no good. Bryce sat down, stuffing his face while on his phone.
"So, I had called some times. Why didn't you pick up?" Ashley question with a raised eyebrow.
Alina cleared her throat and looked down in nervousness. "I haven't been really...on my phone, lately. I had troubles with it starting so I just waited to get a new one."
"What friend are you staying with, and why? Don't you have your own home in the city?" Her mom asked in which she nodded.
"Yes I do, but he's sick, so I am staying with him..." She immediately blushed in embarrassment, her face giving away her lie.
"Mm hmm, is that so?"
"Yes mom, it is so..."
"Ouuuu, Alina has a boyfriend!" Ashley teased her.
Her face turned crimson red and she looked down to hide it. "Noo, I don't. He isn't my boyfriend. I could never love him more than a friend..." She said. It wasn't actually a lie though. Tristan and her could never love each other, they weren't even friends. If anything...they were enemies.
"Uh huh, I'm not falling for it..." Ashley folded her arms and laid back in the chair, her eyes never leaving Alina.
She cleared her throat and began eating, although she didn't have an appetite for anything. They hit her with different questions and she gave short answers, but they weren't in the least of satisfied.
"What's going on, Alina. You seem off, somewhat." Her mother asked, worry for her daughter evident on her face.
"I...it's nothing. It's just weird being here, I guess." She shrugged, hoping they would take her lie and move on.
"Yeah, maybe so..." A small sigh erupted from Alina when she noticed that her mother has accepted her response and didn't continue pestering her with questions.
"Yeah, you should. It was you who left anyway." Victoria sneered from across the table. Alina had decided to ignore her and continue eating.
Ashley tried to make funny jokes to erase the awkward and uncomfortable tension, but it did nothing.
Bryce hadn't said a thing the entire dinner, instead he ate in silence and gave his attention completely to whatever he was looking at on his phone.
Alina was starting to get more and more uncomfortable each passing second while Victoria glared at her, and her sister and mother occasionally gave her questionable looks.
Eventually, the plan popped inside her head and she abruptly cleared her throat. "Excuse me, can I speak with you outside, brother?" She asked Bryce sweetly.
Alina's hand started to tremble and she hid it under the table so no one would notice, but Victoria noticed every single odd detail about her. She definitely knew something was up with her, and she didn't trust Alina with her twin brother.
"Why can't you speak to him here. We're all family. Anything you need to say to him, you can say to all of us."
Alina stopped and looked at her. "Its a private matter, Vicki. So please, just let me be, will you?"
A frown settled on Bryce's face as he eyed both of his sisters in confusion. Victoria was warning him with her eyes not to go, while Alina tried her best to get him outside.
If the family dinner went wrong before the plan could elope, Tristan would have her head in the most painful way. Alina shuddered with the thought of facing his wrath.
He sighed. "Its okay, Vick. I'll just be a minute. Let's go." Her brother stood up from the table and Alina followed him outside to the lawn.
Once they were out of earshot, she started speaking. "So, how have you been brother? It's been some time, don't you think?" She asked him nervously.
"Seriously, Lee? Did you just bring me out here to ask that?"
"I-uh no..." She stammered. "Can I bring you somewhere?"
He looked at her with suspicion like Victoria had done. Bryce wondered why she was acting strange and what she wanted to show him.
"Why? What is it?" He asked, raising his brow.
She played with her fingers and bit down on her bottom lip. "Its at the front...." She told him.
"What are you hiding, little sister? You're being weird right now. Why does something tell me you're up to no good?"
Fear crossed her face but she quickly hid it from him before he could notice. "You're just over thinking, brother. Can we? I promise it's really nothing to worry about." She tried to convince him.
Bryce hesitated for a minute, contemplating whether he should listen to her when he knew something wasn't right with her. He ran his hands through his curly hair and nodded. "Fine, but you better not be up to something, because if you are, you will regret it." He warned and she nodded.
She took slow steps forward and he followed behind her, looking around for anything suspicious. When he didn't find anything, he settled down a little but his head continued to warn him about danger.
They entered back into the hall and sneaked through a glass door, walking towards the entrance from another side of the mansion.
Unknowingly to Alina, Victoria had saw them and followed them, cautiously. Ashley and Malinda looked at each other and stood up as well, following behind Victoria.
"Somethings up..." Victoria whispered, confusing her sister and mother.
Alina turned when she heard a whisper but when she saw nothing behind them, she turned back around and continued walking.
Tristan and his men were waiting for them, to come out and when he saw Alina coming out with a tall masculine figure behind her, he and his men set up their trap.
Alina walked all the way to the front of the house and then stopped. Bryce looked around and found nothing worth looking at. "What the hell did you bring me here for?" He glared at his sister.
"Well.....I might have done something horrible," She panicked, knowing she was completely done for. Any minute now, things would go from zero to a hundred in a millisecond.
"What the fuck did you do, Alina!" He shouted, frustration starting to take over him.
Victoria, Malinda, and Ashley were watching everything from a distance and was completely confused as of what was happening between the two of them.
"Actually I...." She paused, thinking deeply about her next words.
"You know what? Save your breath for some other time. I am leaving anyway." He walked from her and out to his blue Ferrari, despite her yells of coming back.
Before he could get in his car, Tristan's men ran forward and surrounded him from every direction. He immediately shut his door and tried to leave, but his goons were quick to stop him.
"What the fuck is going on here?" He yelled, most of his anger directed towards Alina.
She stood there, unable to say anything. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she had no other choice. How much she wanted to stop them, but she didn't.
"Bryson! Get our hands off of my son!" Malinda and her other daughters ran forward to try and save him from being abducted and taken to some basement to be tortured and killed.
It was in vain though, because they threw him in a sleek black suv and left off with him anyway.
"Alina, what did you do?!" Victoria surged forward and attacked her angrily. Ashley and their mom tried to remove her from Alina, but she wasn't letting go of her.
"Victoria Maddox, get off of your sister right now! I mean it!" Malinda screamed furiously.
After a few hits and punches, Ashley and Malinda successfully removed Victoria off of Alina and scurried to help her up.
"Are you okay my dear?" Worry spreaded on her mother's face looking at her face bleeding, cuts and scratches all over her beautiful face.
"I deserve it and more. You shouldn't have helped me, you should have just let her rip me up with her sharp claws. I don't deserve your love and affection. I am a horrible person." She buried her face in her mom's shoulder and cried while Malinda hugged her softly.
"What are you saying? You deserve everything this world has to offer, my beautiful darling. Never say that."
Alina wanted to tell her that it was her fault Bryce was taken, she wanted her sister to break her into pieces until she was nothing but a battered up figure. Unrecognizable, so no one knew it was her who betrayed her family by helping the enemy.
"M-mom...it's my fault! It's all my fault. I'm the one to blame for Bruce's abduction." She cried heavily. Malinda looked down with confusion written over her face.
"What are you talking about?"
"I helped him. I played you all. I am so sorry..." Alina removed her face from her shoulder and looked at their astonished faces with tear filled eyes.
"I told you guys she was up to no good, and now look what it costed us all. She is the reason Bryce will be killed! It's all her fucking fault!" Victoria roared across the lawn in pure rage.
If it weren't for the strong hold Ashley had on her, Victoria would have already clawed her face out with her long manicured nails.
"Wait what?" Ashley asked her sister, wanting an explanation for the events that just took place.
"I...He made me do it!" Alina fell on her knees and bowed her head down, tears freely falling like a waterfall.
"Who made you do what?"
"Tristan, okay! Tristan made me get him abducted so he could take his re-revenge. I helped him. That's why I'm here. I'm such a bad person.."
"Yeah you really are to have your own brother taken!" Victoria said bitterly to her sister. There was no love in her heart for Alina. Never has been and definitely never will be now.
"Wha...how- how could you do this to your own family?" Her mother's heart was shattered by the betrayal she got from her own daughter. Her eyes were now as drenched as Alina's.
"I can't- I just can't believe you could do something like that....no!" Ashley knew she had done it, but her heart refused to believe her own sister could play her like that. All she ever did was love and accept her. She didn't want to hate her, she wanted to love her, but all she felt was pain. She now didn't know what she felt for her. If she should continue loving her for doing something so cruel or hate her for it.
"Yes, ash...I did do It. I'm sorry!" Alina wanted forgiveness, that they would still love her after knowing that she did it unwillingly, that it wasn't her choice, but even she knew that they already erased their mind clean of any family member named Alina.
"You're no longer wanted here. I am ashamed to call you my sister!" Victoria still struggled to get out of her sisters grip, but Ashley was strong. Even in her broken state.
"I...I will leave and never step foot here again." She picked herself up from the ground and was about to walk away, when her mother held her arm.
"Before you leave, I want explanations. I want to know why you did what you did." Malinda pleaded from her daughter, and Alina wanted to tell her but she couldn't. Not when she knew Tristan was watching the entire thing.
"I I can't I'm sorry, all you need to know is that it wasn't much choice. I could never do this to him willingly."
"Who's Tristan? Is he the one you're staying with?" She asked her, but something in her brain had already registered everything. "Everything you told us in there was a lie, right?"
"N-no not everything. I do have a house in the city and I have a job at black enterprises, but my life was stolen away by Tristan and I had no other choice but to do what he orders or I'll be dead meat." Tristan hadn't said that he'd actually kill her, because he could never, but Alina registered it in that way.
Malinda heard her words, but her mind was trying to register where she heard the name Tristan from. She knew the name, it was related to her husband's associates, but she couldn't remember who or how.
"What's his parents name." She asked Alina.
Alina didn't know if it was okay if she told them, but she figured she owed that much from what she did. Although she didn't know much about his family life, she remembered researching on him one day and finding out his father was in the mafia.
Her mind rummaged through the Information she found out about his father, and tried to remember his name clearly. "X-xavier I think it was." She told her mother.
Malinda had eventually put the pieces together and realized who Tristan was. He was the son of Xavier Turner. His father was not only an Italian mafia boss, but he was old friends with her husband, George.
Then everything clicked. Xavier and George hadn't been friends if he had betrayed him and stabbed him in the back. Xavier had hated her husband.
She very well knew he was the one responsible for her husband's death, and knowing her own daughter could partner up with his son had broken what was left of her old fragile heart.
"You live with his son, right?" Alina clarified with a nod, thinking that she wasn't too far from redemption. Unknown to her, redemption was even a word in their vocabulary anymore.
"So this was entirely a plan to abduct my only son and walk away with the enemy? I can no longer trust you, Alina. How could you do something like this, regardless of it being willing or unwilling?" Her mother was in disbelief.
"Please forgive me mother, I didn't mean to!" She sobbed heavily but none of them paid her ant heed.
"I can't trust you anymore. Without trust, we have nothing." Malinda said coldly and was about to turn away, but Alina wrapped her arms around her mother's leg and pleaded for forgiveness.
Tristan had seen everything happen clearly. His heart crashed by seeing Alina so broken. Even when he showed her his bad side, she never once had been so soul shattered. He didn't want to hurt her, but what had to be done is now done. There was no turning back and fixing anything. He was the reason that she would now be disowned and forgotten, and the reason he would never get a chance to love her, even if it was allowed.
"Get off of me now. I do not want to see your face. It disgusts me, knowing that same face I always adored was a demon in disguise." She gritted with a glare.
Alina unhooked her arms from her leg and sagged down onto the ground, watching as her family retreated back into the house.
Whatever happiness that was hidden inside her, was now replaced by anger. She was in mental pain. It felt like her heart stopped beating and her soul left her body.
Without those things, she was now nothing but a cold body with nothing to give or receive. Without her heart, she couldn't love. Without her soul, she wasn't anything. Her name didn't hold any specialty or recognition. She was done for. Nothing could pull her out. She was completely drowned in sorrowness, there was no turning back.
Tristan was by her side in a second. He picked her up and brought her to the passenger seat of his car and buckled her up.
He sat down in the driver's seat and left. He was to drive to a hotel he owned, but instead, he took the long journey to New York.
Alina had no energy or put any effort into anything. She didn't care where she went. He could drive into the unknown with her and she wouldn't even peek a glance.
Just like him, she became a horrible person in her eyes. She always said how much of a monster Tristan was, but she was now exactly like him. Her heart had become cold, and the loatheness she used to hold for him was now increased by a googol - ( The Number 1 followed by 100 zeros.)