Alfresca's POV:
"Mom?" I called her as I sat on the edge of the bed, watching her get ready infront of the mirror. She looked at me through the mirror. "Yes, Zoriana?"
"I also want to come with you all to the event. Please don't leave me alone here."
"We will come back in a few hours, Zoriana. And besides, it's a boring event. You won't like it there."
I couldn't understand as to why I can't go to the event and I pouted my lips and folded my arms. "You never take me anywhere! I hardly leave the house. Easton goes to school but why am I being taught at home only?"
"Zoriana." She warned, narrowing her eyes through the mirror. "You are just twelve. You won't understand."
I huffed. "You keep saying that. Why don't you try making me understand?"
She ignored me and continued applying her lipstick.
I started to whine. "It's a masquerade ball! It's gonna be amazing. I want to go there too!"
"I said no!" She lost her temper and scolded me, making me silent.
I was silent for a few minutes before I muttered. "I feel like Cindrella, you know. Just like her step mother, you are not allowing me to go to the ball. And then I will cry about it and a Fairy Godmother will come and help me sneak to the ball without anyone's notice and I will enjoy myself there and who knows, I will find my prince too."
That made her stop her make up and turn to me with a stern expression on her face. She placed her arms on her hips. "Don't you dare try sneaking away. Don't think no one would find about it. It's not as easy as it is in the movies."
I rolled my eyes and said nothing and thankfully, she didn't say anything anymore too.
Half an hour later, they all left and as usual I laid in my room, weeping to myself. I wanted to go. I wanted to go there.
That's it. I am going there.
Feeling confident, I got up and ran to my closet and rummaged through it and pulled out a Cindrella style, blue ball gown. And I wore it.
I didn't bother applying any makeup cause I didn't know how to. And I opened my hair letting it fall over my shoulder.
Now the main problem.
How to get there?
I slowly tip toed out of my room and walked down the corridor silently and then as quickly as possible, I climbed down the stairs.
"Zoriana?"
I froze in my tracks and slowly turned to see my nanny who looked surprised to see me all dressed up.
"Where are you going?" She asked because I never go anywhere.
I looked around hoping no one else sees me and I said to her. "Liya, you gotta help me. Please. You know I never go anywhere but today...I have to go. Please!"
She smiled softly. "If that's what you want then okay, I'll help you."
That's why I loved her so much. She always supported me. I smiled widely and she said. "You will need a mask. And...I guess your mother had an extra which she left in my care...let me get it..."
She then disappeared in one of the corridors and returned a moment later with a black mask with silver lining and helped me wear it.
"Come." She said taking my hand in hers and walking us to the back door of the mansion where her car used to be parked.
"Get in the backseat and stay down. Make sure no one sees you." She instructed and I nodded eagerly and did as she told me and she got in the driver's seat and revved the engine.
And drove towards the main gate of the mansion where the guard stopped her to ask where she was going and she said she needed to buy some personal things and fortunately, she was allowed to go.
I sighed and getting up, sat in the backseat and she drove towards the banquet hall.
"How are you going to get in?" She questioned as she stopped the car at a distance from the hall. "You will need an invitation."
I didn't let it dampen my mood and assured her. "I'll find a way in somehow."
She wasn't convinced but said anyway. "Okay. I'll wait for you here. Don't be late. Just an hour."
"Thank you, Liya. You are the best." And I got down from the car and walked towards the entrance.
But I stopped a few meter before it, and looked around in confusion for a way in somehow.
God. Please help me. Please.
And I heard an unfamiliar voice behind me with a hint of Russian accent. "Are you alone, miss?"
I turned around and found a boy, around Easton's age, wearing a black tuxedo and a black mask.
His velvety brown eyes bore into mine and I nodded. "Yes. I am alone."
"And you have an invitation?"
I shook my head. "I don't."
He smiled softly. "You wanna get in? With me?"
My eyes lit up in hope. "It's possible?"
"Yes. It is." He replied. "Come on."
He gestured me to follow him and even though I just met him, my heart trusted him so I followed him towards the entrance where the guard stopped us. "Invitation?"
That boy took my hand in his. "She's with me."
"So, where's both of yours invitations?"
The boy stepped forward and whispered something to the guard and the guard's eyes widened and he bowed a little. "Sir. Please go in."
The boy looked at me and smirked lightly. "Come..." And he tugged me along with him inside a small hall which was empty and at the end of it was a huge door and he took me to it and held the door open for me.
I found myself inside a huge hall, brightly lit and a huge chandelier was in the hanging in the middle of it and hundreds of people were present. Some were dancing, some were talking.
Everything was amazing.
He didn't leave my hand and showed me around the hall and thankfully, I didn't bump into my parents.
"Where are your parents?" I asked him.
He shrugged. "Probably busy in some boring conversations."
"Oh..."
"You wanna dance?" He asked gesturing to the dance floor where some of the couples were dancing.
I smiled. "Why not?"
And he lead me to the dance floor and wrapped his arm around my waist while I placed my hand over his shoulder and intertwined our fingers. And he started to gently waltz us together.
"What's your name?" He finally inquired.
I didn't want to disclose my real name and I said the first thing that came to my mind. "Cindrella."
He chuckled at that. "Cindrella, seriously?"
Grinning, I nodded. "And yours?"
He thought for a moment. "Then I am Prince Charming." He replied making me laugh and he laughed along with me too and gently twirled me around.
"So, tell me Cindrella..." He drawled my name playfully making me giggle. "Are you going to now run away because you forgot you need to get home before midnight?"
Oh shit.
I looked around the hall hoping to spot a clock but couldn't so I said to him. "Is it one hour already since we came here?"
"I guess so...why?"
I stepped back from him. "I need to leave." And he found that amusing and laughed.
"No." I told him. "I'm serious. I have to go. Thank you for letting me get in. It really means a lot to me."
He nodded not knowing what else to say and then he took my hand and lifting it up to his lips, kissed my knuckles. "You're welcome."
I lightly blushed and giving him one last look, ran from there, out of the halls to where Lisa dropped me and I spotted her car and I quickly hopped in.
She was waiting for me and asked. "Did you enjoy?"
I smiled remembering that boy. "Very."
.
.
.
Startled, I woke up and winced as I felt some pain shoot through my body. I lifted my t shirt and looked down at myself to see my stomach all wrapped up in bandages. And then I looked around at the unfamiliar room.
The door to the room opened and I heard the familier voice. "Thank goodness you are awake."
I didn't care about the pain that I was feeling and I got down from the bed and ran upto Easton and hugged him.
"You are alright." I whispered, pulling back and scrutinizing his face.
"Yes. I am alright, Zoriana." He sighed.
And I noticed he was wearing a thin sweater. It isn't that cold that you wear sweater in Chicago.
I once again looked around the unfamiliar room in confusion. "Where are we, Easton?"
"Prague." He answered, surprising me completely.
"Prague?! But when? How?"
He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it and then patted next to him, gesturing me to sit down too.
As I sat down, he spoke. "Ruslan brought you here after...Geordi shot you."
"W-where is he now? R-Ruslan?"
He gave me a sad look. "He left as soon as he brought you to me."
Tears pricked my eyes. "He left?"
He nodded. "Yes..."
"Did he...left a message for me? Something?"
Easton refused to meet my eyes and shook his head. "He said nothing. But before he left, he did gave a long look at your sleeping face and...kissed your forehead."
That caused the tears to roll down my eyes. He left me...but did he still love me?
You don't deserve his love. My conscience taunted and this time, I agreed with it.
I closed my eyes and let the tears flow down and Easton placed a hand over my shoulder and gently squeezed it. "Hey...you didn't know what you were doing. It's my fault...I should have told you everything..."
I shook my head and wiped away my tears. "Why did you run away?"
"Remember you said to me once to not be like mom and dad when I grow up?" I nodded and he smiled softly. "I always knew what mom and dad did. That they were running a Mafia. And I knew that once I grow up, I will have to take over from them, whether I like it or not."
He continued. "I didn't want to. I didn't want to hurt innocent people just like they do, so, I ran away. And the only person who could help me was Ruslan. So, I went to him and we decided on something. It was all set up in way that everyone's suspicion fall on Ruslan, that he has me kidnapped. It's was Ruslan's idea too. And all the while, Ruslan had me sent away to here, Prague. He provided me with a house to live in and helped me open up my own cafe just down the street."
"He was never able to fight his mother and tell her that he doesn't want to be a Mafia leader but he helped me instead. Helped me escape the things he wanted to escape too." He added.
"You guys are best friends?" I asked softly.
He nodded. "We happened to go to the same school. And we became friends but realising we were the sons of the two Mafia rivals, we kept our friendship a secret. No one knew about it. Except you now."
"You did say, Zoriana that if I ever leave you, you are going to hunt me down but I didn't know you were serious." He said.
"Yes. I wanted to find you but...it was dad who suggested that plan..." The tears I was holding back, once again flowed down and I rested my head on his shoulder.
"Umm... there's one more thing you should know..." He said nervously.
I glanced at him. "Now, what?"
"They are not your real parents." He said in one breath and my eyes widened, making me shift away from him.
"What?"
He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "I'm sorry. I was not allowed to tell you this but...you were adopted, Zoriana. More like taken away from your father when you were hardly two years old...dad...I don't know what he saw in you. He took you away... saying he sees potential in you."
"They are not my real parents?" A sob escaped my mouth. "You are not my real brother?"
He sighed. "Zoriana, I need you to know that I may not be your real brother but I always loved you like my real sister. You were and will always be my little sister."
All this is too much. Oh, God.
I grabbed a fistful of my hair and tugged on it. "I don't even know what's true anymore. Everything was a lie."
He kept an assuring hand on my shoulder. "Not everything was a lie. The time we spent together, laughing, playing, fighting, watching movies...it was all true."
"I need some time alone. Please." I whispered and removed his hand from my shoulder and he left the room, leaving me alone.
Chapter completion on: 12/9/21