The Weeknd - The hills
𝔚𝔚𝔚
Celina
If there was one thing men lacked it was the ability to do anything right.
A prime example of that? The man i'd once called papà, who'd no doubtedly come here in hopes of rekindling things with his estranged daughter.
In truth, that was the root cause of my anxiousness. The man was an emotional weakness I'd developed at a young age when I'd allowed him to slip through my guarded walls.
Only whatever nerves I'd felt about seeing him for the first time vanish when I got a look at who he'd brought along.
How dare he.
How fucking dare he.
Anger solidifies my resolve, leaving no room for vulnerability as the devil in a tailored navy suit leads me through the crowd and towards them.
His hand along the small of my back is large, but his touch is impartial, forced even.
The soft melody of the violinist playing her song picks up, people begin to shuffle onto the dance floor while the last of New York City's riches socialites and businessmen begin to file in.
I ignore them all, still too busy eyeing the happy little family, seconds from using the blade in my barrette to stab them over and over again. Repeatedly, until all their faces are so cut up and they're forever unrecognizable.
The thought calms my anger but it seems like the universe is testing my patience again when we're stopped by a cell phone ringing. Adrik let's go of me, pulls out his phone and when I try to read his caller ID , I realize I can't read Russian.
But to make matters worse, he excuses himself without another word, his voice turning into mix of low Russia while I'm engulfed into a conversation I want no part in.
I don't recognize any of the girls that have stopped me save for the puff faced baboon who won't seem to leave me the fuck alone. "Christie," I greet in that voice reserved for pretentious socialites.
Her face heats in obvious embarrassment. "It's Chelsea."
"Hm." I hum in that pretentious way. "I don't care."
The girls that have come along with her don't bother introducing themselves, instead they eye me like they're finally seeing the object of their gossip up close. I angle my hand so that my ring sparkles, giving them something to talk about.
"From politicians kids to billionaires..." her eyes trail up from my ring to my face, bitterness coating her words. "For a girl that comes from nothing, you sure have a way of working up the social ladder, Lina."
Despite mg upbringing, I'd lived a relatively humbled life in university. Something that was now coming to bite me in the ass.
I study the girl who'd been nothing but a leach desperate for the attention of the people I surrounded myself with. The thought of her trying and failing so hard at being devious bringing me a sense of entertainment. "Are you calling me a gold digger?"
Someone giggles, I don't bother to acknowledge it and instead hone my gaze in on the sheep doing a terrible job fitting into wolfs clothing. "If the shoe fits."
"Of course the shoe fits," I tilt my head and step into their little cult like circle. "They're custom made diamond encrusted Valentino's."
Every single pair of eyes in the circle drops from my ring to my heels that are, in fact, diamond encrusted Valentino's. A genuine smile plays on my lips as the familiar feeling of superiority engulfs me.
These girls don't like me, they fear me. Which is far better than any compliment I'd get from them.
"That just proves you're a gold digger." I glance behind me, my date still engrossed in his phone call and turn back to the irrelevant minion speaking.
"You say that like it's bad thing." I tilt my head and examine this one's outfit. My gaze alone enough to make her shift in a manner that tells me she's feeling insecure under my gaze.
"It is."
I'm all honestly, my intentions for marrying being a gold digger was more on brand for me than the notion of love, especially to a group of girls that knew Lina Ayad.
"Only because none of you were able to pull it off." I draw my gaze back to Chelsea and pout my lips. "Isn't that right, Chloe?"
"It's Chelsea and you know it!" She bursts, voice cracking and so high pitched it gathers the attention of a few onlookers. She must realize she's embarrassing herself when she calms and lowers her voice to a violent whisper, "And you said he'd like me."
Her reference to that night id sent her to Adrik at his party coming to mind, a light giggle escapes my lips at the memory. "I lied."
It's then that the attention moves over my shoulder and that prickling gaze boring into my back is a reminder of what doom awaits me.
My smile drops, and I turn my head just as Adrik approaches.
Someone begins to speak but I interrupt. "They're starting to bore me." I look over at my date and pout. "Save me and take me elsewhere, Addie."
Features hardening, his large hand makes its way to the small of my back, the the gesture appearing affectionate save for the way he nudges me away from them, his move more of a shove than anything.
"Watch it." I snap, stumbling a steps, before straightening out. "I nearly busted my ass."
He gives a low hum, "What a shame."
There's a rebuttal on the tip of my tongue, a snarky remark on my lips, only before I can get the words out, they're dying in my throat as we approach them.
We're barely within hearing distance before that desperate sound of the man's is once called my father voice is booming, causing a ringing so loud in my head that it drowns out the music and chatter around us."Celina."
Deliberately ignoring him, I take the moment to get a good look at the family.
The woman, who i'd seen on his arm barely acknowledges me as she grasps Silvio's arm, her fist tight and her features hardened in a way that tells me she's barely holding back her crippling fear as she looks to the man next to me.
I gloss over her, my eyes moving to the one that's every bit the girl next door. Brown eyes, even lighter brown hair down in loose waves. She looks like him, save for her rosy cheeks and soft features. Adorned in a white long dress, her lips sit in a way that looks like she's pouting all the fucking time.
I already hate her.
She's not giving me the ability to communicate that though, seeing as her eyes are glued to the Russian tyrant at my side.
"It's..." Her mouth opens and closes just as slowly as she blinks. "It's you." Her voice light and airy, her gaze soft and smothering as she stares at Adrik Kozlov like he's the only person in the room.
It takes a moment for her words to sink in and when they do, my entire body stills at the familiarity in her gaze.
Adrik doesn't say anything, and although his silence doesn't confirm my theory, it doesn't deny it either.
For reasons beyond me, betrayal swirls in my stomach coiling the bones in my body, until I'm stood against him like a rod.
My distaste seems to be contagious enough for Silvio Ademaro's cheap replica to step in front of his sister, like a guard dog. "How olds this one?"
Another burn of hatred seeps into my pores as I stare at the siblings. They had each other and him.
I had nothing.
"Old enough to recognize a traitor." Silvio Ademaro doesn't scare me, meaning his little duplicate is nothing but an ugly puppy as he narrows his eyes down at me.
"Twenty one." It's the Russian traitor at my side who clarifies.
"One year?" I raise a brow and finally look the cause of this entire problem in the eye. "You couldn't keep it in your pants long enough to make it past my first birthday, could you?"
That poor excuse of a wife of his gasps and when I look at her, I realize she's not even an ounce of the woman my mother was.
Face reddening in rage, my -then- papà speaks. "Don't make assumptions you know nothing about. If you let me explain-"
I lift a hand up to stop him. "Save the pathetic sob story for someone who'll give a fuck, Silvio."
There's a rebuttal on the tip of his tongue, but whatever he's about to say dies when his gaze moves to my hand, where my fingers are binded a pathetic cast.
An injury I'd gotten when I'd smashed his car window before I blew it to pieces.
Something like worry passes through his features and I hate the bitter sadness it causes. "I know you're upset with me," he speaks carefully, eyes lingering on my cast. "but I'm your father-"
I cut him off again, knowing that being the hot headed Italian he is, it'll piss him off. "No, you're not."
I drop my hand to my side, so focused in on Silvio Ademaro that the world around me blurs in a rage. He tries again. "You're an Ademaro-"
"I'm not." I state firmly. "Never was, you made sure of that." There's no hiding the resentment in my words as I think of how oblivious I'd been to it all. I wasn't even given his last name legally for fucks sake. "I'm an Ayad."
The hand that's dropped to my side and clenched into a fist is suddenly engulfed by a warmth that momentarily snaps me from my stupor.
"Soon to be Kozlov." Comes a smooth low voice.
His hand, it's warm against my cold skin while the brush of his fingertips against my wrist as he holds my hand in his much larger one drags my complete attention to him, forcing me to watch as he brings my hand to his lips.
His lips, barely brush the knuckle of my finger where my ring lies but they make contact, and he takes that moment to flicker his gaze up to Silvio and hold his eye.
My stomach lurches at the action but I force my gaze to watch Silvio Ademaro's reaction and it's priceless.
His eyes are drawn together in horror, slowly but surely striking his features as he eyes the ring on my finger. "No, no-" he begins to shake his head as his eyes come to mine.
"Yes." My gaze says.
But he seems persistent and adamant on sticking to his denial. "Don't ruin yourself to get back at me."
"Classic Italian men, so full of themselves." I sigh. "This has nothing to do with you," I try my hardest to suppress myself as I step into Adrik's side and rest my head on his bicep. "I'm in love."
"No, you're not." He relents, face flushed as he pushes away from the woman gripping his arm and steps forward to grab my arm. "Get away from him,"
"She's mine." Adrik's voice hardens, dripping in warning, causing the man to stop. His blue eyes bore into Silvio's, "Don't touch."
For a moment, I relish in the facade that is us. I'm not in this alone, I've got someone that's in my corner, even if it's to further his own agenda.
Only the moment of blissful satisfaction is washed away the moment little miss innocent steps forward and glances between us, "You're engaged." She looks heartbroken, like she's moments from crying as she looks to the man who'd killed more men than that little head of hers could comprehend. "To her?"
Adrik once again says nothing, but he does stare at her a little longer than necessary. I don't know what the fuck passes through them, nor do I give a fuck when my anger begins to take a turn for the worse.
I shrug my hand out of his, and when I realize everyone's attention is moved to watch whatever the fuck is passing between those two, I turn and leave them all there.
I push past the people around me rushing to the dance floor and make a b-line for the bar. People swarm around me, leaving little to no room to go and despite being in a room with far too many people around, I've never felt so alone.
I take the first drink the bartender can offer me and down it in one go before ordering another as I desperately try to suppress the emotions crawling up my throat.
Fuck them all, Adrik Kozlov included.
I didn't need this shit.
I had people who cared for me-friends across the world and all I needed to do was leave, put all this shit behind me.
But I couldn't. Not until I'd gotten my revenge,,'or until I watched them all burn-
"You look nothing like us." I don't have to turn my head to know who's followed me over here.
I side eye Silvio Ademaro's eldest son, "Thanks."
I know what he's doing. Trying to intimidate me, little does he know I'd been taught to intimidate men far more terrifying than himself.
"I don't know why my papà cares for your traitorous ass so much." He spits. I grab my drink from the bartender and bring it to my lips. "You're not one of us, you never will be."
Rolling my eyes, I briefly curse the universe for not allowing me a moment alone to wallow in my own self pity.
"I sure hope not." I turn to face him and fish the olive out of my cocktail. "The last thing I want is to be some washed up wannabe, chasing after daddy's approval and inheritance."
I know nothing about this man, but his faux gangster act is far too see through.
He scoffs, my comment obviously hitting a little too close to home. "In the end, I'll be the one taking over the family business," He smirks and takes a step closer to me. Little did he know, I was going to burn that family business of his to the ground. "And you'll be nothing but a sad bitter bitch who whored herself out to the enemy."
That seems to fuck with my temper.
My drink slams onto the counter and my gaze zeros in on his face as I reach my hand back to unclip my barrette, training my gaze on the space between his eyes where I'm moments from stabbing repeatedly with my knife.
Sometimes relying on karma to take its course wasn't enough. Men with this much arrogance didn't deserve to live another moment in this world.
My hair comes undone, the metal clanks in my hand but just as I switch the blade up and take a step forward, the space between us is swallowed by a large frame whos shadow engulfs my entire body.
The scent of masculine cologne invades my senses as he pushes himself so close, I'm backed into the bar.
"Calm down." He murmurs, dropping his head, eyes finding mine as he speaks in a voice low enough for my ears only. He subtly reaches down and swipes the barrette from my hands, while. I make a frustrated nose and try to get around him.
Like a boulder, Adrik doesn't let me.
I exhale a heavy breath, placing my hand on his chest to push him away, but he stands firmly, not only blocking my view of my target, but trapping me in place when his hands rest on the bar at either side of my hip.
"I'm gonna kill him." I snap under my breath, my anger coming out full force as I decide the arrogant jackass is who I'm going to take it all out on.
A warm brush of calloused fingers finds its way to my chin, before he's harshly tugging my face up towards his. "There are people all around," He dips his head, holding my gaze, the intensity in his gaze momentarily anchoring me. "I won't have you ruining this for me."
He reeks of control, reminding me of what I'm lacking by acting out rashly, and after a moment to myself, I'm able to suppress the urge to stab him before a room full of New Yorks elite.
Ugh, this shit sucks.
When he seems satisfied that I'm calm, Adrik pulls himself away, turns his back to me, yet remains in his spot, trapping me between his back and the bar. "Leave." Is all he says in that apathetic voice as I focus in on his hand as he slides my barrette into his pocket, "Before I give you a reason to."
There are no words from Silvio Ademaro's cheap knock off, and when Adrik steps to the side, out of my way, I know he's gone.
The space also allows me to catch the eyes of a few random on lookers and realize that no matter where the fuck I go, people are watching.
The thought overwhelms me, not because I'm not use to attention, but because this entire situation is putting me off my game, overwhelming me to the point where I think I'm losing my mind.
I flicker my gaze to the composed man dripping power and superiority over everyone here, including me.
He didn't l have to do anything, say anything, or try for all that matter. He was just given it naturally, and it's in that moment, as I stare at him that I realize I feel slightly intimidated by him-no, his entire existence.
He was far more devious than I was, far more strategic, and I was mostly in the dark to it all.
On instinct my gaze flickers to her, the Sweet Ademaro, dressed in white, her gaze glued to Adrik, a history between them sparkling in her stupid fucking brown eyes.
A mind numbing irritation consumes me, causing me brush off his touch and make a move to leave, only to be stopped by his hand as he so effortlessly catches my wrist,
"Don't walk away from me." Voice douched in authority, I'm sure no one's every dared to deny this man what he wants and I hate him even more for it.
Fuck you.
I meet his gaze, mine hardened and conveying of my thoughts. "Let go of me."
Eyes narrowed, they flicker across my face in scrutiny before he tightens his hold on my wrist. "Dance with me."
"No."
He doesn't listen to my protest when he pulls me towards the dance floor. In fact, people go as far as to part for him, giving him space when we make it onto the packed dance floor.
Prepared to kick myself free, I begin to struggle against him, but he stops me when he grabs ahold of both my wrists and pulls me flush against his body, and harshly whispers against my ear. "Make a scene," a low menacing threat. "And I'll kill Silvio before you get a chance to."
I stop struggling and glare up at his face in defiance, trying to call his bluff, but then again, I can never tell with this stone faced psychopath.
A classical song begins to play, and what was a single violinistic turns into an orchestra of instruments, they're sounds bleeding through the room and creating a dramatic melody.
His hand keeps mine hostage, while his other slides down the length of my silk dress and to my waist. His touch so unlike a man who can't touch me without washing his hands afterwards.
"You're upset." He observed plainly, his eyes that all knowing shade of deep blue.
No shit.
There's no point in hiding what's on my mind. Seething I meet his gaze. "How do you know her?"
I don't need to offer anymore than that for him to know what I'm talking about as our bodies begin to move to the music in a mechanical rhythm.
Adrik Kozlov raises a perfect brow down at me, the closest flicker of dark amusement passing his face. "You jealous, Ademaro?"
"Extremely." I respond dryly. Yet despite my nonchalance, my hand on his shoulder grips the fabric of his suit in a manner that I know will leave a crease and piss him off.
He feins ignorance to my sarcasm. "I can see why." Those blue eyes move away from me and across the room to where the Angel in white stands, next to a father we share. "She is much more my type."
"Naive and brainless?" I offer.
"Quiet, obedient and respectable," he responds as our bodies begin to warm up to the notion of dancing with each other to the point where we begin swaying in sync. His hand absently sides from the side of my wrist to towards my back, "While you-" His searing gaze runs down my front, pausing on my cleavage. "Are not my type."
"Liar." I bring my heel down onto his foot, and when he doesn't flinch, I can do nothing but pout my lips up at him. "I'm everyone's type."
"Yeah?" Slowly those eyes of his come back to mine. Our movements pick up to match the pace of the song, and I don't even think he's aware of just how close our bodies are, not even when his breath begins to fan the skin of my cheekbone. "I bet you are."
His low, almost dirty insinuation isn't lost on me. But instead of making me angry, it makes my stomach lurch.
The lack of anger in my response, makes me angrier.
Despite wanting nothing more than to smash his head in, I force an apathetic smile and look up at him. "You'd think you were the jealous one with the way you keep bringing up my history."
His eyes flicker over my shoulder, and this time when he speaks, he dips his head and brushes his lips to my ear in a way that tells me we have an audience. "Don't get ahead of yourself,"
The awareness at my back gets so hard to ignore, that I find myself casting a peek towards the guests of the hour when Adrik spins me. Contrary to my own belief, my gaze brushes over my estranged fathers rage filled one and to the girl with the expression of a kicked puppy watching us.
"Don't tell me you fucked her." I say, forcing annoying down as I turn back to my date, who sends me a dry look, telling me my assumption can't be farther from the truth."Or worse..." I look between his eyes. "fallen for her."
Eyes narrowing an inch, Adrik Kozlov looks almost annoyed. "If it were up to me, you'd both die painful deaths."
That calms the sense of worry and relaxes my features.
We're still on the same page.
Smoothing out his tie and shifting it slightly to the right, I sigh airily and allow the orchestra music to float through my ears for a moment of bliss. "And here I was thinking I was special."
"Don't worry." His eyes come back to me and he takes a step, kicking my heeled foot still atop his away. "I plan on making your death more painful than hers."
I catch myself before I can fall, but not before I stumbling into his firm body.
The music winds down to a softer tune and I barely have time to steady myself before he's stepping away from me, straightening out and mechanically placing his hand on the small of my back to lead me off the dance floor.
His touch isn't lost on me. Unlike before, this feels like a strangers touch. One of a handler leashing it's possession so it doesn't have time to get away.
And despite my nature, I let him, blowing out a relived breath when I realize he's headed towards the exit.
It'd been a long night, and while I knew I'd somewhat fucked things up, I was slowly losing myself in a room with Silvio Ademaro and his unbearable family.
Said unbearable family man stops us before we can reach the door. "Where are you going?"
I merely look to Silvio whos only accompanied by his daughter on his arm, his daughter that does a shit job at sneaking subtle glances to the man on my left.
Adrik pauses for only a brief moment and doesn't even bother sparing him a glance. "Leaving."
Hand tightening around his glass, the other flexing at his side, Silvio Ademaro looks minutes if not seconds from snapping and doing something irrational. "You promised me I'd get a moment to speak with my daughter if I showed up."
I tense, my jaw locks and I try my hardest to bite my tongue. The last thing I wanted right now was to be alone with him.
And for once, the universe listens.
"I lied." A nudge on my back and we're on our way, only to be stopped once again by Silvio who steps into our path.
"Celina, please." His eyes almost desperate come to me. "Talk to me."
Adrik finally lifts his gaze to the Italian, and while Silvio pushes his chest out to stand tall, the Russian tyrant doesn't so much as have to move to stand taller than him.
"Unless you'd like the details of how I plan to take your daughter tonight," despite his words, his voice is straightforward and blunt. "I suggest you move."
I choke on my own spit, Silvio makes a deep strangled noise in frustration and the younger Ademaro girl gasps all the while Adrik side steps them and leads me outside towards the awaiting car.
I don't recover.
Not as we navigate past the guests who try to stop and make conversation but fail when Adrik doesn't so much as acknowledge them, and not as I sit in the car, watching him clean his hands with a steamed towel that's served to him.
For once, I stay silent, speechless. My gaze glued to the window, while my mind races, the events of the night playing over and over, until all I can do is begin to plot.
"We'll start with the eldest son." I suddenly say, his smug face flashing in my mind. The desire for his downfall the strongest. "I want him gone first."
Adrik's gaze touches the side of my face, burning with specks of approval.
"Then we'll move onto the wife and girl." I don't know what I'm going to do exactly, but I'll find a way into their lives and slowly destroy what they care for most.
I turn to the man sat a seat away, his eyes on me. He absentmindedly runs his tongue along his front teeth in a matter that accentuates the sharp angles around his jaw, and I flicker my gaze to the scar on his cheekbone in an attempt to distract myself from his mouth.
I clear my throat. "We'll save Silvio for last."
He brings a thumb up to rub at his bottom lip, seeming to nods in agreement, "And the kid?" For a moment his question stumps me.
They hadn't brought him along tonight and while I didn't discriminate against the people I used and manipulated, targeting a child for his parents mistakes didn't sit right on my grey conscience.
"He's a kid." I dismiss, "We'll spare him and figure out new ways to drive the rest of them into their early graves."
"I've got some ideas." Ominous and promising, Adrik almost smirks and for a moment, I want to know what's it's like in his head.
A man with little to no morals, a man who calculated his moves, and a man who hardly ever did anything without an ulterior motive behind it.
Silence engulfs our space, but before I can return to my own thoughts, something clicks in my mind.
"She was the one you originally wanted." I suddenly muse, turning my head towards him. It was the most logical explanation I can think of.
Leaning back in his seat, Adrik spreads his legs, and gets comfrotsble, sending a brief glance towards me."So you have a working brain after all."
The initial satisfaction of being right wears off as I realize that I'd been the second choice.
Something about that stings. It's beyond irrational and makes me disgusted with myself, so I push it aside and tap into my curiosity.
"If she was the one you wanted," I turn in my seat to face him, and lean towards him slightly as my eyes narrow in skepticism. "Why'd you keep me?"
His eyes find mine. "Plans changed."
There's a million secrets swimming through his searing gaze as he watches me closely, guarded and expressionless masked in a layer of indifference.
I cast a glance at the driver peeking through the rear view mirror at us and lean over, so that I'm right in his face. "Why?" I demand.
He doesn't push my face away from his. No, he simply glances at the road ahead of us, before turning to me, leaning over and murmuring his response a inch from my lips. "You're a smart girl. You'll figure it out eventually."
𓆩❤︎𓆪
Y'all why is Rafe from obx kinda...🫦
Like I didn't get the hype last season but now that little psychopath is making me feel some typa way.