When I got back home, I heard giggling. That was weird. Only Lussuria giggled and I wasn't aware we were going to be having any guests. When I walked in, I saw a woman with long, curly red hair clinging onto Xanxus. She stopped smiling and looked at me with disgust. "Who the hell is she?" Excuse me? Who the hell is she?

"That is our cloud, another Varia officer." Squalo said.

"Her? She doesn't look like much. The wind could blow her down." I ignored her comment.

"I'm back."

"Where did you go?" Xanxus asked, ignoring the woman.

"Nono wanted to show me the venue for the party."

"You're going? That's wonderful." The woman said with fake enthusiasm. What the hell is up with her? And what the hell is her problem? Squalo was behind them and made a motion to let it go. I guess she's here against everyone's will.

"I'm an officer of the Varia. It'd be disrespectful if I didn't go." She chuckled and looked at Xanxus.

"That commoner probably doesn't have anything other than scraps of fabric to wear." She was acting like a cartoon snobby, villain. I'm glad Chen isn't here. She'd kill this poor girl in a second with the way she talked about me. Thankfully, she had some business to take care of. My garbage man and boy arrived and have mingled with their contacts. Soon, I'll have full access to Italy's auction. Then, I'll be able to give out punishment. "She's creepy. She's just smiling." The woman spat.

"Don't worry about me. I'm thinking about business I'll have with contracts."

"Will you keep my family safe?" She asked hopefully.

"Your family?"

"You don't recognize me? I'm the heir to the Rossi family. We're one of the best mafia families in Italy."

"It's quite a shame I don't give two shits about popularity contests. If a contract has been broken in any way, I will give divine punishment."

"You already got your men involved?" Levi asked with surprise.

"I'll have full permission in two days. After the party, I have a business meeting with a contact."

"Impressive." Squalo said.

"This is child's play for me. I can't wait to punish the idiots that dare defy their contract." I couldn't hold in a sadistic laugh. I could feel Xanxus' flame from the feather calm me down. "I'll retire until dinner." I went upstairs. Squalo followed. "Who is that woman?"

"She's an annoying fly no one likes."

"And Xanxus tolerates her?"

"He has to for the alliance."

"I'll look into that contract immediately."

"Are you by any chance…jealous?"

"I'm not the jealous type. I'm the type that gets annoyed over annoying flies."

"Sure, you are jealous."

"Do you not believe me?" I questioned.

"No." I rolled my eyes. "Never mind. You're just annoyed."

"If Chen was here, she'd be killed."

"We know that. Thank god she isn't here."

"The two of us do not tolerate flies. I will have their guts splattered on the wall."

"Do not do that. Just stay in your room for two days."

"No. This is my home and I shall act like it's my home."

"Oh no." Squalo knew I'd be acting like a predator scoping out my prey. Just being in her presence for a short amount of time made me want to blow my own brains out.

"Oh no indeed."

The next day, the fly was still here. I didn't understand why she came back here. Was she only here because of the party? Mammon stayed by my side for the majority of the day. "Aren't you usually with Bel?"

"I hate that woman."

"It's not that hard to."

"When you go to the auction, bring me."

"Why would you even want to go there?"

"I want to see how bad it is."

"That's fine if you tag along, but I'm not sure how bad it is compared to Japan's auction. Ours were one of the worst in the world. I'm not expecting much honestly." We went into the garden and relaxed. Bel soon joined us. "Getting away from the fly?"

"All she does is talk and talk. It's annoying. I like you better."

"How's Xanxus holding it together?"

"He has ear plugs in. She hasn't noticed and probably won't." He cackled.

"Why am I not surprised?"

The next day passed and I was lucky to not even hear that woman's voice. Today was the day of the party. I was getting all anxious yet excited. Lussuria put everything I'd wear on my bed and even offered to help me change. "Why is there lingerie?"

"Why not? It's a special occasion. You could also get a fiancé there and if you get lucky, your partner will be even more into you."

"I haven't even thought that far in the future and have no plans on bringing anyone home for that purpose." He let out a disappointed sigh.

"Boss is more fun to tease."

"He hasn't caught on yet. I'm sure that idiot will never catch on either."

To keep the peace, I wore the lingerie. There was no way I'd risk having Lussuria whine about me not wearing the set to everyone here and at the party. After changing, Lussuria did my hair and makeup. I kept staring into the mirror with slight disbelief.

"You look like a princess."

"Are you two finished?" Squalo asked from outside the door.

"Come in, Squalo. Look at how beautiful Shiori is."

He walked in and froze when he saw me. He wore a regular suit that, knowing his taste, was probably worth more than a small house. I tilted my head.

"Does it look good?"

"Good? You're downright gorgeous. It surpasses Varia quality." I smiled knowing I got Squalo's approval.

"Well, I'll see you two at the front. I'm sure everyone is waiting."

"Everyone?"

"Nono came to pick us up. Dino is here too. He keeps asking about you." Lussuria left the room. Squalo gave me his arm to hold. I took it and we left my room.

"Nervous?"

"A little."

"Don't worry. Even if boss will be distracted, I'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Squalo. That makes me feel more secure about this whole thing."

I could hear chatter from the top of the stairs. The second I took a step, all chatter and noise stopped. I refused to give eye contact to anyone. I didn't think I'd be this embarrassed just walking. I looked up for a split second and saw how intense Xanxus' stare was.

"The princess has arrived." Lussuria announced. That was the real reason why he left the room. He wanted to announce to everyone when I'd be coming down.

"If we didn't know she was an assassin, I'd believe she was a real princess." One of Nono's men commented. My cheeks turned pink. I wasn't a princess. I was far from one.

"The more she gets complimented, the more embarrassed she gets. I never thought I'd see this side of you, Shiori." Dino commented as he walked over. He offered his hand which I took and was spun in a circle. Xanxus grunted and got in between Dino and I. Dino took a few steps back, knowing his place.

"Oh my."

"No." I stopped Nono.

"Why not, Shiori?"

"Not tonight. Please. For me?" I asked, pouting ever slightly.

"For tonight." I gave a sigh of relief. "Now, let's get this show on a roll. Shiori, you will ride with me."

"Why is that?" I asked Nono. I wanted to ride with everyone else.

"I wanted to discuss some business with you." I looked up at Xanxus and he nodded.

"Very well."

In the limo, we discussed the layout of the building again. "Did you tell everyone else?" I asked Nono. We had a plan because we were all anticipating an attack.

"I did not. They'll be too tense. Plus, with Lucia around them lately, she'll notice the change in attitude."

"Lucia?"

"That's the annoying Rossi woman that hangs off Xanxus' arm." Coyote reminded me.

"Oh. Can I kill her?"

"No." The entire limo said.

"What if she tries to kill me?"

"Go for it."

"Wonderful."

When we arrived to the venue, it was glowing with light against the darkening sky. I could see people already inside with extravagant clothing. I felt underdressed. "If you ask me, your dress is better than those disco balls." Nono's lightning guardian said quietly to help with my anxiety.

"They're only trying to impress you. After all, you're the first and only female in Varia's history." Coyote said proudly. The limo everyone else was in arrived. Xanxus and Squalo walked to my side.

"Shall we?" Nono questioned.

"Take my arm." Xanxus said. I did and felt more at ease. "In my opinion, they're all trash."

"Isn't everyone but me trash to you?" He hummed in response. I'll take that as a 'yes'. We walked into the room. It smelt of different cuisines and perfume. Nono and his men walked in first followed by me, Xanxus, and Squalo. The rest of the Varia walked behind us. I could tell everyone was watching me. They were whispering about me. I remembered what Nikita told me. I'm above everyone here. I raised my head and looked forward. Squalo and Xanxus both noticed the change and smirked. Nono took a glass of champagne from one of the butlers. He stood on the fifth stair with Coyote on the stair below.

"Welcome everyone to the Vongola's annual party. Like every year, it is a joy to see all of my closest allies, friends, and family in a room together." Nono looked at me. "This is also a celebration." Squalo gently pushed my back. I walked up the stairs to Nono. "You all might be wondering who this mysterious woman is. This is Shiori, the Vongola's negotiator and the Varia's cloud guardian. I hope you all welcome her with open arms. She's very important and a vital part in keeping our reputation as a strong family."

After my introduction, the party went back to the lively atmosphere it had when we walked in. Unfortunately for me, I was bombarded with people asking questions. They were mundane questions about how I met the Varia and my background. Of course, I didn't tell them everything. I even told a few lies here and there to make things go smoothly. Soon, everyone left me alone after they were satisfied with my answers. Chen walked to me from behind. She hid in the shadows.

"I wasn't expecting you here."

"I got done early. Everything is all set." Chen spoke in Chinese.

"Wonderful work as always. Any intel?"

"They're being very low key about it. No goal is known yet. They're scared of you." I hummed quietly before I took a sip. It'd make sense.

"It sounds like most do not know of me. Do you think I'm the main target?" I responded in Chinese. I did a little research before I came to the party. No one here had any ties to China but had ties to Japan. No one even took any assassination contracts in China either. Chen and I were free to speak, but I needed to stay quiet. I can't take any chances.

"One of them."

"As always." Music started picking up and people were dancing in groups of two. Xanxus was dancing with Lucia. She looked happy while he looked neutral. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Is everything good?" I ignored the voice.

"Why does my stomach hurt when I look at them?"

"You might not like the answer." I jumped and saw Squalo. "You must be out of it if I managed to sneak up against you."

"I wasn't out of it. I was thinking."

"What do you feel when you look at Xanxus?"

"Safe." I answered immediately.

"Is there anything else? Does your heart race?"

"My heart doesn't race. If anything, he calms it." I groaned with frustration. "The more I think the more I see myself as a parasite."

"You're not a parasite."

"What are you trying to get at?" Squalo and I looked at each other. He looked nervous.

"I think you may be jealous."

"Why would I be jealous of her?"

"You like Xanxus." I tilted my head. Was he insinuating I had a crush on Xanxus? Did I even like him that way?

"What's wrong with Shiori?" Dino asked with worry. When did he get here?

"I broke her mind."

"My mind did not break. I'm just soaking things in."

"Well? What do you think then?" Squalo asked.

"I…don't know."

"What's going on?" Dino asked.

"Shiori might have a crush on the boss."

"Huh?" Dino seemed speechless.

"I'm trying to explain it in a way she'll understand." The two men were thinking quietly. I ignored them and kept watching people dance. My brows furrowed. He was still dancing with her.

"I got it!" Dino exclaimed.

"You do?" The two of us questioned. I was hoping Dino had some actual insight into this. Squalo just confused me.

"Do you like Xanxus the same way you liked your dad?"

Sure, Xanxus did a lot of things that dad did. They were both strong people and knew when to stop spoiling me. They're not even scared to scold me and do it gently. Though, Xanxus was a little rough, but I knew he did it when he was at his wits end. He was the only one that made me feel safer than I've ever felt. I'm not sure why either. Dad made me feel safe but I felt like I put walls up to protect him. I didn't have to do that with Xanxus.

"I…" The two got closer, wanting to know my answer. "I think I like him more than the way I liked dad."

"It's a crush." The two commented.

"You think so?"

"We're sure. Plus, you're probably the only one in the world to call Xanxus a warm person."

"He is unless I do something that puts me in danger."

"Do you think he likes her?" Dino asked Squalo.

"Probably. They're two idiots that don't know what their own feelings are."

"I'm an idiot?"

"Sometimes." Chen commented with a chuckle, scaring the two men. Her ability to hide was impressive. "If you had to, would you be able to kill him with a neutral expression?" She asked seriously.

"Probably not."

"If he betrayed you and you had to kill him, would you smile?"

"I'd probably do the opposite." I answered quietly.

"It's a crush. Should I kill her?" Chen asked too happily.

"No!" The three of us answered.

"Since we're at a party, do you want to dance, Shiori?" Dino asked with his hand out for me to take.

"No way, dipshit." Squalo took the drink in my hand and gave it to a confused Dino. Squalo dragged me towards the other people.

"Squalo, I don't know how to dance."

"You don't?" I shook my head. "Just follow along."

"I'll try. Won't I embarrass the Varia if everyone sees I can't dance?"

"You won't embarrass us. No one knows what you're capable of. We do and that's all that matters. Plus, if anyone tries to tarnish your name, they'll have a lot of scary people on their trail."

"That sounds like more paperwork, Squalo. Please don't kill anyone on my behalf. I can do that perfectly fine myself."

Xanxus didn't want to dance. He hated dancing. Yet, he forced himself to dance with Lucia. If she was happy, their alliance between the Rossi and the Vongola would be solidified. Her father was one to always give his daughter anything. They even ruined another family because they didn't do what she wanted. Xanxus caught Shiori staring from a corner. Why was she pouting? She probably didn't even know. Squalo and Dino were talking to her. She seemed genuinely confused. What were those two assholes doing? Despite being confused, her ears were turning pink. Did they embarrass her?

"Hey, pay attention to me. Aren't I the most beautiful woman here?" Lucia asked. He ignored her. He'd shoot her if he could. She was a leech that wouldn't let go. She looked at Shiori.

"She does know how to dress up. I'll give her that." Squalo took Shiori out to dance. She was struggling.

"Cute." Xanxus accidentally let out.

"You think she's cute? Don't you want a sexy woman? We're better in general." Xanxus bit his tongue. He'd say something to set her off. She wasn't even attractive to him. Her annoyance ruined any beauty she had. Shiori kept stepping on Squalo's feet. It was amusing to see someone who was perfect at nearly everything looking like a newborn fawn. She was clearly frustrated. "Poor thing. She can't even dance. It's the simplest thing in the world. I bet her family didn't have enough money to throw parties."

Xanxus could taste iron. He was now biting the inside of his cheek too hard. Nikita was not the kind to throw a party. Even Syoko would never do that. "Her family isn't like ours."

"I heard she came from a tiny family. Did they get Nono's pity to let her in the family?"

"Nothing like that happened." The second Shiori sort of got the hang of dancing, her and Squalo's pace quickened to match everyone else. She wasn't called a genius for nothing.

"How did she do that?" Lucia questioned.

"She's Varia quality."

"And I'm not?"

"If you were, you'd be one of my men." Xanxus insulted.

"I'm not part of the Varia because I'm not in the Vongola. Don't worry, Xanxus. I'll make my way by your side one way or another."

When the dancing stopped, I felt dizzy. "You were absolutely beautiful!" Lussuria exclaimed.

"T-thank you."

"The way you stepped on Squalo's feet was the best part." Bel snickered as Squalo glared. The entire Varia was around me. We were our own little group. Even Dino wasn't with us. Xanxus walked to us without Lucia nearby. He had a plate of food. Where did he get that? He handed it to me.

"What's this for?"

"You used too much energy earlier. Eat."

"When did I?" He glared at Squalo.

"Oh."

"You know what he means?!" Squalo asked not knowing.

"You stressed me out and made me dance." I took the plate and started to happily eat.

"Where did you even get that?" Levi asked.

"I asked one of the chefs. He was more than happy to oblige."

"Did you threaten him?" I questioned.

"No."

"That poor chef." Lussuria said.

"No, Xanxus is telling the truth. He didn't threaten anyone."

"How can you tell?" Bel asked.

"Women's intuition."

"It's scary." Chen said from behind me. The men jumped.

"Did you not notice her?"

"Do you think we would have jumped if we did?"

"Oh."

Nono walked over to us. "How is everyone enjoying the party?" He asked. He saw me with an almost empty plate of food. "I see your food got to you. I'm glad I notified the chef ahead of time." We all slowly looked at Xanxus, staying quiet about the whole ordeal. I took another bite of my food. Why did he lie about how he got my food? Nono got the message and couldn't help but laugh. Xanxus walked away.

"Levi, follow him." I ordered.

"Got it!"

"Why?" Squalo asked.

"Trust your cloud, Squalo. She does things her own way as a cloud is allowed to. Plus, she's worried." Levi immediately ran off. Mammon stood on my shoulder.

"I'll stay by you."

"By the way, Shiori, I didn't know you knew how to dance." Nono commented.

"I didn't know how to dance this way until Squalo taught me."

"Didn't you dance the same way during the play?" Bel asked.

"That's true, but it's different. On stage, I danced as if I was Bern. Plus, the thing I learned was a routine and not something I can improvise." I rambled.

"That's alright. You learned very fast. You looked beautiful. I'll let you all go now. Have a safe rest of the party." That had a double meaning. I knew the worst possible outcome would come true.

Once Nono was with his guardians, all hell broke loose. People were screaming and gunshots were heard. Some of the windows were shattered. Most of the lights went out at this point. It was every man for themselves. There must be snipers hiding outside. No one knew who the enemy was. Chen and I looked at each other calmly and nodded. We all needed to get somewhere safe.

"This way." They all followed me down the hall into a small storage closet.

"Who the hell is ballsy enough to attack all of us?" Bel questioned.

"That shouldn't matter. We need a plan of attack." I said harshly. Despite knowing of the attack happening, it still put me on edge. Though, it was mostly because Xanxus was missing. He should have Levi on his trail so Xanxus should be relatively safe.

"Levi?!" Lussuria screeched. In the back was a bloodied Levi. He was in bad shape. We ran to his side. I checked his vitals. "He's alive. Levi, if you can hear me, look at me." He turned his head. I noticed a huge gash on his leg. It was close to a major artery. I tore the bottom of my dress and tied a tight knot around the top of the gash to stop the bleeding.

"I-I'm glad you all found me. I would be dead if it wasn't for you all."

"What happened? What happened to Xanxus?" Levi looked terrified at my question.

"Lucia has the boss." My heart dropped.

"What happened exactly? Be specific." Squalo urged.

"Lucia has superhuman hearing. She can hear the quietest sound. It's how she knew I was there. After her men attacked me, I saw her drug boss with something and drag him off. I don't know where he is but I know he's in danger."

My heart started beating calmly. It was as if my whole body relaxed. Despite my worry and anxiety, I felt something off with me, as if a switch was flipped. Xanxus was hurt. Those three words unleashed something dangerous and it was all coming for Lucia. I didn't care who the real mastermind behind this was. Lucia will die and I'll be the one covered in her blood.