Bella's POV:
Age 17, three years before,In the Sitting Room:
I shook, not in fear but in fury.
Fucking damn it! Lauren ruined the plan! She was supposed to be fucking leaving a week ago!
Now how the fuck was I going to help her get out of this alive?
It's all Jasper's fault for making me go on that stupid trip where we got ambushed… I swear to God I was going to shoot his ass when I saw him again.
"Alright, tesoro. What did that picola cagna tell you?" Elizabeth asked. (Dear/Little bitch)
I gazed out of the window, trying to contain my anger at the situation.
Lauren was supposed to be helping me leave here. Instead she fucking turned this whole thing into a clusterfuck.
Though that lie about her father sending her here was genius, I'll admit.
Horacio Mallory wasn't her father but her deadbeat Uncle, he had conned and blackmailed Lauren into working for a strip club only to be sold into prostitution and a drug trading ring.
So many things had happened to her that she didn't believe I could help her when Jasper and I had found her at Jacob's apartment along with Leah and two other girls.
She had gladly agreed to help if it meant taking down Horacio, sadly now it seemed that she was in deeper problems since Seth messed up.
Fucking hell.
Seth was supposed to be helping me get her out of this alive! Now, who the fuck was she going to leave?
"Tesoro. How long has this been happening?" Illiana asked, as she grabbed the afghan from the couch and wrapped it around my shoulders.
"For a short while." I replied, distractedly, looking away from them as my eyes watered in frustration.
Usually I hated the fact that my tears were connected to my emotions, but today they came in handy.
I could use this to my benefit. Hopefully to save Lauren's hide.
Though it might have also been the fact that I had skipped eating since yesterday morning to pack.
My damn blood sugar dropped and caused my head to begin to swim.
"Elizabetta, go to the kitchen and bring a piece of chocolate, and a bibita." Illiana ordered Elizabeth. (Soda)
"We need a dottore." Elizabeth urged, eyeing me with concern .(Doctor)
Damn woman always was one for theatrics. Especially when it came to me.
Perfect, that meant I had something else to help me fix this situation.
"She needs something with sugar in her system, go get those things! Now!" Nonna Illiana ordered.
Next thing I know Illiana slowly helped me lay back, lifting up my feet, before throwing the blanket over me again. Placing a small wet cloth on my forehead.
I groaned as my head begun to swim a lot more as I laid back, clenching my fists.
"Eat this." She urged, holding something small to my lips.
I slowly opened my mouth and felt her drop whatever it was into it.
"Can you sit up?" I heard Illiana ask.
I nodded, frowning , already feeling better after I swallowed the creamy piece of chocolate. I waited a moment, feeling as everything got back to normal, before I sat up.
She held up a glass cup of orange soda pop with straw in it.
"Drink this." Illiana instructed gently.
I slowly sipped the soda, taking a few slow sips before refusing anymore of the sweet fizzy drink.
"There now, how do you feel, tesoro?" Illiana asked.
I felt alright, for now. "Better, Nonna." I answered, pushing away the fizzy orange drink.
"Bene, bene. Now, tesoro. What did that ragazza stupida tell you? Remember, be honest, tesoro." Illiana said, giving me an encouraging smile. (Good, good./ stupid girl.)
I frowned, as I swung my legs off the couch, turning away from them. Frowning deeper as I thought of something to tell them.
"She said that I don't belong here. That I'm too soft to be here. Called me a bastarda." I rumbled, internally wincing as I saw the fury spread on their faces.
"Ucciderò io stessa la piccola cagna." Illiana growled, squeezing the rag in her hands. (I'll kill the little bitch myself.)
"What else did that girl say?" Elizabeth asked, standing next Nonna, placing a calming hand on her arm.
"I can assure you none of it is worth repeating." I mumble, lying through my teeth.
God forgive me. But I had to do this...
"Alright, tesoro, so she spoke about your mother, challenged your heritage and your parents' legacies by calling you that awful name… I want you to think real hard about this…" Elizabeth finally said after she exchanged a look with Illiana.
I stared at her, wondering what she wanted to tell me.
"Elizabetta, don't confuse the poor girl." Nonna said, thwacking her arm before she turned to look at me. "Isabetta, mia cara ragazza, how this goes is up to you." She finally said. (My dear girl)
I turned, frowning, to look at them. Did they actually mean what I think they mean?
"Me? Why would it be left up to me? I'm...I'm not a blood relative." I feign sputtering.
"Oh, no my dear, you are that and more to us." Illiana states firmly. "Now do you plan to let that puttana talk down to you and think she won because she laid her hands on you. Don't let that puttana think she got the upper hand, tesoro. You are a wonderful, beautiful, intelligent, young lady. A Swan, no less. The thing is you have to decide if you are going to let this puttana win, or show her who you really are. I know Renata and Charles taught you self defense and how to wield a weapon to an extent. Now it is fully up to you to choose whether you show the world or not." She says simply.
"I-I …" I began but stopped because I can't seem to form a proper response.
My egg donor and sperm donor both wanted me to know all this as a form of protection, but that was before, before everything went to shit. I always found it funny when I was forced to practice with Emmett. Even when my egg donor easily took my sperm donor, who happened to have Emmett's build and stance.
My sperm donor taught me all there is on how to shoot, carry, even clean any gun. Wielding a knife and throwing was a bit more difficult to learn, especially after the whole knife to the butt incident, nevertheless my sperm donor taught me to defend myself with any type of weapon.
After their deaths, my mind decided to block and refuse to let me remember their violent deaths.
Though there are things I never liked to remember, I still remembered.
I remembered how they were good parents one day, before turning into shitty parents. After getting involved with the wrong people.
I remembered how they would disappear for days, only to come back with a friend or two with them to continue snorting shit and drinking until they were practically incoherent.
The pain I felt at discovering their mutilated bodies as I walked into the house that day in September, almost two years ago.
Was nothing compared to the relief I felt when the Cullens arrived to bring us back to New York.
Now, all those years of learning suddenly crashed into the front of my mind as I fought my indecision.
What the hell was I going to do?
"Tesoro, your mother was one of my closest friends. I always admired her. She was a wonderful person. Honest, fearless, who did not take shit from anyone, and fiercely protective when it came to protecting her family. She would be ruthless too." Elizabeth said, smiling fondly at me.
Yeah, that's because you never truly knew her, or her husband.
"You remind me so much of Renata." She said, patting my hand tenderly.
I should be insulted, but I wasn't. Not one bit. See, I knew how calculating, and manipulative she could be. So, being compared to her wasn't that much of a surprise.
I had to be since I decided to join Jasper in this world. He was my other brother. My only other family besides Emmett.
"Tesoro, what is troubling you?" Illiana asks.
I shook my head, feeling disgusted with myself, and how heartless I had become. "I never thought I would see the day that I could be at level with my mother. She was—" I shook my head, stopping the thought with a frown. "I will never be able to fill those shoes." I finally said, frowning at the floor.
"Oh, tesoro, you are halfway there, Principessa. Believe me. Now, I have one last question to ask you. If the opportunity arose, for you to prove you. You are so much like her, and you don't even realize it. So, fierce, ruthless, fearless, yet loving and compassionate...would you?" Illiana asked.
Goosebumps spread throughout my body, as I realized I had indeed become like my egg donor. And hatred toward myself grew.
"Someone has decided the famiglia is in the way… they have attack our loved ones, what are you going to do about it?" Illiana asked me with a gleam in her eye.
"Mamma once told me this world will eat you alive if you let it. I didn't understand then what she meant back then, but now I do…" I said as it dawned on me what she meant.
Great, more blood on my hands.
"So, what is going to happen now? What do you wish to do?" Elizabeth asks.
"Now, my tesoros, we activate Clausola Femminile." Illiana says calmly, standing up and walking out of the room. (Dears/ Female Clause)
I let out a mental sigh. I always hated this life, I wanted to get out. Yet, how could I? How could I when my family was always being attacked?
"You know, I always saw you as my zia, right Elizabeth?" I asked, after we watched Illiana leave.( Aunt)
It was true. She was the only mother figure I had in my life besides Illiana. I cared for them deeply.
"Oh, tesoro, you used to be like my niece before, but now, tesoro, you are more like my figlia." (Dear / daughter)
Her words made my eyes tear up, as I tried to contain the fear that boiled inside.
How was I going to save Lauren now?