Bella's POV( age 17):
It is exactly six months later that I move out of the main house.
After all the arguing and forbiding, Zia and Nonna intervened when Senior and Nonno tried to put their foot down.
I found it amusing when Zia and Nonna disagreed and helped me find a house in Westhaven, an hour or so away from North Haven. They even helped me furnish it, despite my objections.
All in all, it was a great experience. They made sure that everything was up to code and even paid extra to bring anything else to code.
Shortly after graduation, a few weeks before my birthday is when I get the first bitter taste of stinging betrayal.
The night of a special dinner, and of Aro's engagement announcement.
When I walk into the living room of Masoni Mansion and see Thanya Valentorin, Sulpicia's youngest sister, hanging off of Anthony's neck. All the Valentorins are present, happily chatting with one another as if it's not a big deal.
I don't bother asking, choosing to shut it all out. Including Edward's uncomfortable smile as the girl clung to his neck. Already having slipped off the cackling plastic looking girl's arms off of him for the third time within fifteen minutes of my arrival.
I pretend it doesn't bother me, plastering a tight, fake smile on my face as I make small talk with any guest who bothers to approach me.
As I am taking a sip of wine, I feel someone's stare on the side of my face, I purposefully ignore it, as I hear someone's approach.
"Isabetta," Aro greets, giving me a happy smile, oblivious to my tense state.
"Aaron." I say, giving him a tight smile.
"Qual è il problema sorellina?" He asks, his smile dimming as he stands next to me, taking in my expression. (What is the problem, sister?)
"Non è niente. Non ti preoccupare, fratello." I replied tightly. (It's nothing. Don't worry about it, brother.)
"Liar." He says, looking at me worried. "What is bothering you? Is it your upcoming birthday?" He mumbles.
Probably referring to how uncomfortable being the center of attention makes me feel. Even now after all these years.
"No. I-I actually wanted to announce that I'm leaving tonight. I got into the University and will be staying at the house that Nonna helped me acquire a few weeks ago. I only came to say my goodbyes and give my best wishes." I say, pushing down all the irrational thoughts I have at that moment.
The room suddenly felt too hot, too small for me, and I needed to leave before I did something stupid without thinking things through.
"Goodbyes? Sore, you can't leave just yet. My father said he has an important announcement to make." He informs me.
I shake my head at him, "I can't stay for long." I mumble, taking in a deep breath.
"Oh well, when do you leave?" He asks as Jasper suddenly behind us.
"Isa, you're leaving?" Jazz asks, confused.
His eyes looked confused for a second before it dawned on him why I was leaving. "Do you have to go?" He finally asks, in a low tone, disappointment clear.
"I do." I whisper back, feeling an overwhelming need to cry.
"I'll come with you then. Aaron, tell dad I left with Isa. Tell him I'll be back tomorrow morning." He says, before gesturing for me to get my things.
"Jazz, you don't have to go." I say, attempting to leave on my own.
"No, Itsa, you don't need to go alone, it's late after all, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you go and something to you? No, no. Come on, sore, I'll go with you." He says, slipping an arm around my shoulders and leading me out.
I finally realize Jasper isn't relenting, so I nodded to him in response and let him pull me out of the room slowly.
"Wait for me right here. I'll be right back." He says, walking back into the sitting room full of people.
I nodded and waited for him to go back inside before rushing to stand just outside the room.
"Aro, some advice, if you notice Isa isn't smiling, be on the alert, you idiot. That probably means something is wrong. Tell dad to call me as soon as Sully's family gets out of here." He says before turning around.
I rush towards the foyer and quickly put on my coat and scarf before grabbing my bag.
"Have you told him you're leaving?" Jasper asked as he pulled on his leather jacket.
"Not verbally." I admit, as we both walked out the front door.
"Who else have you told of your departure?" He asks as he gets into the passenger's side, surprising the hell outta me.
"Both your mother and father are aware, as well as Nonno and Nonna Masen." I whisper as I drive slowly down the large, wide driveway. Accidentally passing too close to the car with the 'Thany-V17' license plate, and giving it a nice lengthy scratch.
"That's low, Bell." Jasper comments amused.
"Never said it wasn't, Jazzy Bear." I say, throwing him a dry smile.
On the drive over, I received three calls and a lot of pings (message alerts) informing me that someone is trying to contact me.
"Jasper?" i began, before shaking my head, "No, never mind..." I mutter, as I turn onto the corner of where the house is located.
"Go ahead, you know you can ask me anything…" he says, putting away his phone to give me his full attention.
"Jasper, has she been at his side since they arrived?" I ask, pulling the car to a stop in the curb before the house.
"I have no idea. I got home just after five." He said honestly.
I nod in response, before letting out a tired sigh, "Thank you for coming home with me. I know you probably have better things to do than stay here with me. So, thank you." I say, tiredly.
"It was no problem, now let's get you inside. It's getting colder by the second." He says, throwing me a soft smile.
I nod as we both get out of the car.
Why had he even let her touch him? Why was he even there? Had he broken his promise? Was he going to forget about me now?
All these questions made my stomach begin to painfully churn at the memory from earlier tonight.
"Isa?" I heard Jasper say, as we walked into the kitchen.
"Yes? What happened?" I mutter in response, as I walk to one of the cabinets and refrigerator and pull out all of the ingredients to make a quick meal.
"Just how deep are your feelings for my little brother?" He asks, looking at me.
I can feel his eyes absorbing and observing my every move and expression. "I— don't think I know myself. I just know that I feel the way I do." I whisper.
"What are you planning to do?" He asked, sitting down on one of the stools.
"Let him be." I reply instantly, looking down to avoid his questioning gaze.
"I think you should let him know." He says, amused.
I shake my head at him, before grabbing one of the bags of food I bought earlier today. "I don't want him to resent me, he deserves to fall in love, be happy. I don't want to stop any of that." I mumble to him.
"Let me tell you something about my brother. He is unusually unobservant. So, if you don't make it clear to him that you have feelings for him, odds are the idiot will never realize it, even if it's right in front of his face." He says.
I nodded, aware that this may become a problem, but I also didn't want to take a chance away from love from him. "Thank you, Jasper."
"No problem, sore. I should probably mention this too though. In case...neither of you probably noticed before, you two are and have always been meant to be. Just by looking at you two when you are together, even a blind man can see it." He asserts.
"Sure as hell didn't seem like it tonight…" I mutter. "Would you like some?" I ask, offering some spaghetti noodles covered in freshly made sauce, Nonna had given me in a jar earlier.
"Sure." He says, peering over my shoulder to look at the pasta.
So, we sat there eating quietly, the only noise heard around us was the small humming of the heater and the occasional scraping of our forks hitting the ceramic plates Nonna and Zia Elizabetta bought for me.
Though I knew Jasper was right, I couldn't help but wonder what Nani, Nonno, and Nonna back in Italy would have to say about this.
'Never let your mind overpower your heart.' Nonna once told me. 'Your mind can be your worst opponent at times. Never let yourself doubt your heart.'
"Overthinking this isn't going to help you, sorellina." Jasper said, after we finished eating, and washed and put away the dishes.
We had changed into our pajamas, and were now in the living room, watching or attempting to watch old sitcoms on TVLand. While drinking wine and brandy.
"I can't help it. We were close friends growing up. Frankly, I saw all of you as brothers, now… my heart and my brain are at war. Why Anthony? Why not you, or Carl? Why did it have to be him?" I asked, in a low voice, as I tried to keep my voice leveled.
"You're meant to be. You have been since you two were younger. Only you and Anthony have the type of connection one can only dream to have. Don't let a shitty situation make you doubt that." He says, chuckling at something on the TV.
I bit my lip, feeling more turmoil form in the pit of my stomach. Could it really be true?
No, Edward and I were close but… he couldn't feel that way about me. Could he?
I shook my head to clear it. Sighing and rolling my eyes at my own stupidity.
It wasn't possible. Not when I've got so much blood on my hands, probably more than he has at this point.
"What is it that you are truly feeling? Or what is it that you are struggling to understand?" He finally asks me.
I thought about it for a second, taking a huge sip of wine as I did.
"How is it possible that he can feel any type of connection to me? After all the shit we've done…. Well probably only be friends." I mumble, still struggling to wrap my mind around it all.
"It's not just you who feels it. He does too. I can show you. It's always been like that." He asserts.
His expression always reminded me of Anthony's. Actually, all four of the Masoni brothers do. They all have the same mannerisms when they get angry or frustrated. They pull the hair on the nape of their necks, their brow wrinkles in the same way when frustrated. They even the pinch of the bridge of their nose. It's amusing.
I raise an eyebrow in response, nodding once as if to challenge him.
"Let me look for it." He told me, sighing as he pulled out his cellphone, and began scrolling through the pictures and videos to get a specific one.
He has to be lying. Why would Anthony feel something for me besides friendly affection? If he had, why had he kept quiet about it for so long?
I watched Jasper frown in concentration as he slid his finger up and down, again and again, before a smile appeared on his phone.
"Here. Take a look for yourself, Itsa." He says, extending the phone towards me.
I look at him for a second before I decide whether I truly want to take it or not. Curiosity ends up winning and I take it, albeit hesitantly.
"Mamma and Anthony are probably going to kill me for showing you this, but I want you to see for yourself. See how connected you two truly are." He says, as he watches me.
I nodded absently as my finger moved over the screen to click on the white triangle that is in the middle of the screen.
I stare in surprise as pictures start moving as the song Can't Help Falling in Love begins to play, it's a cover. The difference is noticeable, but that isn't what catches my attention, what catches my attention is the first picture that lights the screen.
It's a boy, a very familiar green-eyed boy, holding a very familiar blue-eyed baby. My heart starts racing as I see a young Anthony holding me as a baby.
The picture morphs into a different one. One of a brunette, blue-eyed dimpled little girl laughing with an older bronze haired, green-eyed boy. Both of them sit in a large loveseat under a thick afghan.
The next picture is of the same brunette girl and the same bronze haired boy. This time it's of them outside, she is in a tire swing and the boy is behind her, pushing the swing, both wearing happy smiles.
The pictures continue morphing, bringing one memory after another. Memories we all thought were gone. Forever.
Finally as the children in the pictures soon begin growing. Any person can see the connection between them. All of the pictures show it.
Until the final picture shows the pair sitting in the lawn on a blanket. The small brunette woman was wearing a smile, as was the young man smiled back, a book between them.
As the picture began to fade, it faded into a video. It was the little brunette girl. She was crying.
The video brought back the faded memory. It was the day we were leaving New Haven.
I sat at the foot of the stairs, crying sadly, as I hugged my bear in the empty house.
"What's wrong, Izzy?" He asked me as everyone said their goodbyes.
"I no wana go." I sobbed, sniffling into my bear.
"It's okay, Izzy. I promise, we'll visit." He said, hugging me.
"Pwomise?" I asked, looking up at him.
"Have I ever lied to you?" He asked me.
"No, but I thwee…" I say, pouting.
"You're my best friend. Best friends don't lie to each other." He say.
"Awight, I go, but I no like it." I sniffled.
"It'll be okay." He tells me with a small smile.
I stared at the darkened screen, tears rolling down my eyes.
Edward's POV (21):
Three fucking hours!
One hundred and eighty minutes!
Ten thousand eight hundred seconds!
That is how long I had to endure that annoyingly daft, materialistic girl.
The more she clung to me, the more I missed my dolce.
This happens every time I am introduced to a girl. I always compared my dolce to them.
I had just answered a question that Mr. Valentorin asked me when I noticed Aro's tense posture, along with Carlisle's.
Something was wrong!
Wait, where was Jasper? Is? Where the hell was Isa at?
My eyes scanned the room, realizing with dread that she wasn't here.
Oh no.. she must have left. That has to be the only logical answer, she saw me, and left with Jasper.
This is a fucking disaster! I knew I should have stayed in my room!
Fucking damn it! Why won't she answer her phone? Why the fuck did Jasper go with her?
"Pacing isn't going to bring her back here, son." My father said surprising the hell out of me.
I let my shoulders drop as I sit in the solarium. It works as many things, especially at night.
"Who told you I was in here?" I ask, staring out into the backyard.
"I know you. I don't need someone to tell me where you are. You always come here when you need to think. You have been doing this since you were five." He says as he sits down on the chair next to mine.
"Why would she leave without saying goodbye?" I muttered looking down at my phone for the umpteenth time.
"She saw Thanya hanging off of you. Be lucky she didn't react like your mother did. Or your ass would be limping right now, and Thanya would be needing a wig instead of extensions." He said, unconsciously rubbing a spot in his upper thigh.
"Mom's shot you before?" I ask, completely sidetracked.
"Shot, stabbed, shanked… the list goes on. The point is, I love your mother. I see that look you are giving me, bambino. No, I have never cheated on your mother. It's out of love and respect that I don't. I am happy with your mother." He says smiling.
"Right, it's not because Nonno will bust a cap in you." I muttered, rolling my eyes at him.
I receive a hand to the back of the head, "Wise words spoken to me the day your mother and I wed. 'You can get pussy anywhere, but love won't be there. Life is too short to be living it, sad and alone. Once you find love, hold on to it.' I don't know you but I like living happily." He shrugged, before he got up and left.
Leaving me alone with my thoughts. Only to come to the conclusion that my old man was right.
~*~
Sleep evaded me until the early hours of the morning. Meaning I only got about an hour of sleep, if that, before I heard my father storm into my room, slamming it shut behind himself.
"Son? I need you to get up. We have a bit of a situation." He said,as he ripped the blankets from on top of my body, causing me to groan and reach over to pull them back. "Wake up, dammit!" He growled.
"Hm?" I hummed in response, tiredly lifting my head before I opened my sore eyes. "What?" I groaned, dropping my head onto the mattress again.
"Oh, for the love of all holy! Get your ass out of bed!" He finally says, taking my pillow away from me only to whack me over the head with it.
The motions makes my lifted head smack into the mattress painfully, "I'm up! I'm up!" I complained, rubbing my head as I sat up.
"Great, you're up. Now, I'm going to explain to you what exactly is going on, and I need you to listen to me before you do anything rash." He says, pacing the length of the room.
I watched him, nodding wordlessly in response.
"I've run a background check on the Valentorin family. They're all clean except Thanya Khristeena Valentorin and Viktor Ray Valentorin."
"What's going on?" I asked, tensing up.
"Viktor apparently has got some dirt on me and the Famiglia. He's making demands." He says.
"What kind of dirt?" I anxiously asked, shooting to my feet.
He stopped his pacing to look at me. "The kind of dirt that can compromise everything." he said, unblinkingly.
I can feel a headache coming as I listen to him explain the situation, and what I am apparently being pulled into.
"I know this is a lot to ask of you, Junior, but that girl, she was interested in you. I need you to entertain her." He finally says.
"Entertain her? Are you serious? Dad, no. She's annoying. She's shallow. I can't stand her. Her voice, high-pitched laugh or that atrocious perfume she wears. The woman sounds like a choking hyena." I complained, wrinkling my nose.
"I know son, believe me, I know." He says, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. "I already have Reed and Ronin working on it. We just need a bit of time." He says.
"How long do you need?" I finally say, defeated.
"A few weeks." He says, dejected.
I sighed, realizing what this fucking meant. "Fine. But only a few weeks." I mumbled.
So, that's how my life was thrown into hell.
For the next three weeks anytime Aro brought Suly over, she brought Thanya with her, though her presence seemed to be annoying them as well.
It was just a few months after that when trouble came. It was the night of Aro's official engagement, at the dinner party my mother threw for them.
My mother invited Isa, who had surprisingly, been absent for the last four and a half months.
My agitation was through the roof by this point, a fucking task that was supposed take a mere two weeks had fucking taken almost five months!
But that is besides the point, now fucking Thanya had announced that I was her boyfriend, in front of Isa no less.
To tell the truth, hitting me would have been less painful. Isa has officially fazed me out of her life, going as far as changing her number to keep me away.
Not even Jasper, the closest to me of my brothers, wanted to speak to me, let alone be in the same room as me.
Now, I had the opportunity to talk to her, only to get shut out, and end up having to watch her walk in with another guy. While I sit with this lousy excuse for a woman, who clings to my side worse than a parasite clings to their host.
To say dinner was uncomfortable would be putting it lightly.
My mother only seemed to make it worse by sitting me across from her.
Dinner was almost finished, when my father made an announcement.
"Sulpicia, Aaron, I want to congratulate you both on your new engagement by offering to you one of the houses we have for your honeymoon." He said, smiling at both of them.
Aro and Sully simply nod in response before turning back to their meals.
It is minutes later that my father, along with Viktor, my three brothers and I are coming together in his office.
"Eduardo, my dear friend!" The short, slimy man greets my father happily.
His perfume is worse than Thanya's...oh god, it stunk like week-old gym socks, and rotten cheese, along with the distinct smell of alcohol and cigars.
Aro quickly goes to open the windows, his nose scrunched up in disgust as he does.
"Viktor." My dad replies, stepping away from the man's clutches.
"So, what's the deal?" He asks.
"The deal is this. I managed to get my hands on the false documentation you were trying to blackmail us with...while also obtaining some interesting information about you and your family." My father says.
"Information? How could you have possibly obtained the information when it was secured by one of my family members?" He asked, his beady eyes widening.
"Your brother, Octavio, as it turns out, isn't really a trustworthy person to begin with. Ronin and Reed, my go-to guys have managed to bribe your brother into releasing those documents. You are finished." My father stated, a menacing gleam in his eye.
"W-what?" Slimeball stutters. "But I—we just needed...you can't do this, Eduardo." He says, getting to his feet.
"I can, and will. See, where you don't give a flying fuck whether something happens to your family. That is where I thrive. Everything I do is for them, for their benefit, for their protection. You managed to threaten them, and that was one of your biggest mistakes." My father says.
"I—I…" he continues to sputter.
"When were you planning on telling your daughters that you killed their mother, Lizette, was it?" My father asks him, shocking the hell out of all of us.
"I didn't do anything to her!" He loudly said.
My brothers and I could see the sweat begin to form on his face as my father interrogated him. As the sweat began to appear on his pudgy face, causing the already smelly room to become worse.
"I know for a fact you did. I also happen to know how you managed to hide that shit from all of us... you see, Sasha is tall —much like Sully, Athendora, and Didymi— who you have as your wife now, was your goomah. Sasha looks similar to Lizette but she isn't her. Thanya, Irina, and Katherina are the daughters born to both you and Sasha. Lizette was the mother of Sulpicia, Athendora, and Didyme, your first and only wife in the eyes of the Famiglia." My father continued to dissect the information.
This revelation left us all shocked and cold. Where was Lizette? Was she okay?
"It was an accident!" Viktor suddenly cried.
"How is you throwing her down the stairs, an accident? Why would you even put your hands on Lizette? What are you trying to do? Start a war with the Lorenzos?" My father asked, angrily.
"What are you talking about?" Viktor asked, confused.
"Viktor, you really have no idea what you have done, do you?" My father asked, exasperatedly.
When the slime failed to reply, my father continued to speak, this time anger was clear in his face, and voice. "You have killed a Principessa Mafiosa Italiana, you dumb fuck! A Lorenzo, no less! Did you really think no one would notice when she disappeared?" My father seethed.
Holy fuh—! No way!
"Lor-Lorenzo?" Viktor stuttered.
"Yes. Margaret Lorenzo, also known as Lizette Loreno."
Fuck this is bad. Mattia Lorenzo was one of the most dangerous men I've ever met.
"I—I didn't know. That night, she threatened to leave me, she wanted to take my daughters with her. I just wanted to stop her. I swear, it was a complete accident." Viktor pleaded.
"You are going to explain that to Mattia Lorenzo. Her father. Felix? Demetri? Take him to the basement. Don't touch him, make sure to take anything that can be used as a weapon. Mattia said he wants to deal with him, personally.". My father told the guards. "Also make sure to get Natalia and Gabriella to escort Sasha and her daughter Thanya too. Separate all of them." He said.
"Wait! They're innocent! You can't touch them! Remember the code!" Viktor yelled, frantically as Felix approached him.
"Sasha is far from innocent. She has known about Lizette, therefore making her an accomplice. Thanya, is another problem within itself. She has been spreading disease within this family, and my men." My father told him, heatedly. "Your daughter is a fucking venomous snake, and must be dealt with immediately… You forget there is always a way around the code, especially in circumstances like these."
When they were escorted away, my mother silently walked into the room with an incense stick and its holder lighting it silently.
After that, Katherina and Irina were given an option. Leave, and don't come back or suffer a fate like their family.
They chose to leave. Much to my relief.
As the room cleared I stood by the window, staring blankly at the lawn. I cleared my head for a second before heading to where dad told us to go.
"Why didn't you tell anyone that dad asked you to do this?" Aro asked me, after we were all finished and sitting in the smoke room.
"My hands were bound. I had no other choice." I muttered, gulping down some scotch, feeling as if it burned down my esophagus.
"You do realize Isa isn't going to forgive you so easily for this, right?" He said, looking at me sadly.
My eyes are heavy and my head is pounding, so I only nod, trying to not let them see how painful that is to me.
Present:
I can't seem to stop thinking about the last six years.
All the mistakes I've and have been unable to fix.
I can even remember the fight that broke out between my parents when my mother found out what my father had asked me to do. That was the worst fight I have ever seen, and I have seen some pretty brutal fights.
"Ed, man. I just received a call from Isa. She needs our help, man." Emmett said, after he barged into my room.
My senses already automatically go on high alert. "What is wrong? Is she hurt?" I ask, shooting out of my seat.
"No, she is fine… It's our Nani, she is really sick. It seems she asked my sister to marry before she passes away." He explained.
"Oh.." I mumbled with a frown.
"So, what are we going to do?" He asks.
"Tell everyone we're going to Italy. Immediately." I said, before walking into my closet.