I was dressed up, my hair made perfectly, and my bag was resting beside me on the bed. I stared at myself in the mirror and saw my hollow eyes.

I passed out last night when Nikolai injected me with something and I woke up in my bed at home.

I didn't want to think about what happened last night. I didn't want to dwell on it. I had made up my mind.

It was over.

I was done.

The face of Nikolai I saw last night, I never want to see it again. There was a monster behind those eyes, a monster he keeps under wraps in public. The monster that was glaring into my soul last night, the monster that sat over me, restrained me. I never wanted to see that monster again.

I shook my head and pulled out a notebook from my bag. I ripped a page out of the notebook and wrote a note.

After I was done, I placed my cell phone over it, leaving everything on my bed. I grabbed my bag and looked around the room.

Tears brimmed at the corner of my eyes and I immediately went to the mirror, wiping the corner of my eyes, I smiled at myself. I needed to sell it, I needed to make everyone here believe that I was completely fine.

I can't be stupid, not right now...

These men...

All these men around me were professional murderers, cheaters, rapists, killers, and torturers, they weren't normal men. They were animals and to trick an animal you have to become an animal. You have to be an evil, immoral person to play the same game as these men.

I laughed quite fakely in the mirror, channeling the bubbly, happy, and ignorant Evangeline.

I looked around the room one last time before I went downstairs. I went to the dining room, I greeted the maids all around me.

I told them what I'd like to have for breakfast, as usual, everything is fine, everything is normal. They served me breakfast and I ate it silently, happily...

I finished up my breakfast and slung my bag over my shoulder. I strolled outside and the first person I saw was Lorenzo; leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette.

“The Lorenzo whom you have started to adore so much was the one that shot Elijah and Mary to death. He said it was the best night of his life. There was just so much blood. He enjoyed it, he relished it, he tasted your mother's blood; he told me she tasted divine... Much like her daughter”

Nikolai's words resounded in my head and then I got a flashback of the conversation Lorenzo and I had a few days ago when we went for a walk.

"Can I ask you a question, Mrs. Costello?"

"Ask away..."

"The night your parents were murdered, where were you?"

"Where was I?"

"Yes, how did you escape? From what I know every single person was killed."

"You know how at night, I'd like to spend some time in the gardens..."

"Yes..."

"I secretly climbed out of my bedroom window, I was hiding from my parents. They had never allowed me to go anywhere, then I heard gunshots and screaming, and many more sounds that I didn't even recognize. There is a dark space underneath my bedroom window, I just sat there while they killed my parents, I kept hiding, I was scared. I'm not really brave and they probably didn't know anything about me, so, I guess that's the reason I'm here today..."

"I'm glad that you kept hiding."

I remembered his smile, at the time, I thought it was the cutest smile Lorenzo had ever given me but now I didn't know what to make of that smile. I had been so stupid, the wolves were all around me, encircling me, and I had no idea.

I found a home with the people who killed my parents...

I have been friends with them, spent time with them, and treated them like family, I fell in love with them every single one of them, and all this time they must be making fun of me.

I swallowed and plastered a big smile on my face as I went outside.

"Evangeline?" Lorenzo called me immediately.

I stilled, I couldn't do it, I couldn't stand here and talk to him like we were best friends like I loved him like a brother. He was the biggest wolf of them all, well, second to Nikolai.

Now that I think about it, Scott was the only one who never lied about who he was. He knew he was a horrible person and he wasn't ashamed of hiding it.

I wanted to slap Lorenzo across his face, snatch his gun and shoot him with his own gun but that would be stupid of me, I didn't want to be stupid again. I smiled and turned.

"Lorenzo!"

He frowned, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I beamed at him, "Why wouldn't I be fine?"

His eyes raked over my body as if he was checking me out for injuries, to see if I was hurt, "You went last night with Scott to meet Don Niko, did you?"

I laughed, "Oh, I did..."

"And?"

"And nothing. It's fine, we are fine now."

He frowned, "What did he say to you?"

"Nothing, really..." I looked around, "I really gotta go, Lorenzo, I'm getting late for college but I'll see you tonight, and then we'll talk, I promise!"

Lorenzo nodded before he gave me a faint smile. I turned and walked to Marco's car. I wonder what dirty little secret he was hiding from me. What part did he play in my parent's murder? Maybe, he wasn't involved in it at all, and maybe, he shot them along with Lorenzo.

I opened the backdoor and sat inside. Marco looked back at me and started driving, "I heard you went to see Niko last night."

I nodded, nonchalantly, "I did..."

Play along, Evangeline, make a fool out of them like they made a fool out of you.

"What happened?"

"We talked..."

"And?"

I laughed, shaking my head, "What's with you all and asking questions about what happened between me and Nikolai?"

He shrugged, "Just wondering, he was dead set on not seeing your face again, ever."

"Well, he did. We talked it out. We're fine now," I told him.

Marco raised an eyebrow, "You're acting weird"

My heart dropped to my toes. I smiled, "Marco, we're fine. After we talked, we spent the night together; is that what you want to know? The details?"

"Fuck off! You're disgusting!" he laughed, shaking his head.

The car came to a halt, I stepped out, waved Marco goodbye as usual, and went inside the building.

I speedily walked down the hallway and went into the library, I looked around the spacious room and saw one or two kids studying in different corners of the library. I swallowed and went to the back, I looked for the bookshelf with a red paint mark on it. I finally found it and made my way to it.

I looked for a particular book. A Clockwork Orange—that's what he said its name will be. I sat down and looked at the bottom rack but there wasn't any book by that name, I looked for fifteen minutes and still couldn't find it until I caught a glimpse of some book laying under the rack.

I slid my hand under it and pulled the book out. I sighed in relief as I read the name “A Clockwork Orange”

I looked around to see if anyone was looking and opened the book, all the pages were cut out, and a burner phone was placed in the middle. I grabbed the phone, slammed the book shut, and placed it back on the bookshelf. I shoved the phone into my bag and walked out of the library.

My hands were trembling, my legs were shaking. I looked around and a smiling Layla came into my view.

Not knowing what to do, I started rambling about random things, "Hi, I was busy for a few days with my birthday and all—"

"You don't have to lie to me, Evangeline. I'm here to help you," she said with a smile, looking around at the students passing by us.

A wave of shock washed over me, I gave my head a shake, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know you're leaving..."

I stiffened and took a step back; lots of thoughts crossed my mind, I kept shaking my head denying her words. Does she work for Nikolai?

"Leaving where? I'm not going—"

"Mark Leopold is a family friend, he is the one who asked me to take care of you in college."

I shook my head, "I don't believe you"

She let out a breath, "You don't have to, just go to the janitor's closet and in five minutes Mark will call you."

I stared at her wide-eyed, I looked around the place expecting Nikolai's soldiers to burst through the hallway, "I don't trust you..."

"Evangeline, Il tuo sorriso è il sole della mia vita," Layla whispered, "That's what Mark told me to say to you if you don't believe me."

"Your smile is the sunshine of my life," I whispered, stunned.

Leo used to say that to me before tucking me in bed when I was younger, I spent more time with him than I spent with my own parents. No one knew about it except for Leo and me.

I nodded, "Where did you say I have to go?"

"The janitor's closet, you have three minutes till mark calls you."

I nodded, "Thanks..."

She smiled, "Goodbye, Evangeline. It was nice knowing you."

I gave her a smile one last time before I turned and walked to the janitor's closet in hurried steps. I opened the door and went inside the dark room.

A minute later, the burner phone flashed and I picked it up immediately, "Leo..."

"Change into the clothes placed on the rack and then I need you to come up to the rooftop, Evie."

Then the line went dead. I placed the burner phone back into my bag and grabbed the t-shirt and tights and put on the cap. I grabbed my bag before stepping out and going up the flight of stairs.

I needed to leave, I needed to go.

My heart broke with every single step. I don't know what was going on with me.

I reached the top of the stairs and I didn't realize how much I was crying. My breath came out as short gasps and my legs were giving out.

I shook my head, "No, no, please, it's over!" I whispered to myself as I flung open the rooftop door.

Nikolai had ripped my heart out of my chest and he drive a knife through it as much as he could. If this was his revenge for his mother's murder then he succeeded before I have never been more in pain in my entire life. 

I thought of all the times we spent together. I loved that man with my entire being all the while he was lying to me. He was never the person I thought he was...

I gave my head a shake, I need to stop thinking about him. I need to just stop!

I wiped my tears and looked around, my eyes went wide as a loud whirring sound filled the air and I saw a helicopter landing on the rooftop. My breath got caught in my throat.

The sound of its big fan whirring filled the air, my clothes, my hair flew backward with the force of the wind. I took a step back and then I saw Leo stepping out of it.

He smiled when he saw me and opened his arms, "Come here, Evie."

Without thinking, I ran into his arms, holding him so tightly that I wondered if he could breathe.

He took the bag off my shoulders, "Ditch the bag."

I nodded and threw it on the concrete floor. Leo helped me sit in the helicopter and followed behind me before he said something in Italian to the pilot. He fastened my seatbelt and kissed my forehead.

"Everything is going to be fine now..."

I just watched out of the window as we went up and away from the college building, away from Bianca, away from Scott, Marco, and Lorenzo, and far away from him.

Far away from Nikolai Costello.

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