As I stood, she seized her opportunity, stepping directly into my path.
“Elena, right? That dress is...” Her eyes traveled slowly up and down my body, lips pursed in what I supposed was meant to look like impressed surprise. “You're so confident to pull something like that off with your... figure.”
The group went silent. I could feel my friends tense beside me. They knew what was coming.
I took my time, giving her the same assessing look she'd given me, but mine was a thousand times colder. “And you're so confident to wear that personality in public.” I smiled sweetly. “At least I can change my dress.”
Mia snorted beside me, trying to cover it with a cough. The redhead's face flushed almost the same shade as her hair.
“I was just trying to—”
“Honey, I know exactly what you were trying to do.” I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “But here's a tip. If youwant to hang with us, bring something better than some insult disguised as a compliment and leave the judgment at the door. Now excuse us, we're going to dance.”
I walked past her, my friends following in my wake, their laughter barely contained until we hit the dance floor.
“Oh my god, her face!” Sophia howled once we were safely surrounded by the crowd. “I thought she was going to melt into the floor.”
I laughed, letting the music take over as we formed our circle.This was freedom.
Dancing cleared my head. It always did. After three songs, I needed a breather. “I'm getting water,” I shouted to the girls, who were still going strong. They nodded, and I made my way to the bar.
That's when I saw him.
Gastone Ajello. Head of the Ajello family. Brother to Larissa, who was now my sister-in-law. Outright enemy of the Lebedevs, or at least, he had been until recently, when Larissa declared she was in love with my brother and made it clear they were starting a family. Now, he was more of a brooding, silent enemy.
He sat alone at a private table overlooking the dance floor, a bottle of expensive whiskey in front of him. His light blond hair stood out in the dim lighting, and even from here, I could see the dark green eyes that seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it. Tattoos snaked up his arms, visible where he'd rolled up the sleeves of his black button-down shirt.
I'd never met him officially, but I knew who he was. Unlike my brothers, who tried to keep me out of family business, I made it my business to know everything about our family’sinternal and external affairs. I had eyes and ears everywhere—something they constantly underestimated.
Gastone was drinking alone. His expression was hard, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular, as though he had something else on his mind.
The sight of him made my blood boil. Larissa had just had a baby,my niece,three weeks ago.His niece,a beautiful little girl who should have had her uncle showering her with attention.
Larissa’s two remaining brothers, Carlo and Dino, fortunately didn’t follow Gastone’s obstinate hold over his hatred for us and lathered the child with affection, but I knew Larissa felt sad when Gastone didn’t bother to even come see the baby.
Instead, Gastone had cut Larissa off completely when she'd chosen to stay with Gio. He hadn't visited once or even sent a card or acknowledgment of his niece's birth.
I'd seen Larissa crying quietly when she thought no one was looking. I'd seen the way she checked her phone hopefully whenever it buzzed, only to have her face fall when it wasn't him. My fierce, kind sister-in-law, reduced to tears because her brother was too stubborn and proud to accept her happiness.
I shouldn't get involved. This was between Gastone and Larissa. Between the Ajellos and Gio.
But then I thought of Larissa's face this morning as she spoke to Carlo and Dino, who had come for a visit. She'd mentioned that Gastone might come for the baby's naming ceremony next week. The hope in her voice, even after all this time. The way it broke my heart to know that hope would be crushed again simply based on the awkward, pitiful look her brothers exchanged.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was walking toward his table. The security guard stationed nearby straightened as I approached, but Gastone noticed me first. His green eyes locked onto mine, narrowing slightly.
He recognized me. I could see it in the slight tensing of his shoulders, the way his hand tightened around his glass. For a brief moment, I wondered if I should have turned back.
But then again, the anger flowing through me stopped me from playing safe. I was done with how he was treating Larissa, and maybe once he heard what I had to say, he would begin to understand what an absolute jerk he’d been.
So for Larissa and my little nieces’ sake, I decided giving him a piece of my mind was worth it.
Chapter 2 - Gastone
Yet again, I found myself back at Enigma. There was once a time when I looked down on frequent visitors of establishments such as this, wondering if they had no work or life outside of seeking hedonistic pleasure.Once.
But I no longer found a cause to play judge or jury, not when I too had become one of such people.
I took another sip of my drink and leaned back in my chair to watch the people around me enjoying their night. How I wish I could have been that carefree. But even now, the music, the bass, the dancing, none of it worked to silence the thoughts that ran through my mind twenty-four seven. It had been six months since Larissa chose him—a fucking Lebedev—over her own blood.
