The foyer filled with my giggles as dad spun me around in his arms. I hung onto him tightly and couldn't help but grin widely. He stopped and looked at me. A warm smile spread across his lips and he pressed ten kisses on my cheeks. He says my cheeks are the most adorable part of me.

They're a bit chubby, but that's how my parents like them.

It also came in handy for my chipmunk imitation!

"I have decided on a nickname!" He announced.

My eyes widened and I waited impatiently. I wanted a cool nickname!

"Topolina."

My smile fell.

"But that's Hector's!" I whined.

"That's topolino." He corrected me.

Dad carefully set me back down on the ground and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I don't want the same nickname as the old man!" I grumbled.

Dad cupped my face and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"You remind me a lot of him." He told me softly.

There was a warm look in his eyes.

"Pick a new one!" I begged.

He shook his head.

Ugh!

I was looking forward to a nickname but now I was sad about it. Why do I have to look like Hector?

Mom caressed my hair and patted my back softly.

"We'll see each other again during Christmas. But call me daily, alright?"

I was already looking forward to Christmas but that was a month away.

"I promise!" I hugged her.

She kissed my cheek and helped me in the car. I sat by the window and watched them while we drove away. They wove and I wove back.

My parents are amazing.

//////////////////////

Amelia was ignoring almost everybody except for Theo, Victor, and me. I had to admit that we were going in a good direction relationship-wise. She finally let go of the fact that I was better than her in school because of my IQ test. The principal had suggested that I did one. I didn't really want to do it at first but he told Hector, so I didn't have any choice.

I had an IQ of 148 which meant that I was technically a genius.

I should've done that test a long time ago. It really helped with my confidence and settled things with Amelia.

What also helped was the fact that they discovered that I had a photographic memory. I kinda always knew but I was never diagnosed.

So Amelia stopped comparing herself with me and I took away a lot of tension. Now I helped her with her math homework occasionally and we studied together.

That was what Hector meant by promising our parents that he'll make me study. He made a study room for us and forced me in there until dinner. Ian, my favourite bodyguard, had to make sure that I stayed there. He didn't even let me slip out to go pee.

He took it way too serious.

But yeah. I did not have any other choice than to do my homework.

It was nice to have it done early so that I didn't have to work until later or get up early in the morning to make it.

The exams has started so my siblings and I were studying. While I was fine with just reading, Hector wanted me to actually do something. He made me make schemes and mindmaps. It was a waste of my time but he believed that it would benefit me.

After spending my entire Sunday in the study room, I was happy to go to dinner. Greta made a delicious stew and apple pie for dessert. I quickly sat down in my seat and dug in. Nicolas had stolen all the snacks Greta had brought into the study room earlier.

The little shit.

"Pass me the salt." Leonardo told Amelia.

I paused eating. She didn't respond. She's been ignoring them ever since Thanksgiving and it's been two weeks. I could tell that they were getting annoyed but today Leonardo decided to push it.

"Here you go." Theo who sat next to Amelia passed it.

Leonardo didn't take it.

"I asked Amelia." He spat.

Victor and I shared a look. This wasn't going to end well.

Amelia didn't respond as she calmly took a bite of the stew. She was truly unbothered by this all. Even at school. She usually does that embarrassing thing with the twins where they walk through the hallways and everybody makes way for them.

I swear I bullied them so hard because of this.

Theo scolded me for it, though.

But now she stays with her friends, even during lunch. It was driving the twins insane. Also, she started to drive with me. August wasn't so happy about that but Amelia stayed quiet throughout the ride, so he settled down.

"How long are you going to keep ignoring me?" Leonardo yelled at her.

She continued to ignore him. I would've snapped by them, especially if someone started to yell at me.

"Lia, your brothers didn't mean to upset you-" she cut Theo off.

"They did what they do best, ruin things."

Fuck.

"Watch your mouth." Silas warned her.

She didn't respond because she ignored him.

"Hector." Silas turned to him.

My oldest brother was calmly eating his dinner while looking at his phone. He looked up when Silas called him. His blue eyes focussed on Amelia before he sighed.

"Silent girls can't ask for permission to go out during winter break."

Shit, this man is really intense.

"Does it look like I give a fuck?" She snarled at him.

Wow, she was going to explode.

She got up from her chair but Theo grabbed her hand.

"Finish your dinner, you need to eat." He insisted.

"I don't want to eat!" She screamed and pushed the plate harshly making it spill on the table.

Silence.

She stormed upstairs. Greta hurried over to clean up the mess. I saw Leonardo stand up to go after her but Theo pulled him down.

"Give her some space."

At first, I thought that was a good suggestion. But if I look back, he should've let Leonardo go up there. Maybe we would've known what was happening sooner.

///////////////////

I was sitting in the restroom waiting for the bell to go. As usual, I was done early with my exam. I had to wait for my friends to finish and then we would go eat something to celebrate. I was tired of these stupid exams and now they were finally done.

Eunha and I had bought a new eyeliner a few days ago before the exams started. I'd tried it out this morning and I really liked it! It was blue and it helped pop my eyes out even more.

But I had to find one that stays on longer cause this one wasn't doing it.

I leaned closer to the mirror to reapply when the door suddenly opened.

Amelia ran inside towards a toilet. I watched her and dropped the eyeliner when I saw what she did.

She pushed two fingers down her throat and threw up.

She was making herself throw up.

I ran to her and held her hair back. She looked at me with teary eyes. She suddenly looked very vulnerable and in so much pain. When she was done, I sat her up and grabbed toilet paper to clean her mouth.

"I-I-I-" she stuttered.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and I pulled her in for a tight hug. I could tell that she really needed a hug.

"You're okay. Everything's okay." I tried to assure her.

Where was Theo when you needed him? He'd know how to calm her down.

"Nothing is okay." She cried.

"That's alright. We can work it out, Amelia. You're not alone."

She sat up and tried to take deep breaths. I held her arms and waited for her to speak.

"He told me that I looked like a fat pig."

I immediately knew who she was talking about and it raged me. First of all, how dare some mediocre looking ass boy tell Amelia that she was a fat pig. She was absolutely stunning! Second of all, what's wrong with being fat? What's it with people and only thinking that skinny is beauty?

I hate body shaming, especially when dumb boys do it.

"You're fucking gorgeous. Don't listen to a guy that only showers once a week." I told her.

"I just feel like I'm ugly and nobody wants me."

That's a shitty feeling. I think a lot of people can relate to that.

"You're so beautiful, Amelia. Please, you have to believe that yourself as well."

"My mom didn't even want me."

My heart dropped. That was very hard to live with. It also didn't help that she didn't know how crazy her mom was.

"I know that my mom raised you. That she was the one who stole you."

Fuck. The guys told me that she didn't know. She saw my shock and simply shrugged her shoulders.

"The walls have ears."

What's that supposed to mean?

"Silas has a loud voice."

Now that made sense.

"She wasn't a real mom. She raised me to be married off to some Russian psychopath." I told her.

"But she still chose you."

I gave her a look.

"She didn't choose me. She was madly in love with Dimitri and was prepared to do anything for him. She didn't choose me or you, she chose him."

She chose Dimitri.

"I don't even know my real father."

"Mom and dad love you. You are their daughter. You're my sister."

I would've never thought that I would be saying this to her and meaning it. But we worked things out and had actually grown into friends these past few weeks.

"And I swear that I'm going to kick Chase's ugly ass. How dare such trash call you ugly? Boys truly have the audacity."

The bell rang. I helped her up and wiped her tears away. Her eyes were red but I held her hand tightly. We walked out of the restroom. People gave her looks because it was obvious that she cried. I pulled her along towards the parking lot.

I already saw Ian's car. He was waiting for me and my friends. I looked around for my friends and found them by the end of the stairs. Then I scanned the parking lot for Chase, I spotted him with the football team and some cheerleaders.

"What's going on?" Eunha asked concernedly.

She gazed at Amelia and I trusted her in her arms. Eunha was so sweet that she even wanted to comfort Amelia, who had been mean to my friends.

"Watch her for me." I instructed them.

"Why?" Cecelia frowned.

"I'm going to commit capital murder."

Chase frowned when he spotted me and then smirked. His friends were nudging him with grins. The fucking asshole had the confidence of the world. I don't even know why. He was just an average white boy with brown hair and brown eyes. I mean he was tall and muscular but nothing more.

"Ah, I see the gorgeous Cassano sister is finally coming my way." He winked at me.

I swung my backpack so hard that he fell to the ground. Then I jumped him. I yanked his hair and slapped him as hard as I could. The rage I had was indescribable.

I was sitting on top of him and hitting him as hard as I could. I hated him so much. Someone laid his arms around my waist and I immediately recognised Nicolas.

Chase jumped back on his feet. To my pleasure, his nose was bleeding and he had an ugly scratch on his left cheek.

"You fucking bitch." He spat.

I reached out my leg and kicked him in his junk. He fell again. Nicolas lifted me and kept a tight grip on me.

"What did he do?" Leonardo demanded.

"He said shit about Amelia." I growled.

Like actual woof woof growl.

Am I an Alpha now?

Leonardo jumped on Chase and started to beat him. The boy really got the entire Cassano family on his ass.

Deserved.

"I'd say good job, but Hector is going to kill you." Nicolas told me as he carried me to the car.

Oh no, I'd have to deal with that man.