The first time that I met Arabella Bianchi was at the Christmas Party in December of my junior year. She'd walked in there with her father and I thought that she was absolutely stunning.

She had long golden hair and beautiful green eyes. The dress she wore was breathtaking and she quickly became the center of attention. I think she enjoyed it a lot and seemed to bathe in all the compliments thrown her way.

"Ugh, this bitch." Amelia had muttered against her glass of orange juice.

My sister was in a particularly bad mood today. It all started this morning when she found out that Ryan Lee would be her vicepresident in the student council. No one likes Ryan Lee since he was a narcissistic asshole, so I completely understood why she was upset.

When we got ready for this party, Theo disapproved of her dress. So she had to get changed last minute into a dress that she didn't even like.

I get you, girl.

Now we were at the party and sadly Priscilla, our cousin, was present. She made an awful comment about Amelia's dress, but I flipped her off and told her to go fuck herself.

Silas caught that and scolded me for cursing.

It was worth it though.

Amelia was having a bad day but Arabella Bianchi made it a lot more worse.

"What did she do?" I asked curiously.

This party was boring. It was just a way for rich people to make themselves feel better because they wrote a nice check for a charity.

"She's engaged to Alexander Ferrari." She huffed.

Ah, sexy man.

My eyes quickly found him. He stood near the bar and it seemed like a lot of women were surrounding him, like usual. Priscilla was one of them of course.

"If he's engaged, why is he talking to all those women?" I questioned.

He wasn't just talking to them. No, he flirted and did the whole devil's tango with them. Gossip spreads fast through the mafia, I'm telling you.

I also spotted him making out with a random woman at the Christmas Party when I went to the toilet.

"Their families arranged it since they were babies. They'll get married one day but until then, they screw around with the entirety of New York."

That seems so wild. I don't know what to think about arranged marriages. Especially with Theo's in the back of my head. I'm sure it works out for some people, but I'd rather choose myself whom I get to marry. What if you're arranged to marry a complete douche?

Bestie, I would run for my life.

"They're both twenty one?" I wondered.

"No, Arabella is nineteen." She explained.

I nodded and turned to my sister. She still looked so down. I linked our arms together and grinned at her.

"You need to feed me. I'm hungry as fuck." I told her.

A small smirk appeared on her face before she pulled me along to the buffet. The twins were standing there already with Victor. Nicolas was busy stuffing his face while Leonardo was talking to Victor.

Before we even reached our destination, someone stopped us.

Arabella Bianchi.

She had a very sweet perfume on that didn't match the weird look in her eyes. Up close, I could see the small details of her. Her eyes stood too intense and her smile was too forced. She looked a bit crazy to me.

"You must be Elena Cassano?" She guessed.

"I am." I nodded.

I was still new to this world, so a lot of people came up to me to introduce themselves. Perhaps she came to do the same?

"My name is Arabella Bianchi." She introduced herself.

I already knew that but I shook her outstretched hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I replied.

Theo had always insisted that I was to be polite and nice to everybody that I met. You don't want to anger the wrong type of people, he warned me.

"Oh, I think the pleasure is all mine." She smirked.

I felt weird. She was watching me so intensely that it made me uncomfortable. She came closer and placed her hand on my bare shoulder. I was wearing an off the shoulder dress that was still modest enough for my stupid brothers.

"You're very pretty, but I'm sure that you've heard that before." She didn't mean the compliment.

"You're flattering me." I chuckled forced.

Her hand went up to my hair as she stroked it. Was I an animal? No. Get your hands off my hair. I wanted to inch away but I was trapped in her glare.

Her eyes went wide with just insanity and I felt scared.

"You're new here, so let me tell you this..." she inched closer.

"Alexander is mine. Don't even get it inside your head to try anything with him." She snapped harshly.

What in the actual fuck? She came to threaten me to back off her fiancé? Why is she saying that to me and not to all those women surrounding him?

I've had two interactions with him and that was it. He's never flirted with me or anything.

"He's too old for me." I told her firmly.

Says the one who was prepared to seduce him once my ass turned legal.

She doesn't need to know that, though.

"Your stupid sister goes after him as well despite her age." She glared at Amelia.

"Your insecurity really isn't cute. You should go tell those women surrounding him to back off, instead of us." Amelia told her with a devilish grin.

Arabella rolled her eyes and turned around. She threw her luscious hair over her shoulders as she walked away.

What a bitch.

I hoped to never see her again, but life was getting worse lately.

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

"Why do you watch when you're scared?" Silas asked me as I hid against his chest.

It was late at night and I was allowed to stay up late because it was winter break. Silas decided to watch a horror movie and I joined. I wanted to get over my fear but it was harder than I'd expected.

Most of the movie, I had my eyes closed and was practically clinging onto Silas like a monkey.

He enjoyed it though, especially with the jump scares. Another one came and I nearly punched Silas.

Not because I was scared though.

He he.

What he doesn't know won't kill him.

"Theo is going to nag that I made you watch this." Silas rolled his eyes.

I shrugged. The bell rang and he got up to answer. It was three in the morning. Who needed us right now?

"I'm only going to get the door." He told me as I clung onto him.

"I'll protect you." I promised him.

That was a big fat lie. If I'd see something scary, I'll sacrifice Silas first. Survival of the fittest.

I will survive.

We walked in the foyer and he opened the door. My jaw dropped when I saw who it was. Nicolas was held up by two of his university friends and he looked very bad.

His eyes were red as if he was drugged, which I soon learned he was. His shirt was ripped and his belt was undone. One of his shoes was missing.

"We found him like this. I don't know what happened to him." One of his friends spoke worriedly.

I knew that Nicolas went out tonight. Leonardo had stayed home but Nicolas really wanted to go to this party. Silas cursed and took Nicolas from them before sending them away.

We walked to the living room where Hector was. He looked like he just woke up. He was wearing his pyjama pants without a top. None of my brothers wore a top to bed, not even in the winter.

Sadists.

"What happened?" He helped Silas sit Nicolas down.

Nicolas was unresponsive, he seemed completely out of it. He was so limp and he just looked like a corpse.

"Fuck, get me a bucket right now." Hector instructed Silas.

I stood at the side and watched Hector check Nicolas' eyes before patting him against his face.

"Nico, what did you take?"

Nicolas didn't respond. His eyes just rolled back in their cases. I don't know what it looks like to be under the influence of something, but this must be it.

It was fucking terrifying and I didn't even know what to do.

Silas ran back in the living room with a bucket. He held it in front of Nicolas as Hector forced his fingers down his throat. Nicolas started to throw up and he started to shake.

"Elena, wake up Theo and have him call the doc. Make sure he brings drug test and IV's." Hector instructed me.

I stood frozen in my spot. Tears were streaming down my face as I watched Nicolas. He was my buddy and I've never seen him like this. He could eat a whole cow and not get sick but whatever he took, completely knocked him out.

"Elena, now!" Hector yelled at me.

He gave me a stern look and I ran. I took two steps at the same time and burst into Theo's room. He was asleep but immediately got up when I got inside his room. He threw his covers away and caught me when I ran to him.

"Get the doc. He needs to bring drug tests and IV's." I got out.

Theo didn't ask any questions and reached for his phone. As he called the doc, he held me. I was shaking and scared. What if something bad was going to happen to Nicolas? What if he overdosed?

I didn't even think that he was into drugs. Leonardo smoked some times but Nicolas had always firmly expressed his dismay for that.

He wouldn't take any drugs. I know him.

"What's going on?" Theo asked me as he ended the call.

I sobbed through the story and his eyes widened. He grabbed my hand and hurried downstairs. Nicolas was still throwing up, but Leonardo was there as well. He looked incredibly pale and worried sick.

"Doc is coming." Theo informed our brothers.

Hector took his fingers out of Nicolas' mouth. The bucket was nearly filled with vomit. I think he made Nicolas throw up all the contents of his stomach. Perhaps to get the drugs out of his system.

"What the fuck happened?" Hector demanded as he helped Nicolas lay down.

"His friends brought him home. They said that they found him like this." Silas told him as he set the bucket aside.

I moved to Leonardo. I had a feeling that he was going to faint as well. He put his arm around my shoulder and I put mine around his waist.

Hector took a closer look at Nicolas. He had deep nail marks all over his upper body and a few lipstick prints on his ripped shirt.

"Close your eyes, Elena." Hector suddenly ordered me to do.

Leonardo covered my eyes with his hand. Something happened that made him take unsteady steps back. I stumbled along with him and kept my eyes closed. If it fucked up Leonardo, it'll definitely fuck up me.

"Elena and Leonardo, go up stairs now."

Neither of us moved until Silas dragged us upstairs. I couldn't sleep. I had to know if Nicolas would be alright.

He wouldn't be. After tonight, my fluffy older brother would no longer be the same.

All because Arabella Bianchi.

...