The next morning, I ate breakfast and finished packing everything I would need.

I was applying make up now. I normally don't put much, but I needed a hell lot of it to cover up the bruise on my neck.

I was standing in front of the mirror in my room, while I was changing into a casual t-shirt and blue jeans. My gaze went on the tattoo I have on my waist.

It could be seen only if I wore a crop top with low waisted pants; but not otherwise.

A few years back, my parents and I got matching tattoos. We wanted something that represented each other.

So we got a tattoo that represented strength.

My eyes then drifted to the tattoo just above waistline of my jeans. It was an outline of toilet paper.

Don't judge me, yet !

Kim and I have matching ones. Except, she has the poop.

Yeah, we are weird and proud.

Both of them were small in size, probably little more than an inch. After I dressed up, I heard a ping from my phone, indicating that I had gotten a text message.

Speak of the devil....Kim

She texted:

Since Dante said he would pick me up late in the evening, I decided to go out with her. After what happened last night, I am a little afraid to go out now, but I can't sit in the house, doing nothing.

I texted back:

It was only 4:00 pm now. So, I had to pass my time for another hour. I picked up my laptop and plugged in the USB drive Dante had given me with all the information he had on Nikolai and Dmitri.

Basically, the whole Russian mafia. Plugging it in, I tried opening the files but they were encrypted.

Wow ! I didn't know Dante was this smart.

It took me only a few minutes to decrypt it. Which nut job did this ? Even a toddler could hack into it !

Okay, maybe not a toddler, but you get my point.

There were files on Nikolai Ivanovo, Dmitri Ivanovo and Sofia Ivanovo, who I think is Dmitri's wife. There were even CIA redacted files and what not.

Apparently, according to the files, Nikolai was born a few years before me. Dmitri and Sofia got married the same year my parents were murdered.

Weird.

Could that be a coincidence ? I mean, it could.

There weren't any pictures of Nikolai not Sofia anywhere. But, there were pictures of Dmitri. I looked at the clock.

Oh ! It's 5:00 pm now. I'm gonna start dressing up.

I wore a brown and white sweater and blue jeans. I left my hair down and applied a little makeup; concealer and lip gloss.

Locking the apartment, I walked towards the lobby of the building and saw Kim's car through the glass window. Walking towards the car, I opened the door and get head snapped towards me.

"Heyyo !!!" I shouted.

"Hiii ! Let's gooo !" She shouted.

Throughout the car ride, we sang songs, we didn't have the best voices, but that didn't stop us from screaming our lungs out.

"Taki taki, rumba !"

"Tututututururruruueur" We sang to the beats.

When we reached the mall, both of us walked in together. Kim was he one who always bought things from places from Victoria's Secret, Steve Madden, and Debenhams.

While I was the one was the one who bought from Forever 21 and Zara. While both of us were walking around in Forever 21, I saw blue slippers that were like dinosaur feet.

I showed them to Kim but she just shrugged.

"Isn't this cute ? I'm buying one, do you want them too ?" I asked, exceitedly.

"Nehh..... I don't like them...." Kim said in a bored tone, looking at a purse.

I fake gasped. "Well, I'm buying one, anyway."

We shopped for a while more and ate dinner too. When it was almost 8:00 pm, I told Kim that we had to leave.

Ten minutes later, we were in her car, on our way back home. Since both of us were tired, we didn't talk much.

When I reached my apartment, I threw all the bags on the bed and went straight into the bathroom for a shower.

I wore a black woolen sweater that had a turtleneck, to cover my bruised neck, and beige leggings.

I just left my now messy bun the it way it was and waited for Dante to pick me up. I could've gone to his house on my own, but he insisted.

And by insisted, I mean forced.

In the meantime, I walked around the house, checking I had missed to pack something. Just then, the doorbell rang. I knew it was Dante, but I looked through the peep hole just to be sure.

It was him.

I opened the door. He looked at me and gave me a small smile.

But, he looked...different. He was still wearing his office attire; a black suit. The tie wasn't neatly done. His hair was messed up like he ran his hands through it all night.

His face had a little stubble and he had bags under his eyes like he hasn't slept in days.

"What happened to you ? You look like shit." I say, gesturing him to come in.

"Jeez, thanks. You're so kind." He says, sarcastically. He picked the suitcase in my living room and looked around, confused.

"What ?" I asked him.

"Is this it ? Is there no more ?" He asked.

"No, that's it." I shrugged.

"Okay." Dante said, picking up the suitcase, leaving the apartment.

I looked around and said, "Bye, Patricia. Mama will come soon." Yes, I named my apartment Patricia. No, I don't think it is weird.

Dante looked at me like I had just grown another head and chuckled.

"Ah...Stellina." He mumbled.

Okaayyyyyyy.

Dante's home..here I come.

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