Mirabella was upstairs in her room, packing her things into her suitcase. The fairy lights in the room were glowing a warm colour and the balcony doors were wide open, letting in the cool breeze to flood the room, and the thin curtains danced to the rhythm of the wind.

The sun was gone, and a silver moon hung high up in the night sky. The once clear blue sky was now nothing but pitch black, and millions of small diamonds like sugar were scattered all over the sky. She could hear the sound of music, laughing and singing just below her balcony. She always knew that once she would be married her friends and family were going to celebrate for a few more days after the wedding.

The sound of her bedroom door opening caught her attention and she looked up from her almost-packed suitcase to see Vanessa and Andrea entering. "Need any help?" Vanessa asked.

Mirabella smiled and shook her head. She was almost done packing. The two girls found themselves seat and sat down; Vanessa sat down in the spinning chair and Andrea sat down on the bed.

••••

The next morning Mirabella woke up very early. So early that her alarm had one Mike hour before he could go off. She stared up at the ceiling for a few moments before she finally decided to roll out of bed and get ready.

Mirabella stood in the bathroom in front of the big mirror, brushing her long dark brown hair hair out before she walked back to the bedroom itself. "Oh, look it's my not so loving brother. What an unpleasant surprise," she said sarcastically. "Tell me brother, how happy are you that you're finally getting rid of me?"

Alejandro rolled his eyes at his sister. "I'm not trying to get rid of you, sister" he said, as he approached her.

"Right," Mirabella said. "You are getting rid of me. Sorry, my bad." She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked up at brother.

They competed with each other for a few moments, before Alejandro brushed his sister's tears away. Mirabella blinked. She was surprised that she didn't even notice she had been crying. "I'll miss you sister," Alejandro said.

Mirabella held her brother's gaze. She did not want to leave this house and everyone in it with anger and hate. She buried her head into her brother's chest and hugged him. "Yo también," She said.

(Me too)

They walked downstairs, and Mirabella could see that the front door was wide open. Once they reached the bottom of the staircase they walked towards the front door and everyone was waiting for her outside so they could say their goodbyes.

"Be safe," said her Godmother, as she hugged her tightly. "And let us know when you land." Mirabella nodded her head and smiled at the woman, before her Godmother pressed her thumb against Mirabella's forehead and done a cross.

Once everyone had said their goodbyes to Mirabella, she sat in the backseat of a black Mercedes that had black tinted windows and cream leather seats. Her brother sat in the driver seat and another young man sat in the passenger seat.

The doors closed and the engines were turned on. Mirabella waved to everyone outside and the car began to move.

••••

The airport looked more like a shopping centre. The tiles under foot gleamed white and everywhere were people milling around. There were plasma screens of arrival and departure times on the wall of the airport. People were lined up at the check in desk with suitcases and baggage. There was a sculpture of a whale with water cascading from it's mouth and flowing down it's tail flukes. In the background music played. In the arrivals lounge there was a curious mixture of bored and excited people. Some looked like they were waiting for a bus, others like they were children waiting for Santa himself. Some lounged on the low comfy chairs and others bounced on their toes.

Mirabella sat at the gate, waiting for when she could board the plane. She had placed her bag on the empty chair seat next to her on the left and also her Starbucks while she kept her head down and her eyes locked on the page she was on.

She looked up for a brief moment and saw three girls pulling their suitcases behind them as they looked for empty chairs to sit in. They sat down a few chairs away from her, laughing about something. Mirabella, Andrea and Vanessa always wanted to travel alone. They wanted to go Cuba, New York, Moscow and so many other places. But unfortunately, those were all just wishes and dream now. She couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of those three friends.

"Flight 2074, to Rome, Italy now boarding."

Everyone, including Mirabella stood up and walked towards the man that stood by the glass doors with a young woman. They checked the passengers boarding tickets before letting them through.

Once Mirabella had made it inside the plane, she went to her seat and sat down by the window. She pulled her headphones out along with her phone before she played some music. She turned her phone to airplane mood and closed her eyes.

After a one hour flight, Mirabella and the rest of the passengers made their way off the plane. She made it down this very long corridor and found herself at the boarder control. She waited in the line, her passport in one hand while she held her bag in the other. She waited for a moments before it was finally her turn.

She handed her passport to the man, who studied her face and then the picture in the passport before he stamped the passport and handed it back to her.

Mirabella made her way to pickup her luggage, but her brown suitcase with golden designs was nowhere insight. She searched with her eyes for a moment, before she caught a man walking towards her. He was tall and looked to be in his late twenties. Mirabella stepped back without even realising. The man reached his hand out and grabbed her suitcase. "Excuse me mister," she said. "But who are you? And why are you stealing my stuff?"

The man looked down at her with an arched brow. "I work for Daniel," he said. "He sent me to pick you up from the airport."

Mirabella stood still and blinked. "Oh," was all she could say.

They walked towards the glass doors that opened on their own, and the warm air had hit Mirabella like a wave. She pulled her sunglasses off when she saw a familiar face, leaning against a black Mercedes Benz. "Mirabella," said Diego. "How was the flight?" He asked.

"Um, it was alright" Mirabella said, slightly confused. She didn't mind that it was Diego who had come to pick her up from the airport, but she thought that Daniel would have done the job himself. "Why didn't Daniel come?" She asked.

"He was busy," Diego said with a small smile.

Mirabella could only guess by what he meant.

••••

After a one hour and thirty minute drive, they turned right into a wide driveway that led off the lane. The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, on the right by a high, neatly manicured hedge, and massive black gates. The sky was a painting a clear blue sky and a bring yellow sun.

The car approached the iron black gates, which were opened by two men dressed in black.

The yew hedges muffled the sound of the tires of the car.

A handsome mansion grew from the distance and at the end of the straight driveway the windows glinted as the sunlight hit them. Somewhere in the garden beyond the hedge a fountain was playing and the birds were singing.

The car came to a stop, and everyone got out.

Mirabella sighed as she stepped out of the car, her headphones were still in and the song was playing full blast. Her bag was on her shoulder and her arms were crossed over her chest. She looked up at the house and almost gasped. It was massive and had so many windows that she lost count when counting.

She then looked around, and saw that there were men dressed in black standing around. She saw Diego talking to some man on the side. The man was nodded his head as if he was agreeing with whatever Diego was telling him.

Mirabella looked around once more, and saw that there were a lot of tall trees. Some had lost their colour and some were still that summery green colour.

Mirabella felt her heart drop to her stomach and her breathing stop as she ran back to the car and slammed the door shut. Two large dogs were barking at her as they circled the car. She could feel her whole body shake and her heart beating like a drum.

A knock on the window made her jump and look up to see who it was. "Mirabella, you can come out now," said Diego.

Mirabella shook her head as she watched the dogs being taken away. "Nope," She said. "I'm not going out."

Diego sighed as he watched her. She needed to get out of the car and get in the house before Daniel got home.

And as if this was all planned, Daniel pulled into the driveway and parked his car. He opened his door and got out of the car, his eyes fixed on his friend. "Cosa sta succedendo?" He asked in confusion.

(What is going on?)

Mirabella's eyes widened at the voice, but she did not turn around to look at Daniel.

Diego sighed. He could see that Daniel was already angry about something, and he guessed that things didn't get as planned for him. "Mirabella," he said. "She won't leave the car."

Daniel looked at the girl through the window. Her back was turned to him. "Mirabella, vieni fuori dalla macchina" he said.

(Mirabella, come out of the car)

Mirabella, however, did not reply. It was as though she couldn't hear what he had said.

Daniel waited a few seconds, hoping that she would come out. But since she was being stubborn he knew she wasn't going to come out willingly. He sighed and without warning opened the door and grabbed her arm.

Mirabella screamed and her eyes were shut tightly. "Why are you screaming?" Daniel asked her.

"Oh, I don't know" Mirabella said sarcastically. "Maybe because I don't want to be eaten."

Daniel, confused as everyone else watching them frowned at her. "What?" He asked.

Mirabelle looked up at him. "Those dogs" she said, regretting the words right that next second.

The sound of laugher broke from a few men outside, Diego looked down at the ground as he laughed. "Are you serious?" Daniel asked her. Mirabella did not answer. She wanted to ask him if he was serious by asking her that.

But before she could even speak, Daniel turned to make his way towards the front door, and the sound of barking was heard once again. Mirabella dug her heels into the ground as she tried to pull her arm away from Daniel's hold while she screamed once again.

Daniel did not have time for this. He needed to have a meeting with his men and his uncles. "Fine," he said, as he scooped Mirabella in his arms and led her inside the mansion.

The gravel crackled beneath his feet as he walked towards the front door, made of dark wood planks with black hinges spreading half way across, which had that rustic appeal.

The entrance of the mansion was brightly lit with lamps that were on the walls. The floor was made out of white marble that was polished. There was a small, waist high, table in the middle made out of glass with a pot of flowers on top. There were two spiral staircases, which led to the upstairs bedrooms, and hanging down from the tall ceiling, was a magnificent chandelier.

This was whole house was big, and to Mirabella it felt almost like a castle.