I slammed my book which I was reading, got up from my chair to come out of my office and headed towards the living room where I will meet them.

As I came closer to the living room, I heard them laughing and making fun of each other. So, I stopped at the door and only then did she say something to them that made them laugh hard.

I must admit that she has some kind of superpower to make someone smile.

Back in my room, the moment when she hugged me without asking for permission was the first time I felt alright hugging a girl. I didn't expect her to come to my room, tried to make me feel better and hugged me when she got to know about the matter.

In that hug when she folded her arms around me and rested her face on my shoulder, I couldn't fight the urge to stay still and not to hug her back as my hands were itching to slide them around her while my heart ordered me to embrace myself on that hug.

To be honest, it completely felt like the hugs my mom gave me. And how she tried to make me feel okay was also what my mom does.

Then when she cleared it that we were still enemies, I couldn't hide my smile.

Also, I didn't ask her who told her about that matter as I already knew it would be my friends. The way she was brushing her finger on my palm, it felt ticklish but at the same time that was the most fascinating conversation we had. Even in silence.

Even if she is always blabbering and babbling about things and makes me annoyed, still I would like to hear her voice.

For a person to come up with such an idea to talk when the other person was in no mood, that was an excellent way of communication. I was quite impressed by her. And by her idea. Although, I already knew that she was different from the moment my eyes were on her.

I walked inside the room and saw them doing their work. Alora was studying. When they saw me, they waved at me.

I glanced at Alora when I found she was showing me a warm smile. She always does that. Her smile always made me numb and frozen at my place. While I fight with the fast-beating heart rate inside me.

I just showed her a slight nod and sat on the sofa beside her while trying not to meet her gaze. It's not that I didn't want to be good with her, I just couldn't when she would peek at me with her doe eyes. She kinda made me feel weak.

After a moment of settling, I told them why I came here.

"We have to attend Luciano's party tomorrow." I informed them.

I didn't agree to go there in the first place. But as my father cannot attend the party for some reason, we have to go to his place, so that Luciano doesn't feel offended.

Their faces lit up with excitement while they started chattering with each other.

"I have something else to inform you." I said, taking their attention.

But before beginning, I took a glance at Alora and saw her scribbling something in her notebook. Time to talk in Italian.

"Groves sarà li." (Groves will be there)

Their faces went serious and they nodded.

"There's no need to worry. Just make sure to avoid him as much as possible." I said.

Suddenly the room turned quiet and all their excitement vanished because of the news. So, I told them not to spoil their excitement just because he was going to be there. The next moment, I saw them smiling and getting excited again.

"Dovresti prendere Alora come tuo accompagnatore." Galen said to me. (You should take Alora as your plus one)

"No way." I breathed out. They rolled their eyes at me but ended the topic there.

When I shifted my gaze to Alora, she was smiling at her notebook. What was she smiling on? I tried to take a glimpse into the notebook by leaning towards her when suddenly she closed it shut. She faced me and then rolled her eyes at me while crossing her arms.

I cleared my throat and asked her, "Are you not excited?"

She made an amused face and then asked, "I am also coming with you guys?"

I nodded and hummed while she tilted her head to the side to look at them for confirmation and they also nodded at her. Then she smiled and clapped her hands twice.

"I thought that only mafia family members were invited…”

"My friends have included you in our family, so you are also a member."

She stared at me for a while and then asked, "What do you think about me?"

Her eyes filled with curiosity and she waited for my reply.

My eyes widened by her question but I covered it up quickly. Without turning to see her face, I answered her. "You are a trouble and the most annoying enemy of my life."

"Yeah, that's what I was expecting. Thank you for the compliment." She said, doing a happy dance while sitting.

Did she take that as a compliment? It amused me to find her differently. She was full of secrets.

~~~~~

We got everything this morning for the evening party. We all went to the shop together and bought all the clothes for the party tonight. I told Alora to stay at home, she was irritated at first but then agreed. Because of her, I asked them to get her clothes, cosmetics, and footwear at home.

I was walking through the corridor with the things in my hands which I bought today. As I came in front of the room, I quickly knocked on the door and waited for the reply to come from the other side. The door opened and revealed the trouble. I took a glance at her hands and found her holding a dress.

"Won't you ask me to come inside?" I complained to her.

"Yeah." She said as she walked back a little and gestured to the room. I guess she didn't notice the things in my hands yet.

I came inside and saw all the dresses I had ordered for her. All the dresses were placed neatly as if it seemed she didn't even touch them. I put the boxes on the side table without her noticing.

"Didn't you like anything from these dresses? Shall I order some other styles of dress?" I asked her.

"What was the need to bring so many clothes? I already chose one." She replied while showing me the dress she was holding.

"You will be wearing this? You can wear something else from them, it's all yours." I asked her and told her to feel comfortable looking through the dresses and choosing what she liked.

The dress she had chosen was simple but it looked perfect for her. I thought she would choose something more elegant and luxurious to show off at the party, just like other girls do.

"No, it's fine. I like this one." She said nervously as if she was thinking that I would not allow her to wear it. Then she continued, "But if you feel that your reputation will be spoiled by me wearing such a dress, then–”

I cut her off, "Alora, you don't have to think about that. My reputation is not of such low value that it will be ruined by just one dress."

She just nodded and then asked me, "Do you think I would look good in this dress?"

I gazed at her for a moment and then replied to her, "This dress will look good on you."

She parted her lips to say something but chose not to and then her face turned red. She kept glimpsing at her right and left, maybe thinking of a better reply. I internally chuckled at her expression.

"I will go to a party for the first time and that too wearing such a beautiful dress." She started caressing the layer of the red dress with her palm.

"It seems like you want to be Cinderella, the princess." I chuckled at her words.

"Are you sure my story is the same as hers?" She asked boringly while narrowing her eyes at me.

"Yes, from your words it sounds like you will try to find your Prince Charming at the party and then you will wait for him to come and take you away from here. Am I right?"

As I made a joke, I waited for her to reply to my comment. I tilted my head at her and smirked while she leaned into me and came to my eye level. She went poker face.

"You're wrong. I like Cinderella but I don't want to be a princess like her. I am not waiting for a Prince nor am I searching for him. I don't need to find someone who will make me a princess. Simply put, I am not Cinderella, not at all."

All again, her reply had made me confused like always. I kept looking at her for a moment, in search of any hints of anything. She also kept looking at me, not even moving her eyes for a second.

"Don't you want to have anyone who will fulfil your wishes and who will make your dreams come true?"

The room went silent for a moment before she said, "I don't want him to fulfil my wishes, I want him to support me in my path. I want him to stand by me when I work on my dreams."

"What about someone as your protector?" I asked, hiding my curiosity about the real her.

She looked up at me, there was no sign of fear, excitement, nothing. Then she smiled and said, "I am sure I am not that weak that I could not even protect myself but as for your question, having someone who will protect me is not a bad idea. We both can protect each other."

"Then what do you want in that man?" I asked out of my curiosity.

She fixed her eyes on me and said, "All I want is someone who will be my sword. Who will help me to attack my enemies."

The more she replied, the more she surprised me. There was nothing to reply to her back in her comment.

The information I knew about her was that her parents died when she was fourteen and after that, she came to live with her Uncle, who didn't act like a loving one. The file in which I have her past to present records was still in my office. I looked through it over and over again but something seemed to be missing. Her file showed me that that is not enough. Something which I couldn't get to know from anyone other than her. Even Feleti won't be able to give me those details about her.

Sometimes, I feel like she wanted me to search that out but then the very next moment, it seemed as if she was the one who was hiding it from us, from the world.

"Hahaha...you took that seriously. I was just kidding. I prefer a knife." She laughed, pointing her finger at me.

My eyes widened even more. There is no way she was only kidding. She noticed my face and started laughing again while covering her face with her palms.

"Oh, God! I never knew that you can be so easily fooled." She breathed out.

"Yeah...whatever."

After a few moments of silence, she spoke again.

"Can you please help me to choose footwear?" She asked nervously.

I nodded at her and walked through the heels section to choose one. I picked up a pair of heels for the dress she had chosen.

After that, I decided to give her the things for which I came here. I extended my hands to take those boxes from the table so that she could see them. When she noticed it, she stared at me and then glanced again at the boxes.

"A laptop and a phone?" She said but it came out as a question.

"Mhm...for you."

She wasn't taking it, so I forced her to take it. After a few moments of unpacking and setting everything into the phone, I handed her the phone.

"I already saved my number and so did the others. Always keep your phone with you, at the party too. The laptop is for your study."

"It looks very expensive." She said, looking at me.

"If I have to look at the cost while buying anything, it means I failed in my life.”

She rolled her eyes at me and turned away just to chuckle. Then she turned back with a happy face. It amazed me how she does that.

"Thank you!" She said with a beaming face which also made my lips curled a little.

"Don't be late getting ready or else I will leave you behind." I said as I got up to leave.

"That's fine, I don't need you. I have my brothers." She said, making a proud face.

Instead of replying to her, I turned to come out of her room.

*****