For the last time, I looked at myself in the mirror. Even though I had chosen the dress, it seemed a bit revealing for which I started feeling uncomfortable.

But I liked it better than the other dresses and it looked fine. I could move around in it rather than in those heavy clothes.

The red colour looked like those red roses and I liked it. I tried walking back and forth by wearing the heels Enzo had chosen for me. I could walk properly wearing this, but sometimes I slip. I was not worried that people would judge me by how I would be walking and all. The only fear was that I might slip and sprain my ankle.

Okay, it's just a matter of time. Yeah, I can hide my tiny legs with the layer of the dress.

There were a lot more important matters to deal with rather than the dress and the heels.

I was keeping my hair open and combing it well. There were different shades of lipstick Enzo bought for me. He said I should apply some lipstick to look better. So, I applied red lipstick but lightly, not too dark, not too light.

"Perfect!" I muttered to myself by glancing at the mirror. "Remember Alora, you have to be confident. At the party, no one will want you to be good. So, you must turn off your good side and switch to the bad side."

I took the phone from the table that Enzo gave me today and came out of my room. After coming downstairs, my brothers and I already had a small chat about our outfits and excitement about the party.

All of them looked amazing in their suits. Max started joking that girls would be hitting on them because of their handsome faces. And I laughed hard at his expression when he said that.

They all complimented me one by one. Carlo said I was looking gorgeous with his mouth wide open. Rome said I looked stunning by pinching my nose.

Galen's expression was enough for me as he was amused after seeing me. Max started telling me that if some random guy starts hitting on me, he would break his neck. And the others agreed with him and nodded with anger on their faces.

It made me smile at their reactions and protectiveness. They said they were going to do something important and said bye to me. But I was only waiting for that one person to take away all my negative thoughts about this dress. I didn't know why I only needed him to tell me about my dress so that I could relax.

Both of us have been acting strange with each other. He seemed to be acting differently around me and I...I don't know what was happening inside me.

I haven't seen Enzo yet. As three cars came and stopped in front of us, someone tapped on my shoulder from behind.

As I turned back, I saw a beautiful monster dressed like a devil, standing right in front of me, hands in his pockets. He was smiling which made me smile broader than him. His eyes examined me from head to toe and I noticed his mouth was slightly parted, just slightly. His eyes widened a little bit and then I saw it became soft.

Although everyone gave me compliments, my eyes were on him. The monster was beautiful and I couldn't ignore it. How could someone so deadly look so beautiful at the same time?

"You are looking...good." I said to him, trying to hide my amused face. But I failed.

He breathed out and said, "But you are exactly looking like the red roses with invisible thorns around."

This! This was the reason why I wanted him to comment on my dress. Because he adored me in secret, he admired me with his words.

Now all my anxiousness was gone and I got fully relaxed.

His eyes were still softened and watching me getting red like a tomato. My heart, my stupid heart got flustered by his words. I could feel my cheeks getting warm and suddenly the weather seemed to be getting hot. It was chilly just a moment ago. The breath in my lungs was getting low and I was trying to control my heart rate.

Or is it because I was... I was feeling something different.

Then I watched a hand coming to me which made my fast resting heart beat faster. His hand stopped on the surface of my now-looking red tomato cheeks. He started caressing my cheeks with his knuckles. There lived no sign of emotions or intentions on his face but just a slight curve on his lips. And here I was feeling like dying internally from the reaction my heart gave me.

I can't breathe. The breathing air I was stopping to pass, all of a sudden, it released in just a second when he slid his thumb on my cheeks. His touch was giving me goosebumps. Positive goosebumps.

"Is he trying to kill me?" I muttered to myself secretly.

Now, his lips curved into a smirk and then formed into a broad smile. Did I say it out loud? If not then why did he suddenly smirk at the same time after I muttered?

To break the awkward silence between us, I asked, "Are we all going in separate cars?"

"Yes, Max and Galen are going in one while Carlo and Rome are in the other. I–"

I already knew his finish line, so I cut him off and said, "Okay, then I am going with Carlo and Rome."

After saying that, as I turned to get in their car as soon as possible, he gripped my wrist and pulled me back. He wasn't pressuring me by holding my wrist nor did he pull me forcefully. His touch was gentle, he had always been gentle with me but not only then when we fought.

"You have become very smart by staying and fighting with me." He said, making a proud face.

I rolled my eyes at him and said, "You have also become very clever by being with me. I must admit I am a good teacher."

I patted my shoulder with a proud face. This time, he rolled his eyes at me and sighed with a chuckle. Enzo seemed to be in a good mood.

"Get in my car." It was an order and I didn't like it.

"Ask me politely!" I exclaimed, crossing my arms with a serious face.

I was not expecting him to behave gently with me but if he doesn't talk nice, I was not going to listen to him either.

"What?" He asked as if he didn't hear me.

"Be a gentleman and ask me politely, Enzo." I replied calmly.

He slightly tilted his head, maybe in amusement by my action or he must be angry by my reply. But he turned silent. I kept looking at him, not moving my eyes from him while he also glanced at me several times.

After a few minutes of silence and hesitation, he finally spoke.

"Alora, I want you...to come with me in my car." He breathed out and squeezed his eyes shut.

Victory.

I tilted my head with a victory smile and replied, "Now, much better. Fine, I will come with you.”

As I said that, I instantly walked to his car and got in.

The more we were near the party place, the more nervous I became. For the past twenty minutes, my legs were continuously tapping on the car's surface.

"Act like us." I heard him say from the side. "Show them that you are a mafia member, be confident and act like you don't care."

"You mean if someone acts mean to me, I should shoot him?" I asked out my stupid yet anxious question.

He laughed and replied, "You don't have to worry about that. I would shoot him before he could even complete his sentence. There are many other options rather than shooting."

"I see." I gulped down at his words.

"Are you ready?"

I glared at the mansion and then looked back at Enzo who got out of his car. When I thought he was going inside without me, I quickly opened the car door. Only then, did he open it himself and extend his hand for me to hold. I didn't expect this, didn't expect him to help me get out of the car like a gentleman. I held his hand.

As I came out of the car, he held my hands and led me to my four knights, who just reached after us. The people before us were watching but I was only glancing at our intertwined hands.

The mansion was huge and beautiful.

As we came inside, my jaw dropped at the view and the people before me. All of them looked so scary except the women and I am sure half of the men were mobsters.

"Come with me." Enzo said to us.

When I took a step forward, my heels started slipping which caused my legs to shake. Then someone caught me by my arms, and I knew who it was. When I got up from the hold and looked up at that person, I smiled internally.

Enzo's strong arms were still wrapped around me as his eyes filled with concern.

"Are you okay? You haven't sprained your ankle, have you? Why are you always so careless? Do you always have to jump on your way? And what is the matter with these heels? If you're not comfortable with this, then you shouldn't have worn it." He said all this in one breath.

I saw my four knights leaving me in my hard time for some pretty women. They waved at me and the very next moment, they were gone following them behind.

Traitors!

"Can you please at least take me to a corner, then I will answer your every question." I whispered to him because a few couples were watching us interestingly like we were having a couple-fights.

He helped me come to a corner by holding my hands strongly so that I wouldn't slip again. Enzo stared at me for a while, waiting for my reply.

I sighed and started replying to him, "It's my first time wearing heels, that's why I..."

In the last lines, I lowered my head down, just like a kid and he was standing before me, hands folded up to his chest just like a teacher.

"I told you to wear what you are comfortable in. Why don't you listen to me?" He complained in a calm tone.

I know he was not angry, he was just worried about me. So, instead of saying anything to his worries, I looked up to see his face and said, "I am sorry, Enzo. But I am okay. The heels are not that bad, I can walk fine. See?" I also showed him by walking back and forth.

Enzo was continuously staring at me with a boring face, then he sighed while rubbing the back of his neck. The next moment, he held my arms and started taking me somewhere.

"Enzo, where are–"

"You are not walking here and there, anymore. I want you to sit down."

"But, I just came here...what is the point of coming to a party if I can't even roam around?" I complained when I tried to protest, but all I got was ignorance.

Just like that, I got locked up in a seat, and that too in the kid's section. He said I must be overwhelmed to meet my tiny little friends after a long time, so I should catch up with them. What made me furious was that he joked about me being friends with those kids only because of my height.

My height is not short, they were just taller than a normal person could be expected.

I could not even roam around because the locks were Enzo's deadly warning eyes which were continuously glaring at me since the time he went to talk with some men.

And my brothers, they were just giggling at some pretty ladies. I have been watching them from my seat and smiling at their flustered faces. Galen seemed to be a little shy with the girl he was talking to, but she looked happy. As long as they were happy, I didn't mind being betrayed by them.

I already finished two juice boxes that they were serving in the kid's section. Perhaps it was the first time my height got me some kind of benefit by helping me get juice boxes.

"Ciao Bella ragazza." The strange voice took me in its direction. A man was standing in front of me with a glass in his hand and a crooked smile on his face. He was giving me negative energy.

"Immagino che tu non sia occupato." He spoke again in Italian. (I guess, you are not busy.)

The man kept staring at me and I was thinking about what he wanted from me. Then he called a waiter and when he came, the man took a glass from his tray.

As he extended his hands to me to take the glass from him, someone gripped his wrist. I turned to see the face and as I was expecting, it was Enzo. My lips curled into a broad smile.

At first, he just stared at me for a moment, then he glared at that man with his deadly eyes. Enzo snatched that glass from his hand and drank it. The man gave him an angry look but, well, Enzo was a master in showing a killer look and killing look.

"Non disturbarla, Luca. Lei è la mia più uno." Enzo said in a deep voice which caused a shiver down my spine. (Don't disturb her, Luca. She is my plus one.)

His name was Luca, I guess. He seemed to be confused by what Enzo said to him but not more than me. After that, his face filled with terror while he looked back and forth and then he was gone.

"Who was he? What did you tell him that he got so scared?" I immediately asked Enzo when he sat next to me.

"That you are my plus one." He said in a calm voice.

"But I am not." I pointed.

"Now, you are." He said looking directly into my eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at him while crossing my arms and tilted my head to the side. "Again, ask me politely like a gentleman. Hmm?"

"Alora, be my partner for tonight. Please."

He just said that without wasting any second.

*****