[Music: Gasoline - Orchestral By Halsey]

"Again!" Madame’s command cut through the air like a blade.

The move was reprised, my leg swaying as my hand mirrored the action, before my chin fixed upright, striking a pose.

"Hold."

I winced, arms feeling as if they’d dislocate from my body and turn to dust.

"Next position!"

This time, it was taken from the top. I went on my tiptoes, my hands curved in mid-air, head to the right in a powerful yet vulnerable form.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Madame pacing, her eyes like a double-edged weapon aimed at us, and a simple flaw would get us right back where we started.

I hope fucking not.

I love the ache... the burn... it unleashed a satisfying sensation. But this was getting far too ridiculous. She might as well transform us into wooden dolls.

It was a long, excruciating minute as she detailed our posture, as if we were sculptures in a museum, meant to exude beauty and delicacy.

"Pause. Take ten. We’ll start from the top."

As if the adhesives hardened against my skin had finally come apart, I could breathe.

Madame’s departing sharp clicks flooded the air until they faded, and a discharge of chatter came to life, as well as cluttered movements.

"That was intense!"

"Phew!" Thank God it’s finally over."

"She’s not usually this hard on us."

"What has gotten into her?"

"I swear to God if you’d so much as flinched, we could’ve been here all day."

"But I didn’t!"

I walked to my favorite spot by the tall windows overlooking Hightower City, which is layered with old stone and winding streets. There wasn’t much of it that had been modernized because it retained its archaic structure.

The only thing I love about this godforsaken city.

"I guess Madame’s mood has to do with her daughter."

I cast a look over my shoulder as chit-chat turned into gossip.

Clara Reid was the source, along with her group of bootlicking bitches who can’t tell left from right. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Insufferable meddlers.

"She got herself knocked up. And guess what? She’s a mistress."

Multiple gasps drowned the air, but I was too busy doing a split to care.

"She’ll forever be a side piece with an unwanted child."

"Poor thing. Whose mistress?"

"Perry’s."

"Uh-oh. His wife is gonna skin her alive and eat her for dinner."

"As if she hadn’t already. Geez! Talk about playing the wrong game!"

"This class is gonna take forever now. It’s not our fault that her daughter had a bad choice of partner."

"Right? Why toss her anger at us?"

"I heard something else more interesting..." Clara intoned as if bringing in the juiciest thing yet. "One of the Salveros is getting married."

My hand in mid-air flinched. My eyes veered toward their direction at speed.

"Oh my!"

"Really?"

"Where did you hear that from?"

"Tell us, Clara!"

"Which Salvero? You know, there are like five brothers, right?"

"It’s—" Clara paused when we locked eyes.

Shit!

"Ana! What do you think of this?"

I became the apple of their eyes, and I don’t mean it as a good thing.

Think of it as being burned at the stake like a witch. Their judgmental looks and definitely not discreet murmurs.

So much for my plan to be invisible throughout class.

"Does my opinion matter?" I questioned, not hiding my annoyance.

They’re already starting to circle me like vultures, and I’m not in the mood for that.

"Aaaana..." Clara drawled lazily. "Your father has had past affairs with the Salveros’. You’re the best person to ask."

"They have a nasty history."

"Have you forgotten?"

"Right... That thing with—"

"Shhh!"

"You shhh!"

Jesus! I’m literally right in front of them. They might as well start finger fucking themselves or something.

"Why spoil the fun? There’s no need to be hush about it." Clara’s lips curled wider like the devil.

Oh no, she doesn’t!

"Ana’s sister—"

"Shut it, Reid!" I hissed, pushing to my feet.

She did too, folding her arms like I was gonna come at her for a fight, and trust me, I want so badly to scratch her fucking eyes out.

I can’t believe I used to be friends with this toilet seat.

"What’s the matter, Ana...? You’re flushed."

My fists clenched so hard I could hear my bones cracking. The looks and whispers I could deal with. It has followed me like a brand, but throwing in my sister’s name was unacceptable, especially from her.

"You should get over it..." She opened that stinky mouth of hers. "You’re not the one who became a disgrace... but it still counts though, since you share blood."

I heaved sharply, trying to soothe the heat twisting my insides, but it rose so fast my cheeks burned.

"Your sister made her bed when she thought about spreading her legs for a Salvero. I heard they fucked her so good and passed her around. The brothers love sharing their whores."

She giggled. "Annabeth was such a slut, wasn’t she? One brother wasn’t enough, so she really upped her game. There can never be too many cocks. Right?"

My ears pulsed so loudly like my blood vessels were gonna burst. I walked closer, and her hands dropped to her sides, chin held high with that godawful pride of hers.

"You can’t afford to create more trouble for dear daddy. After what your sister did, it must be so difficult, trying not to sabotage what is left of your family’s dignity."

"You’re right..." I admitted. "I can’t afford any trouble."

She laughed with her peers before waving her fingers to shoo me. "Run along now. Go back to that corner and sulk."

I moved, but I turned back too quickly, my hand smacking right into her face, and the force knocked her to the pristine floor.

"Oops! I slipped. I can’t help it if my hand has a mind of its own."

Clara clutched her cheek, whimpering when she saw blood, a cut left by my nails.

"AH!" she screamed.

There goes her chance of playing the lead role in Romeo and Juliet this season.

"Next time you speak about my sister. I’m gonna do more than scratch your face. I’ll scratch your eyes out next and shove it down your fucking throat."

"YOU BITCH!"

A pitched range of mutters pulled our attention toward the entrance of the studio. There was a commotion in the lobby, bodies pressed against the wall as if to steer clear of something or someone.

Suddenly, men swarmed in like bees, and the entire place was in disarray.

Two identical men stepped forward, distinct from the others, dressed neatly in expensive suits.

"It’s the Salvero twins!"

"I-It’s really them!"

"What are they doing here?"

My palms got sweaty as they sized me up with their gaze, reducing me to something beneath their shoes.

"There she is..." One of the twins spoke. "Here the whole time while we combed the city like madmen."

The other came close and rounded me. "You gave us a lot of trouble looking for you."

I moved, but I had no idea how I thought I could outrun them. They seized my arms.

"Hey!" I squirmed. "Let me—" I paused when I heard the soft echo of footsteps shrouding everything else.

A pair of Oxford shoes came into my line of vision, and my gaze travelled to neatly pressed pants, then leather belt, tucked black dress shirt with a few buttons undone to catch a glimpse of tattoos covering all the way to his muscular neck.

You’ve got to be kidding me. He came... himself?

There was a cloud of smoke obscuring his face before it dispersed, green eyes blazing at me, and in that instant, my body locked up.

Zade Salvero. The eldest of the Salvero brothers. The sight of him made my stomach twist. He’s huge. Terrifyingly huge. I haven’t met him in person, and his presence alone made cold dread wash over me.

Zade took the cigar between his ringed fingers, tattoos winding up his arms. "Anastasia..."

My skin prickled in goosebumps. His gravelly voice was smooth and dangerously calm.

"You’re late."

My throat went dry, yet my lips parted, and a quivering voice I could barely recognize fled from me. "L-Late for what?"

A muscle ticked in his jaw, subtle but obvious. Yet, his lips curved anyway... slow and disturbing.

"Our wedding."