Bella took a deep breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, I was sick. So sick that they kept me away... even from my brother."
Victor's eyes softened as he closed them, the memory pulling him back to that painful day. It was the day his mother had dragged him away from Bella, the day everything changed. That was when they all found out the truth about Bella's powers—and the danger they posed, not just to everyone around her, but to herself as well. The realization hit harder than anything he could have imagined.
Victor cleared his throat and stopped the conversation from going further, "Let us not go into details of the past, I am glad my sister is here with us now, so please treat her well. and Lucas I am telling you the truth, Bella never interacted with others, just the family members. so, she is not whoever you think she is."
Lucas nodded silently, the weight of the truth settling heavily in his chest. The hope he'd clung to faded. Without another word, he turned and walked away
Dash watched him go, then turned to Bella with a regretful expression," I apologize on his behalf Bella, he just lost someone years ago, and seeing you reminds him of her."
"who was she?" Bella asked
Thinking that there was no point in hiding, he recounted past events. " Years ago, we all were having a party, me, Lucas, Everett, Kianna, Daylan, Jenny, and Alliance. We were children so we decided to play hide and seek, and that's when Lucas found this girl named Anna, hiding in the woods. She was just a servant's daughter. We played a game together, but... it ended tragically. It was an accident, but Lucas still blames himself for her death."
Others were sympathetic toward the story, but Bella, knowing the full truth, simply smirked and took another sip of her drink.
Dash stepped away from the group and joined Lucas, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. "You've got to let it go, Lucas. She's not Anna."
Lucas closed his eyes, the weight of the memories hitting him all at once. A single tear slipped down his cheek. Dash's frown deepened. "Tell me, Lucas... what's going on with you? Why does Anna's death affect you so hard?"
Lucas turned slowly to face him, his voice low but laden with emotion. "I wanted Bella to be Anna. I thought maybe, for some reason, she'd lied—because they not only look so much alike, they both don't have powers. Anna told me she had no powers right before the game, yet I still let her play with us."
"Why the hell are we even talking about that filthy girl?" Everett's voice cut through the tension, sharp and filled with disdain. Both of them turned to see her standing there, a sneer on her face as she eavesdropped on their conversation.
Lucas ignored her and said," Go away Everett, now is not a good time for you to piss me off."
Folding her hand Everett turned to dash for an explanation, who also just ignored her and calmly sipped his drink. Seeing that she was not getting any answers from them, everett walked away to her friends.
Without a second thought, she snatched the drink from Jenny's hand, gulping it down in one swift motion, the burn of alcohol crawling down her throat. She repeated the action twice more before turning to Jenny with a harsh edge in her voice. "How many more years is your brother going to blame me for that girl's death?"
Jenny looked at her in confusion. "Which girl? What are you talking about?"
Alliance rolled her eyes, "The girl from the game, the one who got killed, Jenny. What was her name?"
"Anna, Her name was Anna" Jenny answered quietly, her voice tinged with sorrow. She then turned to Everett, her tone softening, but still edged with the weight of the past. "Never forget, Everett. She was my brother's first love. He blames himself more than he blames you, but trust me—he despises you more for what you did that day."
Knowing there was nothing she could do to change the past, Everett shook her head. As she turned to grab a drink, her eyes landed on Bella, who was pouring drinks for the guys at the bar.
Laughter filled the air, and as Everett walked in, the noise died down. Cyan turned to Ross and eyed him to hide the bottle.
Everett shook her glass, catching Ross's attention. "I need a refill, Ross."
"Of course, Ms. Everett," Ross replied, taking her glass to fill it.
Everett turned to Bella, a smirk on her face. "So, are you a bartender now? Bella, right?"
Bella didn't respond, her mind occupied with darker thoughts—plans to get back at them without drawing attention. Using her magic would only alert her father and brother, so she'd have to wait. The murder mystery had to play out first.
I can wait, Bella thought to herself.
Everett's frustration grew at Bella's disregard, and she marched over, snapping her fingers in front of Bella's face.
"What?" Bella snapped, her irritation clear.
"Okay, cut it out, Everett," Victor interrupted, stepping in between them. "Here's your drink. Now, go have fun with your friends, alright?" He gently pulled Everett away and led her back to the group.
Bella looked over at Everett, a mischievous glint in her eyes. 'Don't worry, Everett, I'll start with you.'
Not long after, Lucas and Dash joined them at the bar. Bella expertly poured drinks for everyone, the clink of glass filling the air. Lucas reached over, taking the bottle from her hand to fill her glass instead. "To a new start?" he asked, his gaze steady on hers.
Bella gave a small nod, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "To a new start."
Without missing a beat, she threw back her glass, the alcohol burning its way down. As the group began to settle into the buzz of the evening, Bella kept the conversation light. "So, boys, ready for tomorrow?"
"Hell, yeah," Cyan laughed, his words a little slurred as he swayed slightly, already halfway to being drunk.
Bella took another shot, then, with a dramatic flourish, raised her hands high. "Alright, I'm out. You guys have fun."
She turned to her brother with a soft but determined look. "I've already called Devil. I'll manage, brother. You stay and enjoy yourself."
Victor studied her for a moment, then gave a small nod. He knew when Bella had made up her mind. "Alright," he said, his tone calm, "go on, but don't do anything I wouldn't do."
With a wink and a wave to the guys, Bella slipped out into the night, leaving the boys to their revelry.