Rovbers

✧𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐈 (a toast!)

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
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Impossible. It was impossible to put on a happy face in front of the thousands of guests I'm sure Victoria had invited to the rehearsal dinner. But it was either this or the end of the world, as Victoria had said before leaving the room with her dress tail following swiftly behind her.

I placed my dress over my body and after splashing my face with soothing cold water I went over to the nightstand to fix my hair and apply some makeup.

The thought of applying red lipstick crossed my mind but I immediately dismissed it. My definition of the end of the world would be wearing the same lipstick shade as my stepmom. So nude pink it was.

The rehearsal dinner was a "glamorous delight" as Victoria had described it after we sent the last of the guests home. Of course I, had a pretty different opinion about it. I had set my mind so clearly to not do as much as look towards Niccolò's direction. Even if we were sitting right next to each other, I made absolutely no notice of his existence.

Even if my already unsteady heart skipped a beat when I saw his perfect messy hair slicked back with what was probably Daddy's hair gel, his skinny yet strong body was leaning against the mossy stone wall as he smoked a cigarette, wearing a tux. It wasn't just any ordinary suit, but one of those that looked like they made a nasty dent in any ordinary persons bank account with its purchase. Of course to Niccolò, the total cost of it was just pocket change.

"Mr. Conti here is one of the most successful hotel owners of the year. Aren't you Niccolò?" Victoria babbled at the center table to one of her very good friends as she sipped her wine with lips that she believed to be ladylike and proper but instead made her look like a duck.

The emerald green wearing woman that sat next to Niccolò pursed her red wrinkled lips and said with a coarse voice. "Ooh, I might as well be the one marrying him instead!"

That caused a short riot of laughter from all the other ladies at the table. All except me. Daddy, (one of the only men on the table besides Niccolò and a harmless creature of seventy something who wheezed every so often) who was on his second glass of Brandy and on his fifth serving of coconut shrimp, payed no attention to this comment. Niccolò, although noticeably disturbed, gave her a polite smile.

"Oh, Dani sure is a lucky girl."
Said a woman across from me. One I recognized from a long time ago. She had been one of Victorias closest friends. They all smiled and laughed and enjoyed each others artificial company while the sun above us sank behind the chapel. The once blue sky was now a deep shade of royal purple as thin sheets of indigo clouds hid a few twinkling stars behind them. Still, I couldn't help to wonder, between the howling chuckles and backhanded compliments, where these so-called "friends" of Victoria's had been where we were at the lowest point of our lives not even a few weeks ago.

I was one hundred percent certain that I wasn't the only one who had seen the news that spoke of the break-in at our Beverly Hills residence. I had even seen one old newspaper article that spoke of it during the trip Niccolò and I took to CVS a few days ago.

Victoria had wanted to keep the situation "sugar coated" as she had said once and didn't ask or turn to a single soul (besides her nonexistent sister back in Boston) for help. Even then, I couldn't ignore that these people, the ones complementing my family at that very moment, were the same people that didn't do so much as ask if we were okay after being threatened and almost killed. I never in my life had any grudges to hold against anybody. But would it have killed them to call and see if we were alive at least? I suppose it would have. Because not a single person at this table did. The matter wasn't even interesting enough to discuss during the two meals that were served. It was clear that Victoria would rather dine with wolves if it meant they had seven digits in the Los Angeles city bank. But I didn't care how much the people that sat around me had or did not have, it seemed completely impossible for me to ignore their carelessness then despite their presence now. I took a deep sigh and took one very small sip of the white wine Victoria had paired with the sea food being served during dinner.