Ethereal

DIAVOLA.

The man looked up at the young woman, his eyes pleading and tears running down his bloody face. The cold, dark room was only illuminated by a single dim, yellow bulb hanging over the two.

"I'll pay you back, please, please, DIAVOLA.." he sobbed, eyes burning red and body shaking.

"I don't give second chances, Jones," the woman said coldly, inspecting her knife for any imperfections.

She gave him one last look, raising her eyebrows. "You messed with the wrong person," and in a quick slice — the man collapsed on the floor, neck bleeding and eyes losing any sign of life.

The woman sighed and cracked her neck, throwing the knife on the floor and walking out of the room. Outside waited her best friends, Derek and Maya.

They stood there nervously as if they had some secret that they couldn't keep. Anastasia recognized this, seeing as she was amazing at reading emotions.

"What?" She asked sharply, as they walked to the car.

"Ana, you know we love you," Derek started slowly.

"And you know anything we do is for your benefit company-wise, and even personally," Maya continued.

"Spit it out," Anastasia said as they all got in the back of a car.

"Theitalianscontactedusandwesaidwedbehappytomeetwiththem." Derek said, too quick for anybody to hear yet she understood exactly what he said.

She gave him a sharp glare. "You did what? Why the fuck did you do that?"

Derek sighed. "You can't hide from them forever, Ana. At some point, you have to face them. And then you have to explain yourself."

"I ran away to keep them safe. You both know this. If he sees me even look at them, you know what'll happen."

Maya and Derek gave each other a look. "That's why you won't be going."

She looked at them suspiciously. What did they have planned now?

"Diavola will."

She shook her head. "No. No, no, nope. Not happening. He'll know."

"He can't do anything to you, why are you so scared? You're the top assassin, the Donna of the French mafia. Please just be sensible." Maya stated.

"That's not me, Maya. That's Anastasia. That's Diavola. She can't get hurt. She has nobody who can be used as leverage against her. I'm not Diavola. I'm Verity. Verity has people who can be used as leverage against her. He'll hurt my brothers, hell hurt you."

"Exactly, Ana! He knows you as Verity. He doesn't know you as Diavola. He won't know-"

Derek cut Maya off, "Just think about it, Ana... And don't be mad at us. We did it for your own good, you've been so depressed since.. that day. They won't know it's you. They think it's for an alliance."

Anastasia sighed and exited the car as it pulled up to the mansion. She stomped up to her room and buried her face in the pillow as she thought back to that night in the hospital.

FLASHBACK
_______________

Verity woke up to the sound of clutter and yelling around her, her head pounding. She heard a husky voice order everybody out. She opened her eyes and lifted her head to see herself in a hospital room, a man standing in front of her with a dark look on his face. His blue eyes were so cold as if there was no emotion or remorse behind them. As if they had witnessed the worst things to ever happen to humanity.