The Fractured Angel

Evelyn Grey’s POV

I woke startled awake feeling my chest rise and fall, with sweat soaking my face and body from having the same nightmare over and over about the day I lost everything in one night. I ran a shaky hand in my long messy brown hair, trying to take in deep breaths, to help calm down my racing heart and the feeling of being suffocated. I looked over to my alarm clock on the nightstand seeing it was four in the morning, I got out of my comfortable double bed, stretching my sore petite body from the exhausting work from the night before.

I patted barefoot to my small bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for my college classes. I looked myself I the mirroring seeing the dull ache in my eyes, hiding the pain from feeling alone, since my family all abandoned me after my parent’s demise. I shook my head to rid of those horrible thoughts.

I quickly grabbed a pair of black leggings, a sweater dress that I had found at the second hand store a few months back along with my worn-out brown ankle boots. I grabbed my long messy, curling brown hair and pulled it all back into a messy bun have smaller pieces framing my face.

I quickly ran out of my bathroom, scurrying around my room grabbing my art books, and art supplies placing them all into my small worn-out blue shoulder bag I have had for years. I made sure everything was there, my phone, books and supplies along with my wallet. After I doubled checked I quickly left my dorm locking it behind. I left making my way towards the main part of the university towards the Art building where I will start my life as a major in art and minor in psychology. I hope to one day be able to help young children and teens through art therapy like how it helped me growing up with my therapist when I was a little. I was diagnosed with selective mutism, social anxiety, and fear of being abandoned all from that horrible night all those years ago. I took a deep breath in, seeing the large building up ahead showing casing the high society of NYU campus. I watched the group of friends all come together and my heart ached for that one day to hopefully have friends of my own. I scurried inside, not wanting to deal withEvelyn (Scarlet) Romero, the fake me, who I believe was my replacement since I saw her with two of my brothers here in NYU. I would hide away behind the corners, watching how they treated her, how they use to treat me before our parents’ demise.

I knew I was never that important anymore, not since they abandoned me to state of New York City. I quickly took off seeing Marco and Antonio walk towards Scarlet with big smiles on there faces. I know my family has no idea I am here or even care that I am now attending NYU for school, as they are in some illusion with the fake girl that is trying to pose as me.

I must work to survive on my own, no help from anyone, but myself to live in the shadows of the world we all live in. I know how the shadowy world works since my papa would teach me how a mafia princess should treat those higher and respect the Don’s and their Donna’s with all crime families. I wipe away the fallen tears not wanting to down memory lane and ruin my mood.

I put on a fake happy smile, walking towards my new classroom for the next four years, hoping today will be the start of my passion and dream to bring happiness and peace to others. I walked into the wide-open art room to see many easels and canvas spread out in the room with each student’s name on the front of the easels. I saw where my name was and I took my time to set up and grab my apron to put on, to prevent getting my clothes dirty.

I sat my bag by my feet, taking by a look at the empty canvas where I saw a sticky note placed there with neat, scripted writing saying to start on anything that comes to mind and that he would come around to see where everyone’s talents land. I saw it was signed by a male teacher, and my eyes slightly narrowed trying to remember where I have heard the name Russo before and that was when I realized it came from one of the most powerful mafia crime families to ever exist. I was surprised my professor was the mafia boss of the Russo family, Valentino Russo, or as everyone knows him as, il diavolo (the devil) I the underworld. I kept an eye on the crime families, trying to keep myself hidden enough from the Jeriko family, who murdered my parents and have been after me for years. They had me a few years ago, and I was able to escape them after I killed them to escape and run back to my group home when I was fourteen that was when I stopped talking completely.

I ignored the way my chest tightened when I felt an anxiety attack trying to push its way threw to ruin my mood in class. I shook my head and began my task at hand stretching out a young girl with her head down crying into her hands with lowered angel wings sprouting from her back with chains keeping her caged within her misery. I hummed while I worked on my sketch not realising that more students were filing in and takin their seats. I felt my tense feeling a warm presence standing behind me, and I can tell whoever it was, was giving off a strong dominant aura.

“Wonderfully done, Evelyn. Keep it up, I want to see more of your work.” I held back a gasp when I heard il diavolo’s deep, rich Italian voice. I do not know what this feeling was, or why I am feeling this way with a man who can kill in a blink and not feel remorseful in doing so.

I looked up at him briefly agreeing with everyone that he was a beauty with his short messy golden blonde hair, clear tan skin, high cheek bones and a strong jawline clear of any facial hair. His eyes were what drew me in, with how intense they were with the round cold stare of deep steel blue eyes clashing with my baby blues. I blushed looking away and giving him a nod of my head in thanks, fearing of rejection if I said a word with these many people in one place at once. I tried to ignore the way my heart raced; the way his warm steel eyes would stare a whole in my head as I continued to work on my first assignment for the year. I jumped slightly, hearing the door to the classroom open and who I saw was not what I wanted to ever be around, my older Marco walking in with Scarlet attached to him with a fake façade of shyness when I know it was all for show with how she acts around everyone that is her family. “Hm, Miss Romero. Come here late again, and you deal with the consequences.” Valentino coldly bites out towards Scarlet, and I watched her try to give him a shy smile, and I was amused to watch he did not fall for it. I shook my head seeing my brother was about to say something, when I saw the look Valentino gave him, I bite my lower lip trying to hide the smile behind the amusement seeing Marco being silently told off. My eyes widened when Valentino raised one eyebrow at me with a sly smirk, that I had to look away, hiding my flushed face behind my long curtain of brown hair that I took out of my bun. I sighed feeling this was going to a long, long year with a handsome professor and well-known mafia boss with my adopted cousin who hates me with a passion. I went back to finishing my drawing on my canvas, ignoring that Scarlet took her seat next to me on my left scoffing when she saw me glaring at me with such hatred that I could not give her any fucks given.