Beauty And The Beast

I wasn't eavesdropping. I just happened to be passing through the hallway on my way to my room when their voices drifted out from the sitting room. I paused for a second, not meaning to, but the words hit me like a slap.

"Dad," Emily gasped, her voice sharp with disbelief. "You... you mean Alexander Costello... Like... like the same Alexander, the Italian don?" She whispered the last part like it was some forbidden secret.

"Yes, my love, it is," Mother chuckled, sounding almost amused, like this was just another society match she could brag about over tea.

But Father's face stayed blank as he spoke, the kind of empty expression that told me he wasn't happy about any of this. Not one bit.

"Emily..." He drew in a heavy breath. "This man we are talking about is dangerous. I don't want you doing anything to anger him. Be the good wife you are supposed to be because fucking things up will be a great damage to my reputation... not only that... he can make this family vanish with just a wave of his hand."

He said it all in one breath, like even speaking the words out loud physically hurt him. The weight of it hung in the air, thick and suffocating.

"I understand, Dad. I know what to do. Who wouldn't fall for this face and body?" Emily smiled, twisting a strand of her hair around her finger the way she always did when she was already picturing herself winning.

"Emily is getting married?"

That was my first thought as I slipped silently down the hallway toward my room, careful not to let the floorboards creak and give me away. To Alexander King Costello... What the hell?

Who doesn't know Alexander Costello? The famous Ice King. The man who doesn't speak more than a few words but makes sure those words are worshipped like gospel. The hot Italian Mafia king. No one dares go against him, not even the governments. Wow.

I pushed open the door to the prison I called my room and locked it behind me quickly, twisting the key with a soft click to keep Emily from barging in again like she owned the damn house. Well, technically she did own the house, or at least acted like it. Always had.

I'd met Alexander once. Just that one time Father had forced me to attend the yearly business annual ball. I hadn't wanted to go, but there was no arguing with him when he got that look in his eye. I'd spent the entire evening trying to disappear. I stayed away from the spotlight, lingering in the shadows near the tall curtains and marble pillars, watching everyone else swirl around in their glittering dresses and sharp suits. I hated being noticed. Still do.

He was far more than they describe in the rumors. People say he kills without mercy. That he doesn't fall in love. That he's a dangerous man who should never be offended. That he'll end you in the blink of an eye. That he controls the government like it's his personal maid. All of that.

But that isn't what I saw that night.

I saw a lot of things I still can't explain in those eyes of his. He has that kind of dazzling beauty that feels out of this world, almost unreal. No... no... no, stop thinking of that shit. I don't have a crush on him. That's ridiculous.

Still, my mind kept drifting back. Imagine that kind of man, with deep blue eyes that could keep you entrapped forever if you stared too long. With jet black hair slicked back with gel, a few rebellious strands falling across his forehead like they had a mind of their own. And those lips... Yeah... yeah... Let's stop imagining now.

But Emily getting married to him? That's like one of Emily's dreams come true. She's been chasing status and power her whole life. "Disaster getting married to chaos." The thought made me shake my head as I sank down onto the edge of my bed.

I could still picture the ball so clearly. The chandeliers dripping with crystals, the soft glow of candlelight mixing with the low hum of classical music. Women in designer gowns laughing too loudly, men in tailored tuxedos discussing deals in hushed tones. And Alexander moving through it all like he owned the room without even trying. He didn't smile much. Didn't need to. People parted for him like water. When he spoke, even from across the hall, his voice carried that low, commanding tone that made everyone lean in.

I had stayed hidden that night, nursing a glass of untouched champagne, observing everything from my safe corner. But for one brief moment, our eyes met. Or at least I thought they did. It was probably nothing, just a coincidence in a crowded room. Still, those blue eyes had lingered a second longer than they should have. Or maybe I imagined it. Either way, it stuck with me.

Now here we were. My sister, beautiful, confident, ambitious Emily about to marry the most feared man in the underworld. Father looked like he was signing away our souls, even if he tried to hide it. Mother seemed thrilled, probably already planning the wedding of the century. And me? I was just the quiet one in the background again, the shadow in the hallway who heard too much.

I changed into my pajamas slowly, the fabric cool against my skin, and climbed under the covers. The room felt smaller than usual, the walls pressing in with all these new thoughts. Emily would be impossible after this. She'd float around the house like a queen, dropping hints about her powerful fiancé, reminding everyone who the favorite daughter was. Father would be even more tense, watching his every word. And Alexander... God, what kind of life would that be?

I rolled over, staring at the ceiling where faint moonlight filtered through the curtains. Rumors painted him as a monster, but that night at the ball, there had been something else. A tiredness maybe, or a depth that no one talked about. The kind of man who carried the weight of empires and blood on his shoulders but still walked like the world owed him nothing.

I tried to push the images away, those eyes, that hair, the way his presence filled every space he entered. This wasn't about me. It never was. I was the invisible sister, the one who preferred books and silence over parties and power plays. Emily could have the spotlight. She always did.

But as sleep started to pull me under, my mind wouldn't let go. Emily getting married to him. The Ice King and my sister. It felt like watching a storm roll in, beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Disaster getting married to chaos, indeed.

I surrendered to sleep with that face still floating in my thoughts, wondering what tomorrow would bring now that everything had changed.