Callista Genovese didn't know fear. There was a trick to that. Never have anything important that you are too afraid to lose. And she had been living that way since the start.

No one knew her weakness. Maybe Tori and Thomas.

But it was her secret.

She let out a relieved sigh as the bullet hit the wall. Based on Dos' eclectic eyes and harsh breaths, he was the kind who's bound to shoot anything that moves. He had instigated a shootout instead of killing his target. Of course, he was crazy.

Caly immediately knew what to do. "You know what, Dos?"

Castor frowned at her but she continued talking, "If you want to hurt Castor that much, that gun should probably be on me."

"Callista!" Her best friend yelled as Dos grinned and switched his target.

Castor rested a hand on the counter, gripping it tight as the blood resumed flowing from his head. "Callista, are you an idiot?"

Caly should have felt panic and terror and all of the things that came with death as she stared at the end of a gun.

But she didn't.

Because the truth was, there was only one thing she was afraid of losing.

Not her money. Not her father. Not her life.

Only her best friend.

✘✘

Callista Genovese marched to a group of boys, her committee badge shining on her collar. She waved the smoke away, ignoring the irked look on their faces. She tilted her head up. "Smoking is prohibited on school grounds."

"Bitch," one of them said.

"Oh, sorry." The boy with dark hair and rings on his fingers threw his cigarette and stepped on it. He kicked off from the wall and stood in front of her. "Done."

She smirked at him. "Good boy."

...

"Why are you sitting with me?" Callista demanded when Castor Luciano sat in front of her. He had been looking at her ever since the smoking incident. Caly was prepared for a retaliation some sort after knowing what kind of group he ran with. But what she got was a stalker. After the weird gazes, he finally had the courage to approach her.

Caly tipped her head to the side. "Don't you know who I am?"

"The killer queen?" he replied. Castor twirled his fork on his pasta, his emerald eyes twinkling. "Where'd you get that nickname? It's quite...scary."

Callista's fingers curled around an empty milk carton. She crushed it on her fist as she grinned at him. "I can show you if you want?"

Castor chuckled, "Sure. I look forward to it, your majesty."

...

"Caly, what's audacious?"

Callista turned the page of her book, leaning against the wall of her favorite corner in the library. The place used to be her sanctuary. It prevented her from associating with bumbling idiots. But Castor had found her and barged into her space even with the scathing looks she threw his way.

"It means bold, fearless, daring," she said begrudgingly.

"Oh." Castor instantly wrote it down and started drawing a figure next to it.

Caly closed her book. "Why are you even here? Don't you have classes?"

"Nah, I failed already." He raised his head to meet her stare. "And I like you."

Callista set her book down and brought up her knees against her chest. "You're only saying that because you don't know me."

"Wanna bet?"

"Idiot."

....

Callista had begun to get used to Castor's presence in the library. She didn't want to admit it but she enjoyed his questions and his attention on her.

When he came in late, Caly quickly noticed his frown. She licked her lips and debated whether he should ask him. She swallowed her fears. "What's wrong? Somebody stole your car?"

Castor sat on the floor next to her, head flinging backward. "No. Worse."

Caly couldn't get rid of the itch on her tongue. "Why?"

"I wanted to join the art club. But they said that I can't," he mumbled, fists clenched on his sides.

"They're afraid of you," she responded and opened her Chemistry book.

"Ah, I see."

....

Callista closed the restroom door as she followed her target inside. She leaned on the door and crossed her arms as the girl went out of a cubicle.

She yelped. "What are you doing?"

"I heard you rejected Castor Luciano because of..." she hummed, "What is it again? Hmm, discrimination?"

"I-I just..." she stuttered.

"Your sister has a piano recital next week, right?" Caly's lips stretched into a terrifying smile. "What if...she lost a finger?"

"Please don't!" The girl got on her knees, clasping her palms together. "I'm sorry!

"Great!" she announced and turned her back. "And if you tell anyone what happened here—"

"I won't!"

....

Callista yawned as she finished solving the Chemistry problems. She shut her notebook and shoved it in her bag when Castor rushed in. He beamed at her.

She rolled her eyes. "What?"

"I heard what you did."

Caly's grip on her bag tightened. "Oh?"

"Sonia looked at my work! And she accepted me!" he yelled that the librarian cleared her throat. Castor yanked a chair and sat next to her. "You did something?"

Callista's heart thundered at his proximity. She managed to give a shrug. "It was nothing."

"Thank you," he said, looking at her with something like awe. Castor opened his backpack and placed a red apple in front of her. "A gift."

She raised an eyebrow. "An apple?"

"For the fairest of them all."

Callista burst out laughing that the librarian shushed them again. She wiped the tears that formed on her eyes. "You know I'm more like an evil queen, right?"

"Not evil." Castor shook his head. "Maybe audacious?"

She chuckled, "Is that the only word you know?"

"I also know bold, fearless, daring..."

Caly bit her lip as she began to realize that she never wanted to see him hurt ever again. Happiness suited him better.

She smiled at him. "We're gonna work on your vocabulary, alright?"

He laughed.

....

Caly set the apple on the kitchen counter. She set her head on the table and stared at the fruit, releasing deep sighs.

"Callista, I'm pretty sure a fruit should be eaten," Mallorie stated as she worked on her homework.

"It came from someone very special, Mal," she replied with a huge smile.

"What? Who is it?" Mallorie's brows knitted.

"Callista," his father's voice had thundered in the room that even Mallorie flinched.

Caly took a deep breath and bounced to her father. "Yes, dad?"

"What was that?"

"What?"

"Someone special?" Caesar Genovese shook his head in disappointment. "Please don't tell me its Castor Luciano."

"But Dad—"

"You know its too dangerous for him and for you. Do you have any idea what the Castellano's will do?" her father exclaimed. "Don't forget what I taught you, Caly. To each his own and protect yourself above all else. Whatever feelings you have for him, hide it.

"You know, daddy..." she muttered as her silver eyes flashed in determination. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't your daughter."

....

Callista crushed the paper on her fists and threw away the eighth threatening letter she received this week. She hadn't bothered to read it. It probably contained more or less the same as the last letter. People wanting to kill her to get to Castor.

It was the reason why she had found herself in a locked room. She didn't know that even in school, there were people who want her dead.

As the light went off, Caly felt her breathing become harder. The door wouldn't budge, no matter how she kicked at it. A hissing sound filled the air as her eyes burned in pain.

"Fuck!" She pounded on the door and like a miracle, it opened.

"Callista!" Castor exclaimed in surprise.

Caly launched herself towards him. Castor wrapped an arm around her waist. "What happened?"

She shook her head in reply.

Callista decided to remain tight-lipped. She knew that telling Castor would cause him to stay away from her. She'd never let that happen.

She'd find a solution to this on her own She could do it.

....

Callista Genovese straightened the collar of her white formal dress as she and Thomas left the funeral for her bodyguard. Jason had shielded her against a knife attack and met his demise.

She knew it was coming but still, she couldn't stop it. Somebody had died because she grew complacent.

"Miss Caly... if you don't mind," Thomas began. "You should stop meeting with Castor."

"And why would I do that?"

"But Miss Caly..."

"If everybody wants to kill me, it's okay. Because it means I can kill them too," she responded and stared at the sky. "But my efforts weren't enough. Some remained and others grow even bolder. Fighting fire with fire wasn't a good idea."

She pulled out a folded paper from her shoulder bag. "Give that to Tori. Someone is bragging that they have infiltrated the Luciano family so I want her to keep a lookout."

Thomas accepted the envelope. "What are you going to do?"

"I need to leave," Caly answered, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag. "If I am not around, they will think I ran away. Let them feel like they won."

"Are you sure? Castor will not like it," Thomas asked.

"But he'll be safe. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." Caly gritted her teeth as heart clenched in pain. She took a deep breath. "I'll be back two or three years from now. When that time comes, Dad's political career will go downhill as Mayor Johnson's complaints will be heard. People will start questioning why fights and shootouts still happen if Caesar Genovese is indeed a savior. And Daddy will beg me to come home." She licked her lips, "He'll think of a new way to eradicate the mafia society by joining the families into one. Probably marriage."

Thomas gaped at her. "He'll do that?"

"Yes. And he'll use me." Callista opened her bag to put on her Gucci sunglasses. "If I am right, I can use it to get to my own goal."

"Your goal?"

"To live in a world where I could say 'I love you' without fear."

....

Callista watched from her car as Castor and his college friends walked out of the building. She had wanted to say goodbye but she knew she couldn't do it without breaking down.

Hurting him was never in her plan. But she had no choice.

In the end, it's gonna be worth it.

✘✘

Once again, she had been wrong.

She thought she could do anything as long as she could get to her goal. But her plan had turned to smithereens the moment she knew that she had lost her best friend.

She had vowed to never hurt him. But she broke her promise, over and over again.

Callista met Castor's angry eyes. "I'm sorry."

Dos chuckled as Castor began to step forward. He placed the gun against Caly's right temple causing her to hiss at the burn. "Step closer and I'll blow her head off."

"Stop it. I thought it was me you hated!" Cas exclaimed as his green eyes widened in fear and terror. "Why don't you kill me then?"

"I do want to kill you," Dos declared. "But she's right, her death will hurt you more."

Callista winced as the gun's muzzle continued pressing in her temple. She wiggled her left hand, shielding it from Dos' eyes using her body.

"She's awesome, you know," Dos said that sent Callista's heart hammering. "And you're an idiot. You really think that in our world, loving her wasn't a death sentence?"

"What are you talking about?" Castor growled and searched for Caly's eyes. She turned away. She didn't want to see his fury over her lies. "Callista?"

Fuck. Callista bit the inside of her cheeks in regret.

Instead of being the bitch she was and pouring everything into her plan, she should've loved more. Maybe get more milkshakes with Tori or hang out in Mallorie's bar. She should've given Thomas, Eula, and Aunt Amanda a raise. She should've tried harder to reach out to Franco. Maybe tell her father what she really thought of him and try to mend their relationship. And most of all, she should've told Castor the truth.

She had everything she ever wanted, people who love her for who she was and she didn't even notice.

And now, she was losing everything.

This must be karma.

✘✘

I don't know what I did, I will probably edit if this fails. Your comments are welcome.

see you,