SINISTER SEDUCTION: A Mafia's Obsession

x18- THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY

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CATHERINA'S POV

We had to welcome some people from Andres' Clan and my mamma was over the roof with worry, she wanted everything to be perfect but refused my help and Rosa's whom we had hired for some decorations.

"Leave the kitchens, go help out with the decorations... I can handle all these alone." My mamma was heard saying.

I walked out before she yelled more, I personally was thinking she just wanted take all the glory of having to prepare everything. She was a wonderful chef; my mamma and she wasn't hesitant in flaunting her prowess.

"Do you need help?" I asked Rosa who shook her head in the negative which only left me with one option which was reading a book and waiting till we had to welcome the guests.

Today was my sister's engagement party and I wondered fleetingly how she was feeling with all the activities going on and my papa yelling at everyone who had the ears to stand and listen. She had not come out of her room since my papa announced the engagement party yesterday; according to him, Andres wanted to be done with the wedding as soon as possible and it was in our best interest to hurry up the procession.

I said nothing to this but felt a pang of hurt at how fast he wanted to marry my sister when just hours ago, he had been flirting with me or was it I doing the flirting... the events of it were quite blurry in my head already.

"I do not want this to be rushed" my sister had managed to say.

"You have no say in this" My papa had told her, staring as if she had just sprung a second head.

"Don't you think it is too early to already start planning an engagement party, you can see how unsettled she is already" I tried... there was no way he was going to listen to me but I tried anyways.

"You are one to talk, you slut" my papa bellowed.

I flinched at his words but stood my ground; slut wasn't something I hadn't heard from him before so I wasn't quite surprised at the words.

Audrey stood up abruptly and excused herself while my papa let out a torrent of Spanish curses, blaming anyone but himself for the happenings in our household.

I had gone to my room and did not bother about eating until my mamma called for me, she looked better and I wondered if I had just misinterpreted her sleeping till so late to be sickness.

"I thought the doctor came" I told her as I sat up in bed.

"He did and has already left; your papa told me about his decision and Andres to hold an engagement ceremony tomorrow and your blatant refusal."

"He conveniently left out the part where Audrey argued about his decision." I scoffed.

If she was here to defend my sorry excuse of a father or ask me to apologize, then she had another thing coming, I thought to myself.

"I told him it was too early too but you know your father"

"You should stop him from even marrying her off at all, he shouldn't have the right to do this." I interrupted, grabbing her hand.

"He is both your father and has every right to want to see his children married." She told me.

I knew she could do nothing about it but I tried anyways, I wanted to do all I could for Audrey.

"You also have a say in our lives mamma and you can ask him to stop. Audrey is so young; she wants to be a painter and not a house wife to a dangerous man."

"I am housewife to a dangerous man" my mamma commented.

"I meant no offense to you, mamma but I am sure you can see what I mean."

"I cannot change your papa's mind even if I want to... the engagement party shall hold tomorrow and you and your sister need to go shopping for some dresses, I shall ask Pedro to drive you both." My mamma said, removing her hands gently from mine.

I said nothing as I watched her leave, no doubt to my sister's room to repeat what she had just said to me. I could never blame her, she was probably married off, just as my sister was about to be.

I could think of nothing to help my sister, this was it and I only hoped that Andres treated her right.

...

It was soon time for the party and I was already dressed with my hair down which papa would most definitely not like, you could say this was my own way of going against his wishes for once which felt really good. I left my face bare hoping to irritate him, I wasn't going to give him what he wanted which was us dressing nice for his guests... hell no.

I stopped by my sister's room, she was still undressed and standing over a painting.

"What are you doing? Get dressed before mamma comes up here herself, I believe the guests are already arriving."

"Let them" My sister grunted and continued her painting.

I watched from the doorway for a moment then went over to meet her, she had the most concentrated look on her face like her world was not crashing down on her at this moment.

"Audrey..." I began

"I cannot marry a man who even hardly looks at me while we eat, I simply cannot." She protested, more to the painting than me.

"I do not know what we can do about it." I told her softly.

"I can run away, hermana... unlike you, Bruno knows a lot of places we can hide where papa will never get to us."

"Listen to me; Audrey" I said, shaking her... "There is no where you go or hide that papa will not find you"

"What will you have me do then, strut down and get admired as the baby factory I will become? Will I even be allowed to paint, draw, cosplay or will they just keep me in some birthing chambers to create babies for their stupid clan."

I was at loss for words and so I just threw my arms around her and sobbed, we held each other for a while; each of us braying our different hurts.