Chap 19 Passive or Aggressive
Lawrence
"GOD DAMMIT! Morgan! Look what you've done. It's over. Get that through that pretty little head of yours. Do you not see that all you're good for is a good fuck? Nothing more, nothing less. And now that is over. Done." Morgan grabbed on the shoulder of my blazer to keep me from running after Melanie. Those leaf green eyes almost chilling in the instant I was her as she took in the scene before her. Whatever doubts she had now conformed if she didn't already know what I had been doing when I wasn't with her. Rage filling me as I turned to the pleading blonde beofre me.
"But we could be good together. I am the governor's daughter. Anything you need, I can do, and my mom is the news reporter. She could always get you more publicity on events or anything you want. Lawrence, why don't you see that we are perfect for each other?" She begged, making a scene. Thankfully, the students had the right idea to finally move on and ignore it and proceed to what they were doing before.
"It's Luciano to you. You do not have the right to say my given name. You're perfect for a career lift, but not as a partner or a supporter for a person like me. You just think I'm a big celebrity in business, but I'm more than you can imagine. You would never last in my world. You are just a mistress that I do not see needing anymore." I confirmed, forcefully ripping her hands from my jacket off me in disgust. Now wondering why I had ever thought her worth my time.
Morgan bowed her head down as she spoke almost in a whisper. "What is she to you? What can she do that I can not?" Venom dripped in every word as she stared down to the floor.
"She is the light in my dark world that you could never understand. She sees me for who I am and not what I am to the outside world. Most of all, she is not in it to gain anything and has more to lose than anyone." I replied icily. Her pale face instantly turned to my murderous glare as she lifted her gaze to mine.
"You're just a man in high ranking businesses. How could I not understand you? I was raised to be the perfect woman for you. How are you more than that?" Morgan begged, confusion written on her face as she tried to understand.
"For a business man yes, but not for the Mafia Prince." I declared curtly as I raised my head high, looking down at her as if she was nothing. Her eyes going round with awareness. "You could never stand by my side as an equal. You are a passive women, not an aggressive one that could just stand up to anyone. You are weak minded, and will never know how to work in the real world without your precious bubble. So with your new knowledge, do not interfere with me or Melanie. I am a very powerful person that can do whatever I want with a snap of my fingers." I boomed, snapping my fingers in front of her face to emphasize my meaning to her clearly as I stepped away from her lifeless form, staring straight at nothingness.
"By the way, if you speak of this to anyone, just imagine what I can do to you and times it by ten." I smirked as Morgan turn to face me with fearful eyes as I gave my signature smirk walking around the corner.
Damn. I wasted my time talking to Morgan, and now lost Melanie.
It was lunch time now, making it hard to pick her out of the crowd of student heading to their friends to eat or hang out. I rounded the corner looking for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. In the cafeteria, I spotted Kyle and Ace with Sissela as she seemed to gossip about something interesting. All of them picking at their trays of food before them.
"Lawrence did you hear?" Sissela jumped up spotting me as I walked over towards there table by the window away from everyone.
"Hear what? I'm looking for Melanie." I asked scanning the room for a glimpse of her strawberry blonde hair no one else in school like hers had.
"No, but Nickolai is back and your enemy Howl. You better watch out." She said creepily then giggled as she sat back down with a grin still on her face.
Realization dawned on me as I sat down almost in a daze next to Ace, knowing exactly where Melanie probably was and who she was with. "Unfortunately, I saw Howl last night, and it seems he has attached himself to Melanie today. I didn't like it one bit, and I know Nickolai is here. I just don't know when he would make an appearance." I spoke dejectedly, now knowing that Melanie was most definitely with Nickolai. Best guesses is that they're together with Howl and probably won't let me near her after this morning, and now that she heard what Morgan had said, I don't think she'll even want to talk to me. She was far out of my reach as her pained expression flooded my mind, running away from me.
"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Kyle questioned as he slurped his chocolate milk.
"Nickolai is here as a bodyguard for Melanie." I said leaning my elbow on the table to rest my chin in the palm of my hand, staring out the window at the grass below with students chatting away.
"Her bodyguard? Nickolai? Why would you need a high ranking agent to protect her? It's unnecessary, she just needs to be watched. Sissela could even do it, Boss." Kyle interjected, gesturing to Sissela, who had a huge smile plastered on her face.
"Yes, but Lawrence wasn't the one that hired him." Ace clarified, seeming exhausted by the conversation like I was.
"Then who did?" Sessile asked taking a bit of her pizza looking up to me with questioning eyes just as much as I would like to know the answer too.
I glanced at her through the window. "I don't know", I stated wistfully as my eye caught Melanie's beautiful strawberry curled hair down by the water fountain as she walked by with Howl and Nickolai on both side of her as if both of them were guarding her, "but I'm going to find out." I vowed, glaring daggers at the two guys, wishing I could rip them away from her.
"Where are you going? Class is starting in five minutes." Kyle yelled as I got up and walked away from the table.
"To the Dean's office. I'm going to have a little chat with him." I smiled mischievously, pausing by the door with a smirk and then walked out as it swung back in place.
The elevator I took stopped at the top floor where his private office was located. I walked into the lavish entry way with beige carpet and white walls with black mahogany wood furnishings. His brunette receptionist saying hello as I walked up to the double doors pushing them open to his office and shutting them with a wink to her curious eyes as she blushed.
"Lawrence it is always a pleasure. What can I do for you today?" The dean asked with wisdom, not even needing to lift up his head from his paperwork to know who it was that stood before him. Obviously sense I didn't need an invitation to come in.
"I see now, Nickolai was appointed to be Melanie's bodyguard for they are in the same age, meaning same grade in school." I interrogated frankly as Severus gold eyes lifted away from his desk gracefully, pushing back his shoulder length white hair behind and showing more of his pale skin, untouched by age.
"Yes, that is one reason." He said crisply. "Clever, isn't it?" Braiding his fingers upon the desk as he looked to me with amused eyes.
"So, have you found out who sent him?" I asked, sitting down at a chair on the wall, facing Severus's desk as I looked over my shoulder to the window at the tall skyscrapers in the distance.
"Yes and no." Severus said in a cryptive manner.
"It's either you know or you don't. Which one is it?" I huffed, exasperated by the small information.
"I know the person that dispatched Nickolai and sent him to me, but I don't know who exactly authorized him to guard Melanie." He explained as he waved with one of his hand in the air, pointing to himself then pointing to no one in the room.
"Are you going to tell me who dispatched him then?" Eyeing him sharply.
"No, but I can give you a hint." He riddled with a cheeky smile.
"And the hint is?" I growled with my eyes on his face to see if any expressions he made would give something more insight to what he would say. But as usual nothing.
He thought about it for a moment. "He is your rival in every way." He answered simply. Then again, he was good at hiding things when he wanted to keep a secret, especially from me it seemed of late.
"That's almost everyone I work with!" I yelled as I stood up quickly, throwing my hands down on top of the mahogany desk glaring at his gold mocking eyes.
"Yes, but are they equal to you?" He spoke, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Is this a riddle?" I asked, frustrated as I rubbed my temple that was now killing me.
"Yes and no. It is straight to the point actual." He declared, chuckling to himself as I fumed at the situation that was clearly never going to be sorted out if anything wasn't getting answered.
"One of these days, old fool, you'll have to answer me straight." I cautioned, shaking my head as I walked towards the door.
"I will wait for that day." He stated as I shut the door, no doubt smiling.
I walked to the elevator, not even glancing over at the receptionist, who probably was freaked out by the yelling and confused on what just happened in there. With the elevator doors taking too long, I walked to the fire escape, mulling over what Severus said, not caring where my footsteps were leading me to. Just thinking about his words and taking everything in while analyzing what information I had taken in gave me a headache. Because again it wasn't much but at the same time could be everything with that clever man.
Damn that old man and everyone else. Why when it comes to Melanie everything is a secret or cryptic when trying to get information. Usually Severus is very informative when I needed insight. He's the one that people turn to if they have connection to some kind of knowledge that needs to be found or passed to. He's the man you could never kill without being killed yourself. He has seniority over almost anybody.
Basically untouchable even by me! It's fucking ridiculous. Even Uncle was reluctant to say anything about it and turned the tables on me. What is everyone hiding? And why are they hiding it from me! I should know, I'm the one living with her! I shouldn't have to be worrying about who she is and what others are thinking about when it comes to her. She was kidnapped. End of story. No more needed.
But no she has to be someone of importance!
Wait?
Someone of importance?
What I should be asking is how is she important?
I walked around the school in a daze, not caring that class had started a while ago and my teacher was probably thinking I'm a slacker that's going nowhere in life. All people see is the boy who took over his father's business for many corporations in importing and exporting goods. It makes a lot of money, but it's really a cover up business for the mafia. The outside world doesn't know who I am, and all the media see is a boy partying showing off, not a worker at all that stays up late getting drunk.
Little do they know I deal in many different things that they would never know how to do and still keep the persona of a spoiled rich kid that doesn't have to do anything. Both are quite easy and true. I only do it so no one gets suspicious of me and people think I'm incompetent until they meet my true self. Yes, it's deceiving. Yes, it's like cheating in a way, but it's an amusing way of being ahead of the game. It makes meetings interesting to make high business men look like fools in front of a kid not even half their age. All they think of is pulling a fast one on me, making money easily with loopholes that they'll put in, thinking it'd go unnoticed by me. As if stealing candy from a baby, when they write up contracts I could see through so easily and state its flaws instantly. If I wanted to, I could probably take the bar exam and pass with high marks, making into one of the best lawyers if I don't say so myself. I could even graduate now if I wanted but kept up the facade to the world.
Yes, I may have people run my company and parts of the underground market, but I still do work, work that most don't see. I run a big portion of the mafia myself. Making new clients, reviewing accounts from every bank, stock, and employee with the company's payroll of buying and selling. Providing money to people and making sure their loans are paid and other things that go on in this world that make it run smoothly.
Running the North America territory is a big undertaking, considering my age. I'm the money maker for the Mafia, basically the King of it, just without the title. The Godfather doesn't even do business or meetings with anyone but Evan and I. Evan is the only other person that really understands what truly happens in this world. Europe is a huge area to monitor and manage, but he does have the guidance of the Godfather in the main house.
Now that I think of it, Evan would be the only person equal to me. If Severus was hinting to Evan, he was the one that sent Nicholia here. But if he did that, then the Godfather knows about Melanie. Did he hire him? If he did, why and how does he feel about that? How would he feel about Melanie being the next Queen?
Melanie as my Queen.
Since I've said that to Morgan last night, I've been thinking about it. All I thought about was Melanie last night. I wanted Melanie as my Queen. How surprised I was of wanting her next to me. I never thought about it until I said it in the spur of the moment. I never meant to say it, but after I did, I wanted it. And now, I don't know if she'll even want me. But I knew for some reason, I have this feeling that she was meant to be just that.
When she stood up to Archer as if she held all the power in her hands, with her gracefully executed speech making him look like a fool instantly and easily. Her head held high with those leaf green eyes fixed on a target, you could see in there depths that she knew naturally how to handle flawlessly and accomplish what she had set out to do, anticipating the outcome to be in her favor as she stopped him in his tracks.
I had no doubt in my mind that she could fill that position effortlessly. The way she spoke was as if she was taught. The way she walked in that predatorial but elegant stride as if she lived it. Her eyes, how they took in everything with a glance. As if to see her analyzing the world in a perspective I could never understand. Calm with that hint of fire ready to burn you any moment.
Morgan was raised for a business man. While Melanie held herself was as if raised to be for a Mafia leader. With no fear of anyone but understand the respect that is always needed in this world and gain allies for the future. Seeing all those features in Melanie and now thinks of her as Queen was all mind blowing.
But did I truly want that?
Am I sure about anything when it comes to her.
Hell No!
Could we be that?
Be bound together and be happy?
Would she want to be with me in that way for the rest of our lives?
I didn't know and couldn't even see her wanting to be with me beyond the year we agreed on in this moment. She seemed to take my warning to heart in not falling for me. Keeping her heart distant as the smart girl she was. I could see that her heart was more guard around me then anyone else. I couldn't blame her, with how I've treated her and thinking about her as while as her feelings. I haven't given her a reason to even trust me with how I was last night and today. I bet now Drakes words echoed in her mind see me as the dark prince I was. I could see her now. Eyes rounded at the sences in front of her pale with betrayal. As if seeing her shatter in front of me again.
I could bet now it was almost the end of sixth period and I had walked all over the school by now without a trace of her. I figured with the last few moments I could spear, I walked up the stair to the roof. A place that I ventured to when I was done with class. Teachers always assuming I was an idiot so a lot of the times I just didn't show up but I still always turned in my work keeping my grade perfect that kept to shock or suspicious. Even having to take a test to prove I had done the work myself.
As I reached the access door I could see it was slightly open, letting the cool breeze in caressing my skin ever so lightly. Outside I looked left to right not seeing anyone. Keeping the door slightly ajar still for it to not lock. Knowing someone had to already be up here. It not common for someone to be here during class as I scan the roof. It filled with nay hiding places with its large air conditioning units and vents. Guessing someone else wanted to escape for a time like myself alone.
I walked to the edge looking down to the long drop below. Feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins lightly with the excitement of the height I was at. I breathed in deeply letting out softly to help clear my mind. Leaning my back against the border of the roof and rest my arms upon the cold metal trimming looking up to the sky listening to the distant city as the wind whipping my hair against my ears feeling my mind ease in to relaxation of nothingness.
Suddenly I heard scuff noises of the grave roof brings crunched and rubbing together. Tilting my head back in front of me, I could see across toward were the sound was coming from that seemed to be behind the stair access that was in the middle of the roof. I walked over slowly trying to make my presence unknown as I rounded the corner to see Melanie. My breath catching at the sight of her.
She had headphones on, connected to an electric violin with her back to me as she appeared to be in another world slightly dancing as she pulled the bow over the strings graceful and back up seeing her fingers move across the neck rapidly. I walked around front of her wishing to see those wonderful bright eyes hidden under her lashes closed in concentration but relaxed in poster as she moved with each note change.
I wish I could hear the notes, imagining how beautiful it could be if it was anything like her piano playing. Standing in front of her in a trance as I lend again against the wall railing watching her hair flow around her in the breeze softly as her rose lips curved into a smile, her body moving with each stroke. She was in another world; calm, at peace, a side of her I only saw the last time on the piano. It seemed music was her stress reliever, relaxation to bliss. If only I could hear the song she was playing with such concentration as if she had played it a million times.
Suddenly she drew the bow one last long stroke as she vibrated the string in a long sound to the ground. Seconds later she opened her eyes straight into mine, focusing as the smile vanished from her face instantly. Taking off the headphones turning away from me to the case a few feet away crouching down to lay the violin gently inside and placing the bow securely in the top pocket. She then closed it wrapping the headphones up and putting them in the front pocket standing up with case and briefcase in hand turning her back to me as she started to walk away.
"Melanie, please hear me out..." I pleaded grabbing onto her elbow feeling the surface of the white shirt cold as ice.
"What could you possible say to me?" She said icily not even turning her head. Her teeth cliched buy the tone of anger in her voice lashing out at me.
"I messed up. It was the last time. It's over between us. She is no one. Please Melanie Look At Me... Please." I begged for the first time in my life with a little more forceful at the end as I spun her towards me.
"I'm sorry." I said genuinely helplessly as she looked to the ground seeing she couldn't even look me in the eyes.
I watched as a tear rolled down her porcelain rose cheeks as she whisper. "Was it good?" She asked flatly with an undertone of venom lingering on the edges ready to break.
"Melanie." I continued pleadingly.
"Was it!?" She yelled throwing her arm out of my grasp taking a step back from me, lifting her tear stained leaf green eyes that harden as she glared into mine.
"Melanie, please?" I breathed not knowing what to do. Never having care to fix anything with a women let alone want too. But Melanie was someone I was starting to realize I wanted many things with that I had never thought before.
"Was it worth it!?" She yelled accusingly as she threw down her bags to the gravel taking a step towards me.
"No" I confessed easily, simple, sorrowfully as I stared back pleadingly into her hurt eyes, filled with disgust.
Tears poured freely from her eyes as she took the last steps towards me standing in front of me as if I was scum and I deserved every bit of it. She clenched her hands tightly as she punched my chest repeatedly several time until she became tired grabbing her and softy pulling her into me wrapping my arms around her freezing body as she sank to the ground in exhaustion and sobbing. I crouched on the ground with her on her knees as Melanie soaked my shirt with her tears wishing I could comfort her but could only hold her for the little amount of time I knew I had.
Taking off my jacket. I draped it over her shoulders hoping the cold shudders through her body would stop and slow down her tears. Hoping its heat would warm her in more than one way. Moments later the shudders of her form subsided and slowly her tears stopped as I just held her tightly to me. She seemed to have calm down pulling away without a word, and then stood up picking her bags back up and walking away without a word. Letting her.
She didn't look at me. She didn't say anything as she left me sitting on the ground disgraced with myself.
This moment was going to change everything.
I could feel a part of me walked away with her. The part that I had never had before was gone. A part that I had found with only Melanie.
The part that only she now held.
And I am going to fight to get it back.