🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺
This text: English
𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕖𝕩𝕥: 𝕀𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕟
🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺
(U/n) took out a cigar and puffed its venomous smoke through his thin lips. "𝕀 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕪 𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕'𝕤 𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕖𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔𝕒𝕣. 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕤𝕒𝕗𝕖𝕥𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝-𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕀 𝕓𝕖𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦, 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕒𝕨𝕒𝕪 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕙𝕚𝕞."
"Do I look like I care for anyone at this party, present company included?"
"𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕒 ℚ𝕦𝕚𝕣𝕜𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕦. ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕟𝕠𝕨? ℍ𝕞𝕞? 𝔸𝕥 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀 𝕕𝕠 𝕚𝕤𝕟'𝕥 𝕒 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥-"
"I am more than my status. What are you behind the silk curtains? Without the glitter?"
"𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕝𝕖." His fist landed on the table, "𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕒 𝕤𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕥! 𝕀𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕒 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕒𝕕𝕦𝕝𝕥 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕔𝕜 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕖 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦."
In utter silence you remained, his words went through your ears without being heard. Only one thought plagued your mind and it was the very thing engulfed in the handkerchief.
"𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣. 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝟜. 𝕀 𝕕𝕠 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒 𝕝𝕠𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕗𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕 𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕟. 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕪 𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕪 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕁𝕒𝕡𝕒𝕟. 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦." He looked up at the ceiling, "𝕄𝕪 𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕟. 𝕄𝕪 𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕗𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕙 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝕞𝕖. 𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕕. 𝕄𝕪 𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕟. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕓𝕠𝕣𝕟 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒 𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕡𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕙. 𝕄𝕪 𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕟. 𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕦𝕩𝕦𝕣𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞, 𝕪𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕤 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕠 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕝𝕦𝕩𝕦𝕣𝕪 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕠𝕨𝕟. 𝔸𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕤, 𝕟𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕞𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜 𝕓𝕖𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕥. 𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦. 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕥 𝕥𝕨𝕠 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕤. 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕠𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕖, 𝕀 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕝𝕖 𝕞𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖'𝕤 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜."
"No."
"ℕ𝕠? 𝕀 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕟𝕠 𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕚𝕔𝕖."
You shook your head, "The meticulous selfishness of your intentions. The premeditated discourtesy of your remarks. I cannot take any umbrage from it. How can I? I don't know you, nor do I care to. The vulgarity you displayed upon barging into my office. As if we were close-"
"𝕎𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪."
"No. My only chance at that died nineteen years ago."
He coughed profusely, "𝕀-𝕀 𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕧𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕥-"
"Quiet."
His lip quivered, "(𝔹/𝕟)-"
"Don't."
"𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕨𝕖𝕒𝕜 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕔-"
You slammed both of your hands on top of his desk and stared him down. "So help me, I will see to it personally that you die cold and alone in a cell."
He inclined in his chair and puffed his cigar. "𝕀 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕒𝕜." (U/n) smiled, "𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕'𝕤 𝕞𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖. 𝔸 𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕖. 𝕐𝕖𝕥, 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕣𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕓𝕝𝕖𝕖𝕕. 𝕋𝕣𝕚𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕟𝕤. 𝕃𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕘𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕕. 𝕄𝕒𝕪𝕓𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕒 𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖."
"How you make cruelty sound okay with twisted logic only sickens me." You clenched the diamond ring in your fist, "My parents lowered their guard once. Do not believe for a second that I will do the same."
"𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕓𝕝𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕤-"
"I've been raised in peace, taught to demonstrate kindness and forgive those who transgress me. Yet, when I turn to you, none of it is there. And don't think for a moment that my being here on your turf gives you an advantage. I'm much more than my wealth and wisdom."
"𝔼𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙." He puffed his cigar and frowned. "𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕦𝕡𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕞𝕪 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝. 𝕆𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕚𝕟𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀 𝕠𝕨𝕟. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕤, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕪, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕤. 𝕀𝕥'𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕓𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤. 𝕀 𝕒𝕤𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦, 𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕗𝕥, 𝕥𝕠 𝕦𝕡𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕝𝕖𝕘𝕒𝕔𝕪."
You gave an insouciant shrug, "I decline."
"𝔸𝕥 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕥 𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕥."
"I'd rather die."
He coughed out the smoke from the cigar and bent out of his chair as bloody vomit protruded from his misty mouth. Your hostile gaze softened. For a split second, you believed that he lied about his illness to gain sympathy. But he spoke the truth? You worriedly ran to his side and patted his back. As he slowly regained his strength, you helped him back to his chair and wiped the vomit off his mouth with the handkerchief. He eyed the diamond ring in your enclosed fist.
"How much time do you have left?"
"𝕀𝕗 𝔾𝕠𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘," He gasped for air, "𝔸 𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕜."
'He must've bribed Parliament and granted amnesty... Bastard.'
You gently placed the snag ring in the palm of his sickly hand. He reached to pet your hair but missed as you pulled back instinctively. His physical state was in shambles, much like his legacy. Pity was all that remained for the old man.
"𝕀 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕖𝕣." He whimpered, "𝕊𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕞𝕪 𝕤𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣. 𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕙𝕖𝕣."
The same image of a tall, shadowy figure resurfaced in your mind.
"Then who did?"
"𝕀 𝕕𝕠 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨."
You caressed the top of his hand with your thumb, "(B/n) worked really hard to destroy my past. Changed my last name to his. Killed who knows how many just so that my name could be erased from the 'Ndrangheta. Made sure that this illegal life would never come back to haunt me. And ever since, I have worked so hard to get to where I am. A lot of people depend on me, more than you could ever realize. I cannot and will not jeopardize all that I have rightfully earned for a life that thrives on entropy."
He smiled, "𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕠𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖. 𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕘𝕝𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕦𝕡 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕙𝕖𝕣."
The conversation was then interrupted by a knock on the door. (U/n) granted the person entrance and the door swung open. It was a group of frisky women who wanted to spend a few minutes of heavenly time with your uncle.
(U/n) dropped the sickly charade and urged the women out.
You sighed.
'Of course... Played for a fool yet again...'
"𝕃𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕓𝕓𝕒𝕘𝕖-"
Disgusted by the grotesque display, you managed to slip through the women and escaped from your uncle's murky office. The tender moment was gone. No empathy remained.
As you walked down the hallways, the people you came in contact with immediately bowed their heads to you with respect. A sight you despised. What even was this cacophony which they referred to as music?
You continued to walk until you made it to your car. Without another thought, you entered.
"(A.I/n), take me home."
"𝚈𝚎𝚜, 𝚖𝚊'𝚊𝚖."
🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺