"STOP IT!" I scream, putting all my strength into removing Giovanni from Antonio.
"Fuck you!" Giovanni barks at Antonio. He grips Antonio's collar and aggressively draws him up then smashes his head on the ground. Gasps and cries are heard across the church as people witness the outrageous scene. "Giovanni, Antonio!" Arial cries to both of her sons. "Boys!" Giovanni's father Diego bellows
My eyes widen when Giovanni stands up and draws out his gun. "Dear Lord." I hear a female voice over my shoulder. "You bastard!" Giovanni snaps and the sound of a gun cocking makes everyone scream, some are running out of the church and some are hiding for protection. "You don't deserve to breathe after what you did to Annah." He says, tears stroking down his face.
I haven't seen Giovanni cry, especially when it comes to grief. It's really painful to see a loved one tear up, all because of your selfish mistakes, but you can't do a damn thing about it.
Four weeks ago
"Amore?" He questions me worriedly while stroking his thumb on my palm to ease my anxiety. "I don't think I can meet her le miel." [ French translation: Honey.]
He chuckles lightly and places a soft peck on my lips. "Three years together with me amore, and you are still afraid when it involves mafia business." He teases with his cheeky smile letting his dimples pop out. I will never get over that angelic smile.
"Shut up Antonio, you know how I act when danger is involved," I exclaim with a small smile gently shoving him on the shoulder. He lets out a small laugh and then sighs.
"Don't worry. I won't let Gabriella lay a finger on you." He says with a serious tone.
Okay, Antonio can be scary sometimes but the things I've heard about Gabriella are terrifying, that woman is a walking devil but a female version. She will do anything for power even if it involves killing an innocent child. If you betray or cross her line you've woken up the feared demon of hell.
"But I've heard that-" Antonio cuts me off by placing his lips on mine. I close my eyes as he slips in his tongue and we start moving our lips in rhythm. "Like I said amore, don't stress about it." He moans in my mouth. I pull away and sigh as I observe the huge building before me.
Antonio locks hands with me and we both start to make our way to the door. I find two guards dressed in all black with glasses and their posture is consecutively followed by an intense exterior.
Antonio nods his head at one of the guards as a greeting, they don't greet back but just whisper something in their earpieces.
Rude.
A minute later the door opens and a much scary-looking man is standing there with his buff build body. He has a defined jawline and his copper red hair is slicked back with gel as a couple of hair strands are falling on his face. He has piercing grey eyes that will slaughter anyone with just a stare. He's wearing a white dressing shirt where a couple of buttons are unbuttoned and he rolled his sleeves up that exposes his manly arms.
I gulp as I notice a tattoo on his left collarbone. It's shaped like a lion with a crown. the Leoni d'Or,
"Oscar." Antonio greets the man as we step foot in the building. "Follow." The man Oscar demands without responding.
Heck, is everyone impolite to just at least greet back? I roll my eyes as we start walking down the hall.
Francesco pushes a button that leads to the upper floor. The elevator door opens, we all step in and the door shuts after we're all in.
Moments of silence. All you could hear was my uncontrolled breathing. Antonio squeezes my hand and I calm down a little.
The ride halts and a ding is followed when the door slowly opens. I take a deep breath once I step foot in the office.
The atmosphere is cold and dark. The walls are black with rose patterns, I notice a white sofa placed in the far corner of the room. There's a black smooth shelf beside me. With a small lamp and a desk in the middle of the room, it's black and the chair is white with diamonds in-between the spaces of the chair, on my right, there's a huge flat screen tv on the wall and a couple of alcohol bottles on a marbled white designed table. I see white paper on the flat surface and a white pen.
The room smells like roses
Seconds later I hear clicking from a distance and I notice a female figure approaching us from a door. A cold shiver runs down my spine.
Gabriella.
I quickly put my head down and I started to bite the inside of my cheek. "Ms. Sangriento." Oscar greets as Gabriella passes him. She takes a seat behind her huge table and locks her fingers together.
"Ms. Badeaux, Mr. Carson." She greets her as she points her head toward the two seats in front of her.
We both take a seat and I start to play with my fingers. I might be a year older than her but this woman terrifies me.
"Ms. Sangriento," Antonio speaks up with a serious tone.
"I see you brought company Ms. Badeaux or should I call you Mrs. Carson because I've heard that you're secretly married to one of Carson's brothers and I speculate it might be Antonio." Gabriella teases with her Italian accent. I thought it would be thick but it's not.
I clear my throat and respond. "Anything you're pleased with Ms. Sangriento," I said and avoided eye contact.
"Look at me." Gabriella appetites. I flinch a little when her voice emerges a bit. I force my head up and I'm taken aback by her appearance. Her features are far from looking depravity. She looks so pure and innocent with her beautiful blue eyes and her soft plump pink lips. Followed by the structure of her face. She's wearing a white loose jumpsuit and her hair is tied up in a high ponytail. Her makeup is natural, cat eye wing, mascara, and a bit of blush.
"Ms. Badeaux?" Gabriella calls out, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Yes." I quickly respond.
"One thing I hate."
"People who don't pay attention when I speak. I don't like to repeat myself." She says I can tell I'm starting to annoy her.
"As I was saying. Do you know who Giovanni Carson is?" She questions me. I freeze and goosebumps travel down my spine when she mentions that name.
"I've done some research and I've heard that you had some history with Giovanni Carson."
"Y-yes." I stutter. "You cheated on him with your colleague from work and he kicked you out, therefore, you ran to Antonio for help because by that time he saw you as his sister but now as his lover, is that correct?" She speaks with curiosity. "Yes."
"Excellent." She says with a slow and intimidating tone.
"Antonio?" She declares shifting her attention. "I need you to do me a favor." She says with a cheeky smile.
Antonio pulls up one eyebrow curious. "Kill Giovanni." She says. My heart starts to pound and my hands become sweaty.
Gabriella giggles as she spots my reaction. "Relax Ms. Badeaux I was joking, but I want you to assassinate your, Annah Reez will be seeing him next week. They will be discussing the delays that are previously happening to his shipping, ''Now I need you to kill her the exact moment she's with Giovanni."
"And why did you pick me?" Antonio questions. "Antonio, Antonio, Antonio. I know this plan I'm informing you about is satisfying you. The idea that Giovanni's only family will relinquish him just speculate how crushed he will be when he finds out it's you."
"His brother killed his sister." She says with a smirk. Gabriella stands up from her seat and heads towards my direction. "Esmée. You are such a smart and beautiful woman."
"Manipulating Giovanni into thinking that you truly loved him." She says, stroking her thumb on my cheek.
"That's why I need you to show up at his place after the attack."
"Warn him about me." She whispers in my ear. "Slowly gain his trust. So that later you will crush him."
"And if you betray me Ms. Badeaux by letting your pitiful emotions get in the way. We all know that it won't end well."
Four weeks later
"You did this, You took the only thing that kept me stable in this world," Giovanni screams.
"Now I'm going to end you."
I look at Antonio who is helplessly laying on the ground with his blood. I quickly rush up to Giovanni and push his hand to the side, he pulls the trigger and I immediately rush up to Antonio.
I gently put his head on my lap. "Deep breaths le miel. Deep breaths." I cry. Stroking his pale face.
"Mama!" I hear someone call out with fear and pain. I turn my head to the side and I see a crowd of people circling something. "Mama wake up!" I hear Giovanni cry out. I curiously narrow my face. I place a soft kiss on Antonio's forehead and I gently place him back on the floor.
I rush up to the crowd and I start to push my way through the people. Someone pushes me to the front and I gasp when I find Ariel in Giovanni's arms while Diego presses on her chest where the gunshot wound is. Her face is pale and she's breathing heavily looking lifeless.
"Mama wake up." Giovanni cries rocking back and forth. Luca and Enzo are standing there with a pale faces not knowing what to do.
"Mama!" I cry rushing up to Giovanni. When I kneel I place my hand on hers, tears slowly making their way to the ground as she takes her last breath. "I love y-" she breathes out her last breath.
"Don't touch her!" Giovanni screams pushing me off, Ariel.
He stands up and points a gun at me while I'm shamelessly laying on the ground. "Giovanni what are you doing." I panic with side-eyes.
"You killed her!" He claps with bitterness. "W-what?!"
"You fucking pushed me when I pulled the trigger at Antonio. And it hit mama instead!"
"Now she's dead because of you Esmée!" He screams, his eyes darkening, and his chest rising up and down from rage. "Gio-"
"Shut the fuck up!"
"You killed me years ago, show up out of the blue, Fucking lie to me. Then you kill my fucking mother! Right after Annah died!"
"Every pain I've felt was because of you. From the moment you broke me to the moment you lied about loving me and now you killed her." He chuckles through the pain.
Tears start to pour out my eyes when I realize what I have to do after I crush him. "I'm sorry." I cry. "Sorry won't fix anything!"
"Not for that, for this," I say, taking out the gun I stole earlier. Giovanni's eyes widen when he sees the gun.
I have to distract them so that Antonio and I can escape.
"I love you," I mumble, pulling the trigger.
A U T H O R S N O T E
Hey, hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm interested in what you guys think about Esmée?