Chapter 3

Mirabelle's POV

I poured the coffee, my hand steady, my mind a riot. “Your family dies in front of you,” I remember his exact words, as the black liquid swirled, dark as the suit he’d worn. “Or you be my girlfriend for a year.”

I placed the cup down with a click that felt too loud. Two days! For two days, his words had played on a loop, and my stubbornness had become my only armor. I was not going to let him win.”

 His green eyes held no joke, and his fingers on my jaw felt like a promise…a terrible promise.

The men in suits drove me home, without saying anything, as they watched me walk into my apartment building. 

I did not tell my mother, instead I told her I had a headache from work. 

For two days, I worked, I smiled at customers, I wiped tables. But my stubbornness won't make me accept his deal.

I could not be his thing for a year…what did that even mean? Ohh yeah, I knew what it meant. It meant I would belong to him. 

My stubbornness rebelled. It was my flaw. It made me fight when I should surrender.

But I could not say no. Saying no meant my family. I saw my mother’s laugh, I saw my brother’s smile. I could not let that jerk touch them.

So I needed a third option. He thought he held all the power. He did not. I had my brain. I had my will.

Lea gaze was pinned on me for sometime now, her eyebrows furrowed together. 

I shook my head slightly, I couldn't talk about it here, I can't even tell her. The walls felt thin.

“What if I report to the police, they will eventually

 help and besides that idiot is all to blame,” I said, gritting my teeth.

But Theo's words popped up in my head. “The police are not an option,” I sighed, as I clenched my fist, my lips in a deep frown. 

“How could I forget that? He's a billionaire and a mafia, he owned businesses, and he definitely owned some police too.”

“A server against a mafia don. They wouldn't believe me. They might even arrest me, ughh!” I bit my lips, putting the sugar down.

“What if…what if I confront him again. I could reason with him or make a different deal,” I thought, as I looked at the customer in front of me.

“I want a half-caff, soy, extra hot latte with two pumps of vanilla, but not the sugary one, the sugar free one, and light foam,” the woman did not look up from her phone.

I wrote it down, but my mind was elsewhere.

The coffee shop door opened, as a group of young women entered, laughing. Their bags were expensive, their voices were loud. 

“I worked on autopilot, and I must say I really like it,” one of them said.

My third idea formed slowly, it came to me as I wiped milk from the counter. We could all leave. 

“Leave the country? The thought was huge…it was terrifying. We had no money, we had no plan.”

“But we had our lives,” I thought, as a small smile crept to my lips.

“Mira, table three needs their check.” Lea’s voice was soft beside me.

I nodded, as I took the check over. 

“How do you leave a country? You need passports which we had. We need money, but we don't have enough and lastly tickets,” I gave the customer back their card.

Talk to me…you look pale,” Lea cornered me by the lockers after our shift ended.

 Her dark eyes were serious, her lips in a deep frown. She was my best friend, she was all alone.

 I couldn't tell her, I couldn't drag her into this. My flaw was stubbornness, her flaw was loyalty.It would put her in danger.

“It is nothing really, family stress,” I said, the lie tasted bitter.

“Don’t lie to me, who were the men in the car, what did they want?”

“It was a misunderstanding about the gala. They thought I took something, but it's all cleared up.” I shoved my apron into my bag.

“Mira!” She looked at me, her face still in a deep frown.

“I have to go, I got things to do at home,” I pushed past her. I felt her eyes on my back, but it was better this way.

I reached our apartment building. Although it was old, the paint was peeling, but it was home. 

“You're late Mira,” my mother said, as the smell of garlic and onion filled my nostrils.

“Work ran over.” I kissed her cheek, as a small smile reached her lips. 

She worked long hours at the pharmacy, her eyes were tired, and her hands were always dry.

My brother, Nathaniel, was at the table. His science textbook was open. He was fourteen, and he wanted to be a vet. 

“Hey, Mira. Can you help me with this diagram?”

“Later, okay? I have to make a call.”

I took the cash out of my bag when I went to my room. I just pawned my grandmother's gold ring. It was the only option to earn enough money now.

“Mom,” I called after dinner, my voice cool.

 “Remember you said we should visit Tante Elise in London one day?”

“Yes. When we have the money, maybe…next year,” my mother said, drying the plates.

“What if we went tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” She stopped drying, her gaze now fixed on me.

“I… I got a bonus. From work, for the gala. They said I did a good job.” The lies came easier now, as I slowed my breathing.

“It is a surprise. I already got the tickets, and I'm collecting them tomorrow, a last-minute deal. We could go for a week. Nathaniel would love it.”

 “A bonus? For serving drinks? How much?” her gaze was still fixed on me, as she squinted her eyes.

“Enough, please. We need a break…you need a break. We can leave tomorrow night, I have it all planned.” My breathing became rapid, my eyes avoiding her gaze.

“Mirabelle, what is going on?” She put the plate down, her kind eyes searched my face. “You have been strange for days.”

“Nothing is going on. I just want to do something nice. For us.” I sighed heavily. “You’re always saying we need a miracle, Mom. Well, here it is. Please, don’t make me do this alone.”

Nathaniel bounced into the kitchen. “London? Really? Are we going to London?”

“Maybe,” my mother said, her gaze still fixed on me.

“Please, Mom. It will be fun.” Nathaniel's excitement was real. 

“Show me the tickets when you get it tomorrow and we must call Elise.”

“I will call her tonight. I will show you everything.” I felt a rush of hope. It was bitter. It was built on lies.

It worked!” I said immediately I went to my room, as a small smile crept to my lips, my breathing calming down. 

My gaze drifted to my window, there was a black sleek car, at the far end of the street. “It was probably nothing. It had to be nothing,” I said, my lips in a warm smile.