Chapter 1

“You worthless trash!” Alejandro Moner, Isabelle's uncle, told her that after she tripped and made his tray of breakfast, she was holding turnover.

“I… I… I'm so sorry, Sir. Let me quickly clean this up,” she stuttered, trembling.

“You imbecile!” He yelled, and Isabelle flinched. “I'm getting late for an important meeting. Get me another breakfast, then you can eat these,” he sneered, his gaze darting to the food on the floor.

“Yeah… you know we don't waste food in this house,” Margaret, Alejandro's wife, added as she sauntered towards the dining table, wearing a smirk on her face.

Isabelle rushed to the kitchen to get a fresh tray of food, without saying a word.

“This girl Isabelle is just useless,” Margaret said to Alejandro. “Just basic house chores and she's so clumsy. Don't you think it's time we get rid of her?”

Isabelle walked in with her head down. She dropped the tray on the table, and started to dish out the food.

“How do you mean?” Alejandro asked Margaret, ignoring Isabelle.

“I don't know, marry her off to someone who can pay well or maybe just send her out. I'm no longer comfortable with this level of incompetence.”

Isabelle froze as she heard those words. She gulped as she blinked back the tears forming in her eyes.

“And what are you still doing here?” He shouted at Isabelle. She flinched immediately and jumped back.

“I… I brought break… breakfast,” she stammered, her shoulders tensed.

“Then drop it and leave!” Margaret yelled at her.

The tray almost fell from her hand again as she rushed off, almost stumbling as she felt weak in her knees.

“Do you see what I'm talking about?” Margaret asked Alejandro. “This girl is useless,” she added.

***

“Halt!” Nico said, with one arm stretched out and his other on the gun that was tucked in his pants, as he stopped the car approaching the Sebriano compound.

The black-tinted SUV stopped right before the large golden gates.

Nico knocked on the tinted car window, and it rolled down.

“I have an appointment with Mr. Sebriano,” Alejandro said as he kept his face on the road.

“Name?” Nico asked a side of his lip raised as he ran his eyes over Alejandro.

“Alejandro Moner.”

Nico turned and made a quick phone call. He gestured for Alejandro to go in as he pressed a button, and the gate beeped and slid open.

Alejandro closed his eyes and drew a deep breath as he drove into the Sebriano compound. 

He had been putting up an act not to show that he was weak, with parted lips, he glanced around the compound.

He parked in the space that was reserved for him and got into the golf cart that was sent to pick him up and bring him to the main entrance of the house.

As he opened the door, he was welcomed by the smell of cigarettes and weed. The stature and faces of the men inside the mansion were more than enough to intimidate a fat and short man like himself.

He quickly wiped off the sweat on his forehead. He still tried to keep his composure until the nine-foot-long Italian wooden door opened and a wounded man, groaning in pain, was dragged out.

He started shivering and regretting his decision. Lost in thought, he didn't hear the young man approach him.

“Mr. Alejandro, the boss will speak to you now,” a man said, tapping on his shoulder. “Follow me… This way,” he added.

“Uh… okay,” Alejandro stuttered. His eyes are wide as the man led him towards the same door they'd dragged that injured man through.

He swallowed hard, rolling up his hand into a fist, bracing himself for anything. As he walked through, he saw Andrew Sebriano, the Mafia Lord, standing on one end of the room, admiring his golden Glock.

“Mr. Sebriano, I…” he was cut short when Andrew gestured by raising a finger.

“And who said you could speak?” Andrew said in a low, stern voice, sending shivers up and down Alejandro's spine.

He spoke first to show confidence, not knowing that according to Mafia law, no one dared to speak first before the boss.

Andrew walked in his direction at a very slow pace. He could see the fear written all over him. He let out a devilish smirk that made Alejandro shiver even more.

“Chill, man,” Andrew said as he placed a palm on his shoulder. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, we're both men doing what's necessary to get what we want. You came here because you have a deal for me, right? Let's hear it.”

Alejandro nodded sheepishly, like a four-year-old who was caught with his hands in a cookie jar.

The mere sight of him made Andrew sick to his stomach. He didn't send him out immediately because there was something he wanted to get from him.

It took almost two minutes for Alejandro to get himself together then he finally spoke stammeringly  “I… I need your help with a setback my company is having. Only influence like yours, or a huge sum of money can save my dying company now.” Alejandro added.

“And what do you plan to give in return for my help?” Andrew asked with a scornful expression written all over his face.

“Thirty percent of my company,” Alejandro answered with confidence.

Andrew and his men almost exploded with laughter.

He stood confused wondering why they were all laughing.

“Thirty percent? This man is fucking hilarious” one of the men in the room said.

“You're hilarious man,” Andrew said. “Come on for real tell me what you planned to give I don't have all day.” He added.

Alejandro, feeling intimidated by their laughter, began to stutter again. “I… I…. I”

“Alright everyone out seems like y'all are intimidating my friend here with your presence so please give us some privacy will you?” Andrew said and immediately the whole room was cleared leaving just Alejandro and himself.

Andrew wrapped his arm around his shoulder and walked him to a chair, then he poured two glasses of wine for the both of them.

“Here,” he said, stretching out a glass of wine to Alejandro.

“Thank you,” he said with a forced smile as he took the glass from him.

“Listen, you don't have to be afraid here okay,” Andrew assured him, taking a sip from his glass. “Those guys were just having fun. I'm not the devil, just the next best thing. But now, we're discussing business and you're my partner.” He took another sip. “So I've got a proposal for you.”

“In exchange for my help, here's what I want.” He said, sliding his phone on the table to him.

Alejandro was so shocked by what he saw, that it made him stutter, “M… My… My daughter, My only daughter”