Chapter Three

                                   Daphne 

The sultry voice from Mable, my step mother, froze my movements. 

With calculated steps I spun to face her. The smirk on her face exposing how much she liked to ‘keep me in check'. She sat legs crossed on one of the sofas, dangling her foot slowly. 

“You think you can run away from Dante right? So you crawled into Salvadors bed.” She rose to her feet and clapped. 

The tears in my eyes kept falling but I paid them no mind, I was more concerned about whatever trap, Mable was trying to set,and what she meant. 

“I really thought of you as…what's the word?…naive. You know, innocent. But no, you know all the tricks there is to know.” She walked towards me. 

“Mum stop this, you're scaring her.” Calla called, but she regarded her as background noice.

“Let me tell you this Daphne Antonio, no matter whose bed you climb, Dante will wed you. He always gets what he wants, he has set his eyes on you so stop with the pitiful games” she chuckled and shook with her hands akimbo. 

“When?…how…? who is Salvador?” I stammered admist my mixed emotions. A knot forming in my throat, my gut already hinting on who Salvador might be but I shook my head to bury the idea. I leaned against the banister to support my weak body. 

“Oh, what a pathetic game you try to play. I saw the young man.” She made her way towards the sofa again and plopped on it. She didn't need to say more. The sick feeling in my gut prevailing…again. 

To find a reasonable person in the Mafia world was akin to searching for a pin in a mountain of hay. There is no chance. 

The rumors about Salvador were worse than that of Dante. Salvador killed his brother, Mateo in order to become the Don of the underworld. He was also rumoured to eat the flesh of his victims and rivals. Some said he was asexual with little to no dealings with women nor men others said he was gay. Why don't I meet normal people? 

My tears were dried up at this point, only confusion and fear remained. I pivoted and staggered to my room. If the day successfully passes away, everything will return to normal. I wondered if Kilan was alright. He may still be in the hospital. Or maybe the stranger…Salvador had killed him. I shook off that thought immediately it crossed my mind and set to work.

I slumped on the chair in front of my vanity mirror and sighed. I pulled the most inconspicuous drawer hidden underneath the table and a transparent liquid glowed within a small glass jar. I smiled. 

…

The sun seeped through my half closed curtains forcing me to squint when I opened my eyes. I rose from the bed. The after effects of alcohol and drugs pounded against my skull. I winced, placing my palm against my forehead in a desperate attempt to soothe the throbbing pain. It didn't work. 

I hadn't been able to think properly the previous night and had slept off without intending to: the reality of my wedding drawing closer with every passing minuite gnawed at my chest. 

I bathed and dressed up in an oversized shirt and a close-cut short. Pulled out my first aid box and swallowed a few painkillers without water. Then I slumped into the chair, facing my vanity mirror. 

The big mirror with a reflection of a broken piece of flesh staring back at me dull eyed and exhausted. 

Thoughts of the previous night came crashing unto me. 

The thought of Kilan pushing down my clothes and ripping my breast cloth in half, sent a shiver down my spine. I had opened up to Kilan and told him how I felt about the wedding with Dante, the fear that held my breath and threatened to upturn all that I've eaten, I had confided in him because he was the only man I've ever loved, but he decided to rip my clothes off in the alley. He had wanted to rape me. If Salvador hadn't stepped in right on time, what would have been my fate? I knew men were susceptible to temptation but I never thought Kilan could hurt anyone, let alone me. I guess I was wrong. I sighed as tears stung my eyes to escape, I blinked them back. 

Salvador. The mysterious stranger who saved me. Even more concerning was the fact that a lot of questions flooded my head about him. Who was he? He seemed to treat me as though we were lovers in our previous lives. I should feel relieved that he saved from Kilan but I wasn't. I felt even more wary. My mind running over endless possibilities and questions. 

He had sprang into the alley and taken Kilan down in one clean sweep, how did he know I was there? That could pass off as a coincidence but how did he know my parents house? He had dropped me off without asking for the address to the Antonio mansion, his did he know I belong here? Even more concerning was the fact that Dad and Mable knew him as well, did they have a history? They seemed hostile when they saw him, were they rival clans? 

The Antonio clan was a very small clan that flourished on illegal trade and a public philanthropic facade, we barely had a rival clan. No one cared so much of such a small clan to actually place us in a high pedestal of rivalry. But that didn't shake off the fear that intensified in me when I remembered the slight tremble of Dad's fingers when he pointed them accusingly at me the previous night. I had noticed but too angry to dwell on it but now that my head was clearer, I understand the emotion behind dada tantrum: fear. 

Dad had never been the one to be afraid, he had no reason to, he licked asses so long as he got what he wanted and no other clan saw him as anything other than a man trying to butter his way to success. 

Recently his business had failed, the cocaine trade route was boycotted and father had to suck up to Dante to assist him regain his lost glory, I was the currency for their transactions. Pathetic. 

But Dad was scared of Salvador, not the usual, ‘he is a cannibal’ kind, but real terror, why? 

For all I knew that had to do with him saving me. Was he saving me or was he preparing me as his next victim? 

Looking at my reflection while reflecting on the events of last night made me realize how lost I was. I thought of telling someone about this, it was too heavy to keep locked in. Kilan crossed my mind but I would be a fool if I trusted the same snake twice. Maybe…

A knock on my door pulled me out of my reverie. The noice from outside my door flooded in and I figured everyone was preparing for the wedding. Calla let herself into the room holding a tray of bread toast and milk and shut the door behind her, muffling the noise. I sighed.

“You must be hungry. Have something to eat.” She said casually, in her pitched soothing voice. She strode to the bedside table and dropped the tray on it. I wasn't hungry but seeing her hopeful gaze on me, made me strut towards the bedside and pick a slice. She smiled and sat comfortably beside me. 

“Yesterday was rough for you” she stated, I nodded. “I'm sorry!” She looked dejected and I felt my heart skip. Why was she apologizing, none of this was her fault. 

“Don't be, none of this is your fault.”

“It actually is. If only I agreed to marry Dante instead of you, you'll not be facing so much pain.” She said. 

“Don't be silly Cal, I would never have agreed for you to marry such a man.” I held her hand. Although she was my step sister and her mother hated my guts, she was the only one who had my back in the Antonio mansion. 

“Who was that man who brought you back yesterday? I thought you were meeting with kilan, what happened? ” Her doe eyes shone bright with curiosity. 

My mouth quivered, the sudden urge to tell her about all that happened yesterday filled me. I needed someone to talk to, so I wouldn't cross the thin line between sanity and madness and she was the best candidate. Then it occured to me that I didn't know Kilan's health status yet. What if he didn't survive? I swallowed back my words. If Kilan didn't survive and I tell Calla all that happened, she would think I had a hand in his death. I couldn't risk that happening. 

“Kilan stood me up and I had a drink with the stranger. Just found out dad knew him and his name was Salvador. I was already dizzy so he offered to drop me off.” simple. A simple lie. She fell for it as she nodded in understanding. 

“Does Kilan know about the wedding?” She asked again. 

“I don't know. I planned on telling him yesterday, but...” I trailed off, stuffing more toast into my mouth to stop myself talking more before I spilled too much information. 

She sighed and rubbed my shoulder before standing up and walking towards the door. 

“Mum wanted me to check the jewelry for tomorrow, I had to sneak you some food. If you need anything call me.” I nodded and smiled at her. She opened the door and slipped out, the noice from outside flooding in again before she closed the door. I dropped the rest of the toast, I had been nibbling on a slice the whole time, only took a bite when I got nervous with Calla. 

My mind traced its way back to Salvador, his physique, his captivating presence and how dangerous he felt. I needed to see him, at least clear my curiosity as to how he knew so much about me. He didn't harm me so I didn't have to worry right? But how would I get to him?