The beginning of doom

~01~

Chiara

Was it normal to wish to kill your brother? Because at that moment, I did.

I was just about to turn and leave the stable after a good riding day when my body was suddenly shoved against the stall rails. The cold mouth of a gun grazed my skin and then traveled up my exposed arm. I fisted my hands and shut my eyes. Prince, my good horse neigned in his stall.

I attempted to push him off, but that only made him press me harder against the rails. Pain shot on my cheek from the force. I pursed my lips, huffing. "What do you want, Luca?"

"My father has called for you." He said. I shook my head, "Tell your father, I'm busy." No good ever came out of a meeting with that old man. 

"You go and tell him yourself. Better hurry." He said and pushed me, causing me to stumble

but I caught myself before I hit the ground. I eyed his stupid back with heated eyes and then padded after him to the garden. I shouldn't have gone. I should’ve just run and never looked back again. 

Antonio stood by the pergola gazebo. Its wooden beams cast shadows across the garden floor. His black and white curls were tied in a loose bun while he was busy on the phone. Luca on the other hand, a pure image of his father, sat down on the sofa with spread legs in all his deranged glory. I knew he was high just by looking at his reddened eyes.

"You called for me?" I stood under the gazebo's shade, nerves biting my skin.

For some reason, I could smell something fishy even before he said it with his foul mouth. This wasn't a first after all.

He grabbed an envelope from the table and took out something. Whatever it was, I knew it was my doom. "Are you familiar with this man?" He placed a picture on the table before sliding it in my direction. There was no need for so much mind loading as my eyes fell on the green-eyed man with black hair and a hardened face in it. "Enzo Russo. Everybody knows who he is in Italy. Why am I here again?" I raised a brow at him.

His forehead curved with two deep lines, but then he quickly morphed into a sardonic smile. I held my breath. "From this day forth, Enzo is your fiancé. And the two of you are to be married in one month." He said calmly as he held the picture up. His devilish black eyes and wrinkled face which were too disgusting to watch, but I stared right back at them. He couldn't wait to get rid of me. And I hated it because I couldn't leave this house. Not yet.

I could feel heat burning my skin, knots tightening my muscles. "None of this has ever worked before. Why keep bothering?" My tone was deliberately nonchalant as my index finger drew a circle around the picture in his hand. "Because this time around, we're doing it my way." Antonio looked at his wristwatch.

"I'm not marrying anyone." I deadpanned.

His face hardened. "But I wasn't asking, Chiara." He placed the envelope down and leaned

forward. My heart was pounding in my chest, knowing what was coming for me. "I know exactly what to do to get you to dance to any tune I want. Stop pushing me." Something gripped me tight at his words.

"Okay," I said without thinking despite the turmoil inside me.

"Okay what, Chiara?" he pressed. If only I could kill just by looking at people, then everyone here would've been long dead. I swallowed hard. "I will marry him." He always knew when to use his trump card.

"Great. Just wonderful." Luca rose, and placed a red velvet box before me. "Here is a little present from your husband-to-be, sis. Enzo said he chose it with love," He added, stressing the last word as he slumped on the sofa beside me.

I clenched both of my hands and relaxed them the next second, puffing out. There was no ring in this game before, I was indeed fucked this time around. But I’ll be damned if I go down this easily. I slowly reached for the box, opened it, took out the diamond ring, and wore it.

Antonio, picking up his phone again, and made another call. I silently stared down at my hand, ice gripping my heart. Just a moment ago, it was empty. And now... just like that, I was branded.

Antonio chortled as he relayed the news. I felt like my neck was getting choked hard. Just how easy for a man like Antonio to mess around with someone's entire life in order to feed his greed wasn't fair.

He proved to me within a second that I would always be his playtoy. My life, entirely, wasn't fair. A familiar sting started to prick my eyes. I couldn't say no, nor could I truly get married to that bastard. If I were to marry, I feared it was going to be the end of everything I'd worked hard for my entire life.

I got up, ready to leave since our family shit show was over. "Chiara, I want you to know the weight of this matter. If you dare to fuck this up too, then I promise you'll pay like you've never done before." He called out. 

I made my way to the mansion with heavy steps and sat on the edge of the round fountain, on the lawn. Hot tears running free. My gaze landed at the spilling water and imagined how it would feel if it were Antonio's blood someday. I roughly wiped my cheeks. 

After a warm shower, I went straight to Laura's bedroom. 

Opening the door slowly and extra carefully. Her body jerked, and she instinctively grabbed a pillow to cover her head as a shield.

A bile rose in my throat. There, that’s why I'd never leave her alone in this cursed house. "It is just me, Mamma." I grabbed the pillow from her hold and placed it down. Laura peered at me, a grin splitting on her exhausted, pale face. Some neighbors in the past used to call us twins. "Oh, it's my baby girl."

'I know what to do to get you to dance to any tune I want. Stop pushing me.'

Antonio's words have been haunting me ever since that moment. I blinked my eyes and my gaze fell on the table, and a frown settled in promptly.

"Mamma, you haven't eaten yet?"

"I can't eat alone, you know that."

I shut my eyes, breathing out. I could hold my emotions back, but there was no guarantee of controlling my tongue.

"One of these days, you're going to have to learn how to be independent again. I tell you the same thing every day. When are you gonna start listening to me?" I helped her from the bed and we both sat at the table.

After breakfast, I placed her back to bed, tucking her in nicely. I stayed with her until she dozed off. And it is only then did I let my emotions run free. I drew in a silent deep breath, feeling pain shooting down my throat. 

Sometimes, I wish she had never woken up and stayed that peacefully forever in her sleep. But my mother was not a sleeping beauty. And we were definitely not in a fantasy land. And reality, it never wastes a chance to slap you hard on the face. I, for one, was a living proof and its beloved victim.

I may not know what the future held for me, but one thing was pretty much clear as water; There was no way I was getting married to a human trafficker. Come what may.

Our entire lives, if there were three things my stepfather was obsessed with… then it was money, power, and reputation. And I was planning on tainting and ruining them all. Because that was, in fact, my obsession.