10

It’s noon of the next day, weekend to be precise.

We arrived at the Gretes Mansion, smaller than our estate but big enough to see how powerful they were.

We walked past five guards on our way in, until we finally got to the house.

Mr Gretes was seated in the front, two of his sons were seared on the right while one of them stood behind, leaning on the wall.

Gretes has five children, Three boys and two girls.

Yet there wasn’t a sign of a female in the room except my presence.

I found him seated high and mighty in his chair, a displeased look on his face, the moment he saw me.

“Mr Gretes, it’s nice to finally meet you” I greeted, he just let out a grunt and gestured for me to sit.

I could feel the disrespect but ignored it, when you are new to the world, you always have to prove yourself, and I definitely don’t mind that.

I sat on the couch to my left while Alfred stood behind me, “What brings you to my home?” He asked tapping his half lit cigarette down the glass tray.

“I offer my condolences for the death of your Grandfather, so sad that my family was not able to make it to the funeral. I heard it was quite a spectacle” he went on, obviously mocking how my Grandfather’s burial was turned into a public shootout.

I crossed my leg and dropped my purse to the ground, “It was nothing we couldn’t handle” I lied. I had almost died but they didn’t need to know that. Otherwise they would thrive on that weakness, it’s what they do best.

“So why are you here?”

“Well, I went through Grandfather’s record, and I noticed you have quite a huge debt to pay. Roughly, 300 million usd, considering the range of the debt, I can see that you have no plans to pay it back. Thats quite a lot for a man of your caliber”

My words made him correct his posture, his brows knotted in anger like I had just humiliated him.

For someone who was acting high and mighty, he knew just well to make himself presentable, he put his feet down to the ground, his arms pressed against the arm rest of the chair.

“So you came for the money, with just one bodyguard” he pointed to Alfred.

I turned to him, funny that just one bodyguard was better than all three of his sons, sadly I am in a position where I need both. A bodyguard cannot give me the power I desire but he can protect me from harm.

I smiled at him,

“I am here to propose an offer to you, a means to pay off your debt in a single clearing without a dollar spilling from your safe, are you willing to hear it?” I demanded.

A smile danced on his face, the greediness of men still baffle me to this day,

Still. I couldn’t help but notice his eyes on the loose part of my shirt, exposing my cleavage.

Men will always be men irrespective of how old they are.

“Go ahead” he nodded.

“I understand that you are still keeping your options open, wondering if I am worth keeping as an ally or you would prefer to work with my enemies instead.

This is my offer to you, a marriage proposal” I blurted out.

“A marriage proposal!” He repeated as his eyes lit up, he definitely didn’t expect that.

“A marriage proposal to one of your sons, your oldest to be precise. The other two are just not it.

Through marriage we can become stronger allies and your debt would be paid off. What do you think?” His three sons were seated quietly in the room like puppets waiting for their master to let them speak.

The laughter that followed after my words, was unpleasant to my ears,

“Hey” one of his sons called out to me.

I turned to him, he seem to be the oldest that I was referring to, brown hair, black eyes, a spitting image of his father but you could see the arrogance in his appearance compared to the other two.

“I don’t like women like you, I like my women with a bit of flesh in their body and not some skinny bitch” he reacted.

Alfred pushed off the wall ready to lunged on him but I stopped him with a glare.

The bastard was entitled to what he had to say and so was I.

“If there were a thousand men in the room for me to choose from, including yourself, I would only see 99 because people like you don’t deserve the title of being called men. A dog would be a better name for you.

Sadly, I need a dog for what I am about to do, and if I needed a man then I wouldn’t be here, and this is not up to you but up to your father, so zip your mouth before I have him pull your tongue out” I strictly warned him.

The smile was rubbed off his face in a instant, he glared at me with a murderous look, “Your whole family is a joke, your uncle was just hear muttering similar nonsense from his lips”

Hmmm, I leaned back in my seat.

That I had not expected, for Uncle Wyatt, to beat me to something I desire, perhaps I was too relaxed, underestimating him.

“Silence Tatum” Mr Gretes ordered, he then turned to me, “Your offer is tempting little girl”

“Miss Liliac Roman” I reminded him of the title I bore. I wasn’t a little girl to him, neither do I resemble his child.

“Yes, Miss Liliac, I do accept your offer…”

“Father” Tatum cut him off, displeased with the verdict.

Mr Gretes raised his index finger and he fell back to his seat, “I do accept your offer but you will not marry my first born, rather the last born” he announced.

My jaw tightened at his words, I turned to the scrawny kid he was referring to, he had been quiet as he leaned against the wall. Unable to sit down like his two brother who were in the front, rather he was given a seat at the back because of his history.

“My son Leo” he added.

Leo was the bastard of the family, born from the maid who Mr Gretes had raped and killed off to seal the crime he had committed. Leo faced a harsh childhood being despised by his stepmother, the scars on his face and body were enough evidence.

“I can’t believe the bastard is getting married before us, imagine a marriage of two losers, it would be the talk of the town” the second son spoke, his name is Griffin as I remember it. We both went to middle school together.

He was a jerk with no brains.

I focused my attention back on their father,

“Is this some sort of joke?” I asked but he only laughed.

“What’s wrong little princess? I thought you don’t want a dog like me. Why are you complaining?” Tatum mocked me.

I reached for my purse and scoffed as I placed it on my thighs, “You want me to marry your illegitimate son”

“Yes” he nodded.

I slowly stood up and walked towards him,

“Is that your final decision?” I inquired getting closer to him.

He nodded his head as he played with the cigarette in his hand.

Before I could get to him, Tatum had already blocked my path, “Where are you going little bitch?”

“Move” I commanded him but he didn’t bulge.

Just like lightning, Alfred had punched him out of my way and slammed his head against the wall. We all heard the crack that followed after his body hit the ground.

“How dare you?” Mr Gretes bolted to his feet, but I hit him in the face with my purse.

He looked horrified as he watched me with a busted lip, “I want you to stare at my face very well, it will be the last thing you see as I wipe out your entire family. You should have taken my offer rather than mock, now I will take your life for the debt that you owe me.

Have a nice day Mr Gretes, sleep well, it might be your last” I whispered.

I know my threats felt like a joke to him, what could be expected of a little girl like me but I had said my peace and walked out of there with Alfred behind me, promising myself to burn the place to the ground.

And I will burn it.