Abel “Here,” Father huffed, grabbing the contract papers from the attorney and sliding them across the Lucite glass table in our midst. I lifted my gaze to meet his harsh, unyielding eyes. “Quit looking at me and sign the damn papers already. We've got a lot of other things to get to.”I nodded nervously, skimming over the papers quickly, my pen poised over the signature line. It would be fatal to defy my father. Norman Stravkos was a no nonsense man. The head of a powerful underground Mafia gang. A pesky drug lord that evaded the hands of the law like sudden lightening. His word was law, and his actions — unbred chaos.Taking in a deep breath, I scribbled my signature down on the contract papers, pressing so hard that the track of my signature left a groove on the sheet of paper. Setting the pen down, I slid the papers across the table. Only this time, I wasn't passing it to my father but her.Solana.Guilt spiked in my veins as I braved myself to look at her briefly before turning
SolanaSix years later.Tuscany, ItalyThe last time I'd been in church was when I was a baby. My parents were not religious, but Mother had wanted me to have a baptism. It was held in this same cathedral, and Mother told me how proud she felt holding me close to her bosom as she followed the priest to the altar. How afraid, yet confident, that Father walked beside her. How a massive crowd of friends and business associates had turned out, just for me.I would always be her favourite child. Always.Shortly after my baptism, my father tended his resignation letter to Steele Corp — the app developing company he'd worked in for thirty solid years, and struck out on his own, with the help of Norman Stravkos; who became his new master. He stopped going to church, started sleeping around town with girls, and treated my mother like shit. All for the money. All for the fame. All for the glory. All for everything that would ruin him and his generations to come.Today, as I followed his casket
SolanaI straightened, masking my grief briefly behind a wall of indifference before letting my gaze travel up his face. Mother had taught me how to hide my feelings well over the years. She was always at the door whenever Father came back late from work with stuffy excuses of being stuck with traffic or intentionally staying back to finish up some files that had to be turned in the next day. She'd smile, and pat his shoulder as though in understanding. But when he took his clothes off in the bedroom, I watched her sniff them for the faintest smell of a cologne different from his. Her eyes would water, but she'd blink them off the minute she saw me looking. She'd toss the clothes aside and crouch with a million-dollar smile that never seemed to reach her eyes if you knew her well enough.She was the strongest woman I'd ever seen. The strongest.My heart clanged hard against my chest, as I inhaled in shallow, breathy intakes. Time seemed to slow down, the world tilting, a splash of bla
SolanaI didn't speak with my mother. Verbally though. But I could feel her eyes as they followed me about, the grief in them shinning so bright, it was heart wrenching to meet her gaze as I faced Abel Montes, the new Lord of my life. She'd been against the idea of caving in to Norman Stravkos' outrageous demands, stating that she'd already lost a daughter and couldn't lose the other. But her words hadn't been reasonable. Surely, the contract I'd signed together with Abel would hold no water in any court of law, but I very well knew the consequences if I hadn't signed it. If I'd ran away, just like Helen had done. They would all pay with their lives — and Norman Stravkos would hunt me to the ends of the earth. He wouldn't rest until he'd successfully eliminated every single member of the Williams family.Every single one of them.I swallowed hard, turning slightly to glance at Helen and her son again. At Mother, my uncles and cousins. At the family I'd grown up in. The people who nurt
AbelI stared at Solana. At the way she sat up straight, her slender shoulders sharp, her eyes defiant black slits, her chin jutting upwards, and I recoiled, stunned.I'd never seen anything like this. I'd never seen any woman quite like her.Courageous. Strong. Defiant.She would back down for no one. She would fight tooth and nail, and would always get what she wanted. Even if she was afraid. She would not give in to fear no matter what.Up until today, I didn't know a single thing about her. I underestimated her — thinking she was one of those quiet ladies who was foolishly obedient to a fault, and had no willpower of their own. Who cowered at my father's commands, but silently resented him. But she proved that she was different. She didn't hide her resentment. She didn't let his cruelty — I'd heard the insensitive words he'd whispered about her father — weigh her down. She'd challenged him head on, not minding if it costed her life.No one had ever bounced back to my father like t
Abel“You know how it feels to lose a loved one?” Her tone was sharp, and the bitter laugh that followed, even sharper. “Well, newsflash: my father and I were the farthest thing from close. I made a vow to loathe him forever, for selling his daughters off to a rival. I don't need your sympathy, Abel. If I wanted that, I might as well hang myself.”I swallowed hard, unable to look away from her — my shirt collar suddenly felt so tight, my black coat stiff around my pits, my eyes watering.I didn't dare speak. I couldn't. It felt as though my vocal cords had all suddenly gone numb.“I keep wondering though if you really know what it feels like as you claim. To be suddenly separated from the people who gave you life and brought you up? To watch them look at you from a few metres off, helplessly afraid to come speak or console you because they're guilty for what's not even their faults?”That, I had no idea what if felt like. I didn't know it bothered her so much; not speaking to the rest
AbelThe funeral rounded off by evening time, and everyone was too exhausted to do anything, let alone travel back home. We stayed back in Tuscany, sharing a suite of rooms — my bedroom was right next to Solana's and the walls were thin so I could very well hear whatever she was up to in her room. Our flight to New York left early the next day, and Solana would move into my mansion. She's finished her studies and graduated with the overall best result, and now that she'd turned twenty-three, it was time for her to step into her role as my wife. My possession.Mine.It was a minute past seven when I knocked softly on her door to announce my presence. I was clutching a stainless tray containing her dinner. I knew she was completely gutted by the event that took place today, and as a kindness, I'd ordered a kitchen staff to bring her food upstairs. The scent of the food made my stomach rumble now as I stood in the corridor, waiting for her to open the door. Left alone for me, I wouldn't
Abel“I...” I swallowed hard, rolling off her and turning away from her momentarily to adjust my pants properly. “This isn't what you think it is. Fuck...”“I don't care. Leave my room this instant.”I groaned, running my hand through my hair, and staring hard at her. “Goodness. Why do you have to be so difficult?”“Difficult?” She echoed incredulously, sitting up. “I'm being difficult, Abel? Me? How am I being difficult?”“Solana, that's not what I — ”Her eyes hardened. “I'll tell you what's difficult. Do you know what's difficult? Being separated from your family at the tender age of sixteen. Do you know what's difficult? Constantly turning your father's plea for forgiveness when you know whatever happened was beyond his power and he'd never voluntarily give you away like that, but you just feel it's easier to hate him. Do you know what's difficult? Losing touch with your family members and watching them still suffer even after being a sacrificial lamb for their sake. And do you wa