The door opened, Pablo stands beside it.
“Sick?” He completed.
“Yes. I think he is sick.” She answered. “I saw blood stains on his handkerchief, I think he’s trying to keep it as a secret from you guys.”
“I already know that.” He opens the door wider for her to come in. “Come in.”
Then she noticed the sad expression on his face. “You knew?” He ignored her. “What’s wrong?” She asked.
“Nothing.” He said in a deep voice. Anastasia felt the anger in his voice as she glared surprised at him.
“You don’t look o…” She tries to show concern to him but he wasn’t finding such welcoming. Anastasia flinched at his voice, she has never seen him angry like today.
“I am fine.” He snapped.
His eyes burned red, and if possible, he was gonna tear her apart if she came any closer. Anastasia wondered if she had done some thing wrong, or if he was only angry at her because of her attitude this morning.
“I already know, so you don’t have to remind me.” He backed her, heading to his bed.
“I. . . I’m sorry if I. . . I was thinking. . . I should let you know. I’m sorry if I was bothering you.” She turned to leave, his deep voice halting her in her track.
“Where do you think you are going?” He asked.
“I’m leaving. You don’t want me here, you see me showing up as a mistake. I don’t wanna be a disturbance to your life.” She said, holding herself from the tears.
“I don’t remember asking you to leave.”
“I came in here to explain to you what I saw about your father and all you could do is to shout at me? What’s going on? What is troubling you? I know this is never my business but. . . I want to help.”
He looked at her face, but said nothing to her.
“Is your father ill?” She asked.
“He’s not just ill, he’s dying.” He replied.
“He should be in the hospital then.”
“He doesn’t want to be there. He prefers to die the so-called natural death.” He said, rolling his eyes.
“You’re his son, you have to talk with your brothers and together the three of you can take him there if he keeps insisting.”
“He hasn’t told anyone except me. And now that you know too, it shouldn’t be told to anyone else. Promise me.”
“I promise.” She promised him. “So, are you gonna. . .” She couldn’t say the last words, she was scared he might yell or spank on her.
“It’s his decision, I can’t force him any more.”
She noticed some thing else was troubling him, some thing different from his father’s case. She asked again. “You look worried, is there some thing I should know?” She asked, concerned.
“Ana. . .” he didn’t want to bother her with his problems, plus it had every thing to do with his family.
“I’m here, and I’m listening to wh@tëver it is.”
He looked at her for a long while. “My father wants me to become the next heir to his empire. But I’m not interested.”
Anastasia was speechless, this was indeed much bigger for her. But she has to say some thing, that was what she promised him, to help him.
“I know since I was little, I don’t know a Sh|t about mafias and what they look like and what they do. Though my dad always told me but, I never believed in his stories. But now I have lived with your family, I saw a lot of things I never knew. I saw things I never dreamt of, and I felt things that I noticed did affected my life but I never stop accepting it as my fate. You should do the same too, you should accept this as your fate.”
“I have two elder brothers who are highly skilled than I am. They spent years of their lives practicing, killing and all I practiced for was the military. I don’t know why he still chooses me.” He scoffed. “I don’t even know a Sh|t, how can I lead a whole empire?”
“You can if you learn to become a good leader.” She squats before him, placing a hand on his cheek. “Your father has a reason for choosing you, you might not know why now, but you will soon. I believe in your leadership, and no matter what, I will always stand by your side.”
He held her hand to his face, placing a soft kiss on it. Their gaze met, and none wants to look away. She could feel his gaze, welcoming and devouring her at the same time.
Not that she did wanted Vito dead, but she felt his death would save her a lot. She knew Pablo taking over the empire would be a great help to her. She would be free from sleeping in the basement, she won’t have to feel any less than just being a maid. And most importantly, she won’t have to bother about Micheal anymore.
He kissed her.
He kisses like a starved man, like he’d been waiting all this time. Holding back, like the probability of two of them doing this had occurred to him in the past. But he had set it aside, stored it away in a deep, dark place where it had grown into some thing fearsome bad out of control.
~~~~
To Be Continued…
