THAT NIGHT**
“Malcolm is up!” Cindy told everyone after she came out from his room.
Everyone gushed and ran in.
“Boss!!” They shouted.
Malcolm chuckled.
“Stay back. I said stay back” He laughed, as they all rounded him, hugging him like their lives depended on it.
“We love you, boss” They muttered.
“You got us scared” Cindy sniffed.
“I’m fine now. I just need my strength, that all” He muttered.
Ariana smiled at him, and slowly traced her eyes to his neck. She saw the star.
“I’ll be right back” She muttered.
“Where are you off to?” Malcolm asked, quickly.
Ariana forced a smile.
“The restroom” She replied.
Malcolm nodded and they watched her leave.
***
Ariana closed the door and locked the bolt. She swallowed hard and slowly raised her gown up.
She looked at her thighs and traced her eyes to her bursty hips.
She raised her P@ntiës a bit and her eyes widened a bit when it came in contact with the tattoo.
“This is f*cking insane. Why does this tattoo look the same as Malcolm’s then??. Very confusing” She bit her lower lip and dropped her gown, which fell and covered her body up.
“Who are you really, Malcolm?” She whispered.
“Remember…” She hit her head with her palm and closed her eyes tightly but nothing popped in.
“Sh!t” She blurted and opened her eyes.
****
Ariana slowly walked in.
Now, It was only Rhoda in the room with Malcolm. written by sommy pearl f.
Malcolm noticed her emotions when she entered the room.
“Rhoda?” Malcolm whispered.
Rhoda looked at him, though his eyes were still on Ariana.
“Can you leave both of us, please. I wanna talk to Ariana”
Rhoda sighed and stood up.
“Don’t say or do anything stupid” She whispered to her and then, left.
“Ariana? You okay? You look sullen. What’s wrong?” He asked, worriedly.
Ariana sighed repeatedly and sat close to him.
“What’s it?” He asked again, staring deeply into her eyes.
Ariana eyes blinked and looked back into his eyes, immersedly.
She wondered why she saw glimpses of memories. So, she only look deeper, and said nothing to him.
Memories rushed in.
FLASHBACK**
MILAN, ITALY**
LEO DA CRUZ’S MAFIA PALACE**
“You’re awake. I gave you a bathe, if you don’t mind. I also prepared food, water and fruits down for you. You seem hungry” Ariana’s voice chipped in.
Rhoda looked down from the bed where she laid.
“Its you again? You haven’t answered me. Who are you?” She asked.
“I’m Ariana’a Bells…I came here recently. 3 days ago, apparently”
Rhoda sat upright and Mõ@ned lowly.
“Who brought you here? And what your specialty?” She asked.
“Gilberto is my boyfriend and he brought me here- Ariana paused and shook a cigarette into her parted lips.
She lit it and began to smoke. Rhoda just watched her
“I’m the one of the mafia’s artiste team. I draw for a living” She smiled brightly, the smoke filling the whole air.
Rhoda coughed slightly.
“Oh. sorry about that” Ariana quickly said and kept the cigarette away, in the ash tray.
“I heard,,, you were in that dungeon because you went pass the curfew” Ariana said.
“Who told you that?” Rhoda asked.
“My boyfriend”
“Gilberto, huh?”
Ariana nodded.
“He also told me not to say a word outside or your boyfriend might get in trouble. He also…told me that you stayed in dungeon for a week cause you didn’t want your boyfriend to get ripped of his title. He was the reason you went pass your curfew and made you escape till Gilberto caught you both”
Rhoda scoffed.
“He does talk too much. Where’s he though?”
Ariana smiled, shortly.
“I told you before when I was releasing you from the dungeon. He went for a mafia based war and asked me to release you on his stead” She replied.
Rhoda sighed and nodded.
“What have you drawn so far since your stay here?” Rhoda asked, looking around, which broke the silence.
“Nothing yet, actually. I haven’t been given an assignment from the Don yet. But I’m still waiting for one”
“Liar” Rhoda muttered, took off the duvet and went down. written by sommy pearl f.
“Huh?” Ariana asked.
Rhoda walked to a big board which was covered with a purple clothing.
“Thats my own piece. Its not for the Don…” Ariana’s voice trailed off.
Rhoda had taken down the clothing which exposed the board. On it was a painting. It was a face. But the face was a bit faceless. There wasn’t a nose, or mouth. Just 2 pair of beautiful eyes.
“Pretty huh?? This person I’m drawing is my muse” Ariana smiled walking to Rhoda who kept staring at the familiar painting.
Rhoda eyes grew wide. suddenly.
“This….
“Do you know the person?” Ariana smiled, looking at the eyes.
“The eyes…Its pretty” She chuckled, touching the painting gently.
Rhoda quickly looked at her, meaningfully.
“How do you know this pereon?” She asked.
“I met him a few times with the Don. We haven’t introduced each other yet so…He doesn’t know me. I know who he is,, but I don’t know his name. I have this feeling whenever I look into his eyes. It makes me shy” She giggled and looked down.
“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” Rhoda frowned.
“Huh?” Ariana muttered.
“Why are you crushing on him??!” Rhoda yelled despite her weakness at that time.
“I’m not. He’s just my muse…”
Rhoda scoffed.
“Do you want to know why you get shy whenever you see him?”
Ariana swallowed hard.
“Why?”
“You’re in love with him, Bîtch!! But let me tell you something,,, He will never love you…He’s in love with someone else!! So…Stop acting this way!! Stop drawing him!!” Rhoda screamed and took down the drawing.
She tore it and began to step on it. Ariana just watched her.
“And what if the guy later loves me?” Ariana muttered, without noticing. It came out of her mouth, suddenly and unknowingly.
Rhoda glared at her and shook her head
“He won’t!”
“And what makes you think he won’t falter?” Ariana scoffed.
“Do you want to make a bet then?” Rhoda asked.
“Yes…Let make a bet” Ariana smirked.
“Why don’t I bring you and Malcolm both closer to make this faster and easier. Let’s see how this goes”
“Malcolm? Is that his name? And who’s Malcolm in love with?” Ariana asked but Rhoda was already walking past her, clinging her hands onto her puffy gown.
….
….
Ariana eyes widened and a very sharp pain manifested on her head when the memory ended.
She groaned lowly and quickly got up on her feet, then, ran out without listening to Malcolm who was yelling and asking where she was going to.
“Rhoda!!!” Ariana shouted, when she finally got out.
Rhoda who was close to the wall in the corridor looked at her.
Ariana slowly moved to her, while panting loud and hard.
“What’s it?” Rhoda questioned.
“Do you,,,, know me before?” Ariana asked, slowly.
Rhoda blinked her eyes, a hundred times.
“What? I don’t understand…”
“You…I know why you’re doing this” Ariana uttered.
“Excuse me??”
“I f*cking know why you brought me closer to Malcolm!!!”
“What?”
“I remember few things now. I remember my first encounter with Malcolm and his gangs, before the explosion accident. I remember it all now!”
Rhoda swallowed hard and looked around.
“I also remember our very first encounter at some place. By the way. Gilberto? My boyfriend? Who’s he really??!”
“You’re drunk” Rhoda scoffed and turned around to leave.
“Was that why!!!! Was that why you gave Malcolm the option for me to stay with him in his mansion back then?. You were the one who asked Malcolm to bring me into his mansion if I’m correct. Of course, I can remember that”
She continued.
“You were trying to test him. You were trying to see if he would waver and love me. It was the bet all this while. You did those things cause of the bet,,,, right?”
Rhoda bit her lower hard and turned back to her.
“Shut your crap!!!” She rooped.
“Who told you I told Malcolm anything about him asking to stay with you?” She defended.
“Oliver kinda mistakenly spewed that, you were the one who told Malcolm to bring me in,,, back then” Ariana said.
“So…Is it because of the bet?.. You were trying to check if he would falter and really fall for me?”
Rhoda scoffed.
“You caught me. Bravo. And so?”
“Let’s end the bet. I don’t want it anymore. It’s stupid. Didn’t you mention earlier today that Malcolm was your boyfriend?? You shouldn’t be doing this to him and cause of him. It senseless”
Ariana breathed deeply and continued.
“Malcolm isn’t someone we can place a bet or gamble with. He’s special. I’m in love with him and I’m not doing all this because of some silly childish bet”
“Shut the f*ck! The bet continues no matter what!! We’re still competing, remember? It ain’t over. Malcolm is mine so don’t bother too much” Rhoda said.
“I’m out” Ariana shook her head.
“Nope…We’re both in” Rhoda said, and shoved her middle finger to her face.
“What the heck?” Ariana muttered.
Rhoda smirked and turned around, then left her sight.
“Did she just use the middle finger on me? Like f*ck me??!” Ariana scoffed, angrily.
