The best way to manipulate a man is to make him think he is manipulating you." - John Smith
Antonio's POV
Pacing around the office, words seem to fly past me, I think all that I have believed to be true were all false, I thought I had everything in control.
Adriana comes to my mind, she was just too rude to Celeste today, I've always told her to curb her willful nature but she is just like Macy, everyday she reminds me of her.
I sit down on the chair and stare at nothing, ding I hear a chime and I look at my laptop, he was very fast, I click the message and read, hmmmn it seems I was correct but I miscalculated one thing, he was always ahead of me, I thought I was ahead all along.
"Ha ha ha ha ha " I laugh, all these years I was in the dark, Adriana comes to my mind again, it seems I have failed my baby girl, I failed Macy too.
I pick up my phone and call Matteo after two rings he picks up "Matty I need a favor from you" I say to him as soon as he picks up...."what is it man"....."in a few days I need you to come and take Addy away, take her to Aventino, Marcello will fill you in...."
"I don't understand you, Antonio, you are sounding weird" I sighed and continued
"If anything happens to me, I want you to make sure an autopsy is done on my body....."
"S**t Antonio an autopsy, are you drunk"
"Just let me finish Matty, you must bury me in Aventino, but don't let any other person know except for Addy, create a decoy, someone is after my life Matty and they will want Addy's too" I stopped there and I heard him take in a deep breathe
"You know you can just take her and leave the country, lay low for a while," he said, maybe understanding the gravity of it all.
"I lost Matty and Addy can't lose too, send some of your guys to keep her safe, she snuck out again but she doesn't know that I know," I told him, I stood up and continued pacing
"I'll send someone now, should I send someone to you?" He asked
"Don't, I want you to keep Addy safe with your life, swear that you will" I said and felt my eyes water
"I swear," he said and I smiled
"Tell her that I left the original copy of the Will with someone that she knows, let her know that I love her so much, tell her to remember the chrysanthemum garden, she'll understand," I told him
"You know you can just tell me and we will get it," he said
"You won't be able to get it, just let her know that I love her and that I'm sorry" and with that, I ended the call.
I walked to the table and picked up my cup of coffee, taking a sip I frowned and threw the cup in the bin, coffee has never tasted the same, I guess he started winning with this cup of coffee.
I sat down and picked my family album, I can still remember when we took it, Addy was just four, Macy was still as beautiful as ever, I placed it down.
I took my laptop and went to the security area and clicked on the auto wipe, I watched as every file on my laptop and drive deleted itself, he may have won but I won't give him that satisfaction, I just hope the clue in Addy's room won't fall into his hands, I picked my phone and also wiped everything on my iCloud.
Addy will still be able to get all the evidence I have gathered, that person will give it to her, she promised and she always keeps her promise.
I heard the house phone ring and I picked it up,
"Antonio how are you" the voice on the other end asked but I didn't reply
"You are so stubborn, I know at this moment you might have pieced everything together and you know that I won, do you remember the last time we played chess, you won that game but before that time I have already started winning, tonight will be your last time to hear this voice again, it's a slow-acting poison and the last dose was given to you tonight, the only thing I've got to do is to get you agitated, then you will feel your life slowly draining from you but you're a tough nut to crack"
"There's nothing you'll say that will get to me" I replied to him
"Hahaha" I heard the other voice laughing
"Antonio, Antonio you might be a tough nut but I've got the perfect nutcracker, Addy is currently in my hands," he said and paused, I felt my heart skip a beat and blood rushed to my head, No
"She is so cute tonight, what do you say, should my men take turns on her or should I pop her cherry myself, imagine the ecstasy...the euphoria"
"You son of a b**ch, I'll kill you if you touch her" I felt everything go blurry and I fell to my knees
"Tsk tsk tsk tsk Antonio, the more you get angry the faster you die and for record sake, you're the son of a b**ch, your mother was a worthless wh**e"
I felt the room spin, the only thoughts going through my mind was Adriana, I'm so sorry Adriana, papá thought he will accompany you for long, I was incompetent, I'm so sorry baby, I love you so much.
"Tomorrow the press will go on and on about how billionaire Antonio De'Luca died in his study of a heart attack, ha ha ha ha I'm already relishing at the moment Antonio, don't worry Addy will join you soon, goodbye Antonio" and with that, he ended the call,
They say a man's life flashes before him at the hour of his death, I guess that philosophy is true, cause right now I could see all my life in a flash, I had failed.
I could hear a chime but I don't know where it was coming from but it sounded soothing, that was when I remembered, the day I met Macy the bell on the bookshop chimed like this, I could feel tears pooling out of my eyes and as my body went cold I wanted to scream but I couldn't hear a single word, as everything went dark, I only managed to say a single sentence,
"I'm sorry Adriana"