These three-inch high heels were killing me. I was beginning to lose all motivation to get back to the party. My bed seemed to be calling to me at this instance.
I entered the great hall with the intention of looking for Antonio who might still be searching for Chola.
I spotted him a few distance away. However, before I could make the move to go to him, my father had suddenly blocked my path.
"Dad." He smiled, offering me a champagne flute. I accepted it, catching sight of the young Ryuji heir who was standing beside him.
He had raven black hair which was neatly cut and a sharp but small nose with a prominent bridge. He sported an angled face that accented his jaw. He had thin lips and slanted eyes that hinted that he was of Asian descent.
I always found him handsome. But seeing him up close, I saw that he was not only extremely good looking but his skin was flawlessly smooth.
"Margaux, this is Takahashi Ryuji. Takahashi, this is my daughter, Margaux."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Cortez."
"The pleasure is all mine Mister Ryuji."
He cocked his head at me.
"Please, call me Takahashi. Mister Ryuji seems too formal."
"Oh, alright. It's nice to officially meet you Takahashi. I'm sorry to have missed your announcement ceremony and my condolences about your father, he was a great man."
The announcement ceremony. It was a special event held for the official declaration for each chosen heir bound to take over heading the Mafia when the Boss dies in each Mafia sect.
I watch him smile. It was one of those that touched the eyes, but at the same time there was something else mixed with it.
Interesting, I quietly mused.
"Thank you and I'm sorry for missing out on yours too."
It was my turn to smile as I waved him off. His announcement ceremony had been held immediately after his father passed away and mine was held two days after his. I couldn't blame him for not coming because he was busy taking over his father's business.
"Oh, congratulations on your engagement to Mary Serrano by the way," I stated with a smile but it was one of my practiced ones reserved only when I wasn't being genuine.
I was there when Mary's father had dropped the news that she'd be marrying Takahashi. It was all too sudden.
The announcement was like a bomb instantly exploding around Mary, obliterating any sign of mirth across her face.
I saw the way the colour drained from her but she didn't argue, she simply gave her affirmation with a nod and one silent yes.
She didn't want to marry Takahashi Ryuji but she didn't want to go against her father either.
And there was the fact that Takahashi asked for her specifically.
He was known to be the guy who gets everything he wanted. Once he had set his eye on something or someone he wouldn't stop until it became his.
I had wanted to beg my father to cancel the arrangement. However, Mary told me not to.
Most of the marriages in mafia families were always arranged. The concept of love being the main reason to wed between two people was rare in our circle.
Mary's father and my father had decided on it the day of Takahashi's announcement ceremony.
They had basically wrapped my best friend in a box and handed it to him.
"Thank you," he said. "You must have some potential suitors asking for your hand, I reckon."
My father let out a laugh as one of Mary's brothers, Patrick, walked by me. I excused myself, remembering Mister Serrano's drunken state in the hallway.
"Hey, Pat," I called out, halting him.
"Margie."
"I saw your father outside. He seems to have had too much to drink. He passed out in the hallway."
Patrick blinked in surprise.
"That's odd. I'll go check on him. Thanks, Margie."
I turned around to face Takahashi and my father once again but they were already heading for the podium which was set up on the front, facing the entrance of the great hall while conversing.
I let out a sigh as I watched them walk away before I spotted Antonio across the room. I gave him a thumbs-up, signalling that he could stop looking for Chola now.
I went back to my seat feeling relieved to finally rest my feet and placed my champagne flute on the table. The table was empty, which was fine. If my mother was here, she would have had me sit in a way that had my back as straight as a ruler.
Madelein and her husband were slow dancing in the midst of other dancing couples to the music the orchestra was playing while Mikee was talking to some kids his age at another table. My eyes wander over the streamers that hang from the balconies overlooking the hall. They had our family's insignia and the Yakuza's insignia drawn on them.
"You look like you could use some company," a voice said and I looked up to see Paul, my father's underboss, standing next to me.
With a smirk on his face, he sat in the empty seat next to mine. Paul was one of those typical bad boy looking guys.
Well, he kind of is, literally.
He was almost a decade older than I was. He had dark brown wavy hair and an olive skin tone.
He was also the closest thing I had to an older brother. We were really close and my parents saw him as their second son.
"Let me guess, you have already asked for the number of every woman in this hall whom you didn't know and now you're bored. Am I right?"
I saw two of my father's soldiers closing the huge double doors of the hall out of the corner of my eye before Paul chuckled, drawing my attention back to him.
He leaned back in the seat and placed his hand on the table.
"You know me too well. Sadly, there was one lady who refused to give me her number."
I gave him a pat on the shoulder as if to console him.
"Aww, someone else was also immune to your undeniable charm." I said with me being the other person exempt from falling victim to his charisma.
Paul had a way with people. He tends to get and make people do what he wanted them to. It was how he had risen up quickly to his current position.
He let out a snort as he moved his hand on the table, accidentally knocking over the champagne flute which spilled its contents onto my dress.
"Oh shoot," I heard him say while I immediately grabbed the napkin in front of me and began to blot the liquid on my dress. He did the same.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. It's just wine. I'll send it to the dry cleaners tomorrow."
"It's not that." There was a sudden shift in his tone. I looked away from the stain on my dress, focusing my attention towards him instead.
He stood up, getting out of his seat and placed the napkin on the table, giving me a look that bordered on sadness and guilt. He placed his hand on my shoulder and leaned down.
"You were a good kid," he whispered in my ear before walking off, leaving me confused.