~The Sullivan's Mansion~
"What the hell are you doing, Roy? How could you be so stupid!" Mr Sullivan yelled at his son, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Dad, I'm sorry. I tried my best!" Roy responded, wiping off the sudden sweats off his face.
"Your best wasn't enough, Roy! Miguel being married is a huge threat to us and you should know this." Mr Sullivan uttered, still soothing in anger.
His face was a mask of fury as he paced back and forth in the study of their mansion.
"This is not acceptable, Roy," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
"Miguel's marriage puts our entire operation in jeopardy. How did you not see this coming?"
Roy swallowed hard, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
"I didn't know he was planning to marry her, Dad," he whispered, his voice shaking with nerves. "I swear, I had no idea."
Mr. Sullivan spun around, his eyes burning with rage as he faced his son. "You had no idea?" he spat, his voice laced with contempt.
"What do you think Miguel is, some sort of idiot? You think he's going to let you know his every move?"
"He's a snake, Roy, a viper. And you've let him slither into our lives, our business. And for what? Because you were too weak, too foolish to see him for what he really is."
Roy flinched at his father's words, his eyes darting to the floor. Even though he is 27 years old, Mr Sullivan still treats him like a 4 years old kid.
Sometimes it's annoying to have a pushover Dad but, Roy got to realize his father only wants what is best for him. Thus, he ends up doing whatever his father wants.
Mr. Sullivan continued to pace back and forth, his words cutting through the air like blades.
"And now we're in danger," he snarled, his voice low and deadly.
"Miguel is a man of vengeance. He'll do anything to get what he wants. And now that he's married, he has leverage. He has someone to protect him."
He stopped pacing and turned to face his son, his eyes narrowed with rage. "He has Joanna. My late friend's daughter is his wife!" Mr Sullivan snapped, the thought of it almost driving him crazy.
Roy winced as his father's words cut through him, his hands balling into fists at his sides.
"I know, Dad," he said, his voice trembling with fear. "I know we're in danger. But we can't just sit here and do nothing."
Mr. Sullivan's face hardened, his eyes blazing with determination. "No, who said that?" he asked, his voice steady and resolute.
"We won't sit here and do nothing. We're going to strike first!" He snapped.
"We're going to take Joanna from Miguel. We're going to use her as leverage against him."
Mr. Sullivan's gaze hardened as he stared down at his son, his words calculated and dangerous. "You're going to get close to Joanna," he said, his voice low and Stern.
"You're going to charm her, seduce her. I don't care how you do it Roy! You're going to make her fall madly in love with you. Afterall, if her father, my good friend, was still alive, he would want his daughter to get married to you and not that scumbag Mafia boss!"
Roy's eyes widened at his father's words, his heart racing. "Dad, I don't know if I can do that," he whispered, his voice shaking with nerves.
"I don't know if I can make Joanna love me. She's Married!" Roy uttered, stating the obvious.
Mr. Sullivan stepped forward, his eyes burning with fierce determination, not caring about his son's feelings.
"You can do it, Roy," he growled, his voice like steel. "You will do it!" He said in a stern voice.
"This is your chance to redeem yourself, to show me that you're not just some foolish boy."
"You're going to get close to Joanna. And you're going to make sure that when Miguel comes for her, he finds only ashes in his wake."
Roy swallowed hard, the weight of his father's words pressing down on him like a mountain.
The odd silence in the room was thick and heavy, the tension between father and son palpable.
Finally, Roy nodded, his shoulders squared as he looked up at his father, his eyes filled with resolve.
"I'll do it, Dad," he finally agreed, his voice steady and determined. "I'll get close to Joanna. I'll make her love me."
Mr. Sullivan gave a curt nod, his face a mask of steely determination.
"Good," he said, his voice like a blade. "And when the time comes, you'll know what to do."
Roy nods, turns and makes his way out of his father's study room. He was dressed in rugged black pants and a black T-shirt. The T-shirt was glued to his chest, showing off his muscular features.
He strode down the stairs, heading to his car as he ignored all of the workers' greetings. All he wanted at that moment was to go clear off his head.
The moment he got into his Red sport car, the ringtone of his phone blares the air. He stared at the caller ID and saw it was his best friend.
"What's up, Jay?" Roy answered the phone, his voice low and guarded.
"Roy, dude, are you still alive over there?" Jason said in a high-pitched voice.
"You're missing all the fun! I'm throwing a party tonight. You gotta come!" Jason demanded in a lively tone.
Roy ran a hand through his hair, feeling the stress of the day weighing on his shoulders.
"A party?" he asked, nonchalantly. "I'm not sure, man. I've got a lot on my mind."
"Come on, Roy," Jason urged. "It'll be good for you."
Roy sighed, his heart heavy as he thought about the mission his father had given him.
"Look, Jay, I don't know if I'm up for a party tonight. Things are complicated." He sighed softly.
"Complicated, my ass," Jason shot back, his voice full of mirth. He wasn't ready to let Roy off his hook.
"Come on, man, live a little! You gotta clear your head. Besides, you never know who you might meet." He added in a more serious tone.
Roy hesitated, his mind still swirling with thoughts of Joanna and the task at hand.
But Jason's words rang true - a night out with his friends might be just what he needed to heave the burden on his shoulders.
"Alright, alright," Roy relented, his voice softening with a smile.
"I'll come to the party, but only for a little while. And only if you promise not to give me any shit about my mood."
"Deal!" Jason exclaimed, his excitement palpable. "You won't regret it, man. We're gonna have a blast."
With a final sigh, Roy hung up the phone, his thoughts turning to the party and the huge task at his hand.
He knew that getting close to Joanna would be difficult, but perhaps, if he could achieve it, his father would stop seeing him as a weakling.
Roy finally shot his car door, the sound of the engine purring to life as he pulled out of the driveway and onto the road.
The party would be a welcome distraction from his worries, he thought to himself, but he couldn't shake the sense of dread that had settled in his gut.
Joanna was not just any woman - she was Miguel's wife, the key to his father's plans. He just couldn't afford to mess this up.
The sun sank lower in the sky, the sky turning shades of orange and red as Joanna sat in the balcony, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and questions.
Her stuff was brought over earlier like the maid had said, and with the maid's help, she was able to arrange everything in the wardrobe.
Joanna's heart ached at the thought of her mother, her mind plagued by the memories of their last conversation.
She had pleaded with her mother not to marry her off to Miguel, but her pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
"This is for your own good, Joanna," her mother had said, her voice cold and unfeeling. She didn't care!
Joanna sighed, a bitter taste in her mouth as she remembered her mother's words.
She had been so blind, so naive. She had thought her mother would protect her, would stand up for her. But instead, her mother had allowed her get married to a mafia boss!
A tear rolled down her cheek as she stared out at the skyline, the city stretching out before her like a promise of escape.
But where would she go? What would she do?
She kept staring at her cell phone, hoping to at least get a call from her mother. Yet, there was none.
Joanna began to doubt if her mother ever cared about her. She had a lot of questions in her mind and she needed to get the answers from her mother alone.