XIV. A Deal?
. . . . .
I spent three days with the Caspian family, and I must admit, it was a delightful and novel experience for someone who is typically quite cynical. The warmth and hospitality they extended to me were truly refreshing, softening my usual skepticism and allowing me to appreciate the nuances of their family dynamics.
They greeted Zephyr and me with broad grins, their faces lighting up with pride over our mutual agreement, which promised significant benefits for both families. This alliance wasn't merely a formality but a strategic move to strengthen our ties and secure a prosperous future for both sides.
An agreement that will be sealed through marriage.
Yet, there was an undertone of something unsaid, a palpable "however" that hung in the air, unspoken and heavy. Someone was clearly displeased about such an announcement.
As soon as I returned to the Viviana manor, my father abruptly drew me to his side, his gaze fixed in a fierce glare directed at Dakari, who was standing before us. The air crackled with tension, and I could feel the weight of unspoken words hanging between the two men.
Dakari stood there, unfazed, as if he had anticipated this confrontation. His calm demeanor contrasted sharply with my father's simmering anger.
I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what had transpired in my absence and wondering if I had somehow stepped into the middle of a long-simmering conflict. The atmosphere between the two men was thick with tension.
'What is he even doing here?' Was the only question in my mind as I looked over the man I despise.
I could see the muscles in Dakari's arms tense, the way his knuckles whitened as he gripped his fists. It was a clear sign of his barely contained fury despite the calm expression he has on his face.
His ginger-haired assistant stood just behind him, eyes wide with anxiety as he watched the scene unfold. The young man's face showed clear concern, and he nervously fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. It was obvious that he was unsettled by the escalating tension between Dakari and my father.
Meanwhile, I stood motionless, a silent observer amidst the palpable tension that filled the room.
I'm worried. 'What even happened here?' The question lingered in my mind, heavy with uncertainty.
"Leave Dakari. Our discussion already ended three days ago." My father growled angrily, his voice is loud that it echoed ominously.
"I won't be going anywhere," Dakari replied, his tone dark and resolute. "Are you really breaking our trust now, Silvestre?" His gaze locked onto my father's, unyielding and fierce.
The atmosphere crackled with unspoken animosity as Dakari's fierce determination clashed with my father's protective instincts. I could see the anger simmering beneath the surface of my father's demeanor, his jaw clenched tightly in response to Dakari's audacity.
"LEAVE!"
I flinched, father's command was firm, and it sent shivers down my spine. It was a rare sight to witness him this furious, his eyes blazing with fury. He was so angry and so ready to kill someone.
"You dare disregard the agreement forged years ago?" Dakari's voice remained deceptively calm, yet the tension in his posture betrayed him.
I gave my father's shirt a soft pull, seeking his gaze, my brows knitting together in dismay. 'He's not paying attention to me.' I thought, my frown deepening as I watched him remain locked in a fierce stare with Dakari.
The intensity of their confrontation felt like a wall between us, and I was desperate to break through.
My gaze landed on Dakari, and he stared back with an unknown glint in his eyes. 'What's up with him?' I wondered, unsettled by the intensity of his blue eyes, which were completely fixated on mine.
The air between us felt charged with an unspoken tension, as if he was trying to convey a message through his unwavering stare. I shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, my own questions and doubts swirling in my mind.
"LEAVE DAKARI AND DON'T EVER COME BACK AGAIN!!" My father yelled once again. His angered voice continued to ring in my ears, a thunderous echo that left me reeling. It's not pleasant at all.
Despite all the yelling from my father, Dakari and I maintained strong eye contact. I narrowed my eyes at him the longer he stared back. "Mr. Dakari. Leave." I coldly ordered, my voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of tension.
He still did not make any attempts to move and remained standing in place, as if his foot was rooted to the ground, hindering him from taking a step away.
I can only curse in my head at his unhinged behavior.
I'm not even sure why I'm still looking at him. I just can't take my eyes off him. "Don't make me repeat myself Dakari Dimitri." I warned him.
I can't bear to stand beside my father as he loses control over his anger. Bloodshed will be inevitable if this keeps up. Dakari should know better than to anger my father even further.
However, I do get where he got his confidence from. Being the son of the most powerful man in the world undoubtedly granted Dakari a sense of security and entitlement that many power hungry creatures could only dream of.
"Lucrezia." Dakari called out my name without saying anything after which made me feel perplexed. 'What the?—' I thought, confusion swirling in my mind. His gaze finally averted from mine and then locked onto my father's, sharp and unwavering. "I'll be taking her with me." He declared, his tone devoid of any pretense of politeness. It was not a request. It was a firm demand, as if he were laying claim to something that belonged to him.
I stood frozen in shock, my mind racing to process Dakari's words. 'W-what does he mean, take me?' The words echoed in my mind, a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief swirling around me.
I turned to my father, my heart racing as I sought answers in his expression, desperate to understand what was happening. But instead of clarity, I found only fury etched across his face.
My father's silence in response to Dakari's bold proclamation sent a wave of unease coursing through me. I noted with growing concern that he did not object. It was one thing for Dakari to assert his intentions, but my father's lack of immediate protest felt like a betrayal of everything I thought I knew about him.
'Father? Why aren't you doing anything? Tell the man that he can't, protest!' My heart is now pounding like a drum in my chest. 'What the fuck is happening?' I am so lost about everything.
I can't keep up.
I'm feeling anxious.
A foreboding sense washed over me, whispering that I wouldn't like the next words that would escape his lips.
"Hand over my fiancée."
My eyes widened in disbelief, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a dense fog, slowly suffocating me as I struggled to process what had just been said. I blinked rapidly, half-convinced that my ears were deceiving me. 'Did he truly just say that?' It seemed impossible. Surely, he was simply mistaken or playing some cruel joke.
Everything seemed to have fallen into a heavy silence.
My heart raced as I felt a mix of shock and confusion wash over me. How could he refer to me in such a possessive manner? The word "fiancée" echoed in my mind, twisting the reality of our situation into something I hadn't anticipated.
The shock was evident on my face, impossible to conceal. "Your fiancée? You must be confused. I am already promised to another." A nervous laugh escaped my lips, tinged with unease, as I lifted my hand to display the temporary ring that adorned it. It glinted in the dim light, a fragile symbol of the engagement my father had arranged for me.
I presented it to him as evidence.
It was a token from Zephyr, given to me just before I departed for the manor. My return was abrupt, and I had not anticipated such a revelation.
The diamond ring sparkled brilliantly as I lifted my hand, catching the light in a way that made it almost dance.
A brief silence engulfed the surroundings, amplifying the tension and adding to my anxiety.
Each passing second felt like an eternity, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest as I analyzed Dakari's expression, searching for any sign that he might reconsider his bold declaration and leave immediately.
However, his expression turned grim at the sight of the ring, a dark cloud settling over his features. His face twisted into a scowl, and an involuntary shiver ran down my spine as I instinctively retreated behind my father.
The atmosphere was charged with an unspoken threat. Dakari's voice, laced with a dark undertone, broke the silence. "Step aside, Silvestre. . ." he demanded, his ocean-blue eyes piercing through the space between them.
He advanced towards us with measured steps, halting abruptly, a look of astonishment etching his features. The reason for his surprise mirrored my own shock when my father, with a swift motion, brandished a gun and aimed it squarely at Dakari.
"F-father!?" I gasped, my voice trembling as I instinctively stepped back, pressing against my father's solid frame for protection.
Oh fuck, no.
How did this even escalate into this?!
"Back down, Dakari. Leave my daughter alone." The authority in my father's voice was unmistakable, reverberating through the charged atmosphere. I felt a rush of conflicting emotions— fear, anger, and a desperate need for resolution.
Dakari scoffed. "She dares to make jokes about being bonded with another man in the presence of her fiancé?" His words hung in the air, laced with a mixture of disbelief and contempt.
Everything is a whirlpool in my head right now. 'Why is he referring to himself as my fiancé?' The question echoed relentlessly, amplifying my confusion and frustration.
Dakari's bold assertion felt like a slap in the face, and I struggled to comprehend how he could make such a claim when I was already promised to another.
I can't think straight.
Everything doesn't make sense.
I forced my mouth to open, finding the strength to assert myself. "I'm not making jokes! I already have a fiancé, and it's not you."
Dakari only chuckled darkly, the sound sending a chill down my spine. "She doesn't know, Silvestre?" He asked incredulously, his voice dripping with mocking disbelief. With a menacing glint in his blue eyes, he stared at my father, his gaze unwavering and filled with contempt. "You kept your daughter in the dark?" He continued, his words laced with a hint of triumph, as if he had uncovered a deep, dark secret.
What is he even saying? I don't know anymore.
This feels like madness, a nightmarish vision masquerading as reality. I'm compelled to laugh at myself in this moment of absurdity.
I've always been shielded from the truth by my father, only to have it cruelly revealed by the very person I claimed to despise so much.
The gun in my father's hands remained trained on Dakari's head.
My heart raced as I turned to see Dakari's red-haired assistant, a figure I almost forgot that was here when I arrived, stepping forward with a weapon drawn and aimed squarely at my father's head.
"Let's not escalate this further. . ." The assistant said coolly, his voice steady but laced with an underlying threat. "You're outnumbered, Silvestre. Put the gun down before someone gets hurt."
My father's expression hardened, his grip on his weapon still unwavering.
There's one thing I know for sure.
I can't let this happen.
I have to stop them.
I stepped forward, my decision already fixed. "Put the gun down." I commanded, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. "I'll go with you."
My father did not stop me, nor did he even look my way. 'So, that's how it is?'
Fine.
Father's face was unchanged, his expression still angry and grim.
I am filled with questions, yet I am certain he will not give me any proper answer. He never has.
Hence, the city and the two rival mafia factions should be grateful for my sacrifice, lest this unhinged man before me sparks a mafia war.
The perils of mafia wars cannot be taken lightly. In the throes of such strife, assassinations, bombings, and numerous violent acts become the tools of trade as each faction vies for dominance over the other.
It's fucked up and it already happened centuries ago, we don't want to recreate that disaster, do we?
Not only did both Viviana and Dimitri seem to be in a concerning feud and underwent several misunderstandings, now, the Viviana family leader and the heir of the Dimitri family are pointing a gun on each other's skulls.
Pulling the trigger will be the calling for the war to initiate. I have no choice but to step up. Unless my father withdrew his gun first, I would have no choice but to obey Dakari just to prevent any bloodshed.
My gaze settled on the red-head behind him, whose emerald eyes seemed to plead with me for action. His fingers remained steadfast on the trigger. Yet, there was an unspoken understanding between us, a shared sentiment perhaps.
Father's hands were the same, fingers on the trigger of his 9mm SP5K pistol with narrowed eyes, only fixated on Dakari.
Dakari and I were the only ones that stood between the guns. If my father shoots, Dakari will be hit. And if Aiden Blanche pulls the trigger, I will be shot because I am standing in front of my father.
I don't mind taking a bullet for my father. However, it's not my time yet. "Lower the gun." I ordered firmly again, my voice cutting through the thick tension in place.
Nobody moved.
"I said, lower the fucking gun!" I gritted my teeth as I cursed, my voice rising in urgency. I wanted nothing more than to grind that weapon into dust, to take away the threat it represented, but I knew that wasn't the solution.
Dakari finally raised his right hand as if in mock surrender, a gesture that momentarily diffused the tension in the air.
Father did the same.
Aiden lowered his gun with a sigh of relief and slightly smiled at me after sensing my gaze have been following his movements.
I also sighed in relief internally at the gesture.
I turned to look at my father, his hard gaze on Dakari shifted to me as it gradually softened. He murmured, "I'm sorry. . ."
I only nodded and only whispered, "It's okay." It was not okay. My heart dropped several times, overthinking things and even was on the verge of passing out the moment weapons were whipped out.
I, of course, won't tell that to father.
My father returned his gun to its original hiding place. "My daughter will not accompany you." He declared firmly, his voice laced with a protective edge. With a gentle but firm tug on the back of my shirt, he pulled me away from Dakari, creating a physical barrier between us. "She is going to be married with Zephyr Caspian, and there's nothing you can do to prevent it, Dakari." He stated, his tone dark yet no longer raised.
Dakari just grinned. "Zephyr?" His voice dripping with malice. The name hanging in the air like a dark omen. The way he spoke it sent a shiver down my spine, as if he were mocking not just the name but the very idea of the alliance my father was so adamant about. "Break off the engagement with that man." Dakari paused and trailed off. "Or else. . ."
Yeah. . . Nope. That was certainly not an empty promise. "These kinds of discussions are not one for you to decide." I retorted. "You don't get to tell me what to do."
"You've been mine the moment you were born."
Once again, my heart skipped a beat at his words. 'He truly says the creepiest shit in existence.' I shuddered. "Enough. Leave my home already." I angrily snarled.
"If that's what you want." He shrugged. "But. . ." He trailed off his words once again, "Make no mistake, Lucrezia. I'll always come back for you."
My mood is foul.
This is the second time I heard those phrase coming out of his mouth. And each time, he always fulfilled them.
With a satisfied smirk etched on his face, he walked away.
In which, I raised my arms the moment he turned to leave with a bitter expression on my face. Bending my fingers on both hands to flip his retreating back.
'Thick faced mentally ill asshole.'
I despise him.
He always gets on my nerves without a failure.