XXIX. What a mess.
. . . . .
"Aiden you damned prick! Get back here!!"
. . . I do actually wonder how I got myself stuck in this situation.
"Ms. Viviana say 'ah'. . ." A woman approached me, her hand steadying a gleaming spoon, its metallic surface catching the light.
It was Mira Loma.
With a hesitant breath, I weakly opened my mouth as she guided the spoon inside my mouth, making me drink whatever it was. 'Medicine perhaps?'
"There. . ." She murmured softly, a kind smile breaking through her professional demeanor.
The taste was strange and slightly bitter. 'Must be because of my fever or it just taste like that— like garbage. Eugh.'
I grimaced as I swallowed, the thick liquid coating my throat in an unpleasant way.
This was precisely the reason why I hated drinking medicine, especially when it came in syrup form rather than capsules. Capsules were easy, they slid down without fuss.
But this?
Eugh. . . Terrible.
"Mira. . ." I began, my voice hoarse, barely above a whisper. It felt strange to speak, each word was hard to utter. My tone was also low and soft, almost fragile.
She leaned in closer, her expression attentive and patient. "Yes, Ms. Viviana? What is it?"
"Kick those fools out," I managed to say, my words laced with irritation. "They're adding to my headache."
My eyes landed on the familiar ginger head of the devil's assistant. He was attempting to do a handstand on top of the damn table, his limbs flailing as if he were defying gravity itself.
"Seriously?" I muttered under my breath, disbelief mingling with annoyance.
On the other side of the room, there's two more people, which whom I assume were Laxei and Mikhail. They sat at a small table, playing cards. The one with the black hair had his brow furrowed in focus as he contemplated his next move, while the one with brown-ish hair leaned back casually, a smirk playing on his lips as he shuffled the deck with practiced ease.
Then there's Lev. . . Casually glaring at Aiden.
'What kind of nonsense is this. . . Ugh.' I cursed internally. "Mira. . . Make them stop or I'll snap their head off."
She flinched for a moment because of my casual threat before nodding obediently. "Boys! Come here. Ms. Viviana is awake now and she wants to talk with all of you."
"Wait— that's not what I— Ugh. . . Nevermind." My words trailed off.
They all turned to look in my direction, and in that moment, Aiden lost his balance and fell from the table with a loud thud. He landed awkwardly, limbs sprawled in an ungraceful heap.
"Well, that's one way to make yourself known." I muttered, unable to suppress a wry smile despite my irritation.
Lev rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a smirk as he stepped closer to Aiden, offering a hand to help him up. "You okay, genius?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Aiden groaned as he pushed himself up, brushing off imaginary dust from his clothes. "Yeah, just testing the laws of physics. . . Y'know what they say, to see is to believe." He replied with a sheepish grin, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.
As he regained his footing, the room erupted into laughter, the tension dissipating like smoke in the wind. Laxei and Mikhail exchanged amused glances, their card game momentarily forgotten as they reveled in the spectacle.
Lev shook his head, still chuckling as he helped Aiden straighten up. "Next time, maybe try keeping your feet on the ground?"
Aiden shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. "Where's the fun in that?"
'Seriously. . . The ginger is always up to no good.' I watched the banter unfold, feeling my headache ease just a bit.
Just then, they were caught off-guard once again when Mira, my attending doctor, cleared her throat. "I said, get your asses over here and greet Ms. Viviana."
The room fell silent, and the playful atmosphere shifted instantly.
Aiden, still recovering from his fall, blinked up at her with a mix of surprise and sheepishness.
Lev straightened up, his smirk fading as he sensed the change in mood.
"Come on, Mik, you heard the lady." Laxei said, nudging Mikhail as they both stood up from the table. The card game was forgotten.
Aiden scrambled to his feet, brushing off his clothes with exaggerated care. "Right! Ms. Viviana~" he said, attempting to regain his composure while flashing a grin that felt more nervous than confident.
Mira crossed her arms, her expression firm but not unkind. "You all need to show some respect. She's been through a lot and your noises did not help at all."
"Right right~ sorry about that Ms. Viviana~" Aiden cheekily hummed.
The others approached the bed and looked down at my seated form, their expressions shifting from mischief to genuine concern.
Lev stood slightly apart, his gaze steady and serious.
While the other two are rather conflicted on what they want to say. Regardless, I can tell that they want to inquire about something.
"How are you feeling, Ms Viviana?" The man with the brown hair asked softly, his brow furrowed with concern. "I'm Laxei Sidorov. It's nice to finally meet you, heiress of the Viviana's."
I only eyed them in silence.
"I'm Mikhail Vassiliev." the black-haired guy added, stepping forward slightly. His voice was steady, but I could sense a hint of hesitation beneath his calm exterior.
It's obvious that they're Russians.
"Ms. Viviana? Hello heeEeEElllLllLoOOOooOOoooo!!~" Aiden's exaggerated greeting broke through the moment, his voice rising in pitch.
". . ." What the fuck was that screeching sound?
Smack.
"Shut up Aiden." Lev interjected, rolling his eyes as he shot a glare at the ginger.
"Tsk tsk. You're so rude, Lev. Never heard of manners?" Aiden rolled his eyes, unfazed by Lev's reprimand.
Lev, however, chose to ignore him and turned his attention back to me. "Ms. Viviana, I believe you already know me. My nickname is Lev and my full name is Leviathan Lyadova."
. . . I'm too tired to deal with this.
I narrowed my eyes at them. "I didn't ask for your names, get out of the room." I coldly ordered.
Being rude to them is not my intention. However, they work for him.
I might have felt at ease when I knew he actually saved me and not that he kidnapped me unlike how he claimed he did, doesn't mean I forgive them for what they did.
These people inside this room will keep me in check.
Aiden's grin faltered, and Lev raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by my abruptness.
Mikhail exchanged a glance with Laxei, both of them caught off-guard by my response. "Uh, we just wanted to check on you. . ." Mikhail said, his voice softening as he tried to diffuse the tension.
Mikhail cleared his throat, attempting to regain his composure. "We meant no disrespect. We just thought you might want some company."
Aiden piped up again, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah! We can be your personal cheerleaders!"
A heavy sigh escaped my lips. "Just leave."
The three exchanged glances. Mikhail nodded slowly. "Alright, we'll give you some time. Just. . . let us know if you need anything."
As they began to back away, Aiden shot me one last cheeky smile. "If you change your mind about the cheerleading, you know where to find us!"
Seriously? Why is he always so bubbly?
With that, they exited the room. Leaving me alone with Mira.
Mira adjusted her stance and she looked at me. "Ms. Viviana. . . Don't hate the heir of the Dimitri's that much. . . He's just. . . Like that."
"Pssh. Like what? Psychotic? Obsessive?" I scoffed and leaned on the soft pillow. "Listen here, Dakari Dimitri is far more spoiled than I am. He thinks he can get everything in this world just because their family is the most powerful mafia faction."
"I get it, but he's not all bad. He just has a different way of dealing with things."
"Yeah, dealing things by killing and by threatening others into complying to his whims."
"That's inevitable Ms. Viviana. . . You, as the heiress of the Viviana's should know that being part of the mafia meant that you have to be strong."
"I am strong." I stated in a low voice. "Besides, who are those fools anyways?" I quickly changed the subject.
I still get pissed off everytime the devil is mentioned. I mean— who wouldn't be?
He threatened me in my own home and even humiliated me infront of the people of the manor. Then, he literally made me play a losing game, and I fucking hate losing.
"Aiden, Lev, Mikhail and Laxei?"
"Wait, nevermind. They did introduce their selves to me." I rolled my eyes. "Aren't they afraid that I now know their identities? Aren't us Viviana's suspected to be a traitor to the peace treaty?"
"You are to be wed with the boss. . . There's nothing to worry about." Mira calmly said as she walked over to me with a thermometer at hand.
I just only stared at her as she took my body temperature.
"Hmm. . . 39.6°, your fever is still high. . ." She noted, her brow furrowing slightly as she recorded the reading.
Perhaps she will report my health progress to Dakari?
I assume he's going to wait for me to recover before we go to Russia.
Honestly not surprised. The jerk is obsessed. He literally is the type of man to give me everything I want except for the freedom I seek.
Greedy man.
He keeps me locked up, hiding me from the eyes of others.
Perhaps that's what he truly intends to do. And I'm afraid, that it will not be the only thing he will do.
Tsk tsk.
My gaze followed Mira's movements, her short raven hair swayed gently with each step she took. She often wore glasses, hinting at a possible vision issue, and her striking gray eyes seemed to hold a depth of understanding that belied her calm exterior.
'Is she Italian? She looks like one. . .' I pondered as I continued staring intently at her face. "Say, how did you become a doctor for the Russian Mafia?"
Her expression remained composed, but I could sense a flicker of something behind those gray eyes. Perhaps surprise or caution. "It's not as glamorous as it sounds." she replied softly, adjusting her glasses. "I fell into this world out of necessity, really. The medical field can be. . . complicated when it intertwines with organized crime."
"I know, but don't you have any reason? Surely there must be something that keeps you here, something beyond mere survival. Or perhaps did the jerk threaten you?"
Mira hesitated for a moment, her gaze drifting to the window where the light filtered in, casting soft shadows across the room. "You could say I have my reasons. . ." She began slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I grew up in a neighborhood where choices were limited. I wanted to help people, but the reality is that sometimes helping means getting your hands dirty. In this line of work, you learn to navigate the darkness."
Well. . . She has a point.
I was ready to throw hands if ever the jerk kidnapped the talented woman and forced her to become a doctor for the mafia.
Wait. How old even is she?
"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" I ventured, curiosity somehow got the best of me. 'Oh well.'
"I'm 28 years old, Ms. Viviana."
Hmm. . . She's older than me by 4 years.
"How about the devil. How old is he?"
"Mr. Dakari Dimitri is 31 years old."
Well damn.
He looked much younger. I thought he was around 26.
Knock knock.
A soft knock echoed through the room. Our eyes darted to the door.
Mira straightened, her demeanor shifting as she prepared for whoever was on the other side. "I wonder who that could be, should I go see and let them in, Ms Viviana?"
With a hesitant nod, I said, "Go ahead."
As the door swung wide, a figure stepped into the room. A tall man with an imposing presence. His sharp features were framed by dark hair, and his intense gaze swept over us, landing on Mira first.
And now who is this?
"Oh. . . Greetings Mr. Lucius Maeve." Mira said, her tone shifting to one of respect as she recognized the man standing before us.
Lucius stepped further into the room, his sharp features illuminated by the soft light. "I hope I'm not interrupting." he said, his voice smooth yet firm. He directed his attention to me, assessing my condition with a keen gaze.
Something's off about him and I don't know why. 'Maybe I just don't like him at all?'
Mira shook her head slightly. "No, not at all. Ms. Viviana was just recovering from a fever."
"Good to hear." He said in a low voice, his face remained passive, devoid of any emotions.
Just who does he think he is? I'm getting annoyed and I can't tell what exactly is the problem.
"Lucrezia Viviana. . ." He started, his gaze shifting from Mira to me, his tone almost clinical.
I only raised a brow at that.
"I've heard much about you. Your reputation precedes you."
I did not bother hiding my displeasure as I replied, "Get to the point. Why are you here? Enough with the fake pleasantries."
He regarded me with an unreadable expression. "Straightforward. I appreciate that," he said, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "I'm here to discuss your upcoming engagement to Dakari."
"What about it?"
"Don't you have a problem with it?"
I can only roll my eyes at that. "Isn't it obvious? Of course I do. Besides, who the fuck are you? What makes you think that you're free to come here whenever you please?"
His demeanor shifted slightly, but he maintained his composure. "I'm Lucius Maeve, one of his. . . Hmm. . . Relatives."
"Pfft— Maeve's and Dimitri's?" I scoffed. "Relatives? How come? Hmm?"
"The connections between families in this world can be complicated. It's not for you to venture further, Lucrezia." He said in a calm voice, however, a flicker of irritation was visible.
I crossed my arms, unconvinced. "Complicated? More like convoluted. Just because you share a name doesn't mean you share anything else." My face immediately turned into a scowl. "I would've believed you if you said you're from the side of the Vlair's. But out of all things, you claimed to be a relative of the Dimitri's and you're a Maeve. The side of the current head's mistress. Pfft—"
"Family ties are often more intricate than they appear, Lucrezia. The Maeve's and Dimitri's have been intertwined for generations."
"Enough. Lucius Maeve, Mango, Maybe, whoever you are. I may have been gone for nine years from the mafia world but I know better than to be ignorant with the family tree of our ally— the Dimitri's. Enodia Vlair Dimitri, the wife of Damien Dimitri. And then there's Eloise Maeve Dimitri, the second wife and the past mistress. I know for a fact that you're not here out of concern about the union between us Dakari."
Lucius's expression shifted slightly, a mixture of surprise and irritation crossing his face. "You certainly have done your homework, Lucrezia."
Tsk tsk.
"Lucius. You may have forgotten that even if I am bedridden I can still very much kill you right this instant. I am the heiress of the Viviana's and I, just like the other heirs, don't care about the consequences. We step on those foolish people whenever we want, wherever we please."
". . ." His eyes only narrowed in silence.
I did not mind.
I don't care.
What is he going to do? Hurt me in Dakari's villa? Knowing how psychotic the damned bastard is, he will surely kill Lucius once he heard that I'm hurt in any way.
I'm just confident he will. That's how he is.
"Speak up your mind Lucius, or I'll have Mira kick you out as well." I beckoned for Mira to come closer, just for caution.
". . . Very well."