DOMINIC
"You are so useless, I don't know why I married you" he's saying just as his fists goes up and lands on her face. I can't do anything. I'm just hiding and I'm watching.
"Why are you screaming?" He asks, sending another slap across her face. I know she's in pain but I can't do anything. I can't. He's my father and he has more control.
He pulls her hair, drags her down towards the kitchen then, I hear her scream in agony. I can't stop him. I can't. I shut my eyes as I let my tears gush down my cheeks. There's no one out to help. What should I do? I fold my legs up against my chest. We are helpless.
"Please Leo, I can't…please…Leo." I hear her cry out.
I can't take it anymore. He'll kill her. I have to help. I should stop him… Next thing I know, I'm suddenly running out of my hidding.
"Leave her alone" I scream as I head towards the kitchen. When I run in, I stop, a hand flying over my mouth. There's blood everywhere. Mom is on the floor. Blood. Blood. She's not moving. She's not… she's dead. He killed her. She's dead. Blood…
I jolt up awake as the pounding headache threatens to tear my forehead apart. It's the same nightmare that has been haunting me for years. I've tried therapy before—when I was fifteen. The nightmares stopped for a while but suddenly resurfaced. I don't even know at what point they came back.
I press a hand against my forehead as I push the covers off my body. I pull open the drawer and take out the pill container for my hypnic headache. I uncap the orange container and toss one tablet into my mouth then I gulp the bottle of water on my nightstand.
I look at the time on my phone, it's barely five in the morning but I know that I won't be able to go back to sleep though I lie down back in bed. Maybe I can try to get some sleep—something I always tell myself every time. Minutes later, after countless tossing and no sleep at all, I finally made a decision to get out of the bed.
I go into the bathroom and have a warm short shower. Then I set my way to my study. I have lots of work to oversee anyway. But this is how I start my morning every day.
I don't know how fast time has passed. It's when a knock comes at my door that I take a glance at my wrist watch. The time is ten thirty am.
"Come in," I say.
The door swings open and Nora, the woman who oversees things in the mansion walks in with a tray in her hand and her uniform.
"Morning sir. Your tea" she says as she walks closer to my desk. She makes me tea every morning just at this exact time.
"Thank you" I say as she places the small tea cup on my oak brown desk.
"Mr Blackwell your food will be ready in a few seconds" she tells me but I shake my head.
"Don't worry, Nora. I have a meeting very soon. I won't be having breakfast since I'm not hungry" I tell her, gripping the cup of tea as I bring it close to my lips.
"Okay sir" she says with a little curtsey bow as she clings to the tray against her chest while she walks away.
I continue with the paperwork I was assessing. There's something about these constructors working for me. I don't know what it is but I think they might be wanting to text my patience. I sigh as I narrow my eyes at the paper on my desk.
•••-------•••
Half an hour later, Giovanni, my driver, pulls up in the wide garage of the Cosmos family. A bodyguard opens the door for me and I step out. The Cosmos Mansion is a beautiful one with stones and tiles layered on the walls and floors of the building.
As I walk towards the building, Carlos, the youngest son is walking out of the building towards me.
"And if it's not the man of the year" he hails with his bright smile and his blond hair falling half way across his face.
"What's up kid" I say as I get closer to him.
I allow him a hug as he whispers into my neck. "I'm not a kid, old man"
I release him with a smirk "I didn't realize how old I've become"
His grin widens a little bit "too old to be calling me kid the way you do"
"He was playing with me and I fucking know what he's doing. Where's your father?"
"I don't know. Somewhere around I guess" he strolls forward and walks past me.
"Where are you going Carlos? We have a meeting with your father and don't you think it's time you started joining us?"
"I don't think so. Let the old men talk. I'm going to meet my fellow kids" now it's his turn to smirk as he walks away.
I honestly don't know how he's so different from his other brothers. He's more playful, full of life that sometimes I even wonder if the universe was wrong to drop him off in a family like Cosmos. Everybody knows who they are in Chicago.
"See you later kid" I say out loud over my shoulder as I smile and shake my head but I also hear the sound of the car door slam close—not sure if he heard me.
I proceed into the mansion. Diago is sitting on one of the king-sized golden couches in his house. Alessandro is sitting at his left and Alessio is to his right.
"Dom, you are here" Diago says the minute he sees me. I walk to him and prostrate in front of him touching his feet. That's how I've shown my respect to him over the years. Diago is more than a father to me.
"I got your text" I say
"Oh, yes." Diago replies.
"I saw Carlos. Don't you think it's time for him to start being part of all of this?" I ask and turn to shake Alessio. Then I hug Alessandro before sitting down next to him.
"He's not ready" Diago adjusts his position on the couch. I was talking to one party member, actually the person heading your campaign. He gave a big interesting suggestion. You know how your good image will go a long way for us all
I nod my head "yes I do."
"Well, he said having a partner will go a long way to gain the people's support and I agreed with him. You know how we want this but we also want it to look like the people gave you their full support" he let out a sigh and sits upright. I don't know where he's headed with his talks but I listen. Everything I'm doing, I owe it to him.
"You'll have to get married. This way, your outward image will make them see you in a certain way to support you when they know you are also capable of loving a woman. People like that stuff"
"Uhmm…" I search for words not knowing exactly what I want to say. I'm not about to object because I can't. I also want this but if I accept, I don't know a lot of good women. And I've never had any plans of settling down whatsoever. For the very least, I dread marriage, relationships and a lot of many other things.
"How will this work?" I ask anyway, rubbing my knees.
Before answering me, he tells Alessio to get us drinks while we talk—since Alessio is the youngest of us all.
"You need someone from a family without a criminal trace or violence. An average family. Because if you go for a rich one, people might think you are discriminative."
"Uhmm…do I have to choose or what?" I ask
Alessio returns with a bottle of scotch and a maid following him behind with a tray of glasses. The maid drops the tray on the center table and walks away. Alessio pours us all a glass of scotch.
Diago clears his throat. "I would have said you don't worry about that stress and find you someone but since it's someone you'll be living with, you should have a say too. You are a grown man" he drinks from the glass so, I've asked Matio to get us a comprehensive list of families in Chicago. He should be here soon. That way we can all analyze. That's why I wanted the twins to be here too."
After that, Diago changes the topic and we start to talk about business. The trading across the port, how he badly wants me to win this election so that we can control even the government too. I've always enjoyed power and the control that he hands to me so, I'll say I badly wants to win this election too.
Minutes later, Matio walks in with files in his hand. After all the pleasantries, he sits across from me and places the files on the table. One after the other he presents a family and their business background with a few other histories. I know that in the end, I'll have to pick just one family to visit and tell them I find their daughter attractive or something of that nature. I don't know.
I don't exactly have anything I'm looking for so, when I'm certain he's at the last one, I clear my throat.
"I'll go with this one" I say pointing at the last red file on Matio's left hand side.