◽THE ABSURD PROPOSAL◽
◽THIRD PERSON'S POV◽
She stirred in her sleep to the loud bang of something being thrown against the wall. Startled, she jolted awake, fear creeping in. She began practicing steady breathing to prevent her symptoms from escalating. She had been here for two months, and never had she seen Marco resort to violence. Two months wasn't a lot of time to get to know a person, but it was for someone like her.
She cowered in fear as another crash echoed through the room.
Scared for her life yet unable to contain her curiosity, she tried to peek and see what was happening. Outside her door, she spotted unidentified bulky men, four times her size, unusually large and gruff-looking.
With no idea who they were, she struggled to control herself and ran to hide. This mafia home was just too quiet to fit the stereotype. It was a clear contrast of the image Angel had painted in her subconscious mind
Apart from Marco occasionally coming home with blood covered cloths and a literal torture chamber in the basement, there was no violence. It was just a big house full of buff men. She was always curious, but her curiosity couldn't override her fear. She retreated to the farthest corner of the room. Unable to resist the increasingly clear conversation, she pressed her ear against the door.
"If you don't get married and produce an heir, how do you think you were going to keep being the leader?" She didn't know who was speaking, but she had a vague idea of what was going on.
Not wanting to get caught, and with the conversation already clear, she didn't need to eavesdrop anymore. She detested how the conversation shifted from being angry at his son for not giving him a grandson to being angry at his son for not getting rid of her.
She was shaken to her core
She retreated to the farthest corner of the room, as if that made her invisible, she doesn't want to ever confront Mr Angelini senior, he sounded like a very angry man, a man with a lot of unresolved issues
Angelini senior wasn't fighting demons, he was the demon
..........
"I can help you," she announced with a straight face.
"You want to help me? How?" Marco knew she wasn't the one to bluff.
"I can give birth to your child."
His eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Good Lord! I'm not going to fuck a minor for my own selfish need."
Marian began picking at her nail, waiting for him to finish his sentence. "Who says we're going to fuck? Sometimes I wonder if you're really as smart as you think you are," she said, shaking her head.
Nobody dared speak to Marco that way and lived to see another day, but here he was, taking all sorts of insults from a teenage girl. "I mean, you're every girl's dream, but you're also a deadly person, so I wouldn't want to," she continued, asserting her point. "Maybe on a normal basis, if we hadn't met this way or you weren't who you are, I would certainly jump at the chance."
He rolled his eyes, waiting for Marian to get to the point. From what he had seen, she was someone who analyzed every situation with care, eventually coming up with the best solution. She doesn't get swayed by emotion and knew how to control herself.
For God's sake, she had bounced back just a week after learning about her parents' deaths, she had never even been curious about who killed her parents. "Surrogacy," she concluded. "You are influential. Getting an egg donor won't be a problem. I'll help with the baby, and you'll allow me to go to school. My future is in jeopardy; you should take pity on me."
Marco wasn't as heartless as his father. He knew how much everything was affecting Marian, but they had no choice. Her sister was in hiding with information that could destroy them. Marian was an alternative, a threat to keep her sister tied up. They couldn't let her go; she was the only weapon they could use against her sister.
"Still, you're underage," he concludes, leaving no room for argument.
"For God's sake, my birthday was just a little later than my peers' I turned eighteen a week after I was brought here." She knew she couldn't get what she wanted easily, so trying to compromise in a way that would benefit him was the only way.
She couldn’t afford to miss her final exam. She had studied tirelessly to get into the best university to study medicine, and she wasn’t going to lose everything because her sister had fallen in love with the wrong man.
“You don’t want to get involved with a girl. I need to take my finals. It’s a win-win,” Marian said firmly, trying to reach a compromise with Marco. She was determined to survive, no matter the cost.
Even if they decided to kill her, they wouldn’t do it while she was pregnant with his child. She had devised numerous strategies to endure this dreadful situation. Her life was precarious, especially after Marco’s father, Giovanni, stormed in, demanding good news. It wasn’t her problem, but the household’s atmosphere hinged on it. She knew the risks when she proposed surrogacy. She was willing to do whatever it took to keep her life intact.
For days, she had cried herself to sleep, but she couldn’t remain trapped in her past dilemma. She needed to move forward if she ever wanted to discover what had happened to her sister. How did they both end up in such a disastrous situation
Thinking about her parents stirred emotions she thought she had successfully buried. Unable to control her reaction, she excused herself.
She was in denial about her sister’s involvement in this mess. She wanted so badly the reasonable and logical explanation to what was going on to be a lie
Marco had never seen her look so defeated. From afar, he had always wondered how her spirit seemed unbreakable.
Seeing her eyes well up with tears made him feel pity, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t let his guard down around someone like Marian. But no matter how matured she seemed she was still just eighteen after all
She handled being snatched away from her life so well but it was hard getting used to the kind of life they lived, especially since they had kept her locked up. The house was her prison.
Marco could relate to Marian at that moment—her desperation to stay alive, her need for assurance that they wouldn’t kill her, which led her to such a desperate proposal.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” Marco said, concluding the conversation. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. You’re interesting,” he added before walking away, leaving her staring after him in disbelief.
She didn’t believe a word he said. She was certain they would discard her if they deemed her useless.
◽◽◽◽
◽MARIAN'S POV◽
I never imagined I would say this, but I had actually started enjoying my time here. Most of the people around me were nice, and even those who used to ignore me started managing a 'good morning'
Honestly, their current demeanor was much better than their usual gruff attitudes. At first, I hated being here, but now my feelings were a tangled mess. I knew if I stepped outside, I might be kidnapped by someone looking for the secrets i held but they would be making a big mistake because I wasn't Mathilda and I was as clueless as a day old baby
I don't have the tiniest idea what secrets my sister held or how damaging it could be to the Angelini. I couldn’t help but wonder: Where was my sister? Did she know about the danger she had placed me in?
And most of all, who killed my parent?
I despised being confined indoors. They told me I couldn’t go outside or even near the window. I wasn’t a clueless teenager; I understood that stepping out might get me shot. As much as I hated being controlled by others, I didn’t have a choice in this situation.
As usual, I wandered the perimeter of the house, with BJ trailing behind me. I wished they would stop following me everywhere within the compound. I wasn’t stupid enough to attempt an escape after my first 'delectable' experience.
But I had gotten used to him and he seemed to be the only guard around the house that I was comfortable with.
In the parlor, six guys were lounging around. Four of them were familiar faces—they didn’t live here but visited occasionally and were generally quite pleasant. At least they were eager to keep me company until grumpy Mr. Angelini decided to send them away. They were the only ones who could break the monotony, and he ruined that.
The other two guys were strangers to me but strikingly handsome. One had shaggy brown hair, brooding good looks, nose shaped by a god, and full, heart-shaped lips. If I saw these two outside, I would never have associated them with the mafia
The other one looked similar but had blond hair and downturned eyes.
I smiled, hoping to greet Jay, Blade, Nat, and Lorenzo without seeming too eager.
Lorenzo seemed to sense my careful approach because he walked over and pulled me into a warm hug. “Oh, my pretty puppy,” he teased. I almost laughed but managed to keep it in. They introduced the newcomers to me—Rika and Riko, who were twins and Marco’s nephews, while the others were distant relatives.
That explained their striking appearance. It seemed there wasn’t a single bad gene in this family. How could everyone with the last name Angelini look like they’d been crafted by a guru?
After exchanging greetings, Jay didn’t waste time letting me settle in. He fetched the board game we played the last time they visited. “Ready to get your ass kicked?” he challenged, and I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please, that one flimsy win doesn’t count. You’ve had years to perfect your cheating skills.”
He pulled me along, laughing, as we sat at the table. The game board he brought out had three different games on it. Last time, we played chess. “Do you want to play Snakes and Ladders or checkers?” he asked.
Honestly, I was good at all the games, so I didn’t mind which one we played. I was just glad to have someone to play with so freely. Yes, I liked this place. It was an introvert’s dream. But I wasn’t exactly an introvert. Sometimes, I craved solitude without human interaction, and other times, I longed for company.
This week, I wanted company, but everyone around me seemed to view me as a threat—a ticking time bomb. They’d been tiptoeing around me since I managed to escape successfully.
Marco had even gone so far as to assign me a personal bodyguard, BJ. The only thing he hadn’t done was put me in chains.
I shook my head to push away the unsettling thought of being locked in a basement, only to be let out for interrogation and torture.
I chose Snakes and Ladders because it was the easiest game to catch them cheating at, and I could focus on watching for any tricks. My first dice roll was a six, which sent me straight to a snake. Groaning, I frowned as I rolled my eyes at their loud cheers. Off to a bad start.
Jay rolled his dice and landed on a six, just like I had. I kept my expression neutral, refusing to show how pleased I was.
Eventually, I couldn’t maintain my poker face and ended up cheering by myself, not expecting anyone to join in but they did.
I rolled again, landing on a three, which put me on a ladder that took me straight to 92
Jay’s expression made me snicker.
I just hoped I wouldn’t roll a two next, which would send me back to 52. But even so, I was still ahead.
The game went on for about two hours. Jay was unwilling to admit defeat, and Lorenzo, Rika, and Riko became my personal cheerleaders.
........
The Last week had been fun, but today was even better. Surprisingly, things weren’t so bad here, mainly because no one was treating me poorly.
I haven't had a decent conversation with Mr Angelini since our last conversation, when I told him about the surrogacy. I wasn’t sure if he was avoiding me, but it sure felt like it. Had I become unbearable for him?
Good.
Just as I was thinking about him, he walked into the kitchen, reeking of gin. I grimaced but took generous drag of the surrounding air.
“What happened?” I dared to ask, my hands trembling from a mix of curiosity and anxiety.
“Nothing,” he replied in an unsteady voice, his eyes unfocused.
“What happened to you?” I pressed on, intrigued, as I’d never seen him in this state before.
“Something was in the drink,” he mumbled incoherently, avoiding eye contact with me. I quickly realized he’d been drugged. He went to a cartel—what did he expect? He shouldn’t have let his guard down.
His gaze drifted over my nightwear-clad body, avoiding my face.
“I wanted to bring up the surrogacy, but how can I do that now?” I muttered to myself.
“Don’t bring that up now. Don’t piss me off,” he warned, leaving no room for argument.
I pouted, frustrated that I couldn’t trick him into giving me a positive answer.
“Damn you,” I groaned. “Where’s Martini and the others?” The house was unusually quiet, lacking the usual hustle and bustle of testosterone-filled activity.
I had gone to bed early because I was exhausted from playing games all day. I knew Lorenzo and co came here for their 'business' and they all left as soon as night fell.
I’d learned that in this world, they often disguised their conflicts as parties.
“Cleaning up,” he grunted. Mr Angelini was always grumpy, but his mood worsened with whatever drugs were in his system.
“Let me help you up the stairs,” I offered. I could have asked BJ to help, but I’d sent him on an errand. I’d unexpectedly gotten my period, and they hadn’t planned for that. They didn’t think I’d need any lady products, so they didn’t buy any.
I made sure I was incredibly sarcastic telling him, especially since I felt uncomfortable telling him to get me some lady care.
He nodded, and I felt oddly pleased that he was at my mercy. I put his arm around my shoulder. Dear Lord, he was so heavy. We took the stairs one step at a time, and I groaned with each one.
“Damn, you’re heavy,” I said, placing his hand on the fingerprint scanner, which unlocked the door immediately.
“What’s the password?” I asked innocently, trying to satisfy my curiosity.
“You think you can trick me just because I’m high?” he chuckled.
“Worth a try,” I played along. “So, what is it?”
“My mother’s birthday,” he replied. That explained the figurine. He was a mama’s boy, after all.
“I didn’t know you had a soft spot for anyone,” I said, chuckling with him.
“I do have one. You’re touching me right now, aren’t you?” he joked.
“Seriously, I don’t know why I haven’t killed you yet,” he deadpanned, removing his suit jacket, leaving him in his shirt and suit pants.
I let my eyes wander over his chiseled body. He was left only in his suit pants, and I didn’t want to intrude on his privacy by helping him with those.
“You’ll have to handle that yourself,” I pointed at his trousers.
“Yeah, right,” he said, clearing his throat as he unzipped them.
“What the hell? My virgin eyes!” I exclaimed in mock horror. He shook his head, as if suddenly remembering I was there.
“Let me help you to the bathroom first. You can take them off in there,” I suggested. He nodded and leaned heavily on me again, putting his arm over my shoulder.
I aimed the shower head at his face, hoping it might help sober him up.
“Why did you do that?” he whined.
Honestly, I didn’t think it was a bad thing that he got drugged. Why was I wishing for this to happen more often?
“I like you like this,” I said quietly.
“Oh, you do?” he teased, pulling me closer until I landed on his chest with a loud thump. “You look so beautiful right now. I want to kiss you so badly,” he muttered.
“Then do it,” I challenged playfully.
“You temptress,” he chuckled, before I left him to bathe. I felt he was sober enough to manage without falling in the shower.
I sat on a chair, waiting for him to come out.
When he did, he went straight to bed.
I stayed for a moment, watching him sleep before heading to my own room. Yes, it was creepy to stare. I know.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
