2: The flying rumors

The force that the lady guard used to push me down to the cold room was unbearable.

Grandma Benita immediately stepped on my leg with anger flaming on her face.

“Do you admit to your mistakes?” She furiously asked.

Hearing this, I hummed with a severe glare.

“I am not in the wrong,” I retorted

I didn't expect what would happen next—a slap to my salty cheek.

I groan. “If you look down on me, then just send me back to Sicily if you have the ability to,” I icily said.

“Keep your wishing thinking. No matter how dark your skin is or how African your blood is, you are and will remain one of us, a Balboa. Even though you want to die, you can do that after I've permitted you to do so,” Grandma Benita said to my face.

She groaned again and turned around.

“Since you don't want to be taught, then you shall be locked up and be starved for two days,” she hissed

“When you admit to your mistakes, then you can come out from this dark room,” she added.

She turned and looked at the female guard.

“Lock her in and make sure she eats nothing. No one should let her out,”

I felt my heart burst in between my chest.

“ Even if I die and turn to ghost, I will not let you and the other Balboa's be in peace,” I said with a wicked grin on my face.

Grandma Benita frowns deepens 

“Send the order. No one should deliver food to her. I want to see how long she can keep up with her lousy mouth,”

“Yes, my lady,”

Grandma Benita walks away.

“This is a dark room. No one has stayed here for long because there are lots of spiders and rats,” the guard tormented me further 

I frowned at that, “Get out” I yelled at her

The lady guard humphed and closed the door with a smile glued to her wrinkled face.

Three days later

I struggled to open my eyes because of the lights that were about to blind me.

I look around to see that I am already in my room. It's like I passed out. I  managed to get up and stretched a bit.

“Big sister Caitrona, you're awake?”

I turn around to see Avala Contenese and Talia, her sister's daughter smiling at me with a tray of food in her hand.

I frowned and turned around, facing the great view outside the window.

“All thanks to your Papá, immediately he arrived home hearing grandma punished you,  he quickly gave orders to let you out meanwhile you've already passed out,”

“Sister, you have slept for three good days so that you might be hungry. Here is a good meal prepared by myself,”

I smiled at her.

“Since it's your treat, then I won't hold myself,” I sarcastically replied.

“A rural girl indeed. Mangos, lemon juice, and pastries let's see if she'll still be arrogant,” Avala thought.

I grabbed the tray from her.

With a smile, I murmured as I threw the tray of food over her head.

“Ahh, what are you doing,”

I put my face in a thinking mode. “Ah, what am I doing?” I asked, smirking at them.

“You think that I don't know that all this combination of food and drinks is poisonous? Mango? Lemon juice and pastries,”

I grab her collar.

“you are mad. Let me go,” she tried to free herself.

“Caitrona, please let Talia go. She is a good girl and probably doesn't know about this,”

I looked at Avala, still holding Talia's collar captive.

“Good girl? By serving me pastries, unripe mangos, and lemon juice? You want to poison me,” I angrily asked.

“I don't know anything” Talia struggled.

I just wanted to start a show. Who knew that you were so scared...

I push Talia to the floor.

“Ahh,” Talia groaned in pain as Avala hurried to her to console her.

“I will not keep a grudge against you for what happened today. But I, Caitrona Balboa is not someone who is easily stepped on by others,” I folded my hands to my chest.

“If you want to hurt me, I will surely return the favor and bite you without hesitation. Now please, leave my room,” I yelled

They both position their self's. “Let us go,”

The door was slammed.

Just wait and see, I, Caitrona, will never be at the mercy of the Balboa's clan.

-Bocconi university -

“Did you hear that Caitrona Balboa from the department of the managerial business plan is shameless?” Some said.

“Especially in front of all the guests in the charity banquet, she acted like a slut. I was there myself with my parents,” the other replied.

“it was all over the news some weeks back that she was planning on seducing the Dellucci heir,”

“She doesn't know that in Milan, there are many young girls and women that stick around Young master Dellucci,”

“Such a dark-skinned rural girl like her try to hook up with him,”

Hearing all this hurts my heart deeply. How can I live now that the whole world knows me because of my last name, Balboa?

“Caitrona... Stop right there,”

Madeleine, the departmental mean girl, I surely can't handle her right now, not now, not ever.

She raced herself to my front. She blames brown eyes on me, not minding if others are looking.

“You dare to seduce Adonis Dellucci during your family charity banquet. I watched it on TV and heard more from others. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?” she yelled slightly.

“I did look at it,” I smirk at her. “And I think I look pretty  dark and sexy to tell you the truth,”

I winked at the short devil.

She flushes pink. “ew, you're so thick-skinned,”

I walk closer to her with my breath fanning her face.

“you like Adonis Dellucci too?” I look at her seductively.

She gasped as her face turned pepper red.

“Cai... Caitrona, who...like Signor Dellucci?”

“If you like him, then go chase after him. Why are you scolding me when you have the skin of snow?”

I furrowed my eyebrows at her.

“Do you see me as a threat? I am a mixed-bred Italian mixed with African blood, and I am dark-skinned. You have to deal with your biggest love rival first,”

I turned to walk away.

“Ahhhhhh, Caitrona, you are shameless,”

There is a high chance that this is all caused By Graciela Balboa.