SOFIAI sighed heavily as I dumped my phone on my bed. How kind nature was. To give me a second chance. Well, I'd say I really deserved it. I was desperate. I don't know what I would have done if he didn't call me back. I talked a lot. Well, he'd have to get used to that. His voice was scary and soothing, like Mufasa's from the children's cartoon. There was this feeling of excitement in my body. I could confirm the butterfly saying, it felt like the cocoons just hatched in there. Was it his voice? Or the fact that he wanted to see me again so soon?I stood up to look at my reflection again. Of course, I had to praise myself for being lucky. I was the luckiest woman in the world. I smiled wholeheartedly, and then I stopped smiling. Nothing was funny right now, not in the least. I was meeting him again. Usually, I'll have a plan down, to guide me step by step, but now I had nothing. The first time I was drunk and lucky. I was not the best presenter of words in person.I was the shy type.
ALEX Time was still, or was it because I kept staring at my wristwatch?I was seated at the counter, and I couldn't help but feel the mix of anticipation and nervousness. I knew she would be arriving any minute now, she sounded excited, there was no way she wouldn't come. She had sounded ready to kill her parent's murderers if she saw them.I looked around, the dimly lit bar provided a sense of comfort, my mind was racing with thoughts and plans once I saw that woman. I ordered drinks, trying to appear nonchalant, but deep down, I knew that I was ordering them cautiously, I would rather not get drunk. Each sip helped to calm my nerves, but it also reminded me of the weight of the situation I was in and how I was about to solve it.My mind wandered to the life I would own. I would have control over the mob. It was a position of power that I had been working towards for years. The mere thought of expanding the organization and growing its influence filled me with a sense of pride and a
ALEXI didn't know how I'll maintain my composure. I could just snap her neck. It wasn't that hard. I had to keep my vengeful spirit down. I took another gulp of my drink. I could feel eyes on my back, and honestly, I wondered why everyone stared so hard.I know I was good-looking but I didn't think I was that attractive. Again, the actor thought popped up in my head. I wondered what I'll say to her when she got here. Hey, you ran away from our wedding. I'm here to kill you.The alcohol was probably already taking effect. I was laughing at my thoughts. She wasn't even here yet. But what took so long? I just survived a partially staring contest with this bartender. If I wasn't merciful enough, I'd order one of my men to pluck out his eyes. He was really lucky I wasn't my brother. Women. They were complicated. Who comes late for their downfall?She walked in almost immediately, and surprisingly, I could not get my eyes off her. Okay. She was pretty. No, she was beautiful. Did she dress
ALEX "So, Miss. Sofia," I began, leaning in and resting my elbows on the bar. She was just sipping her second shot and it seemed like the right time to raise questions. "Tell me more about your parents' murder. What do you know about it?"She was quite taken aback. Her eyes welled up with tears as she recounted the details of that fateful night she had seen her parents in their own pool of blood. "They were killed in their home. Not their own anymore, I mean, they've been divorced since I was twelve." she said, her voice taking on a calmer tone. "The police have been investigating for years, but they've never found any leads. It came to me as an impossible thing when they were found killed on the same spot."I listened intently, my mind racing with possibilities. I wasn't quite interested in this because I was thinking perhaps Ronaldo did the killing. But then before I kill her, maybe, just maybe, I could help her find the answers she was looking for."And what do you think would hav
SOFIA.I had never felt more queasy. My insides were coiling, and it felt like my intestines wanted to strangle each other. I sipped more wine, hoping that the sweetness would cut me some slack. But nothing happened. I wanted to turn my insides out. I didn't know I would be this shaken. I thought I was ready. I had practiced.My hands were shaky as I sipped the wine slowly. He wasn't being too harsh. He asked questions like any normal person would. I was being a coward. It'd been eight long years. I didn't know why it still affected me so much. It made me look like I couldn't do without the pity. And I didn't want the pity. It didn't help.When the news spread while we were younger, my classmates became nicer to me. They'd each offer an apple or a sandwich every day, not that I was starving, just to show how much they cared. Olivia would happily collect these and stick them in her bag, while I blatantly refused.My teachers were extra nice too. Asking me if I needed time out of every
SOFIAI sipped my alcohol and looked at the very charming man before me.He was saying, "first things first, Sofia," he paused and continued, leaning in closer to ensure I understood the gravity of his words. "I need to brief my company on this new project. While I may be the head, I can't possibly handle all the groundwork by myself, you know. It has to be done step by step, I would have done it all, but we need help."I looked at me with a mix of confusion and concern. "But Alex, why do you need to involve your whole team? Can't we just work on this together? I mean, you can just tell them to find the files from the police."He sighed, realising that he needed to explain his reasoning more clearly. "Sofia, finding your parents' murderer is not a task that can be accomplished single-handedly. It requires a team effort and resources that only my company can provide. We have access to advanced technology, databases, and a network of experts who can assist us in our pursuit of justice,
SOFIAI had the largest smile on my face as I approached my apartment. I felt like a character in 'Truth or Dare', a horror movie where most of the characters smiled as they killed people. The reason behind my smile was way different though.I strutted toward the door, walking on my tip toe and imitating a model walking down a runway. I had always liked models and their art of work, but I'd never had the patience for it. I twisted my door knob and it just came to me that I locked my door. I guess I was tipsy already. How could I forget that I locked my door with my own hands?I opened my small bag to search for it. I felt a bit dizzy and I was sure it was because of the wine I had. I always vowed and never fulfilled it. I squeezed my face on frustration, my large smile retreating to a bigger frown. "What is the matter with you?" I hit my bag still rummaging my hands inside to grab the key.I needed to get in and fast. My legs were starting to feel sore, and my eyes too. After many dip
ALEX"Good morning, sir." The secretary greeted me and I nodded.I haven't been around the office of the chief security officer since I took on the role of working here. We were in different wings and all through my stay here, I never saw him. I bet he must be surprised to see me here today.I didn't bother to knock the door when I got to the front of his office door, I just barged in and the words of curse he wanted to utter died on his lips when he saw it was me."Mr… Mr Alex?""Good day to you too."He composed himself and smiled. "Sorry. Good morning to you, do have a seat."I nodded and made myself comfortable. The older man was still smiling, "may I offer you some coffee?""No, I'm here for more important issues, please.""All right then. Carry on."I knew the man must view me as a spoiled brat who makes decisions anyhow he likes but he still respects me because I was his boss. And I knew he hadn't told my father I was now working in one of his security companies."I have a new
ALEX Manchester was different…Manchester was blissful…The air in Manchester was very clear; till I could feel it suffocate me. But then I knew one day, I would put an end to all of this. I was living the life that I wanted here. Away from Blake and his Cartel, his mob and the killers and the snare and everything. I had used the money I had to start up something and I would be going back to hockey soon. It was what gave me utmost confidence. And I wouldn’t toss it away. She still didn’t want to have anything to do with me. I took it upon myself to stalk her in a healthy manner. I was there when she left for work and I was there when she was back. It was one thing that gave me joy, it gave me this push. I knew that one day, she would hear me out and would forgive me. I made a conscious effort to respect her space. It was hard to process that fact and I wanted to give her time but then one day, I would make sure I walk up to her again. Everyday, I couldn’t deny the pull she had o
SOFIA Manchester…I got dressed and sighed when I was done dressing. This used to be worn with a happy smile, now, my heart was filled with sadness, regret and disappointment. It wasn’t anger anymore. It was something else. I left the house, the crisp autumn air nipping at my cheeks as I made my way down the street. The familiar sights and sounds of my neighbourhood seemed to fade into the background as I focused on the task at hand: preparing for my move to Manchester.I came back home to prepare. It was now or never. Another day here and I would commit suicide. This was the place my parents were killed, this was the place Olivia had been arrested. Too many bad memories and damn, I can’t stay here any longer. I brought out my clothes and the new bags I bought when I went out. It was now or never at all. I packed my clothes into the bag, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of sadness and nervousness as I did this. I was going to England, leaving behind everything that had once been fami
SOFIAI could still dream. This time, I was dreaming about being alone in a field of roses, where everything was filled with tranquillity and warmth. I found myself standing in a vast field of roses, their sweet fragrance filling the air and soothing my mind. The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The vibrant colours of the flowers seemed to stretch on endlessly, creating a mesmerising sea of reds, pinks, and whites.It felt so good to be here. So damn good. I forgot all I was thinking about. I forget the sorrows that were now in my life. I forgot how things had been so bad. I was calm. I was content. I was enough. As I walked through the field, I felt a sense of peace and tranquillity washing over me. It made me feel like I was in heaven. This was a pleasure. Absolute pleasure. Amidst the sea of roses, I caught sight of a figure in the distance. This was supposed to be my world, my dream. As I approached the figure, I realised it was my mother, wear
SOFIABut then I had so many what ifs left in me…What if everything had not been like this? What if I had just not found out about the cottage and all? I guess Olivia would have killed me. She would surely win this time around and then she would put an end to the existence of the Griffins.If only Olivia hadn’t found out what really happened, if she didn’t know who our parents were and if nothing had ever even happened before. I sighed heavily. What would have become of my life and that of Olivia’s? I kept thinking about this and it kept playing in my head till I could no longer imagine what life would have been if everything hadn’t started from Olivia finding out that our parents were bloody murderers. I wanted to look up and gaze out the window at the world outside, but Alex was right beside me. He had this look of remorse and that was the last thing I needed right now. In that instant, I couldn’t help but ponder the age-old adage, “ignorance is bliss.” How true those words seeme
SOFIASomehow, a sad song came into my mind. I was humming the song and somehow, it made me feel so good. I then began to ask myself some questions. What if my parents were still alive? What if Jake hadn’t cheated on me? What if Olivia grew up nice and well groomed? What if? The answer was that I wouldn’t have met Alex. And before that, I wouldn’t know who Ronaldo was and my parents wouldn’t have been divorced. It was a whole lot to take in but I knew that I would heal. No matter how hard and difficult it was, I would heal. Nice and steady. I went back inside and saw Alex with the inspector. They were talking and I just went to my room. I needed some time alone, some time to sink all this in and know what next to do with my life right now. I could hear Alex talking with the inspector. “I will come by later. If you need anything, let me know.”“All right. Take care of her.” The inspector told him. “Yes.”‘Take care of her?’ I scoffed. How can I be fine with the devil? The real d
SOFIAI hadn’t wanted to keep crying when the police came but each word, sentence and action of Olivia kept replying in my head like a broken tape and the tears just wouldn’t stop. I then asked myself, how did we come to this? Olivia was a happy child, she was loved by happy parents, it got to the point of being jealous because of the way our parents favoured her over me. But then when I grew up and tried to relive those days, I saw that our parents loved us equally. Yes, they were murderers, and yes they were members of a notorious mafia mob that had killed a lot of people and destroyed so many lives. In that sense, they should be ruthless, in that sense they should have raised us with a knife taped to the tip of their tongues.With them, we were fed love on a silver spoon in a golden plate, we weren’t made to get love by licking it off knives. Not just any knife, a knife that wasn’t embroidered and was just insignificant to mankind. No, our parents fed us love and overfilled us
OLIVIAI watched them panic when I had reached for the only weapon I think could put an end to my misery. I planned to kill to myself and then kill Sofia and her boyfriend. She was asking too many questions that reminded me of the past. It reminded me of the faces of the murderers I referred to as my parents. Particularly seeing her. I haven’t looked at myself in the mirror in a while. I couldn’t dare to do that. I knew I would see the reflection of those terrible people in me, I hated them so much that if I saw them in my face, I would surely scar myself. It was better to die than to live with their imprint visible on my body. And then Sofia? She had everything good coming her way. Even though Ronaldo didn’t treat her well, he still thought about her and even went as far as wanting her to be married to a rich son of the mafia. No matter the maltreatment, I knew she would enjoy her married life. Ronaldo didn’t think of me when the son of the mafia came. He didn’t at all and damn,
ALEXI watched the two sisters battle words. All this while I was just looking at them, it felt like I wasn’t even in the room. They kept throwing words at each other and made me feel completely invisible. And thinking about this, I just couldn’t see Anthony and I having the same batter and swearing at each other like this. It was something I couldn’t ever picture. Not that I was scared, I stopped being afraid of Anthony when I left home and since then, there was nothing that would make me scared of him ever again. Anthony and I can’t even have a physical conversation, the last time we had talked, it was during a family dinner. That was the day my father had announced that he was giving the cartel to Anthony. I remembered that day like I was in it. I hadn’t wanted to come but I had no choice, I just had too. Ever since I left home, I just cut ties with them but then I had too. The dinner was scheduled a few days before my mother’s birthday. I just had to go. I told myself I would f
SOFIA “Why did everything change?”Tears continued to cascade down my cheeks, a testament to the shattered dreams and broken promises that plagued our relationship. The person I once knew had morphed into a stranger, driven by darkness and pain.Olivia had become a woman I used to know. She scared me now. Everything she had said was surprising, it made me feel stupid. I had thought she changed because of the death of our parents. Then she was withdrawn, she threw herself to Ronaldo like he was her saviour. And to me, she treated me like trash. I had thought she wanted to take away all the grief in her by being mean to me, but I was wrong, she had just been thinking of ways to extinguish me from the world she was creating. “When did everything change, Olivia?”“It will further change if you disappear.” She answered. “And then the very day I found out about what our parents were, I knew I couldn’t tell you, I just knew I had to carry out this mission myself.”I just looked at her, it