ALEXI pocket the envelope and was about to stand up when Sofia touched me. I looked at her and determination was written all over her face."We need to check what's there.""Sofia, we should give it to my men like I said." I told her, my voice filled with anticipation. "They are professionals trained to handle these situations. They can piece together all the clues and make sense of them."Sofia's face contorted with frustration as she shook her head vehemently. "No, Alex," she insisted firmly. "We can't afford to waste any more time waiting for them. I've been on this for a long time now. We need answers quickly, even if it means going through this envelope ourselves and finding a clue that might not be immediately useful, I don't care."I watched her as she talked, she seemed frustrated and impatience and her desire for closure. I also wanted to be done with this as soon as I can. I was starting to lose focus, I was starting to forget why and what meeting Sofia Griffin was all abou
SOFIAI checked the address of the letter again, my eyes scanned the elegant handwriting that adorned the page. Although the handwriting was unfamiliar, in some ways it looked like something I was familiar with.Alex, sensing my intrigue, leaned over and asked, "What's in it?"I took a deep breath and read out the name of the person it was addressed to.A lot of people came to our house. Most especially dad's coworkers and his old friends. I clearly tried to relive those days, to remember the man who bears the name on the letter.My father was a lovely person, he would invite friends over and they would have late-night conversations over glasses of whiskey, laughter echoing through our home during festive gatherings, and the unwavering support they had provided each other throughout their professional endeavours.Alex's eyes gleamed with curiosity as he waited for me to share what I had discovered. With a sigh, I looked up at him and said, "It's a letter from my father to his business
SOFIA I stood still holding the paper in my hand, my body trembling with fear. It did not feel good. I had the sudden urge to throw up. I was here now and basically everything was real. I didn't have much of a choice to back out. It was overwhelming.I had just read the letter we found. It was written by my father alright, it had his tone to it. I held my tears in. My eyes were heavy and my chest felt compressed. I stepped away from the dust to a window nearby. My dear house. It'd been such a long time.I didn't know know why I never asked to come back here. Once Ronaldo would ask where we wanted to go for the holidays and I had always wanted to stay in. I dreamt of this place often but I guess I was too scared to admit the truth. I didn't want to come back here.I was scared of all the emotions that would resurface, scared that I'd deceived myself into believing I was over all the pain. This letter changed my perspective. I should embrace that I wasn't over it, instead of running aw
ALEXI read every bit of word into my system and it made no sense. I even collected the letter from Sofia to be sure she read out the right thing, and lo and behold, it was all right.Damn! This was so confusing.With the way Sofia painted the picture of her parents, I just couldn't understand. Their involvement with the mafia was something I couldn't wrap my head around. They seemed like such kind and gentle people, completely opposite to what I had always associated with the mafia.My mind raced with questions. How did Sofia's father get involved with the mafia? Was he forced into it? Did he willingly choose this path? And most importantly, why would the mafia target seemingly innocent people like him and his wife?Growing up as the son of a Mafia lord, I had witnessed firsthand ruthlessness and raw brutality that came with this word and the world that revolves around it. My father had always been strict about maintaining boundaries and punishing those who dared to trespass him. The
SOFIAEverything was going according to plan. I'd never been happier, working continuously towards achieving my long term goal and resetting a new one. It was an early morning and I was in bed scrolling through the internet for the newest gossip. Social media was a violent place, celebrities pretended to love one another, while their fans refused to settle for the bare minimum.There were too much unnecessary fights. And comparisons between two people of high calibre who should really just be appreciated and not thrown under the bus for their one or two mistakes. Nobody wanted to see it that way. There were ridiculous assumptions, a lot of lies and half truths.The irony of everything was it didn't matter. The celebrities still had their money and not many of the edited pictures, or rumours could take it from them. They could buy anything they felt like and there was always that one person, willing to stand in for them.I so much loved the lavish lifestyle. Although my parents weren't
SOFIAI couldn't run away forever…I had slept with different thoughts in my head. Now, I had a pounding headache. Lord! It was as if a tiny construction crew like those cartoons were hammering away inside my skull. I felt so weak to stand up.Groaning, I slowly sat up and rubbed my temples, hoping to alleviate the pain. The odd sensation lingered, refusing to fade away. This is what happens when you spend all day worrying and thinking about things that can't be changed.I sighed heavily, determined not to let the headache ruin my day, I pushed myself out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom. I needed a hot bath, because why not? I was feeling like a pregnant woman.The hot water cascaded down my body and it provided some relief, soothing my aching muscles.The water felt soothing against my skin, and for a brief moment, I could almost forget about the throbbing pain in my temples. As I stepped out of the shower, I wrapped myself in a fluffy towel and caught a glimpse of my reflec
SOFIAI couldn't blame Olivia for being that way. When I went to the therapist, I was told about different ways people dealt with their grief. Bit Olivia's was so different. It was almost like she couldn't care less. At the burial, she didn't flinch. Although she was super mad, because I could see her eyes twitching.I didn't know whether to classify it as anger or fear. But she felt something. I pitied her often. Having to pretend her grief didn't exist and act normal even when she was not. A few months after that, she changed completely towards me. That is when I realized I had lost her along with my parents.She did everything to impress. And I did everything to express. We used to have things in common but we became full opposites of eachother. Slowly, hatred set in. Plots, pranks, bullying and distance was not a far option.She moved into another room. Without saying a word. She spoke to Ronaldo often. She'd sometimes check up on me and tease me sometimes. But it was too obvious.
SOFIAGosh!If I had a gun, I would have killed almost all the women working in my workplace. If it's not the angry stares, it's the hissing and the murmurs. Especially those that we work in the same office. It seemed all of them were under the evil wings of Lana and she was the one directing them on what to do.I literally made no friends with any of them. The men were worse than the women and I can't begin to replay what goes in and out of this office. So many atrocities and immoral activities. But then who was I? I was just an employee in need of a job. I wasn't desperate but I needed this job.The other day, I visited the ladies restroom and was about to leave when I heard the door open and two other women came in. I wasn't sure who they were, but no doubt, they were Lana's 'disciples'.I wanted to leave, but then when one of them started to giggle, I waited."You see that girl named Sophie…" One of the women was talking when the other woman caught her short."It's Sofia, with the
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