5. KATERINA

YEARS LATER

GRACE ~NOW 'KATERINA MONTEGO'

"Uncle… you have to eat something. I will not leave until you have had something to eat. Your doctor would be here anytime soon. You have to be strong to be able to receive treatment." I begged, but he was not having it.

"Rina, darling. It is just a matter of days now, maybe hours before I pass. I appreciate you for trying all you can to keep me alive, but the time is ticking faster. I wish I could be here to watch you win. To watch you finally get the revenge you deserve against all those that wronged you.. against the ex-husband that sent you off to be killed—"

He paused to cough violently and I immediately retrieved the glass of water on his bedside table and fed it to him as he sat there on his bed, resting against his headboard.

"We can talk about my revenge later, uncle. Now is not the time, you need to get better." I tried to smile at him as I took his hand in mine. He shook his head no, his eyes weak as he gazed into mine.

I swallowed, not wanting to bawl my eyes out in front of him.

"I am going, child, and I need to tell you all these. I have loved long enough. 78 years of age is no joke." He chuckled, then continued, "If a revenge is the key to mending your broken heart, go for it. I will always cheer you on in every decision, even when I am gone. Remind Kelvin to do the same or I will haunt him in his dreams."

We paused to have a laugh about that line, but we both knew it was not completely from our hearts. Mr. Montego was my salvation, my God-sent… I had not spent enough years with him for him to go like this.

"Show him the power of a Montego. You are family now, make sure you do all it takes to be happy again, even if it deviates from your main plan. All I want is for you to be happy." He coughed again, then rested for a while in silence, before smiling at me.

"You deserve the world, child. Your heart is made of gold, he was a fool not to see that. Now go out there and check if Pete has returned with Dr. Jones yet."

"You will survive this, uncle. It is not your time yet."

I smiled back, then proceeded to get off the side of his bed and leave the room. Dr. Jones insisted on going in alone after receiving a text.

I waited in the living room downstairs with Kelvin, whose eyes were stuck on his phone as I paced up and down for almost one hour.

I eventually snatched the phone off his hands, fed up. "Hello? Aren't you the least worried about what is going on? I think Uncle asked Dr Jones to come in alone. Have you wondered why?"

"Yes, actually. And it is probably because of your constant worrying. Please handover the phone, I was concluding a purchase." I was still glaring at him when I saw Dr Jones emerge from the corner and moved forward at once.

"How is he, Doc? Does he need more treatment? Is he getting better?" I asked, my heart almost beating out of my chest with how long it took the man to answer.

"He could not make it. I'm sorry, Miss Katerina, but Mr. Montego died in my arms some minutes ago."

I just stood there in shock while Kelvin pushed past me and barged into the room. The tears gathered in my eyes but refused to fall. I hated it.

I walked into the room dejected from the loss. After Kelvin left, I went to sit beside him, held his hand and cried until I could not feel my eyes.

"Rest well, uncle. You are the best thing that ever happened to me."

_____________

I was in for another shock almost as soon as the first one hit.

He gave all his wealth to me. Well, about one and a quarter, but that was almost everything. Kelvin had the rest, coupled with his own money and properties.

It was almost time for my big plan, which Kelvin had insisted on joining me for.

"We are 98% ready, Kat. I promised you that I would help you, didn't I? Consider me your right hand man." He winked at me, and I smiled, even if it did not reach my eyes.

The hollowness was back with Uncle's death. The last time I had felt like this was when I was told that my womb was ruptured, and I would never have children of my own. A miracle was impossible.

The knife wound was too deep, and the almost-rape incident after did not help issues. Those men manhandled me, and every night since then, I had to sleep with pills or I’d be up all night, feeling their dirty, rough hands all over my skin.

Vincent Powers had done this to me, and he was going to pay so dearly for it. I owed that to myself and everything I had lost, including my unborn child.

"By next week, we should be in New York. Hoping the preparations for the launch is almost completed?" I asked Kelvin, who smirked in response.

"Almost there, ma'am. Kat. Wines Ltd is a successful project already." He promised, to which I smiled widely, then looked away from him, focusing ahead of me; into space.

'By the time I am done with him, Vincent would never dream of hurting a woman like that again. Gone is the naive, quiet woman he had married. His nemesis is here to stay.' I thought to myself, a smirk on my face now.

"You're smiling. Love to see it." Kelvin cooed, moving close to me but I moved back immediately, ending his advances.

He tsked. "I'm not going to try to kiss you again, Kat, not after what happened the last time."

I shrugged, "Well, I'm not about to take any chances."

Kelvin had feelings for me. He mentioned it to me every now and then, had me understand that those feelings were not going to vanish into thin air anytime soon.

Over and over, I told him how I was not ready for love, and that I may never be ready, but he would always assure me that he would wait. What if it took forever?

My heart was done. Kelvin was a good man, but I did not think I was capable of loving him.

And to top it off, I was damaged goods. He deserved better.