*SILIA*If silence had fingers it was probably choking me with it right now.I could barely breathe in the intense atmosphere that had been created in the living room of my shared apartment with Lisa. She was glaring at me with lips pursed in disappointment. I didn’t have to look at her to know this; the oppressive force of her fury would have been palatable even from miles away.She was waiting for me to explain myself but since I had nothing to formidably say that would help my case I chose to stay quiet.It was around five minutes later when she clicked her tongue and broke her silence first, her impatience seeping through her angry eyes.“Cut off all ties with them at once,” She said slapping a hand on her knees as she got up and collected her coat to get back to her room. From the tone that she had used it was clear that she had already made my decision for me and there was no more room for any further argument.Her actions and lack of interest in trying to understand me hurt and
*SILIA*I think this was the third time I had ran out in the middle of the night and I know like every time there won’t be anyone following after me.The first time was when I had been bullied by the kids in school for being an orphan followed by the warden scolding me for crying too much. I was six then, barely smart enough to understand why I was being discriminated like this and why I didn’t have any parents. My little heart hadn’t been able to take the pain and had therefore sneaked out into the garden where I had sat all night crying in the daisy bushes.The next day I was found by the very same warden, passed out because of the cold and instead of kind words that one should have given to me I had yet again been scolded.The second time was when I was living in with a toxic boyfriend who had tried to force himself on me. Running out then was an act of survival and that was the day I had met Lisa for the first time. She could tell from my tattered clothes that something was wrong
I have sat before in Draven’s car a few times but somehow today I felt weirdly conscious about it.And what was wrong with him? Why was he acting so careful and considerate? It almost felt like it was his way of comforting me at the fight that I had with my best friend. Could it be that he knew how much of a loner I was?He must have done a background check and had therefore realized that I was completely helpless without Lisa. This was a clear invasion of privacy and yet I felt conflicted. On one hand to have him keep me company is probably one of god’s blessings to me but I also didn’t want him to know just how much of an anti-social person I had been all my life.No, wait, should I even be worried about this right now? Where the hell was he taking me anyway?When he had proposed that I go with him all I could think in my head was that he wanted to care for me and without another question I had followed him to his car and sat in the passenger seat. I was foolishly giddy then but now
*SILIA*“Are you nervous that you might run into your friend?” Diana asked snapping me out of my thoughts.“No, after a night’s sleep I think I feel better than before, why do you ask?” I rumbled out some words, slightly disoriented at her sudden question.“No, it’s just that you had a deep frown on your face,” she said concern visible all over her beautiful features. Her words made me embarrassed for that wasn’t the reason why I had been feeling gloomy. Draven had refused to leave my mind since yesterday night.‘He rarely comes back home, so you don’t need to be cautious.’ That was what Diana had said when I had inquired her about Draven’s whereabouts. It shouldn’t have been a surprise for me though. Like he had claimed last night, he was indeed in a mafia and must therefore be a lot busier than I knew him to be.“Sorry for worrying you but you know you didn’t have to come here with me,” I said slumping against the seat as I watched the familiar streets appear leading to my apartment
*SILIA* “You should go and freshen up. I can see that you are really tired. The boxes will be taken up to your room and arranged after a little while. While we were shopping I had instructed a maid to stock your wardrobe with some new clothes so you should find a pajama in there as well,” Diana said pulling me inside her lavish house. Half of what she said flew past my head as the exhaustion of the emotional baggage weighed my mind. I couldn’t get rid of the look of betrayal that Lisa gave me when I was leaving the apartment. “Silia?” Diana’s hand tapping me on my shoulder made me look towards her with a small smile as I willed for her to continue, “I know you are troubled and I might have been a little out of line today considering that she was your friend but I couldn’t just let her off after how she had treated you. Please don’t be angry with me.” This had been another one of the emotional tension that I had been dealing throughout the way. Diana had been feeling sad and guilty
*DRAVEN*“You can tell that she really likes you,” Diana said leaning against the door with a smug expression on her face.“Go away,” I grumbled already predicting how this conversation was going to go. As always she ignored me and walking inside after closing the door behind her she skipped onto my bed and sitting on the edge with an excited expression she continued to stare at me.Switching on the lights realizing that there would be no use of trying to sleep any longer I sat back against the head board and brought the blanket up to my shoulders. At my silence she waited for a few seconds for me to give in but when nothing happened she grinned at my resistance and said, “Aww come on don’t be like that. Just admit that you liked it when she came to you just now! She loves you even after everything.”“And you know that is a problem,” I said as placidly as I could. Her talking about Silia was making me uncomfortable but as characteristic to Diana’s nature I knew she wouldn’t leave me a
*SILIA*What is wrong with me? Why did I go in his room? How did I even reach there when Draven’s room is in a completely different corridor than mine?While my room is in the west side of the mansion in front of Diana’s his is on the eastern side. Gripping onto my hair I tugged at it in frustration trying to bring my stupid brain to work and be more aware of our surroundings.What might be Draven thinking of me? Would he think that I purposely went into his room hoping to catch him off guard?Given how the situation presented itself and how big a blunder I made there was no denying this possibility. If probable I wanted this costly carpeted floor to open up and swallow me within the depths of the earth’s darkness where Draven would never be able to find me again.How am I going to face him again?Closing my eyes to block out the world I tried to bring myself to my senses again when Draven’s smooth skin highlighted gently by the lights of the lamp flashed in my mind. The dark crevice
*SILIA*The last time I had been here I hadn’t been able to take in the beauty of this magnificent building and today even though I have all the time in the world, my nerves were stopping me from truly admiring the stately base of the Calix Constructions headquarters.“You look as pale as your white heels, are you sure you are okay?” Diana asked from beside me. A mix of concern and laughter was clear in her voice making me turn to look at her and honestly shake my head to reassure her.“I am so excited and nervous at the same time that I am unable to understand how to maintain my sanity. I feel like I am going to make a big blunder as soon as I step in,” I confessed making her take hold of one of my sweaty palms and give it a tight squeeze.“Come on. I have heard all about your epic first visit from Alfeo so don’t give me this shit. I know you are more than ready to face this building and Draven again. Even better now since you already know him,” she said reminding me of the first tim
*SILIA*I think I needed to run away.“Silia? What are you doing here? Are you alright? Everyone was looking for you. It's time!” Diana said hastily coming to me when she found me in the washroom of my suite.Her words only made me panic more and shaking my head I said, “No, Diana I don’t think I can do this. I don’t think I can go out there like this.”My words must have not sat well with her because she donned a softer expression and with a hand patting my back gently for me she pulled me into a hug.“Come on, tell me what is it? What is troubling you and I swear that I will make it alright,” she said and although her hug made me feel good it also reminded me of why I wanted to run away from my own wedding.“This! See this is the problem! I can’t even hug you properly without this belly getting in my way,” I said pointing at the small bump that kept us apart from hugging properly.She seemed to realize what I had been going through and smiling at me she asked, “What are you afraid o
*SILIA*“I don’t think that Romani would actually set this grand of an event,” Diana muttered from beside me. It has been a week since we came back home and the cold mafia woman who we thought was injured was stronger than anyone we knew and had been completely fine even after that blast. Apparently she became unconscious because of exhaustion and nothing else.“According to him he is creating history and he wants the whole world to remember him and this day properly for centuries to come,” I murmured, spotting him introducing Draven to everyone around while laughing heartily. No one would say that he was sick seeing how well and about he was moving around.“He certainly chose a very strange reason to be remembered in history, ‘The man who gave away his business empire to a Mafia Don’,” Alfeo laughed, chiming in on our conversation.“Do you even know how terrified the public and media is over this? I heard the president is on his toes with this change,” Nick said, sipping a glass of c
*SILIA*“Yes! Fuck we did it!” Alfeo shouted enveloping Draven in a hug which I joined along with the others.We were probably making a lot of ruckus pulling, pushing and rejoicing, unable to believe what had happened.We won!We actually won!A clearing of a throat grabbed our attention as Samantha said, “Mr. Romani is waiting for you.”Calming down at her words Draven pulled away from us, smiling at the hoots and laughter. Looking at me he kissed me once and said, “Thank you, this wouldn’t have been possible without you.”I simply smiled at him and then turned back to the rest as he said, “Make sure that all the injured get treated and rested well. We are flying back today itself and celebrating this victory!”“Alright we’ll arrange everything you just go and meet him,” Gavin said and nodding along as I turned to leave with the others when suddenly I was stopped.“Miss Morgan, Mr. Romani wants to meet you too,” Samantha said, making everyone stop in their movements as they all looke
*SILIA*I couldn’t grasp the sense of reality. I had killed the one person that had previously meant the world to me. I had thought that I hated her a lot but even now when she had said that she hated me I couldn’t help but feel hurt. I didn’t want her to hate me. I had wanted things to have never gone the way that they had.I never wanted to lose her.“Shh, it’s alright you did what you had to,” Draven said and slowly walked towards me. I could see the pity in his eyes and I am sure I looked like a mess but his eyes didn’t stray to anywhere else but my eyes. His gray ones pierced straight into mine, reminding me of the peaceful shine of a breezy moonlit night.Reaching me he first gripped my hand over the fork and prying away my hand carefully from the weapon of murder he took hold of my violently shaking hands that couldn’t control the tension now that they weren’t holding onto the wood for dear life. Throwing away the fork to a safe distance away he immediately pulled me into a hu
*SILIA*“You might have reached till here but I cannot let you go any further than this,” Lisa said, it felt as if it had been days since I had seen her and I wouldn’t have minded it being a little longer or until I died for me to face her again.I still can’t believe she had left me alone there with Luca to suffer, it was worse than simply killing me. She wanted me to ‘suffer’, to prolong my misery.“You really think you can stop us?” I asked, challenging her, feeling my insides burn with hatred.She ignored me and looking at Draven she said, “If you still care about your people’s life then you would back away while I am giving you the chance to. You will lose the game but will return back alive.”Wasn’t she being a little too cocky?If Nick had been enough to take her down alone then the twelve people we had brought with us were definitely a lot stronger.“And lose the opportunity to kill the person who has been the sole reason for all our sufferings? No, thank you,” Draven said wit
*SILIA*“Hey! Hey who are you people! Get off my farm!”A man came shouting at us like a lunatic when we stopped our cars in front of his house.Getting out of the car Alfeo approached the man and introducing himself he said, “We just need a little assistance from you. We need to check something in your barn. Can we please do that?”“No absolutely not!” The old and hot headed man shouted at us, “You think I'll just let you jackasses get into my property just like that. Absolutely not mister.”“We will be happy to pay you a good amount of money for that. If you would just let us in then this briefcase full of money will be yours,” He said, showing him a briefcase that had been brimming full with money. By the way this farm and house looked, he really needed that for repair works and maybe to even live life in general.He stopped and hesitated for a minute when suddenly the door to his house opened and through it came an old lady, probably his wife.“Al? Who are these people?” she aske
*SILIA*“Yes! She was right about it,” Gavin shouted barging in through the door with Nick trailing behind him. The two of them looked really spent and when I was about to ask Nick what happened but he put up a hand before me to stop me from speaking.“My eyes have been fried from staring at a screen for around thirty six hours now and I fear that if I even blink it shut it isn’t going to open anymore,” he said and then mumbled under his breath, “That's why I hate Mafias.”“So what did you find?” Draven asked and the rest of us huddled closer to his laptop that he had brought with him.“So far we have learnt about a small vineyard that is very exclusive and is situated on the island called Martha’s Vineyard. It is registered under another woman’s name so it was hard for us to track it down but we finally did. The label vine that it makes there is called, ‘Dives Uvae’ which also means rich grapes in Latin.”“A silly name if you ask me,” Alfeo muttered in between to which Diana laughed
*SILIA*“Only ten days are left,” Gavin said, making all of us sigh in frustration.“That's too little time and we still don’t have any clue about where Romani might be,” Nick mumbled, having joined the Mafia unable to stay away from this life after getting so deep into it once again.“No we don’t give up hope here, we can still turn the situation around, we just need to think from another perspective,” Diana said, making me nod along but if truth be said even I was losing confidence with how little time we had left.“If it makes anyone feel good then at least the Ravens aren’t in any position to even care about this game when they are already so deep in their own troubles,” Alfeo said, making me nod along.“Not to forget that the Phantoms don’t seem to have any clue about Romani too, although they have become more frantic in their searches,” I said, frowning near the end.No matter what anybody said or did it was clear that we were all on the edge with how close we were to winning an
*SILIA*“What was that just now?” Draven asked, looking slightly dazed as we took the elevator up to his office.“Just a little mental torture,” I said smiling at him. “He hadn’t hurt me physically as much as he did mentally every time that he touched me or tried to brainwash me into loving him.”I didn’t realize but a frown had taken over on its own and seeing that Draven said, “Let me overwrite that memory.”Pushing me against the cold walls of the elevator he kissed me. I fought for control, my body turning hot at his touch. After staying away from him for so long it was as if every time that he touched me he was quenching a thirst in my body.Our tongues slid against each other, gently caressing, massaging and sucking. I wanted to take control again like how I did before but as soon as he realized what I was doing he brought his hand down to my thigh and gripped it, making me gasp at how close he was to my crotch. He then pushed a knee gently against my excited entrance, leaving i