Chapter Four

When Celestine felt the touch of cold water on her face she felt relieved. Being kept inside of a dark, dirty cell felt like she's been inside of it for years and she had forgotten the feeling of cold water.

She looked in the mirror and could barely recognize herself—her cheeks and lips that used to be pinkish were now pale and dry. Her eyes that used to be the most beautiful part of herself are now looked gloomy and tired.

Her gaze went to her bruised wrists and caressed them. She felt the urge to cry when she also noticed the red dots all over her body due to the mosquitoes that did nothing but bite her every night.

She looked at herself in front of the mirror.

"No." She shook her head. "I know you can. You have to be brave. I know you can," she whispered to herself.

She was startled when someone kicked the comfort room door.

"Make it fast, woman!"

Celestine wiped her wet face using the hem of her shirt that she has been wearing since the day they took her. She felt disgusted by her smell, her dirty clothes, and her inability to escape from the mafias.

It took her a few minutes before she got out of the comfort room.

An associate immediately go behind her and grabbed both of her arms. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she felt a cold metal around her wrists.

"Move." The man pushed her a little so she started walking.

It was a different man. He's not the one who escorted her on her way to the comfort room a while ago.

Celestine could barely open her eyes because of the sunlight that embraced her body as she walked out of the comfort room.

She had no idea of what time it was already but she knew that it was probably noon. Every step she took was heavy. She wanted to stop the time. To freeze it. She doesn't want to go back to her cell again like a criminal.

As she keep on walking her head remained on her feet. She doesn't want to see the faces of the murderers around her. She was aware that none of these men had gotten their hands bloodless.

And she knew, she needs to be careful.

Celestine stopped walking when she heard a loud siren throughout the mansion. It was an important message that only the associates can understand.

"What's that?" Celestine asked to herself as she looked at Vincent's men who were briskly walking in one direction.

"Urgent meeting," said the man who handcuffed her a while ago.

"Early in the morning?"

He did not answer her but instead, he pulled out his gun. Celestine stepped back a little, afraid of the man's next move.

Celestine's eyes widened when the man handed his gun to her.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Shot anyone who comes along your way."

"W-Wait, what are.."

He removed the handcuff on her wrists and forcefully put the gun on her hand.

"Never look back, just run okay?"

She looked at him, teary-eyed. "What's your name?"

He smirked. "Kingston. My name is Kingston."

Vincent was awakened from his slumber on the office desk when his cellphone rang incessantly. He violently messed up his hair before he reached for it.

When he saw that the call was from his father, he immediately pressed the answer button.

"Que puis-je faire pour toi, père?" What can I do for you, father?

"Faites-vous votre travail efficacement?" Are you doing your work efficiently? Don Venedict asked.

Vincent clenched his right hand into a fist that made his knuckle white.

"Of course." He tightened his jaw.

"Michael Stevenson..."

Upon hearing that name, Vincent frustratedly loosened up his tie.

"Ce nom vous dit quelque chose, fiston?" Does that name ring a bell, son?

"Père, it's not what you think it is," Father. Vincent defensively said.

"Whatever the fuck it is fix the fucking problem," Don Venedict said with an evident authority in his voice. "Je ne veux pas de problème avec Stevenson. J'espère avoir été clair." I don't want a problem with Stevenson. I hope I made that clear. He added.

As soon as his father ended the call he smashed his phone against the wall making his palm bleed. He didn't flinch. He tightened his grip on his phone even more.

Vincent moved away from the wall after minutes of thinking. He walked towards his desk and pressed the red button underneath it.

Vincent didn't even bother to wipe the blood that was constantly flowing from his hand instead he hurried out of his office to go straight to the meeting room.

He did not want his father to underestimate his ability again. Therefore, he cannot rest. He had to do something to find Fernando.

"What's happening?" Carter who just woke up asked, same time as the siren stopped ringing—a signal of Vincent to summon them.

"Haven't you heard?" Nicholas asked, fixing himself in front of the mirror.

With a creased forehead, Carter looked at him. "Heard what?"

"Urgent meeting," Nicholas said casually before he took his black necktie out from a drawer and put it on to himself.

"Oh fuck!" Carter jumped out from his bed and hastily fixed himself.

The first person Vincent came across as he entered the meeting room was Vladimir. The man's hair is messy and his necktie is not as neat as it would be on a normal day. Vincent also noticed the swelling in Vladimir's eyes which was an indication that he had just woken up as well.

When Vladimir saw Vincent entering the meeting room he immediately stood up. Vincent motioned for him to sit down so he sat again.

"What happened?" Vladimir asked as Vincent sat on a chair.

"I want to find Fernando. I don't care if I have to send a hundred people to scour Italy just to find him."

"But we're running out of time," Vladimir replied.

Vincent stood up and poured a whiskey on his shot glass.

He did not speak after that. He was determined in his decision to search every corner of Italy just to find Fernando. He doesn't care anymore if the time that was given by Mr. Stevenson is soon to its expiration, the only thing that matters to him now is to prove to his father that he is not as worthless as what he always thought of him.

Vladimir noticed the bleeding hand of his boss that he didn't even mind. He knew something had pushed Vincent to make such a hasty decision. He doesn't know the whole thing but he's sure his boss's father has something to do with what's happening now.

And that doesn't help his boss to make better decisions.

When everyone was in the meeting room, Vincent wasted no more time and gave every one of them a task to do.

"Damien, see if there's a name Fernando Oakmont that went out of the country in the past weeks. Sebastian, take a copy of the CCTV footage over the past two weeks after Fernando stole the package inside the hotel. Nicholas, keep an eye on the Oakmont mansion and don't let anyone out of it or let anyone in. Vladimir, take all the plate numbers of Fernando's car and see if one of them came out of his mansion after he stole the package. Carter, you investigate the transactions that took place in every single crime family. If there is any suspicion let me know immediately."

He sat on the chair. "If we try to make Celestine speak, we'll just waste our time. If only we could find Fernando and send him a message that his daugher is in our hands, everything will be easier but we don't know where he is."

"Maybe we should also investigate Celestine and find out her every move in the past two weeks," Sebastian suggested.

"You're right, add that to your responsibility."

"Yes, Boss."

Vincent's explanation was consistent and not one of them tried to oppose his plan, even Vladimir could not speak to suggest something.

"Understood?"

"Yes, Boss!" everyone said in chorus.

"How about me? What am I going to do?"

Everyone turned their gaze to Kingston when he suddenly spoke and entered the meeting room. Vincent just shook his head with a smile on his face and approached the man and gave him a man hug.

"How are you, man?" Vincent asked.

Kingston shrugged his shoulder. "In the middle of good and bad."

Kingston was Vladimir's cousin who became Vincent's best friend. He was long gone because he obeyed Don Venedict's order to go to Spain to lead the transaction there.

But now, he went back to Italy because Vladimir convinced him to work for Vincent again. This time, not as an associate but a security guard, temporarily until Don Venedict ordered him to do something.

"The last time you announced an urgent meeting was five years ago when your father ordered you to do something big," Kingston said as he lights up his cigarette.

He raised one pack of cigarettes in his hand. "Anyone?"

Vladimir took it to get one for himself and Sebastian.

Vincent tapped his fingers on the desk.

"This meeting has something to do with stupidity," Vincent said then he looked at the five associate who was now bowing their heads.

Kingston puffed his cigarette. "There's no room for stupidity here, people."

"You're the—" Vladimir's speech was interrupted when an extremely loud bomb explode in the mansion.

It was unannounced however every one of them managed to cover themselves. But just when they thought that it's over another bomb exploded.

"Oh fuck let's get out of here!" Vincent shouted.

All of them stormed outside of the office. They were walking on an unstable floor as if they were running outside because of an earthquake. Vincent's office wall collapsed as well, but it is the least of his concern as of the moment.

They need to get out of the mansion for their safety.

The meeting room is on the fifth floor, the floor is unstable because of the explosion that had happened and they need to get themselves on the ground floor.

At any minute, Vincent was sure that the mansion will collapse. But before that happens, he needs to make sure that everyone gets down safe.

They couldn't use the elevator because it doesn't work anymore so they just ran towards the ground floor for their safety.

Things happened so fast, and before they even know it, the mansion collapsed in an instant as they jumped out of it.

"Is everyone safe?" Vincent asked his associates breathlessly.

"Yes, Boss."

While gasping for breath, Vincent's gaze wandered to Celestine's cell and his eyes widened when he saw it unlocked.

"Oh shit," he exclaimed.

Celestine was forced to lift herself out from the pile of cement on top of her. She touched her ears and could no longer hear anything from there.

She was running a while ago when suddenly a series of explosions happened that caused her to be run over by crumbling cement.

Celestine tried to stand up and even though her gait was limp she still stepped on her foot.

This is her only chance to escape. She can't be weak now.

As she was slowly returning to her trance, suddenly someone violently grabbed her arm.

"Where do you think you're going huh?" A woman chewing bubble gum with a nose piercing said as she tightened her grip on Celestine's arm.

"L-Let me go!" Celestine protested weakly.

Instead of letting her go, the woman pushed her inside of a black van then slammed the door closed.

She sat beside her. "Hi, I'm Alice. It was nice to finally meet you, Miss Oakmont."

And after that, she violently sealed Celestine's mouth with a duck tape.