FOUR | KORA ALEJANDRO

CHAPTER FOUR | KORA ALEJANDRO

ISABELLA

I am having breakfast with the devil.

I came downstairs for dinner as early as I could this morning even though I didn't have a wink of sleep last night. The events were too hunting for me to close my eyes to sleep.

I see him sitting on the table, talking in the ears of one of his guards. I don't hear what they're talking about but from the way his lips move feverishly, I could tell the guard did something stupid and Damien is having none of his excuses.

I don't greet anyone. I only thank the maid who came to inform me about breakfast and led me to the dining area in this mansion.

The guard who was talking to Damien Alejandro nods his head at something that was said before walking out.

Different dishes are brought by different women until we are left with an extravaganza.

“Why me. Of all the unfortunate girls in the world, why did you choose me?" I ask once he starts eating.

He looks up at me through his long lashes then goes back to eating like I didn't ask him a question.

“Answer me, please." I plead, my voice trailing off at the end.

“I didn't choose you, I bought you. Your father sold you to me and we also sealed a deal."

My eyes narrow as wrinkles form on my forehead from the confused frown on my face. “What the hell are you talking about? I don't have a father, he died when I was two."

He stares at me like I've grown a second head, scoffs then goes back to his meal.

“I am being serious. I think you have the wrong person. I don't have a father."

“Okay," he shrugs, not trying to hide the fact that he doesn't believe me.

His mother comes in before I could say anything else. “Hello, Isabella…Son." She says before taking her seat a few chairs away from mine.

She digs in immediately.

“How is Kora?" His mother asks him.

Damien nods but I don't fail to notice the shift in his mood when the subject is brought up.

“When will you let me see her?" She asks again.

The only reply he gives her is a glare before angrily walking away.

She focuses her attention on me, scrutinizing me. “I don't think we've officially met. I'm Louisa, Damien's mother."

She stretches her hand for me to shake and I hold it delicately. “I guessed it since you walked me down the aisle. Isabella Rossi."

“I am sorry about my son and everything else. I really had no choice but to obey him. He is the Don so whatever he says stands. Even as his mother, I'm like a puppet to him." She sighs.

I didn't miss the word ‘Don' which frightens me to the core. I knew he was a dangerous man but it never crossed my mind that he could be dangerous enough to be boss of a Mafia clan.

I wanted to ask more questions about his criminal activities but I stopped myself. The less I know about him, the safer I am and the easier it'll be to get out of this sham called a marriage.

“I can help you get out of here unharmed. I can help you get out of this marriage." Louisa says, an apprehensive look on her face.

My eyes widened in surprise, a large grateful smile dominating my lips. “Really? You'll help me? Thank you so much." I squeal, jumping over to her side and giving her a hug from the back even though the chair makes it almost impossible.

“But you'll do something in return."

I nod my head eagerly. “I would do anything to get out of this."

“I need you to kill Damien." She reveals, watching my every move to gauge my reaction.

My whole body freezes and my brain stops working for a while. I couldn't fully comprehend the words that fell out of her mouth but when I finally did, I jerked away from her.

She's even a greater psychopath than her son.

“You want me to kill Damien, your son?" I repeat, trying to make sure I heard her right.

She nods her head like it's no big deal to want your child dead. “Yes. I want you to poison him."

“Is he really your son? Is he your stepson or was he adopted?" I quiz, not still quite understanding why and how this conversation is going in the direction it is.

“I carried Damien in my womb for nine months. So yes, he's my biological son."

“You want your own child dead? What kind of mother are you?"

She shrugs, looking away from me.

“Damien doesn't deserve to live. He deserves to rot in the deepest part of hell. He deserves the worst and most painfully slow death on earth. He deserves to die. I want him dead." She flares up, banging her hands on the table and startling me.

Her words leave me tongue-tied and scared.

“He killed him. He killed Romano. He killed my husband. He killed his father. I want him to die. I want him in hell for what he did to the love of my life." She collapses on the chair again, her shoulders shaking violently as she sobs.

“I…I…don't know what to say." I stammer.

Once again, I realized that I'm dealing with someone that's more dangerous than I ever predicted.

If he killed his own father, what would he do to me, a poor girl he apparently ‘bought' from her non-existent father?

“He killed his father?" I whisper, waves of shock flowing through me like blood.

“He killed his father and hospitalized Kora, his fifteen year old sister. She has been in a coma for five years now. He won't let me see her. He won't let me see my baby. He's holding her hostage…he…" She breaks down completely, falling off the chair like a bag of sand.

“Please, help me. Help me kill Damien. Help me avenge my husband and daughter. Help me bring Kora Alejandro back."