Important Matters In Her Father's Office.

ALESSANDRA

It was afternoon when Father returned from his business trip the following day. I could hear the sound of his voice right in the hallway after he climbed the stairs talking to my mother. Although we had agreed that I would wait for him in his office, ready to discuss some private matters, my mother still tried to stall him, her laughter and lively chatter intentionally delaying his entrance.

I couldn't blame her for it. The very thought of my Father's arrival had sent me an unsettling chill for the past hours but I didn't want to waste any more time here.

I had to leave the house before Leonardo came looking for me.

The door opened when I was preoccupied with my thoughts, but I was able to catch my Father's figure standing in the hallway. His expression changed the moment his eyes landed on me, his face contorting in anger.

The door creaked open just as my mind was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. I glanced up to find my father standing in the doorway, his figure framed by the dim light behind him. The moment his eyes locked onto mine, a palpable tension filled the air. I could see his facial muscles contort, tight with simmering anger, and a deep crease formed between his brows. It sent an unsettling shiver down

As I lost myself in a whirlpool of thoughts, the door creaked open, slicing through my reverie. My gaze flickered up just in time to catch my Father's silhouette framed in the doorway. His expression shifted in an instant; the tension in his facial muscles constricted, etching lines of fury across his forehead.

“What on earth are you doing here?” His angry voice sliced through the air. He spun around, his muscles taut and coiled like a spring before he exploded on me, “Where is your husband?”

I gripped the small fruit knife I stole from the kitchen tighter, trying to suppress the fear in my heart. With a steady voice, I told him, “Leonardo isn't here, Father. I came here to talk about the USB drive you sent me for my wedding.”

My father's tense body instantly relaxed when he heard my words. He barked some words at my mother, commanding her to leave, but she stood in the hallway staring at me. I could feel her reluctance to leave me alone with him in a closed space but this was something I needed to do for myself.

I reassured her, “Don't worry, Mother. I will be alright.”

Before my father could scowl at her, my mother scurried out of the place, leaving us alone. My father closed the door and gave me a wary look as he sat down behind his desk, “You should have just called me on the phone. Do you agree to my proposal?”

His words made my heart sink, solidifying my opinion of him. A part of me wanted to beg him to protect me from Leonardo but deep down, I understood that he would never agree to it without a price. Frustration simmered beneath in my heart, threatening to boil over to rage. He was the one who messed up the business deal, yet I was the one who was paying for it.

“I came to ask you something,” I swallowed the despair in my heart and continued, “Why did you agree to do business with Leonardo? I thought you hated him.”

My father snapped, “I didn't know he had taken over his father's position, or else, I would have never agreed to sell him those shipments. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing,” I rose from my seat after getting my answer. It seemed that Leonardo had been planning this little scheme for a while. No one knew when he had taken the reins of the California Familia and the worst part was, the news didn't leak at all.

“Where are you going?” My father’s voice halted me mid-step, causing me to spin around and face him. His gaze was searching, as if trying to read my thoughts. “You still haven’t told me if you will agree to be my spy.”

“I won't be your spy, Father. Go and find some other woman to seduce your enemy if you want.” I replied.

Just as I was about to grasp the doorknob, my father's hand crashed against the wooden surface, the sound echoing in the air and making me jump back in surprise. His gaze bore into me, filled with a simmering rage that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as he confronted me.

“You know,” his lips curved into a smile as he spoke, “Mia has been talking about that bastard ever since he returned. Maybe I should send her to him instead.”

His words sent a jolt of seething anger coursing through me, twisting my insides with disgust. How could he call himself a father when he was talking about selling my sixteen-year-old to a murderer?

I stepped closer, my gaze locked onto his with a burning intensity, fury radiating from every pore as I glared at him. “Leave my sister out of this, Patrizio. I will take her away from you if you try to use her.”

“H-How dare you call me by my name!”My father's eyes grew wide with disbelief, the sudden shock evident on his face before it morphed into a fierce glare of anger. Without a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand, ready to strike me.

At that moment, a sudden knock from the other side of the door grabbed our attention. Mia’s voice floated in, trembling with urgency and fear, “Alessandra, please come out. Leonardo is here, and he is demanding to see you.”

My heart raced as I caught my father's gaze, the concern etched on his features mirrored my own rising panic. His hand fell away from mine, and I took a deep breath, trying to steady the tremors coursing through me. I cleared my throat and forced out the words, “Tell him I'm not around.”

“I don't think that is going to work,” she replied, her voice heavy with emotion, “He has taken Illaro hostage.”