Chapter Fifty Nine

Chapter 59

As Jemima descended from the pulpit, Alan stared at her in bewilderment so did Jay. They were not expecting her to subtly announce her ambitions of becoming the Godfather.

Jon's surprise was palpable; they had agreed that Marcus's burial was not the right moment for such bold declarations. Yet Jemima had meticulously studied the council, knowing that their primary criterion for a Godfather was a ruthless edge. What better way to demonstrate her resolve than to publicly dismiss the death of her twin brother?

She had made up her mind the previous night and brought forth her concerns to Jon who had advised her against it.

"I thought we agreed this wasn't the time?" Jon whispered, his voice low and urgent as soon as she returned to his side.

"Not now, father!" Alan interjected, shooting his father a piercing glare. Jon relented, turning his attention back to the ceremony, albeit with a lingering unease.

The Mafia world was slowly losing its essence, and Jemima felt a fire igniting within her. She was determined to restore balance and to do that, she needed to ascend to the role of Godfather- if possible, eliminate the concept of Godfatherism.

As the ceremony drew to a close, the crowd began to disperse, the air thick with condolences as acquaintances of the late Marcus Valerian approached her, each offering their condolences with hollow words that echoed in her ears. She felt their eyes on her, heavy with pity, and it suffocated her spirit.

Just when it seemed the tide of grief would never stop, Jemima turned away, her heart pounding with a mix of desperation and relief. She needed to be alone.

Jay followed closely behind her, not caring where she was going. He expected her to protest but she didn't. Instead, they both got into the car and sped away.

"Jem," Jay began, his voice low and urgent, cutting through the silence like a knife. "I want to tell you something."

"Be my guest," she replied her heart racing, sensing the gravity of his words.

"I love you."

"What!" She half exclaimed, half asked, her tone mixed with relief and shock as the car came to a screeching halt. She thought he had wanted to tell her off regarding the announcement she made on becoming the godfather.

"I love you, Jemima Valerian!" Jay repeated, his eyes glistening with raw emotions but Jemima was too shaken up to stare at him.

"No!" Jemima screamed and alighted from the car. Jay immediately got out of the car too.

"Jem!" Jay called out to her but she ran; as if she could run away from the emotions that welled up inside her. As she ran, the breeze slapped against her cheeks, blowing her hair in all directions. Jay didn't stop, he ran after her, determined to make her listen.

He was tired of the games that they were playing and he was determined to let her know how he truly feels.

"Stop!" Jay demanded the minute he got a hold of her. He grabbed her hand and held it firmly before turning her around and holding her close. The birds of the sky chirped loudly, serving as a soothing backdrop to the charged atmosphere.

"Don't say what you don't mean Jay, don't throw words around just because you feel like," Jemima warned as she glared at him, panting heavily. There is no way Jay could love her.

"Oh, Jem! You had no clue, didn't you?" Jay whispered as he tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear and stared deeply into her black eyes. He smiled and for the first time, Jemima caught a glimpse of the Jay she used to know- carefree and unbothered.

"Jemima, I never thought I'd find myself here, standing before you, my greatest rival, my fiercest enemy, and yet, the one who holds my heart. In the dark corners of our world, where betrayal and blood run deep, you've become the unexpected spark in my life. Every battle we fought, every argument we had, every little spat or squabble we had only made me realize how deeply in love I was with you.
I'm captivated by your spirit, even when we were at odds. It's in those moments of conflict that I discovered the truth: I love you more than I fear the chaos around us. I love you more than I fear death."

"You can't Jay! You can't!" Jemima wailed as tears dropped from her eyes like a leaking faucet! She turned her face away, afraid of looking vulnerable in front of Jay.

"Why not? What are you so afraid of?" Jay asked, hurt in his eyes. He was not expecting Jemima to love him back outrightly, he had just wanted to let her know how he felt but seeing as she struggled to conceal her emotions from him hurt him even more.

"I can't!" Jemima kept on whispering like a broken toy on repeat. She buried her face in her palms and the hair she had once packed into a sleek bun came loose and fell.

"Why can't you?"

"Because I'm flawed Jay! Can't you see? I am not stable. I have anger issues, I crave to kill at odd times. I haven't fully healed from my trauma. I was raped! I am dirty! I am not fit to be loved by anyone!" Jemima exclaimed looking at him dead in the eyes, making her emotions visible to him.

"All these and I haven't heard you do not love me."

"That's not the point! My life is complicated!"

"Then allow me to simplify it for you! Understand that you are the bane of my existence Jem and if you tell me this instant that you do not want me, it will break me but I promise you, you won't ever see me again. I won't bother you anymore and I will leave."

"Jay!" Jemima drawled out in a whisper, her eyes closed momentarily as she tried to still herself from crying.

"Go on! Say you want me gone. Say you hate me so much you do not ever want to see me again and best believe your wish is my command."

"I have never wanted anybody more than I want you, Jay Black. I love you."

Jemima declared and in that instant, she could see sparks fly in his eyes. In one swift moment, Jay closed the cap between them and snatched her lips in his. It started slow and sensual until the hunger for each other consumed them.
They began to ravish each other and tear out their clothes.

That fateful night, as the moon and the stars bore witness, two souls intertwined in a dance of passion and desire, surrendering to the magic of the moment as they made love on the hood of their car. The world around them faded away, leaving only the whispers of the night and the warmth of their bodies, entwined in a connection that felt as timeless as the cosmos above.


Six Months Later


“Are you ready?” Jay asked his girlfriend Jemima who was getting ready to climb up on stage. He planted a kiss on her head and handed her the coffee he brought her.

“Thank you,” Jemima whispered a thank you, her smile reaching her eyes and Jay could not help but notice how stunning she was.

“Someone’s in love!” Vanessa cooed as she did Jemima’s hair.

“Shut up!” Jemima exclaimed, eliciting a mischievous smirk from Jay.

“She’s not wrong though,” Jay acquiesced and winked at Jemima who rolled her eyes.

It had been six grueling months of campaign and hard work and now the DDay was finally here. Voting for the next godfather was like voting for the next president of the United States.
There were lots of anti-campaigns for Jemima and at one point she wanted to give up but Jay stood by her.
Her chances were slimmer because only Mafians or people in the ring were allowed to vote albeit the election taking place publicly.

They did buy some votes but which Mafia leader didn’t. Today, Jemima was going to mark history as being the first female to go against men in an election.

“There’s my girl!” Jon praised as he entered the dressing room, Alan following suit.

“Here you go!” Alan called out, handing her a cup of coffee but she held out the one she was holding, indicating that Jon had already gotten her a cup.

The atmosphere in the room became charged with tension and Vanessa, noticing that decided to dispel some of the energy.

“Want to go over your speech again?”

“Gladly!” Jemima begged with her eyes and Vanessa, needing no soothsayer, ushered the rest of the gentlemen out.

Once they were gone, they both breathed out in relief but Vanessa soon burst into tears.

“What’s wrong?” Jemima inquired, her voice trembling with worry as she stood up to hold Vanessa.

“It’s just, that you look so beautiful!” Vanessa exclaimed, prompting Jemima to nod as she hummed.

“That can’t possibly be why you’re crying.”

“I’m pregnant, Jem, and I don’t know how to tell Dimitri!” Vanessa muttered, eliciting a huge grin from Jemima.

“That’s good!” Jemima said, elated. She embraced Vanessa and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

“I can help you plan a surprise for him,” Jemima offered, causing Vanessa to chuckle.

“It’s time for you to go and conquer the world,” Vanessa whispered, ushering Jemima out of the dressing room.

Jemima stood behind a list of other aspirants for the godfather and they both rolled out on stage. Cameras were clicking as everyone struggled to get a picture.

They all sat down and awaited the verdict of the campaign chairman.
They all watched as he counted the votes collated in different states by different representatives. The air was tense and Jemima’s lips were pursed- an attempt to hide her anxiety.


“With me, I have the last vote here and we are at a tie currently,” the chairman was saying and the cameras zoomed in to show the scoreboard.

It was 96:97. Jemima and Reese were the two leading aspirants.

The chairman opened up the vote, his face devoid of any expression.

“And the new Godfather is Jemima Luciana Valerian!”