Chapter 213: There Is A Lot You Still Need To Know
Chapter 213: There Is A Lot You Still Need To Know
Camilla
"What did you just say?" I asked, my voice deathly quiet with fear and a shit ton of anger if this wasn't some messed up joke. The reality of not being one was too destructive to even think about it.
"I know it is hard to realize the people who loved you can be…."
"You don't get to tell me how I feel!" I yelled, my hands shaking at the thought of Adriano being the Don of the Mafia.
This couldn't be true because he would never be happy again in a life stricken by forced duty and appearance. He doesn't want that future, he never has.
"Adriano killed his father yesterday morning after he and his brother realized you were gone. You would have been on a plane over here with your brother during that time though."
A trip I didn't remember because I was unconscious at his order. Oh, and whoever this Festus Davis is, he is definitely not my brother.
I was horrified for Adriano, not even able to imagine how he must be feeling right now. As much as he will never admit it and I will never say it. I know a part of him had always longed for Raphael's approval, it was the little boy inside him who still grieved the life of having parents who couldn't give less of a shit about you, I know because I long for it too.
No matter how much my mother has wronged and hurt me, the reason I don't want her dead like Edward is because of some stupid, minuscule hope of mine is that she is not gone yet. That there is still some good left in her. No, I don't want her dead because I still grieve for her as though she were everything to me even when I was treated like nothing.
"And whose fault is that?" I accuse after a moment of thinking, walking further into the room for the sole reason of placing some distance between us. I am not sure if my father realized it but he has hurt me too.
In his own way, he was hurting me now and I didn't know what to make of it.
"The Jaxson have been after our family for decades, my daughter. I am not playing the innocent but things can't just stop at Raphael anymore."
"Why not?" I raised my hands along with my tone in defeat, so exhausted from all of this.
I wanted to go back to the time when I was still happy, when Adriano, Gregorio and Domenico weren't locked into lives they hated and myself the truth that had me coming apart at the seams. I stared at the silvering strands of my father's hair and the circles under his eyes that hadn't been there the last time we spoke and I wished we could go back to when not having him was lonely but manageable.
The sound of his exhale was carried across the room to where I stood, my hands clutching my stomach right over when Adriano's initials were. At least that couldn't be taken from me.
"Why aren't they knocking on this door finding me right now? Why do I feel like if I try to leave this place, you are going to force me to stay like one would do to a prisoner."
He flinched at my words but didn't deny any of it, confirming once again that I was right. He wouldn't let me leave if it is what I wanted.
"Let's sit and I can show you why you can't go back to those precious men you think love you." He practically spits at the last part and I saw Lucas because this was not the man who raised me.
No, this person was driven by vengeance and that means something else had to have happened that made Raphael's death no longer cancel out my uncle's murder.
"I don't…."
"Camilla, sit down." He demanded and there is no use in arguing when I am admittedly feeling sick anyways. Though, his tone has me on edge either way.
Listening, I sat in the chair across from the office and he occupied a seat once he saw I wasn't going to try and run. This entire conversation had me biting my tongue in irritation but I just wanted answers and a clue as to how I can get home. Tracking his movement as he typed something into the sleek black computer in front of him, his eyes met mine, looking just as tired and regretful as I am sure mind do
"You are right," he began, nodding his head only once before leaning back slightly.
"I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now and I am truly sorry that you got caught in the middle of this disaster. I really did believe Adriano was a good man for you despite his father."
And that is the part I didn't understand. What did he do to make my father so distrustful of our relationship? I thought having Raphael dead was what everyone wanted. None of this was voiced however because I am slowly learning the less I talk. The more other's take the silence as an opportunity to fill in the gaps, this time was no different and instead, it seemed to even calm the edge I could tell we were both on right now.
"You are aware I was throwing a party for the entire organization in celebration of finally being able to make our move on Raphael but what the Jaxson's didn't realize was that their ambush was essential to that plan."
I didn't question how the hell he knew I was aware of that information.
"I could tell just from those few minutes of watching those men to know that they were in love with you and I counted on them calling off their assignment that night. However we could have still managed if they hadn't, either way, it was much easier to handle their stand ins considering we had ones of our own."
We, as in my father and the wife I had to learn about from Gregorio. Was my step-brother there too, the one who has been alive for two years longer than me that I had no idea about until now? I forced deep breaths in through my nose to calm my senses because I could already feel myself cracking from the inside out again. There was no way I could risk letting my guard down in a place like this, not with so much on the line.
"Raphael killed the person who was imitating me and kidnapped Marble while I was trying to get to you but when he realized we had something that could bring the entire mafia down on him, he came to us instead. Marble got away with the promise of a deal, we get you in exchange for a kept secret."
Isn't that what this whole thing came down to? Secrets. I didn't want to hear about the stepmother nobody bothered to tell me about or the deals that made me feel like nothing more than a bargaining chip. My ring was gone and it was he who took it, I couldn't care less about the contract with Raphael even though it was my curiosity that kept me listening.
"Pulling back our forces in agreement, we were anonymously contacted about your protective jewelry and how Gregorio, Adriano and Domenico would never believe you left unless it was taken off. We had a professional learn your handwriting so the note looked real…"
"Note?" I cut him off, my eyes widening as my body shot up from the seat.
I couldn't stay quiet about that because my father was making it sound like I chose to leave them for good. Like they might believe I didn't want them anymore.
"There is a lot more you still need to know, you will understand why we did what we had to do once I finished explaining." He tries to defend himself but this was a line that couldn't be uncrossed. He was speaking like I wouldn't be going back and I like hell was I going to accept that.
"Explain what? The fact that the people you look down upon were here for me when you weren't?" I said, thinking of every moment I had with them that led up to now.
"That you took me away from everything that made me happy just to take away my choice again by bringing me here? Why would you work with Raphael anyways if this entire thing is about killing him?"
He tracked the way I brought my hands down to rest against the desk, a cover up for the fact I was dizzy from standing so abruptly but I was too angry to care what he thought. None of this made sense, I have taken care of myself for almost a year without him and now he thinks he has the right to be my father again? To keep me grounded here like I didn't know what was best for myself.
It was bullshit and when he closed his eyes to collect himself, I spun on my heel and turned to leave. I didn't even care that I knew I wouldn't succeed but his voice stopped me.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
