To Love and To Hate

CHAPTER 4

The entire bar went silent. Isabella gasped at loud at the realization of her being on her knees in front of her archenemy. Before she could react more, a voice interrupted.

"I'm leaving, Lorenzo, next time tell your assistant to pick a better business location to conduct our business, I was skeptical about the deal before but now it's off the table. Come with a better offer and I might consider putting my funds into a business that won't go swimming down the drain". The business partner, Lorenzo was conducting the meeting with laughed at the use of his words with the current situation.

"And by the way, I'd forgive the sweet girl if I were you. She just did us both a big favour. Maybe the deal was doomed to crash. And her crashing into it must be a sign" He laughed heartily again and clutched his stomach.

"I'll see you around, Moretti", he patted Lorenzo on the back and left.

Lorenzo sighed at the turn of the situation. He looked frustratingly at the girl on the ground and decided, he wasn't worth her time after all. There was no benefit to giving them a show of his power. Afterall, very soon, if he tried to secure the business deal again, there might be no Tom's cafe at the end of the day.

"Umph, you're not worth my time, it's quite expensive", he snickered and gestured at his driver. His driver had moved unknowingly towards them since the incident happened, waiting for his boss commands.

"Pack the mess up, Richard, we can't afford letting contracts loose in the open. Destroyed or not", Lorenzo said.

He bent down and removed Isabella's arm away from his leg where it was wrapped tightly against and then turned on his heel and left.

The bar heaved a sigh of relief at Lorenzo's departure. Tom turned at the sound of Karen's sniggering and silenced her with a look. He then helped Isabella get to her feet.

"Clean up, Bells. Go home when you're done. Today's not the day", he said.

He then faced the customers and apologised for the disruption. "Apologies folks, current orders are on the house".

He may feel the loss later, but right now, family mattered the most.

Karen shifted uncomfortably beside him and muttered beneath her breath. However, she dared not talk, afterall Tom was still the boss.

Isabella looked at the mirror in the bathroom, her reflection staring back at her. She looked ragged with her hair disheveled and wild from running her hands through it from the joyride earlier on her way to work. She didn't have the heart to face Tom and left work hurriedly. Maybe, she should call in sick for a few days while gather her thoughts.

"What would her family think of her when she explains what happened today to them, the family that ruined them and took away all their fortune and power had surfaced again after all these years, Lorenzo didn't recognize her because they had never met and he does not know her name." Maybe, she'll finally revenge for her family. But now, she can distract herself by working nights at the club downtown, that way she'd be tuckered in bed all day long. She needed to go to work tonight, but for now, she slid down the bathroom wall, crouched and let the shower wash away her tears.

***

The loud music and beats jamming off the walls of the building provided a soothing effect to Isabella's ears. Coming to work is the perfect way of ridding her heart of heartache and worries. The only thing she needed to worry about now is slithering through sweaty bodies to get to the bar where she can mix alcohol and make concoctions to her heart's content.

"How's it going sir, what's your poison of choice, tonight? Isabella asked the new man slithering on the bar stool.

"Tequila shots please" The man responded.

Isabella slid the shot glasses in front of him, "here you go".

"Keep them flowing", he responded back.

She turned away to attend to other patrons and occasionally checked up on the man.

"Can I talk to you", he asked, calling her attention to himself.

"What is it, folk?" She responded, "do you need something stronger than tequila?"

He shakes his head, and stares at Isabella, and then all of a sudden, he burst out and spills stories about his relationship to her.

Isabella stared blankly at the man, she wasn't about to indulge in any more sob stories at the bar tonight. It was a regular occurrence with the patrons, but now, she'd prefer if everyone just came happily and danced away without plaguing her with their life issues.

She zoned out from the conversation and unconsciously prepared another patron's order.

"Hey, I'm speaking to you, don't you dare turn away from me like a disrespectful girl" the guy shouted profanities at Isabella.

She turned just in time to see him lurching across the bar..

Her eyes widened at the movement and her body was frozen in shock.

As he reaches across to make a grab at her.

She screamed.

She cowered in fright, expecting a hit to fall on her body. However, nothing happened. She peeped out from curling herself in a ball to see the man howling with pain from his hair being grabbed by a well-dressed man in suit.

"Take him outside, John", an authoritative voice boomed at the suit guy.

"Yes, Mr Moretti", he responded.

"Take her too" , Lorenzo added.

John walked up to Isabella and lifted her over his shoulder like she weighed a ton of feathers. "Put me down", she screeched, tearing and clawing at the back of Lorenzo's bodyguard. However, he was too strong for her and she gave up and let her arms flail uselessly. She watched as John dragged the man by the scruff of his shirt into an office.

She braced herself to get dumped on the hard floor, maybe the thick Persian rug would cushion her buttocks from hitting the ground. However, she was placed gently on a sofa.

The sofa felt comfortable and soft and she sinked right into it. However, she remembered where she was and composed herself. She watched the man get dragged across the floor and dumped on top of the table.

Lorenzo settled into a chair and watched as the man pleaded for his life.

A mix of emotions ran through Isabella. She didn't know whether to feel surprise or shock or fear at seeing Lorenzo Moretti again.

However, the next words he said came as a shock to her, that might derail all her plans of revenge.

"I know who you are, Isabella."

"Enemy, when I find you, I'll kill you" ~ Moretti mantra