The Mafia's Duplicate Bride

Chapters

"I got a bunch of flowers from him and it's so my favorite, meaning he took extra time finding out what my favorite flowers are," Jemima said, turning around on the swivel chair as his father chuckled.

"I knew he'd be stunned by a beautiful lady like you it's so annoying seeing him with a high school teenage girl who broke into the entertainment limelight too early with a premature fame," he replied as she frowned.

"You mean to say he has a girlfriend?" she asked and her father chuckled.

"You didn't expect him to be single, did you? he asked as a smile covered her face. "Single or not I know he has a thing for me and I'll make it work and worthwhile."

“So what do you plan to do? Snatch him from his fiancee? Take him away?” Her father teased but she just chuckled.

“I'd say you watch me do my thing, what do you think?”

“Well I'll leave that to you to do, I know what you're capable of doing and remember they've got the money, I mean the Perkins has got the money to take our hotels and resorts to the next level so in all you do remember not to fail me.” with that, he got up and left the office.

She picked up her phone, scrolled through, and contemplated if she should call Kendrick but just then, the door opened revealing Bella her best friend.

“Guess what?” She quickly asked, beaming with smiles and girlie giggles.

“You're turning red from blushing hurry up and tell me what's wrong.”

“Well Kendrick Perkins just sent me tulips without asking what my favorite flower is, you know what that means?” She asked, biting her lips.

“He found out himself cause he__”

“Finds me attractive!” They both squealed, giggling like kids.

“He has a teenage girlfriend, nothing I can't handle.” She replied, smiling evilly as she touched the flowers to her lips.

*

*

As Mr Henson walked towards his car, he noticed a man in black standing opposite his car and speaking into his phone. His ninth sense came on alert, his nerves stood awake.

For a man of his caliber, he knew he had several enemies as he bent to pick up the file he dropped and straightened up back, the man was gone and immediately his phone rang.

“Why are you calling at this hour?” He screamed into the phone.

“Our yacht caught fire and the security head is dead, he was murdered in cold blood.” He felt the hairs on his neck stand erect as fear gripped him. Someone is definitely after his life, definitely after his life.

*

*

"We want nothing of a huge ceremony Yolanda, we're mourning." Victoria corrected, making the necessary corrections to the burial arrangements. Since her body had been burnt beyond recognition, they'd decided to just create a chest stone for her with her name written there and a beautiful decoration to support it.

"I hope we're doing the right thing and not sabotaging our image more, I hope we're not selling our souls and dignity for this Victoria. I hope so."

"You think I enjoy doing this? it's not something I enjoy doing, I'm burying my daughter, do not forget that, my daughter, not anyone else's!" she fired.

"Is she just your daughter? She's mine too." he retorted as she chuckled and turned to stare at him. "Oh please humor me with that, now you call her your daughter? Why didn't you search for a way to make sure my daughter doesn't get into an early marriage? what did you do as a father other than fold your arms, cross your legs, and wait for your wife to do the job? if you're a man you'd have stood up for us like a man, that's what fathers and husbands do, but no, you got us into trouble, and boom I'm getting everyone out of this trouble and just so you know, I'm not the one subjecting Charlotte to this, you are."

Just then, Charlotte walked in, her eyes taking in the tense environment.

"What's going on, mom? dad?"

"We were just discussing the funeral arrangements, nothing too serious." Victoria lied but Charlotte knew her parents well, as much as they loved to conceal their fights and arguments away from Charlene and herself, she always caught between the lines and always knew when there was tension in the room or house.

"I think it's high time you both stop treating me like a baby, I know there's something wrong and I'm not going to walk out this door without finding out," she said defiantly, folding her hands under her breasts.

"We want nothing of a huge ceremony Yolanda, we're mourning." Victoria corrected, making the necessary corrections to the burial arrangements. Since her body had been burnt beyond recognition, they'd decided to just create a chest stone for her with her name written there and a beautiful decoration to support it.

"I hope we're doing the right thing and not sabotaging our image more, I hope we're not selling our souls and dignity for this Victoria. I have so."

"You think I enjoy doing this? it's not something I enjoy doing, I'm burying my daughter, do not forget that, my daughter, not anyone else's!" she fired.

"Is she just your daughter? She's mine too." he retorted as she chuckled and turned to stare at him. "Oh please humor me with that, now you call her your daughter? Why didn't you search for a way to make sure my daughter doesn't get into an early marriage? what did you do as a father other than fold your arms, cross your legs, and wait for your wife to do the job? if you're a man you'd have stood up for us like a man, that's what fathers and husbands do, but no, you got us into trouble, and boom I'm getting everyone out of this trouble and just so you know, I'm not the one subjecting Charlotte to this, you are."

Just then, Charlotte walked in, her eyes taking in the tense environment.

"What's going on, mom? dad?"

"We were just discussing the funeral arrangements, nothing too serious." Victoria lied but Charlotte knew her parents well, as much as they loved to conceal their fights and arguments away from Charlene and herself, she always caught between the lines and always knew when there was tension in the room or house.

"I think it's high time you both stop treating me like a baby, I know there's something wrong and I'm not going to walk out this door without finding out," she said defiantly, folding her hands under her breasts.

"There's absolutely nothing to worry about, come on go in and rest we'll be having the funeral later today.

*

Kendrick sat on the chair, sipping his martini as he awaited the report and news from his competent men, he vowed to take Mr. Henson down after what he did to his father.

Mr Henson and Kendrick's dad had been best of friends until Mr... Henson began to get jealous of the achievement of Kendrick's dad.

They'd gone out to eat lunch after which Kendrick's dad arrived home and slept till eternity. The police had done an autopsy, ran several tests, and threatened the restaurant where they had lunch but the test results turned out to be negative, and that he'd died of a cardiac arrest.

“He was getting filthy rich, had to bring him down.” Mr Henson had said to his aide as they watched the Perkins family mourn and Kendrick had heard it. Kendrick lifted his eyes and met Mr. Henson and it amazed him that his father's best friend was discussing and not mourning. Right there, he made it his habit of monitoring and following Mr Henson for possible answers to his questions.

it had taken him seven years to reach his goal, to lay a hold on Mr Henson and tag him as his father's killer but now nothing was stopping him.

"Tomorrow we'll take charge, make sure to tell that to your guys, he's going down tomorrow and there's no stopping me. I'll be on a date with his daughter when you deliver the news, make sure you sound very convincing, like terror i want to see the look of hurt, and pain in her eyes just like her father watched us mourn with heavy hearts knowing fully well he caused the death of my father. I won't be nice."

*********************************

The next morning came too soon for everyone, today marks the beginning of Charlotte's task of being Charlene, she wasn't very pleased about everything but there was nothing she could do. Memories from their childhood kept on replaying in her head.

~Flashback~

"Where do you think you're going to dress like that?" Charlene had asked on their prom night. Charlene had picked her dress from a very authentic turkey store while Charlotte chose to wear a dress she had before.

"It's my dress, I can wear whatever I like." Charlotte had responded defiantly before getting into the car as their driver zoomed in off.

At the party, Charlene had made Charlotte the laughing stock, she made sure Charlotte felt worthless that she had to leave the party and go home early.

~Flashback ends~

"I'll not let anything ruin what I'm about to embark on, never I'll let it," she whispered,face-palming herself. she sighed, stood on her feet, and walked into the bathroom.

*

*

"I'll be leaving for the office right now, be a good girl and make sure to have a nice time with you know who." Mr Henson teased as Jemima chuckled.

She'd gotten a midnight text from Kendrick asking if she'd be available for an evening outing and of course she'd hopped on the ride and screamed a yes.

"You know I think he likes you, why else would he go through the stress of texting late at night?" Bella asked.

"He probably fell asleep but couldn't sleep for long 'cause he was having wet dreams about me and my banging body," Jemima said as they both giggled.

*

*

TWO WEEKS LATER

~Airport~

Kendrick drove through the driveway and parked, awaiting Charlene's presence. They'd spoken over the phone and had discussed and Charlene being who she is, she'd asked for a glamorous welcome party.

“Kendrick! Babe!” She screamed, running in her high-heeled shoes as she flung her arms around him.

“I've missed you.” He whispered, kissing her lips as she melted in his arms.

“Come on we have a lot to catch on, to my legs are killing me.” She said as he frowned.

“You rarely complain about your shoes, you wear higher__”

“Cut me a slack babe, I had an accident so it's normal for me to complain.” Just then, Jemima walked into the airport, her smile dropping as she registered what was happening.

“Kendrick?” She called as Charlene turned to stare at her.

“Babe, who is she?”