When We Meet Again, Princess

3

Olivia loosened her bra, tossing into the bed and falling tiredly on the bed. She groaned, holding herself together. Two and a half hours invested in getting Sofia comfortable with the new home setting. Olivia let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temples as the exhaustion from the day washed over her.

Sofia had finally settled in, her soft breaths drifting from the makeshift bed they’d set up in the living room. Olivia glanced over at her daughter, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched her sleep peacefully, oblivious to the storm that had been raging in their lives.

She kicked off her shoes, feeling the cool fabric of the sheets against her skin as she lay back on the bed, her phone vibrated on the nightstand, pulling her up from her drowsy state. Olivia groaned, wondering who it could be at this hour. The screen lit up with her brother’s name—Nathaniel.

“What is it now?” She muttered under her breath as she answered the call. He was infamous for always calling to ask for money at every given chance she had something to live on.

"Hey, Liv," Nathaniel’s voice came through the speaker. “I need a favor. Do you mind lending me a hundred thousand dollars? I am in big trouble and I have to pay back in the next twenty minutes. And can you get me?”

“What trouble are you talking about? And why are you using the Paris dialing code to call me? Is there something wrong?” The sleep Olivia once had in her eyes dispersed and she was up from the bed. “Nate, if you dare let me find out what you've done, I will skin you alive!”

“Older sister, calm down. It is not a big deal, my friends here in Paris also play the game.”

“So you are back in Paris? What the f**k are you doing here? You should be in the states studying to make the family a better home for me and Sofia! Haven't I tried enough, you ungrateful scum?” Olivia didn't hold back in yelling.

Just seventeen years old, Nate was already a pain in the ass.

“And I dropped out. I am very sure I emailed you telling you it wasn't my passion. You forced me and that's the consequence.”

“You did what?” Olivia flared up instantly, wearing her shoes back on. She grabbed onto her coat, pressed a kiss on Sofia's forehead and hurried downstairs. When she was all alone and far away from Sofia, she cursed. “You f*****g dimwit. Give me your address. I will beat the f*****g crap out of you!”

“I know I am dead but lend me $100,000 if you'd still want to see me alive. I beg of you.” Nate's voice changed from the playful tone he had when he picked up the call to now, full of dread.

Olivia clung to her phone very close to her ears, hearing loud music, followed by growling and howling noises of men from the speaker. She was sure this wasn't a club nor was this school, where then was Nate in? And why did he need so much?

“Send me the address Nate and whatever you do, don't you dare die!”

“I’m… I’m at a place called La Maison, it’s a private casino, and I owe money to some people, Liv. Serious money. The kind of people you don’t mess with. They’ve been calling me nonstop, and if I don’t pay up in twenty minutes, I’m done for. It’s not like I had a choice, alright? It just… spiraled out of control and they are…Oh God, they are going to go for Aunty Clara next.”

Olivia’s eyes widened as the full weight of his words sank in. “A casino? Aunt Clara?” she repeated, shaking in fear. “You knew I wouldn't allow you to gamble and you went ahead and got involved with Clara. You are useless! I regret ever spending a dime on you. You’re gambling with these people and now you owe them? How much do you actually owe them?”

“This isn't the time to yell at me for being useless. I thought if I could bet more and in my favor I would win, I could move you and little Sofia to a better home. Liv, it wasn’t like that at first! I didn’t know they were involved in anything sketchy. I swear, it just escalated. Now they want me to pay, and if I don’t, they’ll… they’ll come after me. I have been able to pay them back with my student loan but it still remains.”

Olivia didn't need to hear anymore of the s**t Nate was telling her. “How much do you owe, Nate?!”

“Five million dollars. Currently paid back only two percent. But I promise, they said I could pay them back every month little back little. But suddenly, they came enraged, dragging me out of my friend's house saying that their Big Boss returned to Paris last night and requested for the money.”

“s**t you f*****g dimwit! A whole five million dollars. What were you thinking about? I can't afford a million dollar apartment and you want me to give you five times the amount. God, I swear, I am going to kill you and sell your organs once I get my hands on you!

“I am going to be dead if you don't transfer the hundred thousand dollars to me. Save me this once, I beg you.”

The phone call glitched and hung off. Olivia tried to dial his number but it was out of reach. Instantly, she became worried. Her heartbeat increased in multiples. “God, what sort of brother do I have?”

She closed her eyes to get herself intact and opened it up to the small cries of Sofia. She ran upstairs, barging in to see Sofia profusely sweating. It seemed she had noticed Olivia wasn't in the room and became afraid.

Olivia rushed to Sofia's side, her heart pounding in her chest. She quickly scooped her daughter into her arms, brushing the damp hair from her forehead as she tried to comfort her. "Sofia, sweetheart, it's okay," Olivia whispered, her voice trembling with concern. "Mommy’s here. You’re safe."

But Sofia’s tiny hands gripped her tightly, as though she could sense the unease that had filled the room. "Mommy, I’m scared," she whimpered, her eyes wide with fear.

Olivia’s heart shattered at the sight of her daughter’s distress. She kissed the top of Sofia’s head and rocked her gently. "There’s nothing to be afraid of, darling. Just a little scare, that’s all. You’re safe with me, I promise.”

Slowly, Sofia drifted off to sleep in Olivia's hands, still clutching onto her sleeves. Carefully, Olivia grabbed her phone, and sat on the bed, scrolling through her account balance to see if there was any spare cash she had.

Barely nothing else left after paying for the $350,000 plant ticket for both her and Sofia. She was broke, no money, nothing. And just then, her hand skimmed over the money she never wanted to spend in her life: her mother's hospital bill, the one Vincenzo sent to her.

She stared at the figures behind the money, almost close to ten figures but couldn't bring herself to use it. Seven years ago was when she signed a deal to sell her freedom away in exchange for her mother's health. However, a few hours after Vincenzo signed and sent her five hundred million dollars including her mother's fee and the fee for surrogacy, her mother died.

She closed her eyes briefly, not wanting to do anything with Vincenzo or his money. She glanced at the time, five minutes already passed. After much struggling she gave up.

“I hate your existence Vincenzo, but I don't have a choice.”