UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Chapter Nine

Claire ‘s POV

This woman is lying, she introduces herself as Nicole Prez the new Don. She offers her hand for a shake and I just stared at it... (way to get yourself be kill Claire…) what can I say I am in the state of shock that there is a new Don and not just a new Don, a LADY f*****g Don who claim that she is Nicole Prez. Every plan I had for tonight is long forgotten. There is no way that Nicole will enter the mafia life. We grew up together and we both don’t want this mafia life so this lady is telling me that she is Nicole is unbelievable. Me not accepting her handshake is very rude I know but again I am in the state of shock in that time so maybe just maybe apologizing is will ease the damage. She lifted my chin then start lecturing me follow by a threat so how am I supposed to say I apologized for being rude… So now she starts throwing threats and I am hoping that it is just an empty threat and not a promise to fulfill. If she is who she said she is, well I guess I need to find out first if this is really THE NICOLE I was waiting ten years ago.

The Lady Don invite me to her office to start to talk about business. She led the way to Don Alfred’s former office; I notice that she had a long hair but keep it in a dirty bond that make her more sophisticated. She also had a beautiful body physique. I wonder if she is always dress like this because to be honest, she looked like a model waltzing in a runaway. If this is really Nicole, she changed a lot in herself and I wonder what her life looked like after she left. I notice that she changes the interior of the office, the solid wooded door remains then everything is new and updated. I also notice a painting of a woman then when I look closer, it is her portrait. She really proclaiming her tittle and power.

We enter in the little room then offer me a chair, I supposed this is her meeting room. She starts the conversation in making sure that I read the contract that I signed, thinking back is she the one who approved my loan or her father, noted to self to ask that later. She asked more about the contract like the rules and monthly payment. I don’t want to be rude but is my birthday and I want to celebrate it with my friend so I cut her off. I told her that I am familiar with similar contracts because I used to help my dad in those sorts of things when he was alive. Her domineer change. Her voice become firmer in asking the reasons in my failure to attend in a party. Hell, I would not dare to answer her questions because I felt the change in our atmosphere. I decided to choose the safe route so I get my father’s mafia knife to return it. I always carry it with me. I used to think that I will become handy in some situation and to be honest it makes me feel safe. But I know the time will come that I finally can return it to the mafia. I tried so many times to return it to Don Alfred but he refused to accepted it. He always telling me that this is rightfully mine but I cannot accept the knife and the tittle with it. The luxury and the power that my father left when he passed away should be mine if I pledge myself to the mafia but I cannot do that. Don Alfred said to me that I should keep the knife until I am ready to for my destiny. I tried to throw it away but Don Alfred always returns it to me, he said that I should not let someone to have this knife because it will affect many lives and it can do great damage to the mafia. I believed in him so from then on, I always carry it with me. Now I finally can return it to the mafia through Nicole. I am hoping that she will accept it.

I handed her the knife hoping she will accept it without a problem but like her father she refused. I tried to reasons with her but she countered me with her own reasonings in why she did not want to accept the knife. We exchange banters and the topic of our long-forgotten childhood emerge. I did not plan our talk to be link in our past. Maybe this is the time that I always waiting for, the time where is she will enlighten me what really happen that night. I tried to think so hard all the possibilities and scenarios of her abandon me without saying goodbye, heck I was worried sick for her sake. I thought something terrible happened to her. But knowing she just wise-up and choose the obvious path for her life comforted me. I don’t hate her, but I am disappointed and sad.  We are both young that time so we do crazy things, make promises that made to be broken and we hurt those people we love. I like to think that it is part of growing up. The important thing is we learn from our mistake. In my situation, I guess I still not learn from the past. This beautiful woman in front of me who I’ve used to know and trust my life before is now the one who will decide my future whether I live or die because of my reckless decisions. The feeling is just like in the past when we both agreed that she will hold our ticket to our freedom away from mafia’s life. We dream to have a normal life together, away from violence and greed.