Debt of Death: The Mafia Don's Vendetta

Jade's POV I leaned against the cold wall of the emergency ward, my body numb with shock as the morgue attendants wheeled my Dad out of the room. “How did this happen?” I asked my Mum for the thousandth time since I ran into the room. “His secretary said he slumped after…” Mom broke off, as she had done a thousand times before. “After what, Mom?!” I yelled, my voice breaking into sobs again.“Tell me what happened! Dad was okay when I visited him hours ago!” Mom wiped her tears and pulled herself together. “On no account should you raise your voice at me, Jade!” She warned, her angry red eyes burning into my skin. “Where are your manners?!” “I am sorry, Mom. I am just overwhelmed by everything. Dad was okay when I visited his office earlier to tell him about my contract with Louis Vuitton. He didn't look like someone that was about to die,” I apologized, tears streaming down my cheeks. “According to his secretary and the CCTV footage in his office, he was visited by someone. After the visit, he turned pale and was visible shaking. He asked for water, but before it was brought, he had already slumped,” Mom explained with teary eyes. My stomach twisted in fear. My Dad, Mr Roberts, was the CEO of Roberts Inc. a thriving shipping company that controlled most of the ports in Sicily. He commanded authority and respect, and his employees trembled at the sound of his voice. It was difficult to imagine him shaking, or fainting, at the visit of a client. “Where were you, Jade, when I called you earlier?” Mom asked, her voice laced with accusation. My voice stuck in my throat. How do I tell my high society Mom that I was tossing tequila shots in a club, and dancing on a stripper pole in celebration of my contract with Louis Vuitton? “She was with me, Ma'am,” Ruby, my best friend replied as she walked into the ward. She gave me a squeeze before rushing into my Mom's open arms. “My condolences, Mrs Roberts,” she said sympathetically. “Thank you my darling,” Mom said sweetly, hugging her tight, tighter than the pang I felt in my chest. “Thank you for the condolences. I never expected you to be here,” she said gently. “Immediately Jade received that call, we came rushing here together,” Ruby explained. “I just stood outside to give you both some time.” “Thank you for coming, my baby,” Mom hugged her again. “It means a lot to me.” I couldn't take it anymore. My chest twisted in pain and envy as I watched Mom shower Ruby with love, as if she was the one who lost her Dad. I stepped out of the room for my peace of mind. My Mom, Tatiana Roberts, doted on Ruby more than she cared about me. Even though Ruby was the perfect definition of everything Mom warned me about, she still preferred Ruby to me. The only person that cared about me was Dad. Whenever he wasn't at work, he showered me with love and attention and money. He encouraged me to take a course in fashion design, and helped me apply for contracts with the big fashion brands in New York and Paris and Milan. He believed in my dream of designing for the big fashion houses in the world. And now, he's no more. The thought broke all my defenses as I sobbed uncontrollably. “Jade, you need to pull yourself together,” Mom said through gritted teeth when she found me huddled in a bench. “I miss Daddy so much,” I sobbed. “I miss him too, Jade. Now, you are to be the next CEO of Roberts Inc. Is this how you want to lead your employees? With grief and emotions?” Mom asked? I sat up straight as the words rang louder in my ears. “How do you mean, Mom?” I asked in disbelief. “Here,” Mom handed me a file. “That is the last will and testament of your Dad. He wrote and signed it himself. Go through it and you will understand.” I wiped my eyes, opened the file and began reading it eagerly. Bile rose from my stomach as I read the first few lines. It can't be true. “What does this mean, Mom?” I asked in confusion, goosebumps rising from my skin. “What does it say?” Mom asked, feigning ignorance. “It says that for me to claim my inheritance as the heiress of the shipping company, I need to marry Bernard Veritas to prevent the company from being taken over by Luca De Santo,” I read aloud. “What part of it is difficult to understand?” Mom asked. “This Luca De Santo, is it the one that we know? The Mafia Don? The King of the underworld?” “Yes, Jade, the one and only,” Mom said gravelly. I threw away the file like it was hot, scorching coal. This was unbelievable. Luca was the name everyone in Sicily and its environs feared. He was the Devil, and anyone who dared to cross him told his story in Hell. Even the law enforcement agencies disappeared into thin air at the smell of him. “What business did Dad do with Luca?” I asked in a frightened whisper. “The shipping company and the cost of starting was originally Luca's idea,” Mom began to explain. “He contracted your Dad to run the project from start to finish. Luca doesn't need money, Jade, but we do. Remember how we suffered? How we used to go for days without any hope of our next meal?” I nodded. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and your Dad grabbed it with both hands. He opened the company, but claimed ownership of it. When Luca knew of this, he started sending threats to your father. That's when he created this will,” Mom paused briefly. “Luca De Santo was the client that visited your father, that resulted in his death,” Mom dropped the last sentence like a bomb. “What are we going to do now? We can't let him take the company!” “You will marry Bernard Veritas. He is the only one who can match Luca. When you marry him, the ownership of the company will be changed into the Veritas Group, and Luca will no longer be a threat. It's that simple,” Mom explained. “I cannot marry Bernard Veritas, Mom,” I said calmly. “And what would you rather do? Hand over your father's legacy to Luca? Regardless of the means he got it, this is the only thing your father has left for us, to take care of us. He made this will in advance because he signed an agreement with the devil, his life in exchange for our freedom!” Mom roared in anger. “Would you throw all that effort away? Our situation will be worse than before, Jade. So be a good girl, and Marry Bernard Veritas. You don't have a choice. Your beloved father willed it that way,” Mom said finally, leaving in anger. My hands dropped to my sides as I watched my Mother leave. Why would Dad do this to me? How do I get out of this situation?