The Mafia's Temptation

The Pain

~ Celine's POV ~ 

“Are you sure that you want to stay with that uncle of yours?

I mean, you can stay with me if you want to, Celine.

You know that I and mom will love to have you in our humble abode, right?

I can bet that my mother will welcome you with open arms.

This so-called uncle of yours seriously seems quite strange to me for some reason.

I hope that you are not hiding something from me, Celine.

You seem quite different from the past.

It’s like something has changed inside you”, Krystal asked me whilst she stopped the car in front of my house.

It’s been so long.

I still remember those days when I used to laugh and smile without a worry in the world, but my whole world shattered into tiny pieces when I lost my family in an accident.

They meant everything to me, but that accident snatched away my everything.

I am still not able to move on in my life.

That news just changed my life and all the things around me. Those wounds of the past are not healed.

The scars are still left on my soul and heart.

I have tried so many different things to heal the pain, but nothing worked in the end. The pain just became worse with each passing day and my life got covered by darkness.

Well, darkness does have some benefits of its own.

I got alone, I learnt to live without anyone by my side, no one betrayed me and I forgot to smile

Loneliness is indeed scary, but losing the people who are closer to us is scarier.

I don’t want to go through the same pain and that’s why I try to create a safe distance from everyone. I know that Krystal is genuinely worried for me, but I don’t want to lose her at any cost.

It’s rare to find friends like her and I am certain that I tell her the things which I went through then she will definitely do everything possible to help me out.

“I know that you won’t mind me staying with you, but I don’t want to disturb you and aunt Bianca. You both have already done so much for me and my uncle is not that bad.

His only problem is that he can’t stay away from gambling.

This is the only thing that makes me worried for him. I try to stop him, but he just never listens to me”, I responded to her in a calm voice whilst I looked at her with a sad smile on my face.

Krystal kept her hand on top of mine to reassure me and I only pressed her hand gently to let her know that I am fine.

Habit is seriously a dangerous thing. If it’s become an addiction then it’s enough to ruin a person’s life.

I sighed and after that, I glanced at the house through the car's window.

“I am letting you go this time, but I’d something happens and if you ever face any problem then don’t forget to ring me up, alright?

Now, off you go before I change my mind”, exclaimed Krystal in a low voice whilst she looked straight into my eyes with a doleful expression on her face.

I know that she is sad, but I am doing this thing for her own safety.

I hugged her immediately and then I stepped out of the car while my eyes were fixated on the house which was just a few steps away from me.

I turned to look at Krystal for one last time and she was still there while she was waving her hand with a bright smile on her face.

I waved back at her and after that, I headed straight to the house.

After getting inside the house, I locked the door behind me.

“You finally realised that you have to return home, huh?

Have you seen the time, Celine? Do you know how much I got worried about you? It’s quite late.

You should have at least told me that you decided to come back to the city. Is there any specific reason for your return?”, asked uncle Sam whilst he was searching for something in the drawers of the table.

I thought to help him out, but he sternly told me not to meddle in his work.

“Did I ask for your help, huh? Don’t poke your nose in my matters. Just go and freshen up. Oh, there is nothing in the kitchen so, if you want to eat something then you have to cook it.

Well, looking at you, I am certain that you must have eaten something, right?”, uncle Sam said to me in a low voice whilst he was still finding something in the drawers with a desperate look on his face.

Well, I was not able to eat anything because of that psychotic person.

Argh!

I just don’t want to remember about him.

Why are we not able to forget the people and the memories which we don’t want to remember?

While I was too deep in my thoughts suddenly uncle’s mobile phone started to vibrate and he looked quite panicked when he saw the name on the screen of his phone.

His forehead was covered with sweat and even his fingers were trembling. He is looking quite terrified for some reason.

Should I ask him if everything is fine?

No, I better not or else he will yell at me for disturbing him.

After thinking for a while, he finally picked up the call, “He... hello, I will return all the money that I have taken from you, but just give me some more time, please.

My friend has suggested me a place where I will be able to double my money if I win the game today. Trust me... I will return every single penny of yours. I will surely win today.”

Even his voice is shaking because of fear.

He is again going to gamble all his money on the useless bets.

I don’t know how to make him understand the risk of his action as I am sure that he will not listen to me. He will only do what he feels like doing.

I can’t help him even if I want to as right now I don’t have a job.

“I know that if I won’t pay you on time then you surely won’t leave me this time. Don’t worry, I have a backup plan to pay you back.

Just believe for one last time”, he pleaded to the man on the phone call while he finally found the paper which he was desperately trying to search for.

What’s that paper and why exactly is he looking so relaxed after finding it?

He then ended the call and after that, he told me that he won’t return today as he has some sort of work that he needs to complete.

He is lying as I am certain that he is not going out for any sort of work, but instead, he is going out for gambling. I am tired to explain him the dangers of his habit and now I am not going to explain anything to him.

He is eventually going to do what he wants to do so, what’s the point of wasting my energy on him. I just hope that he won’t fall into any sort of life-threatening situation.

This is the only thing that I can do for him.

He then left the house leaving me all alone. I headed straight to my bedroom as I want to have some rest.

The moment I entered my room, I fell on my bed leaving all the things and worry behind which was filled in my head.

I don’t know when their sleep took over me, but even when my eyes were closed, I could remember the blue eyes of that man, his smirk and the dangerous aura which was surrounded him.

Meanwhile, 

“Have you finished the work which I asked you, Jason? I still didn’t get the file of that girl whom I met in the club.

You do know that I don’t like it when someone doesn’t take my orders seriously, right?”, Daniel said in a cold voice whilst he glanced at Jason with an annoyed expression on his face.

Jason only smiled and after that, he kept the file on the table.

“Have I ever disappointed you, Daniel?

This is the file which you asked me to bring with me. All the details about that girl are inside the file.

Her likes, dislikes, relatives, but there is only one thing missing in the file which I was not able to find about her and that’s her past.

I was not able to find about that thing.

Don’t you think that she is a suspicious one, huh?

What if she approached you with some motive in her head?

If you want then I can do something through which you will be able to see her real face. You do remember your father’s words, right?

I don’t think that you should approach her", advised Jason whilst he sat in front of Daniel.

Jason doesn’t want to see him in any sort of trouble and that’s why he warned him about Celine.

He is aware that Daniel doesn’t like it when someone suggests he do something, but he still took the chance.

He is aware of the fact that Daniel won’t listen to him, but as his friend, he doesn’t want him to deal with any trouble.

Daniel looked quite irritated by his words and Jason immediately shut his mouth when Daniel glared at him with a serious look on his face.

He then opened the file which Jason kept in front of him and when he opened the file, he saw Celine’s picture on the top.

He only moved his fingers on her picture with a smirk on his face.

Jason gasped in shock when he saw the hint of possession in Daniel’s eyes.

He knows the meaning behind that look on his face.

He has the saw the same look in the past and that thing didn’t end quite nicely.

He tried to warn him, but Daniel was just not interested in listening to him as he was too immersed in looking at Celine’s picture.

Daniel then mumbled her name in a low voice while his eyes were fixated on the picture, ‘Celine. It’s such a beautiful name’

He then read all the details about her and after reading all the things, he got up from his chair.

“I have an idea, Jason. You do know that I always get what I want to have, right?

So, stop complaining and start working”, said Daniel in a cold voice whilst he looked towards Jason while he grabbed the file of Celine in his hands.