CHAPTER 4
984 Words
A year almost passed, and Damien and I were out freely together ,approved of by Father. That day changed everything. Damien began to involve me more in his world, explaining his business to me, showing me the dynamics of his operation, taking me to meet his top men, and inviting me to strategy sessions. He would even take my advice. He didn't just dismiss me like so many men did. He valued my input. Sometimes, he'd pick up my hand after a good meeting and tell me, "You've got the mind of a king, Maia."
And I'd grin and tell him, "Good thing I'm not a king, then. Just a very dangerous queen." We’d laugh, kiss, and move on to taking over the world, bit by bit. He told me about wanting a merger with Father and our family. Even hinted at marriage.
“I see a future with you,” he said once, his fingers brushing my cheek. “Not just at my side… but standing with me. Always.”
It wasn't the typical I love you, but I'd take that. His actions were louder than words anyway.
Soon his connections grew and his reputation spread far and wide. In a year, Damien Vercelli was one to be feared on the whole continent. The Vercellis began to dominate, forming alliances, taking lands, and knocking out rivals. And I was proud to be by his side.
Karina, of course, tried to poison the good. "He's manipulating you, Maia," she warned one evening when I returned home from a business trip with Damien. "He asks too many questions. About us. About Father. About how we run our operations. Don't you find that odd?"
"He asks because he believes in me," I replied coldly. "And because we’re planning a future with each other."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're blind. You'll see. I just hope it won't come too late."
I ignored her. She was always cruel, bitter. So when Damien set a marriage arrangement in front of me to sign a week later, I didn't hesitate to sign it. Our wedding preparations would begin and I was excited.
"This is real?" I'd asked and he smiled, a fleeting warmth. "I don't do anything halfway, Maia." He promised.
---
Father and I had just left a high-profile meeting with some of our allies. It was late, and our convoy was driving smoothly down the black road back to our estate.
Father stared at me in the car,"He really makes you happy, huh?"
I smiled. "He makes me happier than I've ever been."
Before he could respond, noises of battle were heard from the front. Gunfire. Shouting. The driver tried to shout a warning that we were being ambushed but then a thump as his head jerked forward, blood splattering the windshield.
I reacted in a fraction of a second, drawing my g*n, pushing Father down. But the door beside me was opened and figures in black jumped in.
I struggled, my daggers slicing through one of the attackers' neck. Another stepped forward and I kicked his knee backward, twisting his wrist until he released his g*n. Shots were coming from the other side, Father fighting too, but he was quickly overpowered, g*n to his head.
"Surrender," one of the masked men growled, g*n against my chest.
"Let him go," I sneered. "We'll just forget this ever happened."
They laughed mirthlessly. And then, without a word, all four of them turned and shot my father at the same time.
"No!" I screamed, crawling to his falling body. "Father! Dad!"
He gasped, blood dripping from his lips as I held him in my arms. "Maia…"
"No," I sobbed. "We’ll get you to help and—"
But he was dead. His empty eyes stared up at the starry sky, and something inside me shattered.
I looked up, rage and heartbreak blinding me. “Who sent you?”
One of them leaned down, his mask lifted just enough for me to see his sneer. “Who else? Our Don. Damien Vercelli.”
My breath caught as my world slowed to a stop. “You’re f*****g lying. ”
“Ask him yourself.” They left me there alone. I darted into the driver's seat, hands shaking, and sped home recklessly. I was sure they were lying. Damien would never do this to me, after all we shared…
I saw the flames before I even reached our estate.
The Accardo mansion was on fire. The gates had been ripped from their hinges, dead bodies scattered around on the ground. “No," I breathed, kneeling. "No, no, no."
It was all over. Something to my left caught my eye. A screen built into the outer gate flickered to life. Damien's face showed with a chilling smile.
"Don't take it personally, Maia," he cooed, his eyes cold.
My hands fisted. "You bastard." I whispered shakily.
"I had a plan from the very beginning," he continued, "You just made things easier. That marriage contract you signed? You handed over control to the Vercelli’s. Your father? A loose end."
I sobbed. "I never said that I loved you, but you were so naive," he said, a glimmer of regret or sarcasm in his voice. "Still, you belong to me. You are mine, Maia. And I'm coming for you."
The screen faded to black.
I was frozen and shattered. And then I got into the car and sped off. .
---
I didn't look back until the city was behind me. I didn’t stop, speeding with no direction in mind. I had nothing. No home. No family. No friends. The clothes on my back were all I had left.
But I was angry. I had the training Father had taught me. And I had one strong goal.
Damien Vercelli would
pay for what he did to me.
Even if it was the last thing that I ever did.
- Writer
