SCANDAL
1734 Words
CHAPTER 3: SCANDAL
“You did not hurt yourself, didn’t you?” Zamiel asked.
Italia laughs softly.
“Geez, stop worrying, it wasn’t as if you didn’t saw that not even a shard graze my palms, Zam.” She rolled her eyes playfully, regardless of the heaviness she was carrying on her chest.
“Did I say I was referring to a wound?” With that said, the latter lifted his head.
He was frowning.
Italia’s smile faltered.
“W—what...”
“I know what you feel.” Zamiel sighs. He reached out, and softly touched her head in a comforting manner. “I know my cousin could be a bastard sometimes.” He added, and chuckled as if to lighten up the mood.
“Zam...” Italia trailed off, before she turned her head sideways. “How long had you known?”
“Way back in college,” Zamiel stood up. “I know that the two of you had a thing—”
“That’s why you were never surprise to see me here one day living with him, right?” Italia confronted him.
“Yes.” Before his forehead ceased. “But what I couldn’t understand was why there is Samantha, when he have you—I just couldn’t understand...”
‘I know, it was hard to understand, Zam.’ Italia thought.
Even she couldn’t understand herself why she agreed on this stuff. Why Italia Mercedes, heiress and the first borne in line became entrapped on this mansion, where she was under Gustavio’s mercy. Was it because of the debt her family must pay? Or is it because what her heart truly desire? Her foolish heart. That stupid emotion bearing the old Italia.
“Italia?” Zamiel call her name.
“Pardon?” Her reverie was immediately cut off.
“I just wanted to know what happened.” There is this curiosity on his eyes she could perceived.
Italia smiled bitterly.
“There are things that was better left untold, Zam.” Italia lie down on her bed. “And there are truth and words that are better left unsaid.”
“Italia—”
But she was firm on her decision. She wasn’t ready yet to share what happened. What Gustav and her have in the past were already forgotten. She forget it, Italia burried it—embedded on depth.
“Please.” She was pleading.
Zamiel seems to understand it.
“It’s alright, just—” He paused for a moment, before the same Zamiel Eric Salvador she knew came back, cheeky. “—just if my asshole of a cousin do something again, you know how to call me, and I’ll really kick his a*s for you.”
“Pinky swear?” Italia raised her eyebrows at him.
The latter chuckled.
“Pinky swear, Miss Mercedes.”
Long before she was left there reminiscing the past.
**
“Oh god, what a jerk!” When Samantha arrived on her office that early morning, she was furious.
Her face was red, and her entire being depicts how mad she had become. In fear, nobody dare approach her, the staff avoided her like a plague, because they do not wanted to have her outburst be pour on them.
“Bad day?” Jerome grins.
“Don’t even start it.” She glared at him.
“Let me guess.” Her cousin chuckled with her temper. “I might guess that it have something to do with a Salvador?”
“Jerome!”
“Fine.” He only laughs in spite of her threats.
“If you are going to make fun of me then get out, asshole!” She was gritting her teeth.
“Woah, why are you even mad.”
“It was because of that b***h!” She couldn’t contain her anger.
“b***h?” Jerome’s furrow his eyebrows in confusion.
“Italia Mercedes.” She was gritting her teeth.
“For real?” Jerome sounded surprised. “That Mercedes? Gustavio Enriquez Salvador’s fiancé—”
“Ex-fiancé.” She put an emphasise on her words. “I didn’t know why she’s there! She isn’t supposed to be there! That damn butch ruining our moment!”
“This is a news!” Her cousin’s surprised turned into amusement. “Oh god, this would caught the media’s attention—”
“Don’t even try.” Her lips pursed. “Gustav warned me to not even tattle or else....tch.”
“I didn’t know that the great Samantha Montreal is being threatened, hmmm.”
“Hmmp, I just don’t want to be on his bad side, beside as you know that I am still courting him regarding the merge of our company.” Samantha crossed her arms above her chest. “We needed his power to rise up in the market.”
“That would technically lead to marriage.” Jerome hums.
“But I needed to erase Italia Mercedes in the picture first.” Her eyes darkened.
“Want me to play with her?” Jerome suggested.
“No.” Her lips protruded into an evil smile. “I am going to play with that damn bitch.”
**
“OMG! Editor-in-chief! Ms. Minchin!” A young journalist at the age of 23 rushed.
He was sweating. His clothes are already damp with sweat as he pant, but he seems not to care. All of his colleagues stared in confusion, but they didn’t have the chance to ask as he was already gone in a flashed towards Minchin Torres door.
“What it is, Ivan?” Minchin furrow her eyebrows.
She lifted her head to look at the latter.
Minchin Torres at the age of 25 is already the head chief of the Torres Company, which personalise itself towards TV stations that became infamously known across Europe, and all around Asia. She is a small woman, petite as the long-sleeves polo hug her physique. At first glance, she may look stiff and stern, but she was far more than the impression that may assumed she was.
“Y—you wouldn’t believe it!” Ivan’s orbs were wide.
That grab the latter’s attention.
“Enlighten me,” she said.
“T—the news!” Ivan was spouting the words rather in a hurry. “You need to watch the news!”
“What?” She frowns.
“Here.” Ivan quickly grab the remote that was place on her table.
One click and the large flat screen TV inside her office came back to life.
There, they saw a pair—Samantha Montreal being interviewed by a woman herself.
“Oh, I was really glad that you had accepted our invitation, Ms. Montreal knowing how full your schedule was.” The woman laugh.
“Don’t worry.” Samantha laughs softly. “Besides I could always make some time and arrangements for you, Alice.”
“That flattered me, really.” The host named Alice matched her laugh before her eyes flashed with curiosity. “But say, what is this rumour around I have been hearing? Hmmm, a Salvador was really a great fish.”
“Don’t say it like that.” Samantha pretended as if she were shy. “Some may understood what is going on between us.”
Minchin raised her eyebrow at her act, but she keep her mouth shut.
“Say, is there a thing between you and Mr. Gustavio Enriquez Salvador?” The host was in pursuit to her real question.
“That depends, besides I don’t think so that he felt the same with me.” A gloomy smile flashed on Samantha’s lips. “Now that I know his fiancé was living with him.”
“Say what?” Alice was startled, but she recovered quickly. “You mean Italia Mercedes?”
Samantha nodded her head meekly.
“OMG!”
“Italia...”
Minchin frowns. When Italia Mercedes name came into the feature, her attention were already at peak.
She turned her head to Ivan.
“Is it true?” Her heart was pounding against her chest.
“The rumour says it was.” Ivan seems worried.
Even she felt the same thing. How can she turned blind-eye, when the great Italia Mercedes they were talking about were not a fiancé of Gustavio Enriquez Salvador, but by her brother—Zacharias Colt Torres.
[2 YEARS AGO]
It was a normal evening for the Torres residence not until the elder brother of Minchin Torres showed up, but with a company of a woman they hadn’t meet yet.
Their attention was already captured.
“What a beautiful woman you had brought, Zach.” Their father laughs, but his eyes wee already intrigue about her identity.
Zach chuckled, he never let go of their entertained hands although the woman seems uncomfortable.
Minchin studied her.
She is beautiful, and charming, might as she add—she seems pretty decent than most women who keeps trying to pursue her brother’s attention. Clad on an elegant pastel coloured dress that set in display her curves, she was assured that she came from a well known family, but from whom?
“She is indeed, Papa.” Zach grins.
“Well, care to introduce her to us, Hijo.” Her mother joined them.
“Well—” Zach glanced behind his shoulder. The woman lifted her head, and she seems unsure. “—I just wanted you to meet Italia....Italia Mercedes, my fiancé.”
“Y—your fiancé?”
Everyone was shocked. Nobody expected it that she’s more than a fling or a girlfriend, but a fiancé?
Zach only chuckled at their reaction.
“Yes, but there’s more.” Zacharias was grinning, and at that exact moment—the family knew for sure, even Minchin that he was literally serious about marrying Italia Mercedes. “Italia and I were soon to get married.”
**
When the memories came back, Minchin closed her eyes.
2 years ago, Italia and Zacharias look so perfect, but the marriage never happened. A year after, Zachary has been involved in an accident and Italia disappeared without any trace....not until this moment.
“Italia Mercedes...” When Minchin opened her eyes again, they were filled with unending questions, with lament, and of course a grudge she had been holding for so long. “What the hell happened to you?”
@cycy
- Writer
