Chapter 3 FORCED
KATHERINE
I sighed.
“Where could he have gone to?”
“Or was he tired already? Tired of me? Or tired of my heart hardened father of a boss?”
My mind raced and my head was swarmed with thoughts. Diego couldn't just have vanished.
Its been two weeks since no one seen or heard from him. Not even my father. I had heard my father yell at the others, the supposed search party for Diego, I guess.
I t was like nothing I had ever seen before…”Maybe he traveled, maybe he is on his way already,” I kept pondering as I look at the opened windows, hoping he would show forth all of a sudden.
My countenance fell.
That very evening, noises eroded my ears as I sat restless on the couch in the room.
“What's happening? Has father found Diego?” My mind raced with a lot of thoughts.
I unlocked the door gently to avoid being heard, another ill treatment I had been subjected to, Father would be extremely annoyed if he knew I had left my room.
“Pssss….” I called out one of the bodyguards that dan across the room corridors.
“Madam Katherine,” he greeted, a greeting I never agreed to.
I scoffed, “Not now, please…” I said…”...what's the issue? What's going on downstairs?” I asked.
“You need to stay inside. The Boss just lost all of his goods in transit. Neww has it that we were hit by the rival Mafia gang boss…you must have heard of him…” he explained.
“Wait…what? Who would do that to my Papa?” I blurted.
He rushed downstairs out of fear of being caught. I locked the door almost immediately and my eyes darted all around the room as the noises got louder.
I could hear his raging voice from where I sat even despite the locked doors.
“I just hope he's fine,” I muttered out of concern.
The night wore on and there was no sign of him, not Diego and not even my Papa coming to check on me.
My heart was troubled and it worsened every hour.
The night wore on and the morning was a separate episode. It was as though my mind kept replaying the noise from last night or so I thought.
‘Katherina! Katherina!! Katherina!!!” I heard my Papa call out from wherever he was.
“What does he want again?” I muttered as I struggle to get out of the sheets I was wrapped in.
Before I knew what was happening, heavy knocks hit the door repeatedly. I wasn't even scared. This was my own routine, my fate, my breakfast and my dinner.
“Papa…” I answered sluggishly as I walked to unlock the door.
As I slightly opened the door and popped my head outside, Papa barged the door open, pushing me to the ground.
“Ouch…” I groaned as I fell flat on the floor.
“I don't have the time for all this. I am on the verge of losing everything I own, including g rhe hois we live in amd I can't let that happen unless you also don't want a roof to live under,” he blurted out in anger.
I was speechless as I had no idea what he was talking about.
All I know about was Diego being missing and that alone had made me weak in heart.
“As it stands, you will be the one to save us all and you don't have a choice…” he said with a shut eye.
“Save us all?” I muttered.
What was Papa talking about? I am no Mafia lady amd I have no skill in combat or causing violence like the other so what was he yarning about??
“I don't understand,” I said with a shaky voice, scared he might hit me afterwards.
“Meet me downstairs right away,” he ordered as he left the room.
The ground seem like I was going to sunk in. The fright that enveloped me that second was one of a kind.
“What is going on? Why does Papa suddenly want me downstairs, out in the open?”
“Has he had a change of mind about keeping me locked in or has he found Diego and wanted to break the good news to me?”
“No no…that would be risky. He mustn't know about my secret affair with Diego else I am in a bigger trouble than now!”
I thought in my head as I walked slowly downstairs, scared to behold his face as I approached the main sitting room.
“Papa…here I am,” I said as soon as I saw my father sitting with his men surrounding him.
He looked like he was brooding on a serious matter and his men were making suggestions that wasn't sitting well with him.
His phone rang up and I saw him take a deep breath before answering the call.
That was quite odd.
“I mean everything I said, Roberto. I wouldn't joke with such an offer. I am only after the peace of the movement and you are a mover just like me so I don't think we should have a problem…” I heard my father said on the phone.
The other voice on the call said something that seem to get on his nerves and I saw the countenance on my father's face drop to the ground.
My father sighed out….”Does he think I am joking? Does he think so low of me not to go ahead with a deal as simple as this one?”
“Pffffff!!!”
“Well, my say is final!” He stood up all of a sudden with a frowned face.
“I have decided. I can no longer sit and watch my territory come to ruin!” He said in a loud tone.
“Whatever his plans are, I won't let them come to fruition!” He said with a frowned face.
That same minute, he turned and pointed his fingers at me.
“Go upstairs and pack your things. You are getting married to Roberto Deluca as part our truce deal!”
He said with a shut eye.
“Uhn?”
My heart almost jumped out of my chest.