Chapter 36: CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

MIRABELLA.

I am beautiful.

I am powerful.

I am extraordinary.

I was created for great things.

I wasn’t put on earth to wallow in misery. . .

Two months.

It has been two months since I first used my legs after the incident.

The moment I got up on my feet, I decided there and then to put myself first. To talk about myself correctly, to stand strong, to take care of myself without relenting.

And I’ve done just that.

Swallowed my pills religiously, started intense psycho and physiotherapy and the way I feel right now is enough proof that my hard work is paying off.

Recovering hasn’t been the easiest, considering that the memories of that night still exist; the nightmares and panic attacks, but I find myself becoming stronger and more resilient after each dreadful episode of panic attack. That's the most important part of it all.

Today, I’m sitting in my father’s office after he had invited me over to talk about ‘very important matters’—his words not mine—except, I’ve been seated here longer than thirty minutes and he has said not a word.

“I’ve been here over thirty minutes and you’ve yet to say why I was invited here. Believe me father, I only came because for the first time in your life, you had the courtesy to actually summon me respectfully so it’s either you start talking or I leave.”

He heaves out a heavy sigh, pulling out a few vials and slamming them on the table whilst his eyes bore into mine.

My eyes twitch.

Those are mine.

I’m sure.

I made those. . .how does my father have his hands on them?

Compose yourself Mirabella! Don’t let him see through you.

With a shrug to my shoulders I ask, “what is this?”

“And I thought that was my line,” he snickers not so amusingly. “You have The Seed, do you not?”

Calm.

Stay calm.

“What is The Seed?”

Father’s eyes flash with amusement as he stares at me with his mouth gaped open. I see it in his eyes and the way his features are straining, how he’s forcing himself to stay calm and that can only mean one thing;

He needs my help.

“Your mother was working on it before she died and you were the only person she ever let into that lab of hers but every trace of it disappeared after your mother’s death,” a shaky breath breezes through his parted lips. “Did you take it? I know you did! Is that why you became a scientist? You wanted to continue from where she had left off?”

Yes!

I chuckle. “Slow down father. I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

Of course I do.

Father leans back so that his back is resting on the backrest of his seat. “Then someone else must’ve had access to it and the said person is processing it into torture drugs. They sold a lot to the Japanese and Koreans.”

No.

I sold only to the Japanese. The Yakuza.

No one else.

My brows twitch the slightest bit.

“The Koreans made a deal with the Russians and now both the Russian Godfather and the Colombian cartel have their hands on it.”

I grip my thighs to keep them from shaking as confusion, anger and more confusion engulf me. And the only name ringing in my head? Ares.

That fucker.

I heave out a sigh, “why are you telling me this? You do know that I have no care for the mafia or whatever gangs and cartels there are.”

Laughter bubbles out of father. “You’re married to the Don.”

“Not by choice!” I growl.

“You’re a scientist Mirabella and I know that you have connections amongst other scientists. I need you to find who has the seed.” He rushes out desperately.

“No. My answer is no.” I jump to my feet, making my way toward the door when my father's voice stops me dead in my tracks.

“Have you stopped to ask yourself why those men were in that garden that night?” I whip my head around with furrowed brows as father stalks over to me with an ear to ear grin like he has just achieved a great success.

“Your stupid husband stole those vials from the Colombians out of curiosity and they needed it back so I gave them access into the estate in exchange for a few vials.” He chortles, “this is deeper than you think. Every fucking player in this game wants The Seed because of the power it’ll bring them and whomever has their hands on it is wielding that power. If they hadn’t sold these drugs, maybe just maybe you wouldn’t have gone through what you went through that night.”

Tears brim my eyes.

“Would you not want to get your hands on the fuckers making these drugs and put an end to them?”

I blink rapidly. “You knew about that night?” Father nods and I gasp aloud. “You have some nerve Marcelo, asking for help when you couldn’t even visit your own daughter while she was dying. You led them into the estate? You stupid fucking bastard! Why would you do such a thing?”

“Keep your voice down you dumb fucking bitch!” He snarls in my face, “all they had to do was make an exchange with an inside man but you had to wander and that part isn’t my doing in anyway. Go home and think about my offer.”

I storm out and all I can see is red. My breath erratic, head spinning with different thoughts and chest constricting.

Don’t cry.

Don’t cry.

I chant the words like a mantra. No one can see me weak; not anymore.

Sitting in the backseat seat of the car I growl, “Get out of the car and give me some fucking privacy!” The driver hurriedly exits the car, shutting the door behind him.

I take out my phone and dial that one number.

“Ares,” I grit through my teeth, “I’ll ask this question once and I expect an honest answer. Did you make a direct supply of those drugs to any other organization besides the Yakuza?”

Silence.

Deafening silence.

“Ares! Answer the fucking question!”

He hums, heaving out a heavy sigh and answers in a monotone. “Yes I did.”

My nose flare and I blow out steam from my parted lips, “are you insane? Are you trying to get me killed? Why would you do such a thing?”

“We were running low on money and I had to do what I had to do.”

I chuckle. “We were running low on money,” I repeat his words with distaste laced in my tone of voice. “We were running low on money?! Why wouldn’t we when all you do is gamble and fuck whores?!”

“Mirabella!” Ares yells, “don’t fucking speak to me like I’m some errand boy. I have equal rights to this business and I have the authority to make decisions that’d serve us.”

Laughter bubbles out of me. “I made this business happen! If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten your filthy hands on The Seed. It was I who sat in that lab day after day and night after night making sure that I made available enough stock to last us a lifetime whilst you paraded around like a dick on a stick.”

“What about me?!” His voice thunders, “I’m the one who does all the field work! I put myself out there, making business transactions happen! Making connections while you beg for your husband’s attention like a desperate fucking whore!”

I gasp and tears spew from my eyes. “Ares. . .”

“What? You started it!” His voice comes out shaky and I know he regrets his choice of words. “All I’ve done is widen our horizon. If we truly want to earn a spot in the underworld, then our eggs cannot be left in one basket.”

“I hate you so much!” I yell as I aggressively wipe my tears off my face.

“I hate you too!” Ares retorts.

“Those dogs are sniffing us out and they’re not stopping until they’ve succeeded. Handle it. And don’t call my fucking phone until you’ve handled this!”

Ares let out a low laugh, “of course I’ll handle it, it’s my job after all. Stay safe.” I hum and he hums, “it wasn’t so nice talking to you boss.”

I chuckle and hang up.

This matter is deeper than I had imagined.

***

We arrive at the estate and I begin walking into my room when one of the maids runs towards me with a brown envelope in hand. I raise a questioning brow. “What's this?”

“I don’t know ma’am but it came from Don Matteo.”

I grab the envelope from her and tear it open, pulling out the papers in it. “What the fuck is this,” I murmur my statement.

Annulment?

Null and void?

This marriage never happened?

I fist the papers in my hand, my ears burning red as veins pop out of the side of my neck. “Where. The. Fuck. Is. Matteo?”

Silence.

“I asked a fucking question! Where is Matteo?!”

The maid stumbles backwards and with trembling lips she answers, “He’s in the parliament room. He has asked not to be disturbed! He’s in a meeting with very important people!” She yells after me but I don’t stop and my footsteps don’t falter.

I’m a woman on a mission.

One of the guards comes forward. “Ma’am you can–”

“Touch me and you’ll not live to talk about what happens next.” My voice in a monotone and he gulps aloud, moving out of the way.

“Matteo! Everyone out now!” I scream as I walk into the room full of men with dangerously dark aura. Matteo shoots them an intense glare and they all speed-walk out of the room.

“What is this? Tell me exactly what this is! Is this how little you think of me? Are you so disgusted by me that you couldn’t even deliver the papers yourself?”

His gaze on the ground with both hands shoved into his pockets.

“Look at me Matteo! God Matteo! Why? Why are you doing this? Why are you breaking me in this manner?! Matteo? Talk to me please. Tell me why you’re pulling me back down when I just got back on my feet.”

“God Matteo I was hopeful. I really was hopeful and I thought you were just going through a phase and you’d come around but I guess not. I’m human too Matteo! I waited with my hand stretched out for you to hold and comfort me by when I needed you but you were nowhere to be seen. Do you know how I felt whenever I saw your piercing gaze watching from the shadows? I felt stupid, dirty, incomplete! You made me feel that way but I still waited for you!”

I sniffle, my right hand delivering a tight squeeze to my chest.

“I’m your wife! You don’t like me? You can’t stand me? I get that but I’m still your wife and it was your child that was taken away in that inhumane manner! It was your wife’s body and soul that was broken and ripped apart! It was me, your wife who needed her husband in her moments of weakness and vulnerability but you weren’t there Matteo.”

“If I had known that you were simply waiting for me to get back on my feet before you pushed me back down, I would’ve ran very far away from you. You serve me divorce papers? At a time like this? After all I have and am still suffering and all you care for is your freedom?”

I throw the papers on him, causing him to slightly flinch whilst still maintaining his resolve at silence.

A shivered breath wracks through me and my chest constricts. There’s a certain kind of confusion I feel, the kind that has my tongue tied. Both my hands rests on my head, fingers roughly digging into my scalp as I pace back and forth still searching for my words.

The space suddenly feels tighter as I watch Matteo standing a few inches away from me with his head lowered to the ground. My hand impulsively balls into a fist, landing on my chest.

I collide my fist with my chest again and again and again as I let out gasps. I desperately seek for more air passage but even with all my efforts, it all seems too impossible.

My ass crashes on a seat when the room spins, forcing me to sit still for a few minutes. My elbows rests atop both my knees, my head hanging low on its own accord. I shake my head and a tear falls onto my arm like a raindrop.

“Matteo,” I whisper and another drop of tear follows.

And another.

And another.

Until it becomes unstoppable.

“God, Matteo.” I stare at the papers scattered across the floor, the word ‘Annulment’ flashing my eyes one too many times.

Matteo remains silent but this time, he’s staring at me through his lashes.

“Why won’t you talk to me? Matteo. . .please! Be there for me once!”

“You seek your husband’s attention like a desperate fucking whore.”

I snap. “This is a mistake,” I sniff, wiping my face with my sweat shirt. “You’re the most selfish person I’ve ever come across. You lost your child, your wife was sexually assaulted and treated like an animal and all you do is serve her papers of annulment you stupid fuck! I’m done.”

Hysteric laughter bubbles out of me and I throw my head back, releasing a ‘woo’ sound. “I’m done with your selfish, manipulative, wicked and cold hearted ass! You’ll live and die alone with that attitude of yours Matteo.” I get on my knees, picking up the papers as fast as I can.

“I hate you so much Matteo Denaro and I regret everything we’ve done together. I regret letting you touch me with those filthy hands of yours. I hate every breath you take and I hope you die a painful death for everything you’ve put me through. You’ll get your papers back by tomorrow’s morning with my signature on every one of them.”

I spin on my heels and storm out of the room.

Pablo takes my hand, squeezing tightly and encouragingly the moment I step outside the room. “Lex, have you met Mirabella? She’s Don Matteo’s wife.”

I gasp, my eyes widening at the man whose name is Lex.

“Lex?” I whisper in a hushed tone.

“Mirabella, this is Lex. He’s my boy in training.”

I stumble backwards, cold shivers running down my spine.

Lex please stop them!

Lex? Whatever are you doing out here?

“Lex?” I blink once. Twice. Thrice.

“Are you okay? Mirabella?” Pablo asks in concern.

I stumble again with a loud gasp and my view becomes blurry. “It’s him. Lex.”

I begin clawing at my neck and the only thing I’m able to hear are screams. I feel my back lower gently on the ground with someone screaming, “Make way! Give her space!”

“I-t’s L-e-x…” I choke out.

“Matteo!” Someone screams.

“What the fuck is goin. . .shit! Princess!”

I give into the darkness.