Chapter 34 Thirty Four (Part two)
AMELIA XAVIER
Nothing could surpass the serenity of the environment, from the sunlight casting its warm rays towards the Xavier's estate to the very flowers that lay beautifully on the east wing.
It was a moment one could decide their future and never change their mind because that decision would automatically change the lives they most dreaded.
I, Amelia Xavier stared at the black shiny gate of the Xavier's household… my father's house. It's been years since I came here — or maybe I had visited a few times.
After Annie got married to father, I moved to the boarding house, then moved on to get a degree in literature and a Masters degree… .
Eleven years away from home.
I walked into the large compound unconsciously holding my breath and letting it out when I figured I couldn't breathe. Memories raced through my mind like a bride running from her wedding. I shut my eyes half expecting to stop them.
“I'm normal… everything would go well,” I murmured making the worst attempt at calming myself
“Amy!” Someone screamed. I turned swiftly with the grace of a fighter, holding myself from falling.
“Oh my goodness, you've grown so big Milan!” I screamed bending my knees to reach to his size. He kissed my cheeks blushing like a ten year old who got accepted by his crush — he was eleven.
Milan was my little brother because Annie couldn't wait to get pregnant for her ‘man’ after they got married. I loved him even though I feared he would grow to take over father's business… something I so badly wanted.
“How's my baby brother?” I asked excited to see how healthy he was. “I'm grown now! And yes, I'm doing quite well… except mummy now spends most times in the garden,” he complained sincerely making me let out a soft chuckle. “She's an old woman, Milan,” I explained to him while rubbing his hair.
Just like daddy.
“Isn't she in her late thirties or early fourties?”
“Oh just shut up and tell me where she is, big boy,” I said rolling my eyes. I wondered where he got his attitude from. I gazed at him, the ray of light making visible his onyx coloured eyes. He looked so much like Dylan except for his nose, I chuckled lightly watching the young boy. “Did you hear what I said?” He asked tugging my dress and bringing me back to reality. “Uh… sorry, where's mummy?”
“She's in the garden, the one she likes so much,” he answered and he didn't need to tell me before I knew where.
“This was always your favourite place,” I uttered, my voice serene and weirdly sooting. Annie turned, her eyes lit up as she stood to her feet.
“You always know where to find me, don't you, Amy?” I laughed a hearty laugh going to hug her. “Of course, milkweed,” I joked and she giggled like a young school girl.
“I was supposed to see Cammie today, you know she's sick -” I didn't know.
“- she caught a very bad cold and is losing so much weight for the past few weeks. We're hoping she'll be better as the doctor said,” she explained patting my shoulder.
“Cammie will be fine. How're you doing, Mrs Xavier?” I asked changing the subject, it worked because she shrugged.
“Living, I guess. I'm quite surprised you came to see your step mother or even came home at all.” It was my turn to shrug. Home sometimes could be quite toxic, not that I hated my family, but I didn't feel like I was good enough for father.
He had this strange aura and yet was the calmest man I ever knew.
Daddy could be dangerous but yet innocent, something I didn't know how he did.
But wasn't that the reason I was here? To prove myself to him.
“I want to take over daddy's business,” I said bluntly as I watched Annie's fine expression drop. Her smiling lips fell as her eyes turned too hard. She stopped twirling her hair and her hands dropped to the side.
“Amy…”
“I know, I have other options. I could be a writer, editor… any fucking thing in this world but that. Daddy has a degree in medicine and he fucking did it for fun!” I bursted out failing at controlling my own emotions.
Something daddy did so well.
“Dylan is different, baby, you have a choice!” I felt her irritation rising, that was how much she disliked this business.
“Daddy's different and I'm not? Oh spare me the talk Annie, you loved him anyway.”
“I love him,” she corrected her lips hardening like her eyes. “You can do any other…”
“It's enough mother. Where's daddy?” I asked biting my lips. I was tired of the conversation, nothing was going to stop me from doing what I wanted.
“The basement,” she said giving up. I turned and walked away not looking back at her pleading eyes, but I knew she loved me that much. She didn't want me to get involved in daddy's mess, but I wanted to.
The mafia was a dangerous game and not everyone could play it, but I was my father's daughter — a powerful man's daughter.
I could never forget the way to the basement, it brought fresh memories. I shuddered, biting my thumb to calm down as I wound my way through the dark corridor that had a lot of twists and turns.
He could kill someone here and no one would know, but that wasn't daddy's thing except when necessary.
Finally reaching the basement, I pushed open the door to meet Dylan Xavier seated on a chair, legs crossed, and reading a goddamned book.
My father reading a book?
Daddy's reading.
Normally, he would be training, sweating himself out, but here he was, his eyes fixed on a book — Consciousness Explained.
I scoffed, rolling my tongue inside my mouth. “The father I knew didn't read books,” I said wondering when daddy became this boring or Annie might have rubbed off on him.
Annie hardly read these kinds of books.
“Oh, darling, I've been too focused on human psychology these days and guess what I figured?” He asked genuinely excited, but kept his eyes glued to the words written on the pages of the book.
“What?”
“I figured books are the only things that have true meaning and hold both truth and lies, life and death… happiness and misery -” he glanced up from his book and at me, before turning back to them.
“- A man who reads can rule by learning the art of manipulation,” he said, his smile wicked and wanton.
I smiled, rubbing the bridge of my nose, “You never change, Old man.” Daddy laughed, his laughter like clear water, it made me laugh. With a fast pace and large stride, I wrapped my arms around him. “I've missed you so much, daddy,” I muttered enough for him to hear.
“I know, Angel,” he replied and I rolled my eyes. I noticed the bags under his eyes — he had been working a lot these days.
Father sat on his chair, shutting the book and placing it neatly on the table. “You're probably going to ask me why I finally came home and how I so much look like Anastasia,” I predicted, but instead he chuckled boyishly.
“I basically ran away from home, baby, but my father died that night of my escape and if you did the same thing I did, I would chase you to the ends of the earth…” he let his voice trail more focused on cracking his fingers.
“I Know. You're mafia after all,” I said now, staring at my own nails.
I watched him breathing… steady… calm… collected, but looking into his eyes, it held so much intensity that all the courage gathered up on my way here had vanished like air in a busted balloon.
I needed to do this one way or the other.
“Daddy?” I called and waited for him to answer, but he said nothing, so I continued.
“I want to take up your business. I know you and Annie wanted a different life for me, I went to college, worked my ass off and got a fucking degree… but… I really want this,” I let all the words roll off my tongue, I could feel my heart race and my pulse ready to fail if he said no — heart attack.
“No,” he said, picking up his book again, he scanned the edges of the book looking for what seemed to be a tear, and when he found none, he placed it back on the table.
“But daddy…”
“You know what you're asking for, Amelia-”
Amelia?
It felt like a knife pierced through my chest and into my heart by every word he uttered from his mouth. “- You watched a lot of people die during the fight with my cousin, you see the news everyday and you want this? Gawd!” He cursed, gritting his teeth.
He wasn't angry, rather I would explain his feeling as clear worry.
“Did you think I didn't check all these, father? Did you really think, I left out every fucking detail about your damned world before saying I wanted this? You don't have to be worried… I always make you proud. You should be a proud father for crying out loud!” I said my emotions refusing to back down, it poured out and was all over the place — anger.
Dylan sighed, his face relaxed and his back rested on the chair.
Daddy please.
I cried within me. A ball of sweat trickled down from my hair to my face, the basement wasn't hot but the situation one found themselves in determined the temperature.
Suddenly, daddy laughed as though all I had spat out was a joke, an absolute nonsense.
“I'm going to my room,” I murmured, turning away from him towards the door.
Few centimeters to the door, I felt something moving towards me with a piercing force. I could feel the weight of whatever was coming, so I did one thing I knew best… I dodged.
The pocket knife hit the wall and fell with a dancing clatter. I turned sharply to face him, his smile was ominous.
What was he up to?
“I have a task for you, Angel. Go to Paris and have an audience with my step sister, she's married to the bratva and we need their assistance.” I stared at my father, eyes wide. This meant something to me and I understood him clearly, he was… .
“Can you do that, Amelia?”
“Yes, sir,” I answered, my head swelling from happiness.
Daddy laughed.
“Welcome to my world, Angel.”