Chapter 16: Church

**Althaia**

“You promised me, Althaia!” Cara scowled at me

“I did no such thing!”

“Yes, you did! Remember when we went out for brunch, and I told you I needed help to plan the wedding, and you told me you would be happy to help since you’re staying here for a while, and had nothing to do anyway?” She quickly said. I was in Cara’s room helping her pack her bags as she was going to stay with the Bellavia’s to plan the wedding. Well, she was packing, I was on the bed looking through a magazine. Since we lived a couple of hours away from them, it was easier for her to stay there instead of constantly going back and forth. And now she was trying to make me come with her.

I stopped flipping through the magazine as I tried to remember when I had said that. Then I realized.

“Are you actually trying to force a fake memory in my mind?” I said to her accusingly.

“No.” She avoided looking at me.

“Yes, you are you sneaky bitch!” I threw a pillow at her face, and she huffed at me with a frown.

“Well, what are you going to do here alone, anyway?” She put her hands on her hips.

“I don’t know, eat and chill with Michael?” I shrugged. She actually had a point; I didn’t have anything to do when she had to leave. I had been staying in the mansion for a couple of weeks now and it was not like there was much to do here unless I wanted to become best friends with Morella.

Yeah, I did not like that.

“You can eat over there, and besides, Michael isn’t going to be free all the time to hang out with you.” Another good point made. Michael had been incredibly busy these days, and I have barely seen him around.

“I hate it when you’re right.” I moped. “But why are you even planning the wedding, and not just getting someone else to do it for you?”

“I am being handed over like a freaking object, the least they can do is me having a say in this freaking wedding. And you have good taste, so you’re helping me. I’m older than you, you have to listen to me.”

“You’re so lame for pulling the ‘I’m older than you’ card. Which doesn’t even work. But fine, I will come with you.” I rolled my eyes at her and resumed reading my magazine. I have been kind of working from here. Whenever my mother needed my help, we would talk, and I would send her my sketch ideas. She had been surprisingly okay with me being here, it was not like she could do anything to prevent me from staying. I was actually enjoying it here.

“I’m going back to my room, I’m tired. And we have to wake up early for the Service tomorrow.” I said as a yawn escaped my lips.

“Thanks for the help.” Cara sarcastically said.

“You are so much welcome.” I snickered and closed the door behind me. I lazily dragged my feet down the hallway when I noticed Carlos coming out of his bedroom.

“Hi, Carlos.” This is only the second time talking to him. I didn’t know what his problem was, but I always found him glaring at me from afar.

“Bitch.” He muttered under his breath as he walked past me. Furious, I took a hold of his arm.

“What the fuck is your problem!?” He ripped his arm out of my grasp and pushed me roughly against the door, right into the doorknob. I cried out in pain, but he covered my mouth with his hand, preventing me from making a sound.

“You’re my fucking problem!” He hissed at me, and I raised my leg and kneed him where I knew would hurt him the most. He groaned out in pain and cubbed his previous balls. “You bitch!” He slapped me with the back of his hand, making me fall to the ground hard and my head collided with the floor. A ringing sound appeared, and my eyesight got blurry. I could faintly see Carlos walking away. I slowly stood up, holding my cheek in my hand as a stinging sensation appeared on my right side. I glared towards the stairs and hoped that wherever he was going, he would get shot.

“What the hell happened to your face!” Cara looked shocked when she got a closer look at me. We were sitting in a car, being escorted to the church where we would meet everyone.

“I had a little encounter with the cocksucker for ice cream.” I said angrily and she looked at me confused. “Carlos.” I elaborated and her eyes widened.

“Carlos did this to you? Where the hell is that bitch, I’m going to cut off his dick!”

“By all means.” I could care less about that scumbag. The stinging sensation I felt resulted in a freaking cut. He was apparently wearing a ring that cut into my cheekbone. I tried to cover it with makeup, but it was still a bit visible, especially because I was a bit swollen. It still hurt. And my back hurt.

I hope he got shot.

We arrived at the church and I was surprised to see a mass of people standing outside. So, they were quite serious about Sunday Services. I spotted my father standing in front of the entrance with Damiano, Lorenzo, and three other men I haven’t seen before. My father waved us over as soon as we got out of the car, and we made our way towards them.

“Meet my daughter, Althaia. And this is Dale, Fabian, and Roberto, business partners and very good friends of mine” He gestured to the three middle-aged men.

“Hello, nice to meet you.” I smiled at them and offered a little wave, and they smiled back with a little nod.

“Gentlemen, let us head inside. The Service is about to begin.” We started to head inside when someone pulled me back, and I turned to see it was Damiano. He glanced at my face and softly grabbed my chin in his hand, turning it slightly upwards to him as he examined the cut on my face.

“Who did this to you?” He frowned at me.

“Why?” I asked, curious as to why he cared but he looked at me blankly.“… Carlos.” I mumbled. He nodded and let go of me.

The Service finished and it was beautiful. I was engrossed the whole time and I was touched by the way the priest talked about the Lord. Sitting in there and listening to what he had to say made me truly feel a higher power present. I have never been religious but the way my heart felt at ease in there, I decided that I would try and attend more to the Services.

Mine and Cara’s things were being moved to a different car as we were going to be escorted by one of Damiano’s men. There was no reason for one of my father’s men to escort us all the way over to their place, just to spend a couple of hours driving back.

“Hold on, I forgot my purse in the backseat.” I said to Cara as she got in the backseat of the car. I quickly made my way to the car we arrived in and grabbed my purse. I shut the car door at the same time a sudden screech of tires could be heard. I looked to the main road and saw two black SUV cars driving fast.

“Get down!” Someone shouted, and multiple gunshots could be heard. I didn’t get to react when I was suddenly thrown to the ground behind the car. My head was crushed into a chest and sheltered me from the shattered glass that fell around us. I looked up to see Damiano was protecting with his body. He held me tightly into his body as he leaned against the car, pulled out his gun, and fired at the SUV's tires, making one of the tires explode to make them lose control over the car. I saw just in time for the SUV to flip when he pulled me up against him and rushed us to the car where Cara was in.

“Keep your heads down.” He ordered and slammed the door shut. “Go!” He yelled at the driver, and the driver wasted no time and drove as fast as he could from the scene.