The following evening during dinner at the Santorini mansion…
“So mom, when will we meet that mysterious lover of yours, Micah asked after swallowing a spoonful of delicious soup.
Anastasia almost chocked in her glass of water but manged to maintain some good in herself, whiling the water droplets from her lips with her napkin, trying to buy some time to come up with an answer…
“When the time is right son, when the time is right” she only says with a small smile, continuing her dinner.
“He must be really something for you to be so …well mysterious about it” Micah muttered, not liking the idea not knowing who his mother is dating.
“What about you? When do I get grand babies?” Anastasia returned the favor, awaking almost the same reaction in Micah.
“I see what you….ugh..(cough) are doing, don’t try to change the subject mama! I don’t like it and besides I am the Don of this famiglia and I have i right to know who are close to my family, don’t forget that!” Micah stated with his eyes plastered on his mother who just pretended to be more interested in the food in her plate than in the conversation.
“Yes I do know that! But don’t forget who gave birth to you Micah! So stop fussing! Respect your mother’s wishes for once for gods sake! I can date whoever I want and how I want! You better focus on getting an heir for the near future or otherwise people will start talking, of which is already happening here and there…so you and Sheila better do something about that!” Anastasia gritted trough her teeth, suddenly losing her temper and then stood up to leave.
“Have a good evening everyone, I am going to my room” She stated with tight lips. Upon that she turned around and walked out of the dinning room leaving the others who were still eating, in shock behind, not understanding what just happened.
Upstairs in her own room Anastasia went over to her closet and started to change her clothes.
“Damn Micah why can’t you leave me alone for once!” She muttered under her breath just when she hears her other phone ringing…
At the second ring she picked up up with gleaming eyes…
“My love!” She answered happy.
“My rose, have you talked to him yet?”
“No my beloved I haven’t yet!”
“I know it is very difficult but I can’t stay away from you any longer! I don’t want to loose you again!”
“You will not loose me again my love I promise, we will be a family again, just give me some more time to make a proper plan ok?”
“But we already waited so long my love, I want us to be together as soon as possible since your health isn’t….well you know, I don’t know for how long I will have you!”
“Yeah about that…I think it’s time to come clean…I am not dying!”
The man on the other side stayed silent for a heartbeat or two….
“What?!!….but you have cancer, I don’t understand?! Your not dying, please don’t play games with me, my heart can’t take that, not from you!”
“I am sorry that i lied to you but it was needed, sorry for hurting you but I needed a distraction so I thought this was the best way to get him of my back, you do understand that I only did it for us, for you, to protect you so we could you know….” She signed the last part.
“I am hurt, but now I know you are not dying, I am also very relieved! I also have to confess something….I killed him…” the man on the other side of the phone stated.
“I already figured but I wasn’t completely sure….you know Micah also thinks you did it right?”
“Yeah I figured…..but does he have proof?” The man asked.
“Uhm…..as far as I know not really…I will ask tomorrow how it is going….for now I just want to be in peace…..you know he demanded to see who I was dating right in the middle of our dinner!”
“So?”
“So what? I didn’t tell him! It is not the time yet and besides everybody else was there as well, except that Snow woman, she is still upstairs in a coma!”
“Yeah I’ve heard something from a little bird…..what happened and who is she?” the man asked curiously.
“Your Birdie huh, I wonder…well anyways I can’t say much more than she is a beautiful but very secretive and unusual woman and that she was responsible for the Micah’s kidnapping, according to testimonies of our men but why she is in a coma still I don’t know, no body does really but our family doctor is working on it”
“Wait, hold on, did you say that Micah was kidnapped and that the woman who is responsible for it is staying in your house?!!….but why, is she his prisoner or what?” the man responded surprised.
“Yeah, that is still a bit unknown territory….Micah has said that she is his guest but we know she is the one that took him and did God knows what to our men, but I have a feeling there is much more going on between them then they are saying and I wished he would tell me, or somebody but up till know he has refused, so frustrating!” Anastasia muttered.
“Okay….hmm…interesting! I have to say it is unusual for such person to end up as a ‘house guest’ after what she had done, that would only mean that indeed there is more to their story because kidnapping a Don id normally only punishable by ‘morte’ death!”
“Exactly my love! So why didn’t he?”
“That we have to find out before we end her!”
“Hold on, hold on, you want to kill her?”
“Of course, she kidnapped a Don, so why keep her?”
“Don’t be so hasty my dear, let’s see first what we can profit of her alright, then we can do what we want, after we have taken over!”
“Yes, of course, my apologies! You are right! I can’t wait though!”
“My love, we have been waiting for so long! What will a bit longer do? Just a little more and we will have everything we ever wanted ok!”
“Fine! Is our date still standing of coming weekend?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t it? Anyways I have to go now, I’ll talk to you later ok, love you!”
“Ti amo di più, fiore mio” (Love you more, my flower!)
After that Anastasia ended the call and put the burner phone back in her secret hiding spot and finished up her bedtime routine and do some work on her laptop from bed. When she is done in the bathroom and took care of her business there she slipped inside in between the sheets and grabs her laptop and opens it. When she is about to log in she hears a knock on the door.
“Yes, who is it?” She answers.
“Dona, good evening, just wanted to check up on you if you need anything before the night?” Justin asked after opening the door slightly to pop his head in.
“Oh Justin, no thank you I am fine, you will be on watch tonight?”
“Yes Dona, I am so if you need anything, just ask!” He replied.
“Sure and thank you! Goodnight Justin!”
“Goodnight Dona!”
After that she focused her attention back on to her laptop with a small smile on her face. She liked Justin, as in he could have been her son. He was a serious guy at times needed although he still had that boy-ish character at times but he was a good guy and she trusted him to keep some of her secrets since he was a lot of times the one assigned on watching her. After she had signed in she waited until her mailbox was finished loading. Once ready, she first started scrolling trough her random mails, mostly of her friends, family, other Donas and some fundraiser activities and whatnot. When those were handled, either by only reading and replying or by stashing them in her archive as to deal with them on a later stage, she started sifting trough the remaining ones and grow them all in her trash without a second glance.
Once all that was done she went with her mouse to another section of her mailbox, named ‘the vault’ and clicked on it and waited for it to load and open.
Some seconds passed and a window appeared with a fingerprint scanner and a voice detection section in it.
Suddenly the voice of an AI echoed trough her laptop speakers.
“Good evening, it is time for your monthly password chance, please pick a new one and press enter to proceed!” the AI says making her scratch the back of her neck as to what password she should use this month…
“Not too difficult I will forget but for sure not to ease to crack either!” She mumbled as she started typing.
At all costs she had to protect her secrets stashed in there, because once they were out, a war would come, blood would be spilled and people would die!….
Something she couldn’t afford…
At least not right now!