Mr Olivia had called for a family dinner and Marcelo was certain it was going to be more than just a dinner . The Tolomeo's don't eat as a family.
It was the first time they were all to gather together since their father returned from prison, Marcelo could count the times he had met with his father, in and out of prison, though his father had promised he was changed, he had even given up his shares, his company, but Marcelo wasn't interested in any of his inheritance and so he let it all go to George.
Marcelo never, not even for a second, thought of forgiving his father, all because he had his own share of suffering, but George did. George is soft hearted, he would forgive anyone. And that's the reason their uncle, Mr Joe couldn't pick him as the Mafia head.
Though their uncle never clearly stated the reason for handing his position over to Marcelo, but Marcelo was certain of one thing; Uncle Joe needed someone that could carry out his revenge, that would go along and fight for his late sister, Marcelo's mother, and George wasn't fitting for such hardness, such brutality. It was also his own revenge on Mr Olivia, who craved the Mafia head position as he craved for it, he craved for it so badly Marcelo bagan to think if that could be the reason he had married his mother.
Mr Olivia had no true love for his wife, Marcelo never saw love in his family while growing, his father only brought suffering upon them, upon Marcelo and his mother, and so he had made it's goal to suffer his father, to bring his father to the bottomless pit, where he would never rise again, where he would beg for death. Marcelo wasn't certain about his mother's killer, he didn't even trust himself but he was certain Mr Olivia had made the life of his mother a living hell.
Marcelo for the first time obliged to his father's demand as he made his way to their family home.
Family? Home?
Those were the two things he never had but said so casually, what they had wasn't a family, they just had a shared surname and that house, that house, that house. Marcelo ball his hand to a fist as he thought about it.
That has never been a home to Marcelo, It was just a house filled with nothing but painful memories, his dreadful past, his sufferings.
He shoved down the hurtful memories that played at the back of his head as he walked down the hallways.
"My son!" Mr Olivia exclaimed, voice rough as he let out a hearty laughter and welcomed Marcelo.
Marcelo had to hold himself scoffing. Mr Olivia had called them out for a 'family dinner' but in the dining room sat two non family members.
"I thought this was a family dinner?" Marcelo questioned not bothering to put up a smile to hide his irritation.
"We are family son, just in a few weeks, we will be joined as a family" Mr Olivia chuckled, his laugh deep and raspy. Marcelo could sense something else in his father's chuckle, though he couldn't point it out just yet, but Mr Olivia was devising something.
Pillar wasn't picked by anyone and no one was forcing Marcelo to get married to Pillar, but he wanted to, to further his plans, to gain more assets, his father had brought up the idea of getting married to each other and Marcelo wasn't fulfilling his father's wishes, even though it looked like he was from the surface of the situation. His father's wishes come with a dark desire, and even if he has been on the low for the past few years, Marcelo still believed he was up to something, his father's greed still blossomed, but he was hiding it, trying his best to not reveal. And Pillar would be his tool, the tool gifted by his father, he would use this tool to stab his father so deep that recovering would be far beyond the solution.
"What's with the mood?" Pillar, his soon to be fiancée asked, concern laced with her tone as she moved closer to the seat beside him.
Marcelo's brow furrowed slightly, lips pressed together in a thin line, his Jaw tensed, with muscles visibly clenched, showing his effort to hide his frustration.
Pillar and Marcelo had a little history together, they were childhood friends, at least for a while before she was sent to live with her grandma. They were childhood friends because Pillar barely related to anyone just like Marcelo and the Bones and The Tolomeo's have always been somewhat very close as Mr Bones and Mr Olivia viewed each other almost as brothers.
Marcelo had thought maybe, just maybe he would be able to tolerate her, she won't be like the other girls out there begging to be loved like…
Their joining was a profit on both his sides and the Bones family. Marcelo saw marriage as nothing, he never believed in love, and so he had never hoped or imagined those romances, the once in dramas, he had never imagined himself in such a scenario, he had never imagined himself loving someone or getting a family. He wasn't capable of loving anyone, a part of him feared something that he never want to admit.
"Everyone's here now, why don't we dive into the meal… I'm starving" George complained, his lips curved to a pout. His words had caused everyone to laugh except Marcelo. He wanted to be out of here, he wanted to get on his feet and call off his engagement but he couldn't. He refused to use another part of him to think, he refused to give into his weak flesh.
The last thing Marcelo wanted was to have a short fluffy romance that alway brings humans to their demise. Marcelo had begun to slice through the steak slowly as he tried not to mind the words of the three annoying beings present in the dining.
"You seem like one that blesses their husbands with a line of sons" They all laughed at his words because it was a joke to them, except George and Marcelo.
Marcelo almost gagged at his father's sickening statement.
Marcelo had made it clear to Pillar about their marriage conditions, it's a contract marriage and Marcelo had made sure he listed all his conditions and not having a child is one of them.
Marcelo was so irritated, the steak could barely make it down his throat, they kept on throwing nauseating words and Marcelo's appetite was lost. George was the only one to notice his brother's discomfort, but he could do nothing other than pity his little brother.
George had abruptly stopped eating, his eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the figure before them. "Theressa?"
Everyone had shifted their attention to the non-family member that stood before them, the five, eight tall female with a dark brown coat that reached her knees, a white button shirt tucked in a brown suit trouser.
The rest had confusion contorting their features, aside Marcelo. His gaze was fixed on Theressa and without wasting time he shot up from his chair grabbing Theressa's wrist as he headed to a place no one could see them, a room where no one will have their eyes judging Theressa, a space filled with his unfortunate childhood.
"How did you get here?" Marcelo questioned, locking the door of his old room behind him. He shut his eyes trying not to get bothered by the space, trying not to show his frustrations because of Theressa's actions.
"I have been trying to reach you, you literally got me transferred with no reason" Theressa's eyes narrowed with a sharp and piercing gaze that reflected her anger, a glint of frustration and disappointment in her eyes.
Marcelo couldn't tell where and how Theressa had gotten this bravery from but it ignited something within him. "I am your boss, I don't need a reason, I can do whatever I like with you, do you get it?" Marcelo's voice is ever low, calm and steady, pointing out his facts.
Theressa's bravery, her percing gaze, her lower lip between her teeth like she was holding herself from bursting, he loved it, he loved the effect on her, and he couldn't deny the fact that at the momet all he wants to do is push Theressa on to the bed and fuck her brains out.
Theressa was short of words and all she could do was to glare at her boss.
"Now I want you to get back downstairs and leave immediately" Marcelo pronounced each and every of his words clearly.
"I'm not leaving," Theressa snapped.
No one, not a living soul that worked for Marcelo stood against his order this way, Marcelo never repeated his order and command for his staffs, they all bowed to Marcelo's orders, they nodded their heads when asked to and shook their head when told to. But here he was finding Theressa's rebellious side interesting.
Getting turned on by it.
Marcelo's flesh was leading him closer and closer and closer to Theressa, until they were just a few inches away from each other, until he could feel her breath, until their forehead met with each other but their lips never close enough.
"You're a coward, you know that?" Theressa insulted. Marcelo could sense her anxiousness, her nervousness, she wanted something, she craved for Marcelo, and Marcelo loved it, he loved the effect he had on her.
"You're crazy, you know that?" Marcelo responded, his voice almost above a whisper. Marcelo had made his way to Theressa's neck, he could sense her shiver beneath his breath.
"Are you both in there ?" A high pitched voice questioned from behind the door, disrupting the tensed air in the room.
Theressa's attention had switched, she looked annoyed, aggravated, Marcelo didn't fail to notice the switch.
He smirked a mysterious thought lingering in his mind as he shoved down the side of him that didn't want Theressa getting hurt.
"We were just about heading back downstairs" Marcelo stated, his lips still curved to a mysterious smile. Pillar's brows furrowed in suspicion as she stared at Theressa.
"Pillar meet my secretary, Theressa"
A smile grew gradually on Pillar's lips, clearly faking it as she stretched out her hand to shake Theressa who ignored the gesture and glared at her, certainly not interested in the introduction.
"Theressa, meet my fiancée"
Theressa froze, her tight jaw softening as she turned to Marcelo, her eyes narrow slightly as she gazed at Marcelo in disbelief, in hurt. But Marcelo ignored her look, even though a side of him wanted to take back his words, he rebelled with himself and went on.
"My soon to be wife, my girlfriend, my lover" Marcelo proclaimed.
Theressa couldn't take it, she tried so hard to hold her tears that it was visible to Pillar. Marcelo's smile had faded as Theressa walked past him, a hole pierced in his heart. He wanted Theressa to say something, he wanted to call her back and explain everything to her. But that was his flesh, and Marcelo refused to succumb to the desires of his flesh.