Chapter 10 Ivan Atono
I am a street, so look both ways before you cross me
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Irina's point of view:
"You are getting married?!" Sarah exclaimed in surprise as I told her.
"Yes, to Roman Atono" I told her nonchalantly.
"I am so bewildered right now. But why?" She asked me.
"You should go and ask Dad" I said to her curtly.
She rolled her eyes at me.
"When is the wedding?" She asked.
"Even the bride doesn't know about it" I shrugged my shoulders.
"What the God damn fuck?" She asked.
"I have to finish my novel tonight so please excuse me" I told her.
"Whatever" she said as she went out of my room.
Roman's point of view:
I arrived at my parents' mansion not long after leaving my penthouse.
I am so damn nervous. Telling my dad about this isn't a problem but will I tell my mom and the rest of the family?
I sat in my car for about 30 minutes not knowing what to do. I am afraid of going inside. But I have to tell them anyway.
The thing about me is that I may be ruthless and deadly but I am afraid of my family, especially my mom.
I got out of my car and went inside the house.
This huge mansion belongs to my dad but some of my extended family live here too, two of my aunties live here and their children. So I have three cousins living here with my parents. And my siblings and my dad's men. This house never gets boring. It is always lively.
I walked inside the house unnoticed to my dad's study room. I knocked on the door and entered.
My dad sat on his swing chair facing the window, looking at the view of the city as he smoked his pipe.
I stood beside his office table. He noticed my presence and faced me.
"Aton Alexei sent us a letter, saying that it is important for us to read it" I said.
"Aton? My own enemy sent me a letter. It must be a bomb letter, do not open it" My father, Ivan Anton said with a Stern face as he smoked his tobacco, he seems uninterested in this topic, of course wouldn't have been interested if his messenger hadn't told me the letter was important and if I hadn't read it.
"I have opened it already, dad and it is really important" I put the letter on the coffee table before him and put my hands in my pocket.
"He wants me to marry his daughter" I told my dad.
"What?" He dropped his tobacco pipe on his table in anger.
"Is that man mad or something?"
"It is important I marry her dad, for our own benefit" I said to him.
"I went to his office when I got his text. I also thought it was one of his trucks until he made the deal with me, and he wrote a letter to you." I explained to him.
"So you will marry his daughter as his assurance, what's your own assurance?" My dad asked me in curiosity. He dared me to say it.
"Ruslan is to marry loana" I answered him.
"That man has tricked you" My dad yelled.
"This has to be done dad. Or else" stopped mid-sentence.
"Or else what? You want to put your twin sister in a lion's den, right? You want to marry his daughter who could poison you at any time. We are enemies, and enemies shouldn't have anything to do with each other. We hated ourselves since God knows when and you are here telling me you want to marry his daughter. You want to betray our family. You want to sell your own sister."My dad said in pure annoyance.
"This is my regime, Dad. And I can do any damn thing during my time. I can't watch my family being ruined by an enemy who is not even in my league" I fired back.
"What is hard about this that you don't understand? We never got along with them, the two families never did anything together to the extent that they would marry someone in our family and vice versa. You ain't doing this shit. He has some motives" my dad tried to convince me.
"Dad, the system can change in my own time. I don't give a fuck about what has happened before now any longer. As long as I am doing this to protect my family, why can't the change start from me? It is not like I love her. I am only getting married to her because of the deal. His assurance and I know that he won't dare to hurt his sister since his precious diamond is with me. He dared not" I told him.
"You are playing with fire" my dad snarled at my words. I couldn’t miss the irritated look he shared with me.
"I am not playing with fire. If you think I am playing with fire then I think I am allowed to. At least I am the boss and I know what this mafia game is all about. I have to risk things to gain victory." He is annoying already, he knows the game and he still chose to be ignorant about it.
"Have you ever met her?" My dad asked.
"No, not at all. She has been caged in the mansion her entire life. She was not allowed to go out for her own safety. I haven't met her" I told him.
"If that is the only way out of these problems, I guess you should do it. Just don't fall in love with her and divorce her as soon as possible when the problems are solved. I hope that's cool" He took his pipe and started smoking it.
"Yes, I need to go and see mom" I informed him. With that, I left his study room to search for Mom.
Fortunately for me, they are all gathered in the garden.
"Hey Mom" I walked to them.
"Hey, my boy" my mom stood up from her chair to hug me.
I hugged her back. She released me and looked at me.
"I missed you" she breathed.
"We met this week, mom" I reminded her.
"Just move back here. I need to see your handsome face frequently" she said.
"You know that's not possible" I told her.
"Whatever, just come sit beside me." She dragged me gently and made me sit beside her.
"Hey bro" my younger brother, Lev greeted me.
"Hey," I replied curtly. I am not in the mood for exchanging pleasantries.
"I have something to tell you all" I said.
"What's that?" Aunty Kira asked.
"I am getting married" I burst out.
"What? You haven't even brought home a girl yet and you are getting married" My mom said in confusion.
"When did you propose?" Lev asked
"Who is the girl?" Aurora, my younger sister asked.
"When will you bring her home?" Aunty Kira asked.
"Will you just spare me with your questions?" I asked them, getting angry.
"Sorry, just tell us everything" Aunty Lola said.
"I haven't even met her yet. I am getting married to her because of a business deal. Her name is Irina Alexei. I am not the only one getting married. Loana and I are getting married. She is getting married to Ruslan Alexei" I told them. The looks on their faces at the end of my talk were so deadly.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Aurora asked.
"You heard what I said." I glared at her.
"Well, we are not approving that" my mom stood up in anger.
She knows I don't joke so she is ready to fight me.
"If I don't get married to her, we are all dead. There are dangers before us and this is the least I can do to protect us. Loana getting married to Ruslan won't be a problem as long as we don't hurt a strand of hair on her head. I will never let Alexei hurt Loana. But she has to marry him." I assured them.
"I am in support of it" Aunty Kira said.
I know why she said that. It is not like she accepted it from the bottom of her heart. She hated the idea and she hated them but she wanted me to marry her so she could avenge her husband's death on Aton's daughter which is not going to happen. If she hurts Aton's daughter, Loana will be hurt by them too. So I won't let that happen.
"Aunty Kira, do you know that if you hurt her, Loana's life will be in danger? Do you all think I want this also but I am doing it for your safety. We will all get killed if this is not done. What is so difficult about this that you guys don't understand?" I lost my cool and yelled at them.
Do they also think I want this? Over my dead body.
"Have you informed Loana?" My mom asked.
"Of course I have and she is on her way home" I told them and left the place for my penthouse.
I called Loana yesterday regarding it. I can still remember our conversation vividly.
"Hello sis" I said immediately she picked up.
Seriously, Loana is more than my siblings, she is me. She is me. She is the feminine side of me. I love her more than I love myself.
Risking her life is a huge decision I have ever made in my entire life and I hope it won't fail. Or else I will be dead
I can't live without her.
"What's up, man?" She replied.
"I am not cool at all. I just risked our lives" I told her. I tell her everything that happens in my life.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"I made a plan with Aton to save my family from a stronger enemy. And he said he can only join hands with me if I can assure him. His assurance is his daughter while my assurance is you. You are getting married to Ruslan while I am getting married to his daughter" I explained to her expecting her to turn down my decision.
"That's huge, man. But since it is for our welfare, I think I am in support of it. Anyway, I won't deny that I love Ruslan. So what will hinder me from asking him mine" she said.
"You love him. I thought he only loved you"
"It turns out I developed feelings for him. Anyway, I won't let him know. I will play hard to get a little. What about you? You don't even know about her, Irina" she asked.
"How do you know her name?" I asked her.
"Ruslan told me about her." She answered.
"I don't know, I don't think I will develop feelings for her. I will also have to let her go when I am done with the mission." I told her.
"Okay, when is the wedding?" She asked.
"A week from now. There is no time." I replied to her.
"What the heck, man? I have to fly home" she yelled. I had to place my phone far away from my ear. She is in Japan, trying to stay away from the world she was born in. She is living her life there but now she has to come home and sacrifice her life over there. I feel so sorry for her right now.
"I am sorry loana, you will have to sacrifice your life for this bullshit" I apologized to her.
"It's okay. I will do anything for you and I count this as a new beginning" I can sense her blush.
"Thank you, call me when you arrive big ears, so I can come take you at the airport" I said, pulling her legs.
"Oh shut up, dickwad" she called me dickwad? Oh fuck.
"What did you just call me?" I dared her to talk
"Dickwad," she said again.
"Shut the fuck up small ass, bye" I hung up, not ready to hear her insults.
I smiled remembering our conversation. She will be here any moment now.
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