Chapter 53 THE PLOT AGAINST SANTIANO
These words from her mother bruised her ego so bad that Rachel bit her lips furiously, but not enough to leave a cut.
She could have sworn Leah was snickering at her behind the green tape sealed to her mouth at the sound of her mother's taunting words.
With mild rage flashing through the corners of her eyes, Rachel watched her mother walk over to the table, placing the flask she had brought with her on the table gently.
“So, tell me,” Madam Adele started again, running her palms together like she was getting them cleaned by wiping them against each other. “What are your next moves? The Blue Dragon Party will happen tonight, so you have to get something going on already.”
With a slight smirk as if she had been waiting for this moment to tell her mother the truth and her plans, Rachel fell out of her sulking phase, putting the concept of induced rage behind her, ready to give her mother a chip of her grandeur plan.
“Of course, mother.” She replied delightfully.
“And what is this plan of yours?”
Rachel's smile grew deeper and more beautiful as she began to take graceful strides towards her mother, her hips swaying blissfully with each step she took.
“Mother, I plan to write a letter, a letter to Vanessa Hudgens telling her to be with Rafael for just one more day before her escape from him— all in Leah's name."
Madam Adele squinted at the idea of this, a look of unclarity settling fast on her face as she folded her arms against her chest, ready to be fed more details as it seemed Rachel still had a lot to fill her up with concerning this plan of hers.
“A letter wouldn't do justice to anything, let alone get rid of that woman for good.”
“Oh, mother!” Rachel purred, pulling her mother's hands in hers like she was inviting her for a dance.
Then she continued explaining her plans to her mother who seemed to be confused about whatever she was gracing out of her mind extensively.
“Since you have met with the son of the Martini DeLuca family, I will have him make a request for Vanessa Hudgens in order to secure the deal of the Whiskey Reserve of the Devereaux family which Santiano will be taking to them for a business deal.”
Madam Adele let out a rustic scoff. “You're going to sacrifice the family business to win him over in the long run? What if Santiano doesn't let the Martini DeLuca family have their way?”
“Trust me, mother, if this falls through because Rafael refuses to hand over the woman to secure this business deal, Santiano will have no choice but to take over the Pedro family who owe him a fortune to settle the gap between the debt that will arise at the family's distillery.”
Madam Adele raised an eyebrow, seeing the light in her daughter's words that had been forged up into a plan.
Rachel continued, reading her mother's expression as a sign of interest and perhaps— satisfaction.
“But with my help… of course, the Pedro family will be aware of the taking over and start a war which Santiano's men aren't prepared for.” Rachel said with a rich smile tucked to her lips.
Leah, who was seated through their conversation, listening to every single word they had been saying couldn't believe her ears— how despicable Rachel and her mother could turn just to be the one lording over Santiano from beneath the surface.
Rachel was going to go any length to have Vanessa Hudgens out of Rafael's life even if it meant destroying the entire Devereaux family?
Rachel would readily prove herself to be Rafael's very bane of existence if he wouldn't look at her as less than a sister but rather, a woman— a woman whom he would love with all of him, just like he loves Vanessa.
After a little while of thinking deeply, Madam Adele posed a question to her daughter as she had noticed a little flaw that could upturn the entire agenda of Rachel's plan.
“Have you thought about what happens next when the war between our family and the Pedro family begins? Do you think Santiano will be safe from that?”
“Do not worry, mother.” Rachel said to pacify her mother.
“Why not? The math is very simple— you could get him killed without thinking it through.”
“The king won't be going to war with his men, mother because I will be writing another letter to Vanessa, asking her to stay with him for one more day before she regains her freedom from him,”
Rachel concluded, reaching out to the flask her mother had brought with her when she had given herself room into the basement.
“...all in Leah's name. The perfect person to fool that woman— Vanessa Hudgens with as she is the only human she trusts in the valley.”
Leah flinched at this, struggling with the ropes again to set herself free with the hope of rupturing the plan to get Vanessa in her vulnerable state, but why her attempts at this was futile and nothing could help her get away to warn Vanessa about what was coming.
The letters Rachel would be writing to Vanessa would be leading her to a slaughter house; she would be beheaded upon arrival and nothing could save her at this point— no one except Santiano Rafael Devereaux himself, but this could only happen if someone told him about what was coming.
“And as for you, Leah,” Rachel started again, opening the flask and at the sight of its content, her face glistened up boldly with stars and a maniac surprise.
She grabbed the flask at once, heading towards Leah and as she did, Leah became more frightened as she watched Rachel approach her with whatever was inside the flask.
Finally, Rachel was just a breath away from Leah's ear as she leaned over.
“Too bad you'll have to die before the final arc of my plan to destroy your lady Vanessa happens.” She whispered softly.
“But I will have you remember these words and take it as your last…”
Rachel pulled away from Leah, raising the flash over Leah's head like she was about to conjure some spells for a ritual, her voice taking the form of a witch as she said,
“La Perla Nera.”
And with that, Rachel let the content of the flask rain on Leah, but it wasn't water— they were blood sucking leeches.