CHIARA
After causing an uproar yesterday all over the internet, I wanted to reward myself today.
So I asked Black to take me shopping right after Carmelo left for work. Last night, he brought me a bouquet of red roses and told me about the news of Antonio's doom. Not knowing I was the one who detonated the bomb, and that I was just getting started. Thanks to him I had connections with all the bad guys all over Italy. If I couldn't kill him in flesh, then I would snatch everything that he had. Just like how he did it to me.
"Where should we start, Ma'am?" asked Black, pulling over at the narrow parking spot he'd found. "Anywhere I could get skin care products. Oh, and nails. I want to get my nails done." I said, smiling as I texted Carmelo my whereabouts. It has become a ritual to update him on everything I did throughout the day until he returned home.
At first, I was getting annoyed by it. But as days went on… it didn't feel bad to have one person who cared so much about you and kept tabs on you. It weirdly felt nice to share about my day with him and then listen to him. I was becoming greedy, and I didn't feel bad about it. In fact, I wanted it.
I couldn't tell how, but Black took me to an amazing skin care product store. They had everything I loved and used my entire life. It was sickening not being able to use them for a while now since I left the Marino's household.
In the store were a couple of ladies trying out the products as well. I was immensely happy after ruining the stock market of Casata Leone Nera. That's why you shouldn't pray for any type of me; the enraged me would ruin everything standing in my way and the happy me… well, she was about to spend money like water today.
Without further ado, I cleared my throat, "Ladies, take whatever you need. The bill is on me," I said, waving off the black card I was given just a few weeks ago. "Woohoo!" The ladies cheered.
We roamed around the place, entering and exiting different stores. And at each place I'd buy things for the people around. Black's face was unseen by the amount of shopping bags he'd carried for me. We came across a restaurant, the aroma hit my nose and I groaned in response. Black suggested he go and bring the bags to the car and that I should wait for him here, for lunch.
The restaurant was at a sea front. The view was so magical, reminding me of the time I went to a similar restaurant with Carmelo before.
I found an empty table and sat, letting out a breath, taking out the handkerchief from my bag and wiped my forehead. I ordered a warm glass of water first. Suddenly cries of a child filled the place. I looked around the restaurant and found a young boy crying because his toy car broke down. While his mother tried to convince him to stop crying by telling him she would buy him a new one.
Sighing, I got up and walked up to their table, just a few steps from mine. I blamed my stupid heart for it. I crouched down until I was at the same level as the boy on a chair.
"Let me see," I held out my hand for him. He was hesitant but then eventually placed the toy car and its broken tire on my palm. I looked at it for a while, mended it and gave it back to him, "Won't you say thank you, baby?" said his mother, smiling at me.
The little red eyes looked at me, and then his mouth opened. "Thank you," he uttered in a small voice. I ruffled his hair, "You're welcome, bud." I replied, acknowledged his mother, and returned to my seat. A few minutes later and Black still hadn't returned. Why was he taking so long?
"Baby, what is that? Where did you get that?" the mother's stern voice grabbed my attention again. "Those two uncles gave it to me." Replied the same boy. "What uncles? Haven't I told you not to take anything from strangers?" The young boy started to wail, "But mommy, they told me to say hi to Chiara." He uttered. "Chiara? Who is Chiara?" the mother asked.
My heart thudded. I quickly glanced at the bag. My eyes widened instantly and my body froze. Flushes of that horrible day when I first took out four people drowned me. Then energy surged on my feet, "Fuck! No, no, no!" I jumped from the seat, fear gripping my heart as I dashed to them. I snatched the bag from the little boy, and then ran to the seafront and tossed it so hard in the air that pain shot in my shoulder joints. "Get down!" I shouted my lungs out, and the bag exploded, the heating flame hurling me back to the tables.
Screams filled the place, while my vision got hazy, and a loud ringing echoed in my ears. Breathing raggedly, I groaned, feeling a heavy weight on my back that was preventing me from moving. "Madam!" Black's voice reached my ears. "Madam!" he called out again. "I—am—I'm here." Energy was leaving my body. After what felt like forever, the weight was lifted from my back, "Madam!" Black blurted and carried me from the chaos around me.
My hands wrapped around his neck. Tremors shook my body. It was reverberating through my nerves. I worked to look around at the mess. Smoke and dust filled the air, along with vivid fear and terror from several faces my eyes came across. My heart relaxed a little to find the mother and son alive.
I thought I ran from the devil now the devil has found me.
"Stay with me, Madam. Stay with me," the man repeated over and over again, jogging with me. But my eyelids were too heavy to stay open, so I let the darkness claim me.