[Alice]
Two weeks after my father handed my phone back to me, after I found out about my betrothal, and after Jared and I finalized our elopement plan I walked out of the building, with no destination in mind.
I exuded so much confidence as I walked, even though I was as scared as fuck within me.
Surprisingly, none of the guards tried to stop me. They only watched as I made my way to the giant gate which shielded our house from prying eyes.
My guess is they all know my current status, even though it was not yet official. That explains why no one is stopping me from going beyond my limit right now.
I got to the gate and watched with awe as the guard in charge of the gate struggled to get the gate open.
He didn't even ask me where I was off to.
"Madam Alice." I suddenly heard from behind me, and I turned to see who it was that called me.
It was one of my guards, walking towards me, with his hands behind him.
Madam Alice? I squealed within me.
Is that fear in his eyes? His hands are behind him also! Am I dreaming?
I blinked my eyes, and faced him, seriousness written on my face.
"Your father asked to call you." He informed, with his head bowed slightly.
"Oh!" I replied casually, heading back to the house with an annoying sluggishness.
It worked! I squealed within me, while I kept my face straight.
News of my father's summons usually brought fear down my spine, but not anymore.
My only worry was to maintain my stance and pretend to be clueless, which is becoming more difficult with each passing day.
I stepped into the sitting room to meet my dad and every other member of the family.
The guard who had brought the message to me, and followed me down, stayed back as I stepped into the sitting room, just as I expected.
My eyes darted across the room, taking note of the tense appearance of my mom, of Beatrice who was holding tightly on Rebecca as if to choke her.
It was no surprise. Summons like this from my father are usually graced with tension, and it is worse if the whole family is assembled.
I took my place beside Agnes, who was as stiff as a rock. She didn't look tensed like the others, just angry.
"Alice," My father called, facing me, once I leaned on the back of the couch.
"You have been chosen by the Mafia king to be his mate." My father said, dropping the bomb without warning.
A surprised scream escaped my mother at once, and she covered her mouth with both hands the next instant.
"The wedding is fixed for the 9th of December, which is exactly two weeks from now. " My father continued, not caring about my mother's scream or the subsequent sobs that followed.
I tried as much as possible to look surprised or dazed in the least, but the feeling wasn't coming.
All I felt was emptiness, vast, unending.
The information was expected, but not the Mafia king. That monstrous beast! The same man who is greatly feared by the Mafia Lords, and every member of the Mafia and beyond.
I find it extremely difficult to believe that my father would consent to a marriage proposal made by that monster of a man.
Even though I didn't expect much from my father, I didn't know he could be this heartless.
A gentle nudge on my rib brought me out of my thoughts. Agnes was drawing my attention to my father, who was spilling out some instructions.
At this point, I didn't care about pretending to play along.
"... will design as much dress as possible befitting a Mafia queen for you, and..." Were the words I managed to catch before a sudden outburst from my mother interrupted him.
"Stop it, William, please." My mother's shrill cry filled the room as she stood between my father and me.
The whole room suddenly became still.
Rebecca, who was held more tightly by Beatrice, started to cry. Beatrice took her out of the sitting room, pacifying her on the way, and relieved to be out of the tensed environment.
My father grew momentarily still as if struck by lightning.
I couldn't tell if his shock was because my mother had for the first time since I remember addressed him by his first name, or because she had openly opposed him.
"You can't give our daughter to that beast." My mother continued, angering my father the more.
She seemed unperturbed by the tension in the room which had grown thicker since the last time she spoke.
My father turned to face my mother, slowly at first, then rapidly.
A sharp crisp sound was heard and was immediately followed by my mother's pitiable scream.
The movements were swift. Too swift to know what had actually happened.
One minute my mother was pressing her left palm to her left cheek, and the next minute she was sprawled over on the floor with my father kicking, kicking, and kicking her all over.
I got up quickly from where I sat, pulling a now crying Agnes along.
This isn't the first time of witnessing my mom suffer at the hands of my father. Even though it had been a long time ago.
"Don't move an inch," Father warned, turning briefly from my mother to face us.
We sat back down immediately, watching fearfully as my father resumed kicking my mother all over her body.
"Stop, please." I heard myself say when I couldn't bear the sight anymore.
My father left my mother's side and came to stand in front of me while I shut my eyes in fear, preparing for the worst.
The sound of retreating footsteps forced me to open my eyes, and when I did, my father was climbing the stairs, heading for his room.
He had refrained from taking out his anger on me, and more prominently he had stopped hitting my mother on my request.
I felt like a coward for stalling till the time I spoke up.
Beatrice rushed in just then and headed straight to my mother who now lay unconscious on the floor.
With teary eyes, she beckoned on me to give her a hand as she tried to lift her.
"She needs to be taken to the hospital," I said, feeling her weak pulse.
"Your father will not permit it," Beatrice said sadly.
I smiled inwardly at the opportunity to defy my father.
"We wouldn't be asking for his permission." I declared and watched as Beatrice grew wide-eyed with fear.
"Tell my guard to prepare the car," I instructed Beatrice who had no choice but to do as instructed.
When she got to the door, I added on a second thought.
"We will need help with carrying her into the car," I said while she nodded.
"You should go to your room," I said, turning to face Agnes whose eyes were swollen.
"No way!" She said defiantly, although her voice came out in whispers.
The sound of the door pulling open announced Beatrice's entry into the sitting room.
As expected, the guards had stayed back, and only entered the sitting room on my invitation.
After they carried my mother into the car, one of the guards whom I suspected was the senior came back inside and made his way upstairs.
"And where are you off to?" I asked, exercising my supposed status as a Mafia queen.
"To...to inform the boss that..." He started to say but I cut him off.
"On whose order? My mother is lying lifeless in the car, and all you care about is some stupid permission you have to take from someone who would probably not grant it." I berated him, raising my voice high enough to show just how angry I was.
He turned the next instant, heading towards the exit while the rest of us trailed behind.
At the door, Beatrice stood fixed, moving no further, and I understood. There was Rebecca to look after, and my father also.
Agnes entered into the car and I followed suit, breathing down my fears as the car was immediately kicked into life
The car zoomed out of the big, cold compound, while Beatrice waved at us with teary eyes.