Chapter 38: Scared
MONA LISA POV.
My face turned pale as if all the blood had been drained from my veins. An unidentified feeling burst through me like fiery bubbles, strangely dissipating uneasiness all over me. Oh… my God, I’m meeting the almighty ex-Mob, Bobby. I felt my palms sweating already.
Does that mean he loves me? Like, does he feel the same way I do? Is that why he wants me to meet his father, because I deserve it?
But he hasn’t made his feelings known to me yet, which is why I’m confused about why he wants me to meet his father. I raised my gaze to his face, trying so hard to resist the urge to bombard him with questions.
Abruptly, he untied my ponytail-styled hair, letting it fall from my shoulders and almost cover my face. He used his hand to move it behind my ears. “You look more beautiful like this,” he said, leaning over and kissing my forehead.
“Why… Why are you doing this, Derek?” I asked in a whisper, searching his face. But he effortlessly maintained a blank expression, making it hard for me to read him.
Doven cleared his throat. “I will excuse myself. Come on, buddy, let’s go.” He stretched out his hand to Idris, and they both walked away.
I averted my gaze back to Derek as he moved away from me. I saw his lips curve into a sly smirk, and he glanced at the old men who were engrossed in their Italian conversation, not sparing us a glance. He then looked back at me, still smirking.
“Come again,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back and fixing his gaze on me.
I nervously gulped, eager to know what he felt about me. I want to know what all this means – his constant care and protection. I want to know all the answers.
“Can’t speak?”
“De–Derek. Do you fe–fe–feel anything for me? I mean, wha–wha—what am I–I to you?” I stuttered and quickly bowed my head, feeling so embarrassed. Instantly regretting why I even attempted.
I could hear my heartbeat in my ears as he leaned over to my ear, his soft breath fanning my ear.
“I feel nothing because you’re just my cheapest property. You see…” He slowly distanced himself from me, but his intense gaze remained fixed on mine, observing my facial expression.
His words felt like a sharp knife piercing through my heart repeatedly, shattering my fragile heart into tiny pieces. It felt like time stopped as I struggled to absorb his hurtful words. My eyes clouded with tears as I let them freely stream down my cheeks, and I slowly closed my eyes.
He raised his wristwatch to my face, a watch made of pure diamonds that was surely worth a fortune.
“Zara…!” He called, and a lady ran out from nowhere. I guess she is one of the servants. “Dispose of this watch,” he ordered in a calm, cold voice. Her hands were shaking like a leaf as she came forward, collected his watch, and ran off almost immediately.
He averted his gaze at me, and his smirked lips were now replaced with a hard, pressed line. His eyes were dark and cold, making me doubt whether he was truly Derek.
“You see… I disposed of my watch, worth a billion dollars. Trust me, you will be next, just like a piece of trash. So… get that stinging love stuff out of your head, because you and I will never work! Now be a good girl, let’s meet my father.” He walked past me and brushed his shoulder against mine as he strode toward where his father was sitting.
I was dumbfounded, choked up with tears. My head and mind were about to explode as his hurtful words echoed in my head repeatedly. I finally broke down in tears, my shoulders rising and falling.
I turned to run away, far away from here, to cry my heart out. I didn’t want to admit that Candy warned me about him, but I was carried away by his kind gestures.
No doubt, I was desperate to be loved. I was desperate to be cared for. I was desperate to be protected from the harm of this world, which blinded me from seeing all the red flags.
I reached the door and made to turn the doorknob. “Joanne…!” I heard an old, shaky voice call out to me.
I slowly turned and saw four old men, who had been engrossed in their discussion, now staring at me.
My gaze scanned all their faces. No doubt, they were the same men I saw in the photo frame hanging on the wall. My
gaze finally settled on the one sitting in a wheelchair, and I couldn’t help but notice the striking resemblance between him and Derek.
I watched him slowly wheel his wheelchair toward me, and I quickly wiped the tears off my face with the back of my palm.
He flashed me a smile, now sitting in front of me. “Help me,” he requested, wheeling his chair and turning his back to me. I quickly assumed he wanted a push.
Although he had a pleasant smile on his lips, I could feel and sense that dark aura hovering around him. His shaky voice screamed power, authority, and dominance. Holy sanity fuck! I can’t believe I’m fucking standing in front of the top strongest Mafia lords in the world.
_Please help me, God. _ I wrapped both palms around the edges of his wheelchair and began to wheel him back to where the rest were sitting. He gestured for me to sit beside Derek.
I sighed softly and sat down, trying my best not to make any body contact with him. But he effortlessly acted like I didn’t exist, and it hurt me so bad. I couldn’t stop the tears from running down my cheeks.
“Crying for a moron?” Mob Bobby asked, offering to pour me a cup of coffee, which I politely declined with a smile. “You shouldn’t waste your tears on my son.” He slowly sipped from his cup. “Mind you, he has told me a lot about you–”
“I never told you anything,” Derek snapped, looking pissed at his father’s words.
“And you never thought of telling me that you were attacked and shot?” His father fired back with the same energy, sending him a hard glare.
Surprisingly, Derek was taken aback by his father’s questions, and he quickly lowered his gaze. I guess he never wanted his father to know. For someone like Mob Bobby, everything would be on the table in front of him before he asks. Because he’s the most feared by everyone.
“Well… Doven told me everything…” His father disclosed.
“That lousy dick,” Derek rolled his eyes, and his gaze mistakenly met mine. We stared at each other for a few minutes before I averted my gaze back to his father.
“I will get back to you, Derek. You better answer me,” he scolded in a loud, cold voice. “By the way, Joanne, meet my best friends – Robert Pattinson, San Diego, and Tony Romo. We have been friends for thirty-five years now.” He introduced, flashing me a smile.
“It’s a pleasure meeting you all,” I slightly bowed. Strangely, deep down, their faces looked so familiar, especially the one with a scary scar on his face. But where?
The vibration of my phone caught my attention. Derek tried to peek at my phone to see who was calling, but I quickly excused myself.
I followed through a brown metal door and found myself outside. I quickly checked the caller, and it was Candy. A wave of relief washed over me as I placed my phone to my ear.
“Where the hell did you keep your phone? I’ve been calling you non-stop, and you never cared to pick up or reply to my messages,” I angrily lashed out at her.
“But I just called back,” she calmly muttered, and I knew she rolled her eyes afterward.
“Where are you now?” I sighed.
“I’m at home now. I just got back not too long ago because I have a fever,” she said, and I breathed out in relief because finally, she was safe.
“But I never saw you in the changing room where I asked you to wait for me. What–”
There was silence at the other end, and I wondered why. “Hello, Candy, are you there?” I asked, but there was no response. After a few minutes, I began to hear a sobbing voice.
“Help me, Joanna. You have to help me,” I heard her voice whisper.
I started to panic. “What happened? Did your fever get worse?” I cried out. “Candy, talk to me!”
“Joa—joa—anna… Be fast. Else he–he will—–” I heard her sputter with a shaky voice.
“Who is he? Who is that, Candy?” I rushed my words, panicking, and suddenly the call was disconnected. Holy fuck! What is happening to Candy?
I hope it’s not what I’m thinking.Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.