THE MAFIA'S ALLURE

A FATHER'S LEGACY LOST

***Ariana***

It got to half a minute later when the banker handed over some documents to me and I couldn't fathom how I was feeling at the moment.

I was in a state of incredulity the more I stared deep into the file I was holding.

The content of the files felt absurd and completely like a joke to me.

I felt my legs becoming weak and my vision unclear at the passing minute as I tried so hard to stop the tears threatening to come out of my eyes any minute.

"Miss Ariana"

"Miss Ariana"the banker's voice echoed, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Uhmmmm"

"Mmm"I mumbled looking at him unsure of what to say.

"Miss Ariana Rucci, you don't expect me to spend all my working hours here, do you?".

"You haven't uttered a word since I handed those documents to you" the rude banker with a protruding belly and acne plastered on his face said.

"You have just 2 weeks to pay back the loan or you can kiss your father's fashion house goodbye" he added.

"2 weeks!".I yelled at the man who was attempting to make his way out of my store.

My eyes widened and looked like it would actually pop out of their sockets.

My heart pounding furiously against my chest,at the thought of losing my father's fashion store.

"Thisss..isss..not fair I stuttered,maybe you're mistaken this can't be happening" I barely stated as i felt my blood was flowing backwards at the news flash.

"My dear the bank never makes mistakes and it's been 3 years since the agreement was made,the bank had sent several notices but none was replied".

That's because he is dead!.I half yelled.

"You don't expect a dead person to reply to your notice",I felt my anger increase the more I stared at the banker.

" It might interest you to know that the bank would do anything to get what belongs to them dead or alive," the arrogant banker rhetorically replied before strolling away not batting an eyelid.

My legs completely gave out and the files slipped out of my hands.

I stumbled on the chair next to me,different emotions running wild in my head.

How could my father borrow such an amount from the bank without notifying his family?.

"When and how??"

"Why?"

As the saying goes, the dead are not to be blamed,I facepalmed myself for putting all the balmes on my father.

As much as i knew my father was wrong to take a loan without telling my mother or his daughters.

He didn't plan or know he was going to die from a ghastly motor accident leaving his family behind.

I finally realized he must have borrowed the loan because of my mother's disease,since my mother developed wegener's disease 4 years before his demise.

I shifted the thought away and didn't want to blame my father further.

Now I need to get 700 thousand dollars within a week.

How possible can that be?

However where there's a will there's a way,I need not be negative at this point,I motivated myself.

I wouldn't want to lose my father's fashion store as this was my only source of income to help my mother get through her Biliary Atresia.

I murmured as I felt a hot trail of tears falling from my eyes .

The sound of my ringtone immediately snapped me back to reality with an unpleasant jolt.

I lazily answered the call, wiping my tears slightly.

"Girl when are you coming i've been waiting for the past one hour" Emily's voice rang out from the other end immediately.

It just dawned on me that I had promised to deliver Emily her dress before the banker's sudden visit.

"I will be there shortly, Emily".

"Something urgent came up"

"Do you miss me so much that you can't wait for an hour?".

I tried to conceal my emotions by faking a chuckle as much as I knew my voice sounded so different as a result of crying.

Emily could tell without a guess if something was wrong with me and vice versa.

Afterall we have been best friends for 11 years and that's enough time to study someone's character.

"What's going on?"

"Are you okay Ariana?"

"Do you want me to come over?"Emily sounded worried over the phone.

I knew Emily would trail off and keep lamenting if I didn't tell her what's up.

"I would be there in a jiffy babe"

"I will tell you all about it when you see me".

"Okay I would take your words for it",she finally agreed before hanging up from her own end.

It was past 4pm the moment I stared at the wall clock,I quickly grabbed Emily's dress which was already wrapped in a customer bag.

My peripheral view came into sight with my family's portrait which hung on the wall.

I shook my head not wanting to reminisce at the thought of losing my father's only legacy,wiped my face with my face towel before stepping out of the fashion store.

I hailed a cab and headed towards Emily's apartment with different thoughts rampaging in my mind as I sat on the back seat of the cab.

I hope I don't move past my destination.

***Leonardo***

Lgid tech group of companies

Lgid tech was playing a news clip of the Ceo Leonardo on loop:

"At the beginning of February this year, according to the latest financial report released annually.

The Ceo of Lgid tech and Ri's Global entertainment once again topped the rich list with a net worth of $251.2 billion! While the Giadrino group of companies has been plummeting at a rapid speed"

However at yesterday's new project launch of Lgid tech Leonardo was still absent,the appearance as well as the mystery of this rich man has aroused countless discussions and curiosity and the media are scrambling to schedule interviews!"

Leonardo sat on his chair with a very cold aura illuminating from his body,smiling mysteriously while his mind wandered off.

<>

3 years earlier

Leonardo arrived immediately at the giadrino mansion after being summoned by his grandfather Alessandro and noticed how cold the atmosphere was in the living room.

Sebastian was standing not far across from Allessandro,with his head bent looking like a loyal servant.

Allesandro gave out a fierce expression as he saw Leonardo.

Just then Dante enters the living room too putting on an expressionless face,he makes way to move past Leonardo but is stopped in his tracks as Alessandro's voice sounded.

"I need an explanation!?"This very moment,I trusted you with this project, Leonardo. How did everything go wrong?

Dante gave out a silent smile but he was noticed by Leonardo who felt this was his scheme.

Before Leonardo could say a word Alessandro grabs the file from Sebastian's hand and throws it at him.