Filed to story: Bring It On My Mafia Life Novel (Rhea & Lukas) >>
Kenith didn’t fail to keep his promise of changing her room. As soon as Rhea woke up from sleep the next day, there was already an interior decorator waiting to receive her preference.
“They must have a lot of money to waste on her,” Rhea thought. But then why wouldn’t they when they were basically a loan shark? The thought of it made her blood boil, if it wasn’t for her uncle borrowing from them, she wouldn’t be in this situation.
There was nothing as annoying as being helpless to change your predicament. Her uncle took her freedom, her life! The anger was like claws digging into her heart and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remove it… She couldn’t breathe. It was just suffocating.
Rhea decided to take advantage of the situation. Since they had the money, she should help spend it well. So Rhea went all out decorating her room. Since she was going to spend the rest of her miserable days here, she had to make sure it was liveable. She did not doubt that she would have to live with Big Joe once they got married. Remembering that made her skin crawl.
Rhea chose a globe-trotting theme for her bedroom. It channeled the adventurous spirit of a world traveler with an eclectic mix of far-flung antiques. The bedroom gives the impression of belonging to a gentleman traveler. Since her freedom was restricted, she could at least imagine her traveling around the world. She could imagine herself being free.
However, being free was the least of Rhea’s problems right now because she was about to go meet her husband, Big Joe. Yeah, great news, right?
The news was delivered to her by one of the men since she didn’t get even a glimpse of Kenith since that night he promised to redo her room. With him absent, Rhea was more anxious and uncomfortable since she had placed all of her bet on him. If she was going to leave here, kenith was the one that could make that happen – or at least, through manipulating him.
“You look so beautiful, madam,” commented one of the maids who was making her hair.
If anything was comforting about being here, it was the fact that she was treated like royalty – at least after that day Kenith taught the man who assaulted her a lesson. Unlike her uncle’s place, she didn’t do anything here nor did anyone abuse her physically or emotionally.
The only annoying thing was the fact that they watched her like a hawk. Ever Since Rhea attempted to escape, they didn’t trust her and she knew that. She could move along the house freely but was restricted from the outside – for now. If she was going to escape here, she had to buy the trust of Big Joe and Kenith as well – they were at the top of the food chain here.
Rhea just prayed she had enough time to fulfill her plans. But for now, she needed to be shameless and act out of her character. One must do everything to survive. And she must survive.
“Thank you,” She could only smile at the young girl.
“Gosh,” she squealed, “Big Joe would be so awed by you, I bet you’d bring him down on his knees,”
Funny enough, it would have been more enduring if she had an idea of who her mystery husband was. So she could only smile nervously in response to the young girl. Rhea wondered if she knew she was being pushed into a marriage against her will. Well, even if she knew, what could she do?
Rhea had thought of using the young maid but she had read enough movies and read enough books to know it doesn’t end well for people like her – the ones at the bottom of the food chain. If she does escape, they’d probably murder and dump the maid’s body somewhere and Rhea doesn’t want that for her – she can’t have innocent blood on her hand. That was why she had to make use of the top shots – Kenith and Big Joe. After that, they could finish off each other for all she cares.
“What’s your name?” Rhea asked.
“Cassie,” She answered.
“Hmmm, Cassie,” Rhea muttered under her breath. Although she didn’t want the young maid in her plans, there were some little chores she might be able to help her with. She just hoped that her loyalty to Kenith wasn’t that much.
Rhea suspected Kenith sent her to keep an eye on her. But she didn’t care, cassie was naive and easy going – she was easy to manipulate. God, when did she begin to think like this? However, this was all for survival.
“I have to get you into your dress, madam, it’s almost time,” Cassie said to Rhea who stood up and went over to where her dress was hung. As much as she didn’t want to meet Big Joe, Cassie was just doing her job.
She was dressed in a long emerald green dress that had a beaded off shoulder and accentuated her slim waist. Looking into the mirror, Rhea couldn’t believe her appearance, she looked regal and powerful.
Her fierce red hair cascaded down her shoulder in waves while the green dress complimented her pale skin and popped out the green in her eyes. The dress was flowy and she really look like a queen. It was quite unfortunate that she was meeting that bastard with this dress. The thought of feeling his lecherous gaze on her made her sick to the stomach.
“Who chose this dress?” Rhea was quick to ask. No designer had taken her measurements nor asked of her preference before this. But from the look of things, this dress was chosen with careful consideration and it was of good quality. Who knew she would get to wear a dress like this one day?
“It was sir Kenith,” Cassie answered innocently without seeing the way Rhea cocked a brow.
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Cassie said while straightening out the dress.
“Hmmm, your sir Kenith seems to do a lot of odd jobs around here,” Rhea fished for gossip.
“Hmm, your sir Kenith seems to do a lot of odd jobs around here?”Rhea innocently said yet hinted at something Cassie failed to recognize or maybe, she did understand it.
“Oh,” Cassie chuckled as if what she said was funny, “Our boss kenith is very social and kind. And he’s loved by all the women here,”
“Including you?” Rhea said immediately, her head tilted at the young girl questioningly.
A blush crept up Cassie’s face at once, “Well, I do have a crush on him but that’s just all. Unlike some of the other women here, I can’t delude myself into thinking that there’s a possibility of having a future with him,”
“You’re a smart one then. As much as fantasies are great, we have to return to reality eventually,” Rhea said to her. She was really liking the girl and Cassie seem kind and responsible.
“You can’t really blame them though, Sir Kenith is Big Joe’s right-hand man and the real magnet holding this place together,” Cassie revealed and that made a hidden smirk cross Rhea’s face. This was what she has been waiting for, information on those fooling around with her destiny.
“He’s more loved than big Joe?” She fished for more information.
“Big Joe doesn’t spend his time here all the time so it’s not surprising that the others look up to Kenith since he’s the one who shares Big Joe’s will. In one word, he’s the one who does the work around here,”
Oh, so that meant while Big Joe had the power of the gang, Kenith had the power of the brotherhood. In one word, kenith was more powerful than his master who doesn’t even know his influence is being cut off.
“Sir Kenith is seen as the eye of the master and the second in command after him,” Cassie explained, already wrapping things up.
“Has there ever been a time he interpreted Big Joe’s will wrongly? Or to be precise, manipulated it for his own benefit?” Rhea asked, probing for more information.
At that question, Cassie went pale in the face but she was quick to cover it up before Rhea saw it or so she thought.
“That’s an unnecessary question, madam,” Rhea felt Cassie withdrawing to their formal relationship with that title, “But you can rest assured that Kenith is trustworthy and would never harm you nor betray your soon-to-be husband Big Joe. At least with you here, Big Joe would be able to spend more time with us,”
“Yeah sure,” Rhea sighed as she got reminded once again what her fate would be at the end of the day.
“What’s the problem, madam?” Cassie noticed the change in her mood.
“You know I kind of envy you,” Rhea said while looking at the mirror and staring at her magnificent appearance.
“Envy me?” Cassie was surprised.