A Legacy of the Damned: Daughter of Astaroth

Chapter 16 - Three Suitors

The driver drops me off at Del Posto on Tenth Avenue in Manhattan. Juniper, my mother-in-law, Paola Alesi, and her sister Sofia Carafelli are already waiting for me inside. Paola and Sofia each with a glass of wine already in front of them.

Both Paola and Sofia are very opinionated and overbearing and even before our appetizer arrives, I'm quite ready to leave.

Truth be told, I'm in no mood for lunch or shopping for a wedding dress. My thoughts keep going back to Sacha Gauthier. I can see myself easily sliding into my habit of pinning over him and being obsessed with him and I absolutely refuse to feel that way again.

Despite my best effort, I keep thinking about him and I let Paola and Sofia dominate the conversation while Juniper discreetly rolls her eyes whenever those two say something that she thinks is ridiculous.

The dress shopping is a complete disaster in my book. My future mother-in-law's taste in wedding dresses is vastly different from mine. The dresses that she picks for me to try on are so over the top with big frills, ribbons, heavy beadings, and sequins. Unsurprisingly, her sister shares her taste and Juniper isn't much help.

At this point, I wonder if this plan to wed Nico is worth it. How many times a year do I have to see these women? I'm cursing Nico in my head for letting me do this without a single warning while he's having fun at his bachelor's pad.

Under different circumstances, Paola and I would be butting heads and I'd be putting my foot down but today, I just want to be done with it.

My encounter with Sacha Gauthier drained my energy and muddle my mind. At the end of an hour and a half of shopping, I end up with a dress that makes me look like a five-tiered wedding cake and I don't even care.

After we're done, I tell the driver to drive me back to Astaroth's. Originally, I was planning on going back to Nico's place where he is likely to host another party tonight. But after the day that I had, I just want to be alone. I'll be tempted to kill Nico if I saw him this evening too just because I'm pissed at his mother and aunt.

It's close to five in the evening when we approach the tall gates of Astaroth's mansion. The guards open the gates right away when they see me in the backseat of Nico's car.

The driver moves us past the pond and I stare warily at a large black van and a few shiny luxury cars parked in our driveway. It's quite normal to see strange cars parked there since Astaroth tends to hold meetings or entertain clients at the mansion but he's not supposed to be home yet. Dante told me yesterday that Astaroth isn't due back until Tuesday.

An icy cold feeling of dread is forming in the pit of my stomach. Any changes in Astaroth's plans, no matter how slight always put me on edge.

The car stops and I'm about to tell the driver to keep driving and take me to Nico's when two of Astaroth's massive goons circle the vehicle. One of them stops to stand in front of the car while another opens the car door for me.

"Astaroth wants to see you," says the guard, closing the door behind me before they both escort me inside.

Instead of taking me to his office on the second floor, they take me to the basement, the place where Astaroth normally entertains his male guests.

The basement is elegantly decorated with a wet bar, a pool table, and plush comfortable seats. The lighting is always low, the ambiance almost resembling that of a commercial bar.

I don't like this place and I generally avoid coming down here if I don't have to. It reminds me too much of the underbelly of the city where certain events are held. Things happen there. Carnal, sinful things. Things that normal, well-adjusted girls wouldn't be exposed to.