Ugly Ronney: mafia romance [English]

Chapter 22-1

The afternoon was heavy, charged with electricity. The dark clouds that covered the sky announced the storm. Sheryl Valley was experiencing the hottest hours of the season. Behind the counter, I checked the restaurant's accounting book. A week after Yeraz's birthday and the emotional turmoil of the past two months, I was trying to reconnect with my family. I had decided to return to family parties, to pick up where I'd left off before I met the Khan family. My parents seemed to appreciate my efforts to return to a normal life. I knew it would take a long time for them to trust me again. My cousins now avoided making derogatory comments about me. They seemed to like the new, prettier, more confident Ronney.

I raised my face to look at their table at the back of the restaurant. Gabriella, Louis, and the others were finishing a lively game of cards with shouts, complaints, and laughter. At the other end of the room, my mother was talking with my aunts. The discussion was very agitated on their side. Gossip was going strong. It was a seemingly normal afternoon, but deep inside I was slowly dying of frustration and sadness. He had been absent from my life since I'd woken up in my hospital bed. Not a single call or message from him. It was as if I had never met him. Yeraz had completely disappeared, probably to somewhere far, far away. I had accepted the idea that I would never see him again, even though my heart would continue to love him at all hours of the day and night.

Camilia had used her connections to find me a job as a voice actress for Disney studios, a great opportunity for me. In a few weeks, I would leave this city for a new start. Was I afraid of this moment? Of course, and still for the same reason: him.

I came back to reality when my brother walked through the door of the restaurant, followed by my father. Both of them were coming towards me, radiant smiles on their faces and a sparkle in their eyes. I looked at them suspiciously. Where did their good mood come from? My brother's condition had improved considerably, and the new treatment had a lot to do with it. The doctors didn't promise us complete remission, but at least he had many years yet to live. We intended to enjoy every moment with him.

When they reached me, they exchanged a knowing glance.

"Well, are you going to tell me what's causing this burst of happiness?" I said in an impatient tone.

Elio tossed the newspaper on the counter. The headline read, "Businessman Bryan Clark Ruined!" My smile faded. The picture of Bryan and his co-workers, who were none other than his high school classmates, revived an indecipherable pain and anxiety. They were all there, all my molesters. None of them were missing. I was too distressed to focus on reading the article.

"That bastard and his buddies got what they deserved," my brother growled through his teeth.

"That Bryan can go hang himself or shoot himself in the head, I don't care," my father added with hatred. "The main thing is that there is justice. The wheel always turns in the end."

With my eyes locked on the picture, I asked in an emotionless voice, "What happened? How did it happen?"

"He lost everything in bad stocks. Boom! Just like that, overnight," my brother rejoiced.

"What's the name of the company?" my father mumbled as he searched for it. After a short moment of reflection, he exclaimed, "Roskuf! A huge oil company. Well, it was."

Time stopped spinning around me. I couldn't hear anything. Even my heart had stopped working. My vision blurred. Yeraz had gotten them all. His latest masterstroke in business. He had been planning this since we'd returned from Los Cabos.

"Ronney, honey, are you okay?"

It took me a while to get back to my brother and father.

"It's the impact from the news," said my mother, who had come to join us.

I looked at them, one after the other. Elio and my parents questioned me with arched eyebrows.

"Ronney?" my mother insisted.

With a gesture, I ordered her to stay silent.

"I'm sorry," I stammered. "I can't."

I walked around the counter. My eyes moistened and my voice trembled.

"I love you with infinite tenderness, but I can't live without him. I hope that one day you will have the strength to forgive me."

My father's face closed abruptly. He didn't react to my words, but I could tell by the look on his face that he disapproved of my decision. My brother, more supportive, gave me a small smile and pointed to the door with a nod.

"Go find him, little sister. It will be hard for us, but we only want you to be happy."

I turned towards my father, but he didn't say anything. I was his biggest disappointment at that moment. My mother stared at me as if I had lost my mind before imploring my father with her eyes to say something. I preferred to cut off the discussion.

"Dad, I need your car keys, please."

He hesitated for a moment. Deep inside him, a violent inner battle was taking place. Despite my mother's horrified exclamations, he handed them to me. I slowly stepped back to look at them one last time before running towards the exit.

Outside, the rain was starting to fall. I took a deep breath to breathe in the smell. It didn't take me long to decide where to go. Camilia and her children had no idea where Yeraz was. Nobody knew. Nobody, except...Peter.