Wed or Dead

XVIII

The last person Eliana wanted to see was here.

"I came here to apologize"

"Okay, apology not accepted. Get out" she said, her voice filled with indifference. 

"You know I was on drugs, right? I just wasn't fully aware of what I was doing. Are you doing okay?"

"I can't believe this. Are you really asking me this now? Get out. I work here,"

"Why do you have to make it so difficult? Why does it always have to be like that"

"So it's my fault?" Eliana asked angrily. Oh, hell no. 

"Of course not, but if you didn't provoke me, none of this would happen! If you answered my calls and stopped with this rehab bullshit. Look, my father worked hard for years at the company just to find out he's about to lose everything, you would be upset too, right?"

"Right of course. In case any of you was in my position, I'd instantly hire a hitman to get your both of your asses," Eliana said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No one is trying to hire a hitman Eli we just need you to cooperate"

Ah yes, they needed her to cooperate or else...

"I don't want to talk to you. I want you to leave, or I'm calling the police," she responded, refusing to back down.

"Why do you always have to piss me off before the conversation even begins?" Ethan asked, now with aggression. She recognized this voice well, and it terrified her. She took a step back.

Eliana could see that Ethan was getting more and more worked up so she didn't  know why she felt the need to piss him off even more.

"You've lost your right to ever speaking with me again the moment you hit me," Eliana said with a voice hurt and quiet. She wanted to sound strong and confident. I wanted to hurt him the same way he hurt her.  "I've never been a family to me, and I've come to terms with it"

"Shut the fuck up, Eliana. You're just a manipulative bitch nothing more. If you don't comply and give up your rights-"

"Then what?" Eliana interrupted him.

"You will end up in a worse state than the last time," He said and took an intimidating step towards her. 

"Sorry, I think you should leave," Mike began politely, his voice slightly trembling, unfortunately watching everything

"Stay the fuck out of it," Ethan growled.

But Mike, like Eliana, wasn't looking at Ethan at the moment. They looked at the figure standing right behind Ethan's back.

Rafael. He stopped in front of me and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Is there a problem?" He asked calmly, pulling away from Eliana. His arm wrapped around her shoulders in protection and I could feel the warmth spread through her chest. I knew these displays of affection were just for the show. But Eliana couldn't help herself, she felt safe in Rafael's embrace.

What was he doing here? He didn't tell me he's going to show up here.

"Who the fuck are you? Why the hell are you kissing my cousin? "Ethan asked with even more hostility.

"Boy, did you just swear at me?" Rafael asked in a voice I never heard from him before. It was pure ice. I think the temperature in the room dropped at least a few degrees. "It seems like you're in desperate need for a lesson in manners,"

"What?" That's pretty much all Ethan managed to say before he was hit hard in the stomach by Antonio.

"Wait, stop," Eliana said, not being able to watch this, but Antonio didn't stop. Antonio's hits grew stronger and more brutal.