A Deal With The Devil | Ben Barnes | Sebastian Stan

Chapter 3

Francesca

I couldn't sleep at all last night. Nightmares kept waking me up, my heart pounding in my chest like it wanted to get out, to leave my body because it could sense the pain I was going to put her through.

After I got home yesterday, still shocked about all that happened, I offered no choice to my parents but to talk to me about everything that was going on with them and the jewelry. I needed to understand how could they have been so naïve to ask help from the mafia, especially from Luca - my father mentioned this name and it wasn't hard for me to realize he was talking about the same man that I've met with. According to him, Luca Rossi was soon going to take his father place and rule Sicily and no one seemed to be thrilled by the idea. Luca was much crueler and more dangerous than his father and controlling him was impossible.

But, despite de argument that we had, despite trying to find a solution to our problem, a solution that could help us get out of this situation, we came up with nothing.

My parents didn't even have half of the money we owned. The idea to ask Maurice for his help was not enough either because there was no chance we could get those money in a few hours - we needed days and we didn't have them, not when Luca refused to offer us more time.

We all went to sleep having the same thought tormenting us - we were going to lose the jewelry store.

This is the reason I got out of bed as soon as the first rays of sunshine pierced the night darkness. Sleep eluded me and I couldn't just stay in bed without having my guilt eat me alive.

I got out of my bedroom and walked downstairs, thinking that everyone else was still asleep.

A desperate kind of sadness squeezed my chest at the sight of my father sitting alone in the jewelry stone, his head between his hands. It was the picture of a broken man.

I approached him carefully, not wanting to startle him, but also to give myself time to control the tears that threatened to fall.

"Papà" I call him out, placing my hand of his shoulder. He looked up at me, his eyes teary, but his mouth a calming smile.

"Why are you up so early" he asks, pretending like he was okay, like I wasn't the reason why everything was falling apart. He grabbed the hand I was holding on his shoulder and lovingly kissed the back of it.

In that moment, seeing all his love for me, I felt my heart shatter. My body betrayed me and I fell on my knees in front of him. I didn't have the courage to look him in the eyes as I cried out my feelings.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked those money from you. I shouldn't have asked you to make such a compromise for me. I should've found another way. I was not worth it."

"Francesca" he speaks my name while also touching my chin in order to make me raise my head and look at him. "You are worth every single thing that I did. I regret nothing, do you hear me? Nothing. I would do it again. For you and Erico, I would do everything. The two of you are what really matter. Not this place, not the money. Family always comes first." His voice was a strong whisper charged with emotion, but also with determination. "You are not guilty of anything, we both know that. It's not easy, but we'll get through this. If we have to, we'll start over. As long as we are together, it will all be alright."

"But the jewelry, it's family too. Your family owned it for so long - how can I be the reason you lose it? How can I make you give up on something that has been your home since before I was born" I ask being all aware that this place meant more for him that my father wanted to admit.

"You're not making me give up on anything. It's my choice and just like I said, I'd do it again."

He took a deep breath and, in the next second, he changed his entire attitude. His eyes were no longer sparkling with tears, but with something else, something stronger - hope.