THE DEAL

Four

Her eyes widened as she choked on her food.

"WHAT?" She bellowed as she looked at her father. Her siblings were confused and so we're the two others in front of her. "You heard me correctly," Christopher said to her.

Then she pointed at the guy in front of her, "I'm getting married to him?"

"Not me," the guy said immediately. Leonardo cleared his throat, "Not Andrea. You're getting married to Marcello."

Ashanti's jaw dropped in disbelief as she stared at everyone. She turned to her sisters. "You're not saying anything?" she asked in betrayal. "Ashanti," Mabel said but Ashanti didn't bother to hear her out. She turned to David, "You too? You're okay with this?"

David didn't say anything. The truth was what could they say? They were just taking in the information and trying to process it.

"Ashanti, you're overreacting," Christopher said and Ashanti let out a sarcastic laugh. "I'm fucking overreacting? Thank you so fucking much for selling me out!" She yelled.

"Don't talk to your father like that!" Her mother scolded.

Ashanti laughed as a tear fell down her cheek. "Thank you so much for ruining my life. I'm still young for crying out loud!" She exclaimed as she stood up. She turned to face the hosts.

"Thank you for the dinner. The food was very delicious," she said. Lena was about to say something when she turned around.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Abigail stood up but Ashanti raised her hand to stop her. "Away from you. Please, I'm begging you to not follow me," she said and walked out.

She went out of the house and approached the car that brought her here. Kode got out. "Hey, hey," he said as he stopped her. She didn't say anything as she tried to hide her emotions. He saw the tears pooling her eyes.

"Ash?" he whispered.

"Kode, they're marrying off!" Ashanti burst out and he pulled her in an embrace. "Shh, it's going to be fine. Everything will be fine," he tried to comfort her.

"I want to go home."

_____

Ashanti sat on the floor in her bathroom, crying her eyes out.

She hated everyone. Her father, her mother, her siblings and even herself. She hated everybody.

"WHY?" She screamed out her lungs as she pulled on her hair. "Why me?" She cried out. She cried so hard as she remembered how speechless her siblings were. They couldn't even do anything.

There was a knock on the door.

"Go away!" She screamed. "Ash, you've been in there for three god-damned hours Think about those that care about you!" Nina said back. "I've been so worried sick about you, can't hide in there forever," she said.

Ashanti sniffled as she stood up and went to unlock the door. She opened the door to see her best friend standing there.

"What do you want?" Her voice was hoarse. "Oh Ash," Nina pulled her in a hug. "I don't want to get married, not to someone I've never met," Ashanti broke down.

Nina felt her pain, she knew how she felt. "Shh, it's going to be fine," she told her. "Why are they doing this to me?" Ashanti questioned as Nina wiped her tears. "They have a reason. I came as soon as Kayla texted me," Nina said to her.

"Let's freshen you up and then go to bed," she said as she zipped down Ashanti's dress. "Thank you," Ashanti muttered and went to take a shower.

____

The next day, Ashanti sat on the floor as she folded her clothes and placed them in her travelling bag. Her father had informed her through Nina that she was leaving for Italy with the Bianchis today.

Right now, she felt numb as she packed. Then there was a knock on the door. She turned to look at the door, "Come in."

She turned back to what she was doing as the door opened and her sisters walked in. "Ash?"

She turned to see her two sisters looking down at her with guilt. Mabel was holding a tray with covered plates. She sighed and turned back to what she was doing. "What do you guys what?" She asked.

"You didn't come for breakfast this morning and we brought it up for you," Makayla said. "Thank you but I'm not hungry," Ashanti said as she zipped her almost full travelling bag.

Mabel sighed and went to drop the tray in the bed before approaching her. "Ash, you can't keep shutting us out. We had no say in the matter, we knew nothing about it," she said to her little sister.

Ashanti shook her head with a smile, "It can't be changed anymore. I've accepted my fate, please let me pack my things."

Mabel felt heartbroken by her words but released her grip on her. "You know we love you, right?" Makayla said. Ashanti sighed as she carries her shoe boxes to where her shoes were.

"I know but I would love some time to myself," She said. "Please stop shutting us out," Mabel said before following Makayla out.

Ashanti knew she was taking her anger out on them but she couldn't think straight. She felt like her body was already automatic. All she could do was just pack.

When she was done with packing her things, she took a bath and got dressed in a blue lacy sundress that stopped under her knees. She then saw the tray on her bed.

Letting out a sigh, she walked over to the bed and opened the plate. Strawberry tarts and hash browns decorated the plate. She knew all too well that Mabel was the one who made it.

Her heart softened and she suddenly felt guilty. "I'll apologize after eating," she said as she took a bite of the hash browns.

After eating, she went downstairs with her plates and walked into the kitchen. Her sisters sat at the island with their mother. They were decorating cupcakes and placing them in a basket.

"Mom, Mabel, Kayla?" she called making them turn to her. "I'm sorry," Ashanti said and her mother sighed. Abigail stood up and went to hug her. "I'm sorry, pumpkin. You may not believe me but we're doing this for your protection. This Mafia isn't strong enough to protect you," she said.

Ashanti felt something stir in her chest but she willed herself not to cry. "I can protect myself," she said and Abigail chuckled.

"You are a strong girl, a true daughter of your father. But you know we can't control all situations," she said as she tried not to cry. If anyone would as if she had a favorite child, she wouldn't waste time to point at Ashanti. She loved her so dearly.

"They'll soon be here, let me go and get my things," Ashanti said and turned to leave.