Santi's Downfall

Chapter 6: The Dinner

Rather go to bed without dinner than a rise in debt.

Benjamin Franklin

Haven Pierce's POV

Something woke me up from my dreamless sleep and then I realized that there was a knock on my doorway. I slowly sat up from the bed, wiping my eyes with my hand to adjust my sight to the darkness. It took me a moment before I remembered where I was, it seemed that I dozed off for a moment after arranging my things in my new walk-in closet.

I looked at the huge window of my room and stared outside. It's already dark maybe the exhaustion from the long flight has already taken its toll on me. It was an almost fourteen-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sicily.

The person on the other side of the door knocked once again trying to get my attention. I threw my legs off the bed and went to the door. I was Greta in the doorway with a wide smile on her face. "The Signore is requesting you to join him for dinner by the pool."

"Oh?" I couldn't help but raise my eyebrow in the maid's direction. I never realized that brute man knew the word such as 'request' I thought he only knew how to bark orders as he has repeatedly shown me since I met him.

"Sì, Signorina."

It was on the tip of my tongue to flat-out refuse the offer I would rather eat alone in my room or not eat at all if the consequence of having a hearty meal was to suffer in the company of that cantankerous Sicilian boss than I would gladly skip a meal and starved myself.

"Refusing is not an option, Signorina," Greta added as if reading my mind. "The Signore said that you might refuse but he tells me that I should tell you that if you refuse his dinner invitation then he'll have the head of his chef tonight on his plate."

My eyes widened in the direction of the maid. What kind of barbaric, blackmailing idiot he was? But I couldn't say it out loud since there was a high chance that my head might be on the chopping board if I insulted him openly. "He's not serious, is he?"

Greta shook her head regretfully as she eyed me with pleading eyes. "The boss is completely serious with his threats, Signorina. He might kill his chef if you refuse to join him at the dinner table."

"But that's ridiculous!"

"Please, Signorina...?" She eyed me with pleading eyes. "Please save Ricardo's head."

I let out a resigned sigh. I want to refuse but my conscience was nudging me the way Greta pleaded with me I think that this personal chef named Ricardo was dear to her. I want someone to be on my side in this place and Greta might be that person I need to earn her trust so I gave her a slightly forced smile. "Alright, fine. Please tell Mr. Marchesi that I would be there in a minute I'll just take a quick shower and get dressed."

"Oh, thank you, Signorina!" A sigh of relief escaped her. "Please take your time I will inform the Signore right away."

I watched the woman walk away half-running half-walking in the hallway until she disappeared on the corner. Who knew that this newfound friend might be useful in the future? For now, I have to earn everyone's trust if I want to survive living in this dangerous place—in a mafia's den, that is.

I went inside my room and locked the door behind me. I stripped all of my clothes and hit the shower. I let out a small groan when the rainfall shower hit my aching muscles but I don't have time to enjoy this Mr. Marchesi might get impatient if he waited long enough for me. I think he was the type of man who didn't like to wait for anyone. So I shampooed my hair and put a good amount of shower gel in my hand and rubbed it all over my body. I thought of shaving my legs and pubic area since I usually do that when I bathe but then I realized that I am not going on a date but having a blackmailed dinner with a guardian so there's no use in shaving certain parts of my body.