The Night Queen

Chapter 2

c h a p t e r        t w o

1978, December
New York City

"I can't believe that you sold me!" Estella exclaimed. She already understands what was happening around her and she was aware of the danger that her father has been involved in mafia. She had never wished for expensive clothes nor jewelries nor money, in general. She just wished her mother would still be with her. She has never fallen in love let alone marry a man she never knew. There was no other formal talking or time spent to know each other so why would she want to marry him? It was absurd in her point of view.

"You will just have to marry in legal papers Estella. You would understand. This is for your sake and for our family," he stated while trying to convince her in marrying Rafael's son.

"No. It wasn't for my sake but for yours. Your greed for money and power. Have you ever thought of Mom who had been waiting for you every single day she weakens? You were occupied with your operations that you forgot she was dying. I hated the fact that you use her illness as an excuse to make money when in fact you just cared about yourself!" she banged the door closed.

As pain thorns his heart, he didn't bother to beg her again. He was foolish to ask her a very inappropriate decision, how could he? Instead of looking out for her, he'd chosen to arrange her into marrying a man she had never properly met or even fell in love with.

He was staring at the telephone for a couple of minutes before he spun the dial. "It's me, Goose. I think-" Before he could finish talking, he heard a loud sound from Estella's room. He immediately left the telephone and kicked the door of his daughter's room. When it opened, the unconcious young lady was lying on the floor, pale skinned and with blood all over her. Upon seeing the slit on her wrist, he grabbed a piece of cloth, tore it and wrapped it around her fresh cut. His heart was about to burst looking at her daughter half alive.

He took her in his arms and carried her to his car. But instead of the hospital, he went straight to the private meeting place of the caporegimes. He is not supposed to go there. There's a medical doctor there and he knows exactly what to do. Though it is a rule to take care of each other's family, Hermano has already dropped to the bottom and he is uncertain if they will help him. "What are you doing?"

"My daughter, she's unconscious and her pulse's weak."

"Quick! Get her to the operating room."

He was loosing his mind. Then, Rafael came just in time. "She will be treated if you sign the contract," he said. Out of his will, he signed the contract while she was being treated. His knees weakened. He never thought that he'd loose two of her precious loved ones with the denial of his nature's desire for gold. "The ceremony will proceed at the end of the month."

When Estella woke up, she couldn't remember the last thing that happened. She was eventually consulted by a psychologist and stated that she may be in a state of temporary memory loss as a defense mechanism. She may be struggling with something but one thing's for sure, it changed her.

***

THIRD PERSON'S POV

2019, October
Scorpion's Headquarters
Seaside, Queens, NYC, 10:15 p.m.

Muntikan nang masuka si Cliff sa nasaksihan. Tila nagmistulang pinturang pula ang bawat sulok ng lugar habang may isang taong nakatayo sa gitna. Nagkalat ang mga bangkay kabilang na ang ilan sa kanilang mga lamang loob.

Kinakabahan ang tatlo sa maaaring mangyari. The worst case scenario was to be as close as dying from the hands of their boss and that's not something to proud of. Even if there were three of them, all men, they cannot compete with Rain's abilities.