Daddy's Little Assassin

Chapter 3

“Your face is all over the TV!” It was the first thing Dominic greeted me with when I entered the kitchen.

“Wh...what?” I stuttered.

“Your damn face, name, and personal information are plastered all over the damn International news. 'Missing ward' You ran away from a foster home?” Dominic yelled.

“I... I had...”

“And you got my family involved? Do you have any idea what's going to happen if the government finds out that my family is housing you? Do you know the amount of trouble they will be in if word gets out that my dad was stupid enough to bring you here? How badly this would impact on his businesses?”

“I didn't know... I didn't think...” I tried to explain but Dominic interrupted.

“You better hope this doesn't affect us badly in any way. Because I'm sure as hell not going down too if the law gets involved” Dominic said before he stormed out.

I stood there in shock with tears welled in my eyes. I had noticed that ever since the death of my parents, people never ceased to make me feel belittled and bad about myself. I felt as if everywhere I went, I brought trouble. Alphonso and Katherine had been so kind to me and I knew that I would never be able to forgive myself if they got into trouble because of me, so I decided that I would leave before things got out of hand. After all, he had told me that if I no longer wanted to be a part of his family, I would be free to leave.
I had lived with the Luciano's for a total of two weeks. Both Katherine and Alphonso had tried their utmost best to made me feel quite at home. Even their housekeeper Ella had been very friendly and nice to me. Everyone tried and made me feel extremely welcomed except Dominic, for some reason he hated me. Then my picture being presented on the news which stated that I was a missing child, made things worst. I knew I could no longer stay there.

See I knew when I ran away that there was a possibility that they would have reported it, and it would be on the news, but I hadn't thought about any consequences or the fact that when I left England my face would still be on the news even in America. I had even forgotten about the possibility since I had run away for over two weeks. Had they taken that long before they reported it, or I had only heard about it that late because I paid no attention to News? I never knew. There was one thing that I knew within myself and that was, that I didn't want anyone else going down because of my actions.

A Few Hours Later

“Where did you think you were going?” Alphonso had asked me seriously with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I want to go back home” I remembered telling him.

“Home? Where do you call home? The foster care you ran away from?” He asked me.

“Yes. I want to go back to England, I can't stay here anymore” I responded.

“Why? Did something happen?” Katherine joined.

“No. I just... I want to go back okay?” I insisted.

“And how exactly did you expect to get back by running away?” Alphonso asked “Do you even have any idea where you were going? Do you realize that New York is a big city? You don't know anywhere here, do you have any idea of the number of dangers that are lurking out there? You are a big fan of putting yourself in danger, aren't you? You sneaking away from the house...no, you ran away from the house. What if Miguel never saw you and brought you back? You would have just disappeared like that”.

“You promised me that I could leave if I didn't want to stay anymore” I reminded him.

“Yes, I also said that if you didn't like being a part of my family that you could tell me, and I'd help you. You just decided to run away, however, without a reason. You don't like being a part of our family, is that? After we tried so hard to make you feel welcomed and at home? Now you're telling us that you want to go back to the very foster home you ran away from? Do you have any idea the trouble I risked putting myself and my family in... I could've jeopardized my career and reputation by bringing you here, and you just decide to run away?”

Alphonso was super upset with me and offended by my actions. I hadn't thought that they would have been that upset if I left. After Dominic had told me about being on the news and possibly ruining their lives, the first thing that came to my mind was to run. I was good at running. However, I never thought that they would be upset with me if I left without telling anyone. That was the moment when I knew that these people may be complete strangers to me, but they actually cared. I should have given them the benefit of the doubt and trusted them to understand me if I explained myself to them. With all that had happened to me, I used it as an excuse to push people away. Sure it was a very traumatizing ordeal, I lost everything, my family, my home, my happiness, and myself. But would this be the life my parents would have wanted me to have? They would have never wanted for me to be unhappy and ran away from every little downfall and problem. They would have wanted me to be strong, confident, brave, intelligent among others. Likewise, they wouldn't want me to be a running coward, they would want me to be better than that. These people risked getting into trouble as well as their reputations for me. They took me in and offered me help, a home, and welcomed me into their family, I at least owed it to them to show some appreciation — I had to give them a fair chance in my life.

“I am so sorry about this. You took me in and did so much to make me feel at home. How many people would have done that for a complete stranger? Not many” I decided to come clean with them and explain myself “I really shouldn't have tried running away like that. I never even thank you guys, but I want to do that right now. Thank you so much for all that you have done for me over the two weeks. I don't know what I would've done or where else I would've ended up if you hadn't decided to help. I just didn't want to get you guys in trouble”

“You should let us worry about that Kathleen” Katherine said to me.

“No, it wouldn't be fair. I'm on the news if the British government finds out that I'm here... I don't want you guys to risk it by having me here. It's like... illegal. If I stay here any longer knowing that you guys don't have a license to be fostering me and that there is a chance that you both could get into trouble... I won't be at ease”

“So you are saying that if we could work out something where you can live with us 'legally' as your foster parents then you would be willing to stay,” Katherine asked.

“Yes,” I confessed to them.

Katherine gave Alphonso a look that I didn't understand.

“And that was the only reason you tried to run away earlier?” Alphonso was the one who asked.

“Yes. You guys have been really kind to me. I wouldn't want to get you in trouble”

“Leave that worry to us Kathleen” Alphonso responded, “I think I may be able to rectify this issue”

“You can? How?” I asked surprised “If you guys want to keep me then you'd have to get a foster parents license, and you'd have to take me back and that could take months and....”

“Kathleen, I said to leave all the worrying to us. I so happened to have this friend who is a social worker, he owes me a favour. Maybe it is time that I gave him a call, I know he'd be glad to help.”