Blackmail

IN A SMALL AND OLD TREEHOUSE, Chiara slowly cut her medium-rare steak while smiling at the handsome man sipping his wine in front of her. As she put the small part of her food to her mouth to savor it, the man's eyes landed on her before giving her a playful wink.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours, babe? You've been staring at me for a while now," the man asked his girlfriend while smirking.

Chiara put her palm on her jaw as she smiled at him. "I just can't believe that it's been four years since I said yes to you," she let out a breathe of happiness and relief.

"That was the happiest day of my life, babe," the man said as he reached for Chiara's hand and softly caresses it with his thumb.

"There will be more years ahead of us. I promised that I will marry you, right?" he added.

Chiara nodded with determination. "Yeah, I won't forget that. I've always wanted to marry you."

The man suddenly stood up, walked around the table, and knelt beside Chiara. This made the woman turn her body to her side.

"Babe, what are you doing?" she asked. "Stand up. The floor will ruin your clothes."

But the man didn't waiver. He just smiled at her before touching her right hand.

"Simone?" Chiara cold her boyfriend when he put her hand on his chest.

Simone looked up at her before smiling. "I know that I have my own lapses. I'm not yet successful and rich enough to support you. There are a lot of richer and prettier men compare to me, but you chose me. Thank you, babe."

Chiara's eyes started to swell. "Silly! Of course, I will choose you. I love you!"

"And I love you too, babe. I love you so much," he kissed her hand softly. "You're the best woman in my eyes. You're intelligence makes you so sexy. The way you carried yourself cannot be compare to others. Your smile brightens up my lonely days. You laugh sounds melodic in my ears. Everything about you is so perfect. You're perfect."

It is not the first time Chiara heard those compliments from Simone, but she can't help but shed a tear everytime this happens. Her heart's starting to warm her whole body, as if those words from her boyfriend is enough to make her function.

"I'm not perfect, babe, but I'm trying. I want to be the best version of myself... for you," she responded while drying the tears flowing down her face.

Simone stood up and used his thumb to help her. His huge hands covered both sides of Chiara's face.

"I promise to be with you for the rest of our lives. I promise to fight against whatever hinders our way. I vow to cherish, protect, and love you every day. I commit to give you the happiness you deserve and to be a responsible partner. I will be there in your ups, and comfort you in your downs," his face moved closer to hers before whispering his heart out. "I love you."

"I love you too. I love you more," Chiara responded.

Their lips met as they hugged each other's bodies. For them, this intimate act is enough to express how they love each other.

They've been friends since childhood. It was Chiara who fell first, and she fell hard.

Staring at her boyfriend, Chiara cannot imagine how she will live if her man is not on her side. Whenever she's afraid, Simone is right there to comfort and protect her. He's her knight-in-shining-armor. Her savior.

"I want us to marry as soon as possible, but I don't want to pull you into the next level if I still don't have the means to give you a comfortable life," Simone spoke, breaking the silence.

Chiara looked up at him. "My family's well off. I can support for the both of us. We can survive for a couple of years with my money. I'm sure that after that time, you're already successful."

Simone shook his head, earning a pout from his girlfriend. "I want to prove myself, not just to you, but also to you parents."

"I want to be the man they could be proud of. A man who will not depend on their daughter's fortune," he answered. "Just a few more years and it'll come true. Besides, we're still young."

Chiara smiled. Her man is always a responsible and independent one.

Even though she really wanted them to get married now, she respected her partner's decision. She understood that it is difficult to build success from scratch.

Simone's starting his business, and is striving really hard to put in on top. Of course, she's supportive and willing to extend help by promoting his business to her parents' business partners.

"Promise me one thing," Chiara spoke.

"Sure, what is it, babe?"

She took a deep breath before speaking. "Marry me before I turned 27."

Simone's eyebrows furrowed for a short span of time before smiling. "Why 27? That's a very specific number babe."

She buried her face on his chest. "My mom was 27 when she married dad. I want the same for me."

Simone chuckled and hugged her tighter. "I promise that I will marry you before you turn 27. I will be successful at that time. I have three years more."

The rest of their night was spent with them talking about their past and future. The two love birds are already starting to build their life in their minds - a life where the two of them will live happily ever after.

But the destiny has a different plan.

"Mom? Dad? What's happening?" Chiara asked with confusion when she entered their house.

"Why are you kneeling?" she added. "Mom! Dad!"

Chiara looked around their living room. Unfamiliar faces greeted her. Men wearing black suits, maybe over ten, are scattered around the area.

She turned her eyes back to her parents who are still kneeling. Their eyes are filled with fear. Her mom's fingers are trembling while his dad is gritting his teeth.

When Chiara turned her head to the direction where her parents are looking at, she saw an unknown mam sitting on their only one-man sofa: the place where only his father could sit.

In their home, sitting in that sofa signifies that the one sitting holds the most power. It is unquestionable for her father to sit on that sofa since he is the head of the house.

But looking at the unknown man claiming her father's spot made Chiara's blood boil.

"Who are you?! You're not suppose to be sitting there!" she pointed at the man while glaring at him. "Only my father can have that spot! Go away!"

Instead of leaving, the man leaned his body forward and steepled his fingers. His eyes landed on Chiara.

The first thing that caught Chiara's attention is his eyes. They were mismatched. Blue on the left and green on the right.

"Ezio Moris Vitali."

The man's voice brought shivers to Chiara's body. His voice is as cold as his eyes. His face has no emotion while looking at her, but his eyes has something beneath them that Chiara couldn't interpret.

"I don't give a damn on your name," she spat out the words as an insult.

"I'm sure I didn't misheard it when you asked me who I am," Ezio answered before leaning back and resting his arms on the side.

Chiara didn't listen to what he said. "What are you doing here? Why are my parents kneeling?! I will call the police!"

Ezio chuckled as if her words sounded like jokes on him.

"Go on," he challenged her. "You're actually doing me a favor."

Chiara became more confused because of his words. "What?"

He grinned. "You can call the police, but not for me," his eyes went back to her parents. "But for your lovely parents."

Her eyes widened. "Huh?" she looked at her parents, looking for answers. She kneeled beside them. "Mom, dad, what's happening?"

But her parents remain silent. Chiara couldn't understand what's happening and her parents won't answer. She's starting to get impatient.

"Looks like your parents want to keep you in the dark," Ezio spoke.

"Mom! Dad! Tell me what's happening! I wouldn't be able to help you if you won't talk!" Chiara exploded in front of her parents.

Suddenly, her father screamed at her. "Because you can't do anything about this!"

Her body shook. It was the first time her father shouted at her. No one shouted at her like that before.

Chiara's eyes started to swell when she felt her mother's hand caressing her back.

"Dear, your father didn't meant to shout at you. He's just stressed," her mom whispered.

Her dad hang her head low. "I'm sorry, mia figlia, but you can't really do anything in this situation."

"Perhaps, she can."

Ezio stood up and looked down on the three, his shadow towering all of them.

Chiara knew that she was supposed to be scared at him. His eyes were like daggers that cut a wound open on their bodies.

But she felt otherwise. She noticed that his eyes were warm whenever they land on her.

"Chiara," the man spoke her name in a cold yet soft way. "You see, your parents has a lot of debt on me."

She shook her head. "That's impossible! We're rich! We don't need to borrow money to anyone, even from you!"

Ezio smirked at her braveness before looking at her father.. "But that's not what it seems to me. Five years ago, your father asked me to lend him five million euros," he started telling a story. "If I remember it correctly, it's for his daughter's tuition."

He turned again to Chiara who was starting to connect the dots. "You studied in Stanford, right? The money you paid for your tuition came from me."

"You're lying! The money came from my parents business! Don't make me a fool!" she shouted.

"But you're already a fool from the start. Right when you believe that your parents' business is still functioning," he answered, making Chiara look at her parents.

"That's not true, right? Mom? Dad? He's lying, right?" Chiara asked her parents, hoping to get a positive answer.

"Tell her," Ezio spoke.

But after some seconds, her parents didn't answer. That and the look in their eyes is already enough for her to understand that it was true.

Looking back at her college life, Chiara never lacked of anything. She didn't have to worry about money because she thought that their family's still well-off.

She could ask her parents to buy something for her and they wouldn't even hesitate for a second. They gave her all of the luxuries that she wanted.

Chiara started to blame herself on her mind.

"How much is it? Just five million euros, right?" she asked Ezio.

He shook his head. "Thirty."

Chiara's jaw dropped. The net worth of their family didn't even reached twenty-five million, and now, they a debt more than that.

Ezio looked at his watch before sighing. "I still have some important business to attend. Since you can't pay for it, I have to sue the both of you," he grinned before walking away. "Prison's waiting for you."

Chiara's body turned cold when she heard that. The thought of her parents living in prison is too much for her mind.

They're already old. She's sure that they won't be able to survive that kind of place.

Hurriedly, Chiara slide her knees and cling onto Ezio's legs. She hold in tight, not letting him go.

"Please! Spare my parents! Have mercy!" she pleaded. "I will do everything! Just don't sue them!"

Ezio was stunned on what she did. Seeing her kneeling and crying underneath him gives a stab on his heart. He can't watch such scene.

"Please! I beg you! Don't put them in prison! Take me instead!"

Chiara's parents run to their child. "No! Don't do that, mia figlia!"

Her father looked up at Ezio. "You can take me now! I'll take any punishment! Just leave my daughter alone!"

The parents beg for Ezio to just punish them, but Chiara is pleading so hard for him not to punish her parents. It was an uncomfortable sight for him.

"Don't beg," Ezio told Chiara, but she didn't waiver. She kept on begging and begging for him not to punish her parents.

Her face is now wet because of tears, and her eyes are puffy. Her voice is also starting to get hoarse, but she didn't care. Not even a bit.

"Stand up," Ezio spoke. "Stand up, Chiara. Stand up and stop begging."

Chiara hurriedly stood up. She was about to speak when Ezio cut that off.

"Since you can't pay for the debt, I thought of another way on how you can pay me back," he said.

Chiara's eyes glistened with hope. "What is it? I will do anything!"

"Marry me."

The whole room felt silent. Chiara's parents became stiff. They know what kind of man Ezio is. In the business world, he is ruthless. He will destroy anyone to pieces when they caused a little disturbance to him. Outside business, Ezio is a manipulative man who's known in blackmailing people to get what he wants.

Just like what he's doing now.

"What?" Chiara stuttered. "I can't marry you, I have a boyfriend. And I don't want to marry someone I don't love."

Chiara put a dagger on Ezio's heart without knowing, but his face didn't even changed a bit.

"Then leave him, as simple as that," he answered, hiding the jealousy he's feeling.

"What you're asking is not simple. I won't do that! I love my boyfriend and I won't marry anyone except him!"

Ezio didn't surrender. He will have her, one way or another.

"Your parents' debt is not simple, either. That's the only way I want," he answered.

Chiara shook her head before saying a firm "no".

"Choose. Either you marry me, or I'll send your parents to prison," he said while his mismatched green and blue eyes darted through her soul.

Chiara realized that she doesn't have any choice. She loved Simone, but she loves her parents more. Besides, it's her fault that her parents went on debt. If she just didn't became luxurious in her life, they wouldn't enter this kind of situation.

In her mind, she's already apologizing to her boyfriend. She promised him, yet she broke it.

With a shaky breathe, Chiara answered. "I'll do what you want," her eyes met his and both were engaged in a staring battle. "Just leave my parents alone."

Hearing the response he wanted, Ezio sighed. "I'll contact you tomorrow. I'll make sure to have the perfect wedding for you, cara."