Chapter 6

Anastasia noticed the awkward atmosphere which clouded the home of the Escobar's. She has never felt it since the day she was brought into the household.

She went to the kitchen to meet Clarabelle since she was the only maid she was used to. " Clara, what's going on?" She asked.

" Thank goodness, you're here." Clarabelle said, dragging her out of the kitchen to a corner. " A lot is going on in the house and it's barely half a day, the entire household is becoming a chaos."

" I don't understand. Did some thing happened?" Confused, she asked.

" It's not just some thing happening, this is between the Escobar brothers. And this all happened last night during dinner. It turns out that the reason for their misunderstanding is because of one person." Clara said, not going straight to the point.

" Someone caused the misunderstanding between the Escobar brothers? Why? Who could that be?" She asked.

Clarabelle sighed, as she hesitated to say the word.

" Clara, say some thing. Who's behind their misunderstanding?"

" It's you, Ana, you are their reason." She finally said.

Anastasia stood shocked at the news. It was unexpected to her that she could be the reason why the Escobar brothers would be at war with each other.

" No. No, this is impossible. I can't be the reason why they have to be quarreling." Then she remembered the night Pablo had kissed her. " Which of the brothers are having this misunderstanding?" She asked.

" Micheal and Pablo. " She answered.

Anastasia wasn't surprised it would be the two of them, with the way Micheal was burning in fury the previous day, it's obviously clear he must have created a fight between Pablo for that.

She remembers the day they all sat at the sitting room discussing, they looked so happy together and now, it's not up to a week yet and they are having a misunderstanding among themselves. . . All because of her?

She looked at Clarabelle, guilt stained on her face. " It's all my fault." She said, sadly. " If I hadn't gone to meet him that night, none of this would have happened. I'm so stupid and foolish and. . ."

Clarabelle stopped her. " Stop it, Ana, it's not your fault. "

" That's what you will say because you don't know what happened. If you do, then you wouldn't try to defend me."

" We all heard it." Anastasia glared surprised at her. " You kissed Pablo at the garden, didn't you?"

Anastasia nodded her head. " I shouldn't have let him kissed me. I shouldn't have replied to his kiss either. I'm such a mess." She blamed herself. " With this going on, Mr Vito is gonna have me dead for good."

" Ana, honestly, I don't know what to say. Since you're close to Pablo, I think you should talk to him to settle this matter once and for all." She advised.

" He's never gonna listen to me."

" But you two have some thing in common."

" We kissed doesn't mean we are lovers or some thing, it's just. . . we were only expressing our gratitude for each other and not feelings."

" Now listen to me, young woman, I ain't a kid, okay? Don't you think of lying to me." Clarabelle gave her a stern look.

Anastasia left where they hid, walking away. " Ana, where are you going?" Clarabelle asked.

" To meet Pablo. I think you're right, I have to talk to him. " Clarabelle smiled, giving her a nod.

Anastasia left to Pablo's room. She knocked on his door, and without asking who it was, he asked her to come in.

She opened the door, shutting it gently behind her. Pablo was searching for a shirt to wear, her eyes trailed on his back, glaring at the tattoo drawn on his skin. It had the face of a Lion, occupying every side of his back.

" Are you just gonna stand there?" He asked, bringing Anastasia back to her senses.

" Ohm. . . Can we talk?" She said.

Pablo paused at her voice, turning to look at her. He looked surprised, he never expected her to show up in his room. " Ana?"

Oh, fuck! His six packs were the sexiest thing she has ever seen. The skin stretched across his muscles so tightly that she feared a slight touch on it might tear his skin apart.

This guy is so real, raw, all muscles and power with dark web of tattoos smoking over the bicep of his left arm. God! His a damn god.

" I heard what happened." She said, forcing herself not to get distracted. " I'm sorry it's all my fault this happened."

Anastasia was praying he'd wear his shirt and hide this abs from killing her. He was unknowingly torturing her with it.

He finally wore his shirt, adjusting it well on his skin. He was smiling like he didn't care about what was happening between him and his brother, like it never bothered him at the first place.

" It's nothing new to us. Brothers have misunderstanding, and they come back to settle things up. You don't have to worry." He said.

" I'm not just worried, I'm only concerned. I don't want to be the reason why you and your brother have to hate each other, I think we shouldn't have met at the garden that night. We shouldn't have spoken to each other and. . . we shouldn't have kissed at the first place."

" Why are you saying this?"

" Because. . ."

" You don't have any thing to say? I was saving your life from my brother, I was giving you the freedom you've always wanted. And now you've got it, you think what we did was a mistake?"

" What happened to the garden wasn't the mistake, meeting you was."

Pablo was quiet, he didn't say anything after what she had said.

" I'm sorry, I think we shouldn't meet each other again." She left the room quickly. She didn't want to stay a bit, staring at his face alone was tempting and trying to fight the feelings is like waring against legion of armies alone.

At first, she wasn't intending on saying that but she has to if that is the only way to get away from further problems.

Vito has sent for Anastasia in his room. Her heart raced in fear as she trailed behind the boy who had come to call her. She feared Vito the most and what he was capable of doing.

His way of life is a pure definition of a silent killer. One might even mistake him to be Joseph the father of Jesus, and that is why it was so difficult for the police to believe he is a Mafia Lord.

They got to his room and the guy left her. She took as much air as her lungs could hold, exhaling heavily. She knocked on the door and he permitted her in.

Anastasia was shivering, she could barely feel her legs. Even in the cold weather, she was feeling hot and sweaty.

" Yes, sir, you called for me." She said, burying her face to the ground.

" I heard what happened. So, I have decided, from today, you are expected to serve no one else but me. Not even my sons until I am dead. Understood?"

" Yes, sir. "

" Look at me and say that again." He ordered

She rose her gaze at him, staring at his face. " Yes, sir."

" Good. Now get out of here." She turns to leave when his voice stopped her. " Do you have feelings for him?" He asked.

Anastasia was certain on who exactly he was talking about. She didn't say a word to him, her silence got him angry. " I need a damn answer, Ana, do you love my son?! " He smiled.

" Y–yes, I do. " She stuttered.

" I don't want to see you anywhere close to him again. I will not tolerate it when I hear you two secretly or openly hang out with each other. Just in case I hear such ugly news, I wear to God, I'm gonna send you right to your late parent's grave. " He threatened.

Anastasia thought of how miserable her life has just doubled into all because of one night. Now, it's no longer Micheal threatening her life, it's Mr Vito, the ruthless mafia lord of New York City.

" Am I clear? Or do I need to explain further for your senseless brain?"

" Understood. . . sir." She finally left the room.

She knew it was time to forget every thing that happened and accept the fact that he is a slave to the Escobar household and nothing else.

As she walks down the stairs, coming from the opposite direction is Micheal. He was wearing an expression which told he was so determined to kill her right at the moment.

Anastasia slowly walks backward, away from him. He skipped steps to get close to her faster. Grabbing her chin, he held it tight. Anastasia couldn't scream, the way he held her chin was impossible for her to shout even if she wanted to.

" You think you've gotten away from me, huh? This is just the beginning, Ana. After all this is settled with, I'll be back for you and this time, it's gonna be a living hell for both you and Pablo." He lets go of her chin.

" You're gonna hurt your brother too?" She asked. " Why don't you just deal with me instead and let him go."

" Now I see, you do love him, don't you?"

" I don't know what you're talking about. I don't want to see you two fighting against each other, that's my concern."

" Don't try playing concern, bitch. You two started this, and you two are gonna end it the same way."

" I'm sorry for what happened, I didn't mean it to happen. I swear, it shouldn't have happened. "

" Then you shouldn't have let it happened at the first place. Look, there is no need for apologies, all you have to do is to get ready, because very soon. . . very soon. " He walked past her to his room.

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