Ariana’s pov~
“Your father wants his son back, Ariana, how did he know about the meeting?” Julius asked
“I didn’t tell anyone I’m just as shocked as you are! It’s not safe here Julius, Mateo is not safe here, we can’t leave him here” I exclaimed before clenching the edge of the table tightly.
“I’ll leave a tight security with him while he is still in surgery, but I need to get you out of here, your father has proved to us that he can go lower, we need to be cautious, gather our allies and know how to proceed” Julius mentioned.
I shook my head in disbelief, I knew my father was an evil capo and now he has proved to be a worthy adversary.
“You are no longer Ariana Rinaldi, the day you said I do to Mateo was the day you became his enemy, you can no longer see him as your father Ariana, I need you to give me your order,” Julius said.
Tears streamed down my eyes as I paced around Mateo’s hospital suite.
“I need some time Julius, I can’t just…”
“There’s no more time Ariana, your father may be cooking up something else right now, gathering leverage to outcast the Donatelli family from the brotherhood completely,” he said.
“I need advice, Julius, I don’t know what to do! Liana is dead, my father just showed himself as an enemy, the ceasefire is under the rocks, and my husband’s life hangs in the balance” I cried before wiping the tears rolling down my cheeks.
“If only Dante was here, but the bastard had to leave for a vital mission, he would tell you this, stop your sulking and think exactly the way Mateo would, his way was gore but he got it done” Julius advised.
“But im not a violent person Julius, I can’t just start killing people just to get to my father” I replied.
“Think of a way to get it done Ariana,” he paused before a soldier came in and whispered something in his ear before departing.
“They tracked down Tomas’s kidnappers to the border, we are going to try and secure him there before they transport him out of the country” Julius informed.
My father’s condition must be dire, I remembered Serena’s demand and it felt like just after tonight.
My father killed Liana, Silvio’s mother.
“Everyone has been vacated to a secondary location until we find out what happened to the helicopter, the soldiers will take you there right now, as soon as Mateo is stable I’ll move him back home for recovery” he finished, nodded before leaving.
I thought long and hard about my chances, but each time, my mind wandered to Matteo.
He is currently fighting for what’s left of his life.
I prepared myself to leave the room when I got a call, “Ariana” the voice called and I recognised it, Donargento.
“Don Argento” I replied and waited for him to threaten me.
“Is there a reason you didn’t show up for our meeting, you kept my consigliere waiting” he started.
I was shocked by this. Does he not know his wife is dead? Is this a ploy to get me to admit something on record?
“I had to attend to a personal emergency,” I replied cautiously.
“A personal emergency, I risked my integrity with the brotherhood to secure that meeting, and you canceled it, then tell me why I got a call from my wife safely hiding at the safe house with Mateo, to say some men wearing your family crest took tomas away?” he inquired.
“That wasn’t us, that …”
“I don’t care who it was, you have taken the only leverage I have against your father, it is your job to secure me another, you have twenty-four hours” he mentioned.
“But..” I started.
“You have until morning to return Liana to me” he mentioned before hanging up the call.
I knew I was fucked, liana’s head is rotting in a box somewhere.
I started to feel like the walls were closing in around me and my alter ego emerging.
‘Let me handle this’ I heard her say in my head before fully taking control.
I watched myself step out of the suite before gesturing to the guard to get the car ready.
Soon I was seated comfortably in the back seat.
“Before we go to the new residence, we need to make a stop,” I said before looking back at the hospital.
The softer part of me hoping Mateo is okay.
“It’s not safe ma’am…”
“I did not ask for your opinion, we are making a stop” I interrupted almost immediately.
I watched him nod in understanding before inquiring about the location of the new destination.
“The Palermo airport,” I said.
“The airport?” he inquired, I didn’t respond, I put my hand down and fiddled with my phone instead.
He alerted the other soldiers who had gotten into the two other range rovers in front and behind me of the new plan.
“Yes ma’am” he replied.
I rolled up the glass partition between him and me and waited for the airport to come into view.
As I got to the airport, I stepped out and instructed the driver to give me the packet of white powder I saw him sniff earlier on.
At first, he was confused but he had learned not to ask questions, he handed it to me and I secured it in my bag.
I quickly got a ticket for the plane leaving in 30 minutes and I walked stealthily through customs and I waited for the female officer to search me.
She collected my bag, placed it on the machine and waited for it to scan its contents.
The machine beeped, and I was immediately asked what I had in my bag.
“Cocaine,” I replied.
Cayenne what the hell are you doing? I’ll be arrested!
“Are you admitting to carrying illegal drugs across the country?” she asked.
Before reaching for her cuffs, she threw me a judgmental glare after realizing my baby bump.
“Yeah,” I replied before surrendering both hands to her to cuff.
The female officer threw her partner a shocked look before her partner took out the small packet that contained white powder.
An attendant ran towards them holding a paper in her hand, she waved it at the officer and stopped to catch her breath before speaking.
‘Bingo’ Cayenne thought to herself.
“She’s on the no-fly list” she declared before showing them the paper.
“You are Ariana Rinaldi? Sister to criminal mafia don Mateo Donatelli?” The female officer asked before coming closer to my outstretched hand.
“No, I am Ariana Donatelli, wife to criminal mafia lord Don Mateo Donatelli, and I’ll urge you to call the officer in charge of that order before slapping those cuffs on my wrist” I declared confidently with a smile.
The officer was annoyed but I could see her adjust in her gait, threading with caution.
“Who the hell is the officer?” she asked
The attendant was still out of breath when the other officer snatched the paper order from her, she read the content before glancing at each other before looking at me.
“Interpol officer Paul Assisi” she mentioned.
“Now that we have all the answers, I suggest you call your boss down here, we have much to discuss” I smiled before voluntarily cuffing myself leaving both officers in shock.