Huracio
It felt strange.
Having Katalina standing against me. Her blazing eyes filled with fear, yet courageous. I would have applauded it, but at that moment, we were not on the same side.
“Am I?” I chuckled.
Before arriving at this place, I had a sense of urgency, but the moment I saw her, my tumultuous heart calmed like a still lake. Just looking at her made me feel at peace. The kind of peace I haven’t felt in a long time.
“We are divorced, Huracio. I am in a new relationship and you are also engaged to be married. What do you want from me?” She continued.
“What do I want from you? Kitty, you are mine, you will always be mine. Have you forgotten that?”
“Mr Ignatius. Catherine is my girlfriend and I do not appreciate the tone you are taking with her. Like she said, you guys are divorced. So, she is not yours.” Kim Hoseok growled.
I almost laughed at his words.
“Divorced? When? Where? Kitty, I will never let you go. Even your corpse will belong to me. So, how can I divorce you?” I spread my palms in mock-confusion.
She dropped the travelling bag she was holding, and started rummaging through her handbag. She then brought out some sheets of white papers and handed them to Hoseok.
“See, I am not lying. We are really divorced, Hoseok. Don’t believe him.”
Hoseok glanced through it and nodded, stirring my curiosity. When did Katalina become good at forgery?
“Let me have that.” I stepped forward and snatched it from him.
What I saw on that paper tickled me the wrong way.
It was indeed a divorce document. With settlement agreement, and the ven my v
son’s custody. Flipping it over, I was sniggering until I saw a perfect replica of my signature. I started feeling uneasy. For the first time, I was pissed at her. The documents didn’t just have my signature, It had Salvatore and Emilia as witnesses. The signatures were perfectly copied.
“How did you do this, Katalina? Who helped you?”
“I didn’t do anything. It was signed before I got it.” She stammered.
“When did you receive it? Who brought it to you?”
I flipped the document, checking the dates. To my surprise, my signature was done three weeks after Katalina’s death was announced, and her signature was applied, four months later. My mind raced, trying to bring up all the events that followed her death.
A dreadful feeling started surging from the depths of my heart. Warning bells I had ignored, signs I overlooked, they started rolling around in my head like a film. I didn’t want these things to be true because acknowledging them will take me to the abyss.
I gave them a leveled look and demanded in a voice so cold, even I was wary of it.
“Katalina, Tell me what I want to know.”
“Promise me you will let Emilia go.” She unexpectedly replied.
Shocked, I turned to her “You did this?”
“No. I have nothing to do with it.” Emilia shook her head frantically.
“She has nothing to do with it.” Katalina shouted. “Just promise me.”
“You are in no position to negotiate, Katalina. I will take you back, and you will tell me what I want to know.”
She whimpered with quivering lips. The soothing sound of it made my heart tremble.
Seeing this, Hoseok wrapped his hands over her, trying to calm her down.
Scalding heat suddenly scorched my heart. The sight of his hands on what is mine finally got to me. When Katalina is frail and trembling, nobody gets to touch her except me.
“Take your hands off her ” I growled and took a step forward.
Instantly, Katalina shrugged his hands off her shoulders, shocking him.
“Hoseok, I am fine.” She tried to step away from him.
“What the hell is the meaning of this? Catherine, what is going on?” The Asian finally lost his cool, making me laugh.
“It’s a family matter, Mr Kim. It will be better if you don’t interfere.” I reminded him again.
“Huracio, we are truly divorced. If you think I am lying, you can just investigate it.”
“How did you do it?”
“I didn’t do anything. Someone brought the papers and I signed it.”
“Then tell me who gave you the papers.”
“Huracio, please. I made a deal and I have to stand by it.”
“You made a deal? With who? Your father? Did Massimo ask you to leave me?”
The fear in her eyes. I thought it was me she was scared of, but maybe it wasn’t. Who could make her so scared that she would go against me?
My head started buzzing. It was whispering a name, but I refused to acknowledge it. Unless she voiced it, I refused to accept it. Feeling the need to shake the answer out of her, I approached decisively, but Hoseok was bent on protecting her.
“Mr Ignatius, please, don’t force my hands. I will not let you get nearby girlfriend.
“…”
Unlike the previous confusing, inquiring looks Hoseok had been giving me, this glare was challenging me to cross his bottomline.
I know a serious warning when I hear one. It infuriated me to no end. But no matter how angry I was, I couldn’t dare Kim Hoseok. First, America is far removed from home and I came with just Stone and two others. Secondly, I am here to conduct a secret, illegitimate business. I couldn’t afford to offend my accomplices. Thirdly, this is his turf. His family calls the shots here. Kim Hoseok might be a wimp, but the power behind him must be respected or there will be consequences. To deal with someone like him, one can only work in the dark.
I broke our stare-down and turned to Katalina.
“Let me see my child.”
“I have full custody.”
Slitting my eyes, I glared at her. “Don’t push Kitty. I have been very patient with you.”
“Emilia, take David upstairs right now.” Hoseok sneered.
“You!”
Infuriated, I glared at him. How dare he interfere like this? I have never felt this weak and powerless. When was the last time someone stood in my way like this?
“Katalina, are you sure you want to do this with me?”
“I am sorry, Huracio. I can’t let you take my child. He is all I have.” She replied with tears sliding down her face.
“Without you I have nothing, Kitty. You have been gone for five years. Do you know how hard it has been for me? Do you think I will let you disappear again? Whatever it takes, I will have you back. The easier way, or the hard way. It’s up to you.” I snorted, turned around, and entered my car.
Just as the car was entering main traffic, Salvatore picked my call.
“How is it going?”
“I found her.”
“…”
“Was it you?”
“Was I what?” He retorted in a dense tone.
Defensive. He got defensive. That was all I needed, yet I needed him to say it. Acknowledge what he did.
“You know what you did.”
“Everything I have done is for your good. Now get over yourself and close the deal you went there to close. I don’t have time for drama.”
Then, I got a dead tone.
He doesn’t have time for drama, but I do.
Since Katalina died, all I had was time to fuck around.
I dialed another line and the moment it was picked, I growled in a voice I couldn’t recognize as mine. “Activate Red note.”
Scrriiii, screech!
“What the fuck, Stone?”
Stone was so shocked that he subconsciously stepped on the brakes.
“I’m sorry, boss.”
I turned to the window and saw several middle fingers and angry faces glaring at my car. I chuckled, shook my head, and closed my eyes.
I got fucked for five years. Now, it’s my turn.