ANTONIO'S MANSION
Gisella sat by the window in a daze. Her mind flashes over the earlier incident with Natasha. Tears welled up in her eyes, she wished there was another way to end this pain and suffering she was going through at the moment.
Her eyes lurked through the window and Antonio's car drew her attention. The car drove through and pulled up in front of the garage. She instinctively felt her heart wrecked apart.
" I wish you could feel the pain I'm going through right now" She eluded, her voice trembling admits sobs. " I wish you could see what I saw to make you realize" She paused, her throat chocked with tears.
"To make you realize what you've brought upon us, Dad" She cried. Antonio slowly opened the door and got down the car. He looked so devastated and miserable as if his whole world had come to an end.
Gisella kept his gaze on him as he weakly sauntered out of the car like a corpse and leaned over it. She flinched at the reaction of her father. She had never seen him so downcasted in such a manner.
" What's wrong with Daddy" She mumbled. Her tears totally dried out. " why is he so looking like that?' She wondered. Just then, she suddenly felt dizzy, her vision went blurry. She had sauntered into a trance. A scene of her father's workplace was screened.
"What's this? – why I'm I seeing this all of a sudden?" She thought to herself but had no answer for the million questions rushing through her thoughts at the moment.
" Fire!– Fire from the main quarters!!" She heard one man shout, rushing from the building.
" Hurry, call the firefighters now!!" another ordered but the fire suddenly went out of control. It escalated like a burning bush. And within the next 45 minutes, the whole building came crashing to the ground, totally damaged with nothing left to pick from.
Her body suddenly felt numb and she instinctively faint to the floor. It felt like there was no strength left in her body to hold her up. She shook with tears at the scene she just saw.
******************
At the other end of the house, Antonio slowly trod into the hall looking so gloomy, brooding over the incident. He was totally desolated. Lizzy instinctively greeted on noticing him but had no response from him. He just strolled past her as if she was an invisible thing. This clearly, to Lizzy, shows all was not well since he had never acted in such a manner.
Lizzy's eyes swiftly followed his back in awe. " What is wrong with him...?", she wondered, confused. Antonio unconsciously, glided up the steps to his room. Lizzy quickly dashed out of the house, in search of Gina who was still working on the compound.
" Gina.?–Gina!!" She called as she closed up on Gina who was picking out something from Antonio's car. She swiftly turned towards the call, only to find Lizzy
" What is it?– why that look? You look so tensed" Gina queried but Lizzy just cut in with another question after answering the earlier question.
" Did you see, sir...?"
Gina instinctively nodded. "Yeah, why did you ask?".
"Didn't you notice any strange behavior? – He's not his usual self, dear"
" Why that, dear? –What happened?" Gina asked and Lizzy responded
" Can you believe, I welcomed him at the hall and he just walked past me like am invisible or something? " She went on. "You know he's not that type of a person, right? "
" Don't be so stressed over this, maybe he was too lost in thoughts "
" Then why does he look like a walking corpse?" Lizzy queried, worried but Gina instinctively covered her lips with her hands.
"Shhh, Lizzy– walls have ears." She low whispered, her eyes lurking around. "How can you just say that so loud? Come on, let's go in and check up on Agnes" She hastily pulled her along.
" But..." Lizzy stuttered but Gina swiftly cut in before he could say any further.
" Come on, I said let's go."
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NATASHA AND ANTONIO'S ROOM
Natasha stepped out of the bathroom room, refreshed. She settled in front of the mirror admiring herself when Antonio strolled in, downcasted. He slowly faint onto the bed and broke down in tears which made her trod to his side, nervous.
" What is it, honey? –What happened? " She asked.
"I'm doomed" he cried. ".How can this be happening to me? –Oh God, what did I do wrong "
His voice shook with tears. Natasha became more worried. " Talk to me, please–What is wrong? Is everything okay at work? "
" The main – quarters" He sobbed. " The quarters caught fire this afternoon and everything is gone", he stammered in tears. "I just lost everything in a blink, Nat?"
"What?!" She exclaimed. "How? What happened?"
" I don't know, Nat– I just don't know! " He faints into her bosom in tears. Natasha hugged him to keep him calm.
" Is okay, try to hold yourself together– I understand how you feel at the moment but pull yourself together for me, please" She consoled as she patted his back. Her lips curved in her faint smile as she smirked.
"Cry all you can Antonio because I'm not yet done with you for all the pain, disgrace, and tears you caused me some years past." She mumbled in her thoughts.
" Come on, shower up and get down for dinner, I'll be waiting for you" She eluded but Antonio refused since he wasn't in the right mood for food.
Her face suddenly went blank, a sense of anger lingered in her eyes but she immediately masked it up with a forced smile. She sat back beside him.
" You need to eat something, Tonio" She tried to convince it. "Else you'll grow weak and I can't afford to lose you. You're all I've got, please" She lamented, tears welling down her eyes.
He felt guilty. He instinctively hugged her." Hey– hey, it's okay" He mumbled. "I'm sorry, stop crying, I'll be with you soon. Take the lead while I shower, okay?"
She nodded, elated, and dashed out. She stood behind the door and dried her tears. A dark aura dazzled around her.
"Gosh– damn it!!" She exclaimed. "How could I waste those precious years on him?" Her lips suddenly curved in a smile. "Don't worry, Nat– It's just for a little while until I get what I want."
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GISELLA'S ROOM
Gisella sat on her bed still lost in her trance. The scene soon drifted to the house. She suddenly saw Natasha walk down the stairs into the kitchen with a mini bottle in her hand.
" What's up with her?" She mumbled. "Why is she creeping into the kitchen with that bottle?" She wondered but just then, she saw her drop a little of its content in her father's food as soon as she got to the table. She instinctively sprang to her feet, terrified.
"Dad?– No, I can't let this happen. I can't afford to lose you, too" She cried. Drawn back to reality, she sped out towards the kitchen.
****************
Antonio and Natasha sat at the dining table ready for dinner. Natasha kept stealing glances at him to make sure her plan goes as planned. Just when he scoped the food, about to eat, Gisella's voice stopped him.
"No, stop–You can't eat that,!!" She shouted, almost out of breath. Her gaze fell straight on Natasha who just threw a deadly glare at her.
"What the hell is she doing here?" She cursed. Antonio just stared at her daughter in awe and rage.
" What do you mean by that, Gisella? He exclaimed which made her stammer.
" Nothing, Dad" She cried. "I.was just saying you can't eat that because it's late– I'm making..." She went on but Antonio swiftly cut in.
" Stop it, Gisel" He called. "I'm not in the mood for your troubles– just return to your room"
" But, Dad..!"
" I said go, Gisel– leave here, now...!". He yelled at her which made her flinch. She stared at Natasha and back at her father with tears in her eyes. Without any words, she raced upstairs toward her room. Antonio instinctively felt bad as he stared at her back, fading away. He didn't mean to carry his anger and frustration on her poor daughter. But Natasha just smirked.
" Silly girl" She whispered underneath her breath. "I'll deal with you late". She glared at her back and turned her attention back to Antonio.
"Here you go, love– eat more," She said with a smile as she fed him some of her meal. Antonio took the food and forced a smile.