Entangled with the Mafia Queen

"I was able to verify it. Two bodies were found in the fire at Rodrigo's residence six years ago." A man in his late thirties said to the woman next to him. He was large with ripped muscles. 

One could tell he was a hard man even though he was elegantly dressed in a tan suit. His dark brunette hair was styled to the back as he stood staring down at the woman with steel-blue eyes.

"I still can't believe it's true." Tears pricked the woman's eyes. She stood up and hit her desk with her fist.

"Pandora, if you want, I can continue with the investigation." The man held her shoulders, staring at her with pleading eyes. He couldn't bear seeing her agonised, and for some reason, his heart crushed at every drop of her tears.

"Who burnt his house?" She yelled. Her eyes widened, and her eyelids kept flinching.

Antonio was terrified by Pandora's sudden outburst. He knew how terrifying she could get. After working with her for ten years, he knew better than anyone what she did to people who crossed her path.

"Just like I told you before, Mr. Jose Del Lacoste is responsible. I sincerely wished he wasn't."

Pandora scoffed. "Then we have to carry on as planned. Rodrigo didn't deserve such death." She gritted her teeth.

"But you do know, killing a presidential candidate like Jose Del Lacoste will cause an uproar. He is a d**g lord and the most powerful man in the underworld. He has a lot of backups, Pandora. Everyone will be onto you." Antonio held her shoulders. "Let me do it instead."

Pandora held his gaze for a moment, and in those eyes, she could see nothing but sincerity in them.

In her line of business, trust isn't something that can be given quickly. Heck, it was never given like a piece of candy to a child. One has to fight tooth and nail to get it, and so far, Antonio has proven to be a trustworthy fellow—something she can't take for granted.

"After that, I will plead guilty to the authorities. I will go to jail. That way, you will be safe." Antonio tried convincing her.

"We both know that even the people in the authority work for Jose. He controls everything. You will be dead before you make it to jail." She sighed. "Just let me do this. Since Rodrigo is dead, there is no reason to stay alive."

"Did you love him that much? So much that every breath you take without him is meaningless? Do you love him enough to leave because he passed on?" Antonio yelled. He could no longer hold it in. He dedicated his life to Pandora, not for the tremendous amount of money she wires to his account now and then, but he knew better, the reason for his unwavering loyalty.

"I did," Pandora yelled, tears rolling down her cheeks instantly. Every thought of Rodrigo made her recall those days she stood in front of the police station, waiting for him. 

Despite being told by the other officers that Rodrigo had left the city, Pandora would still go back daily to wait for him. In the rain, and even at the highest temperature of the sun, she hoped he would return, but he didn't. Without telling her what she did for him to abandon her-he, he disappeared.

"I loved him so much that I gave up my dignity just for him, and what did he do? He abandoned me. From that day till now, my life has been a nightmare. Now the only thing I feel for him is hate. I hate him so much." She screamed in agony, raveling her hair and stomping her heel on the floor. She felt empty, her heart ripping into shreds. 

Betrayal was something that Pandora was accustomed to, but Rodrigo's betrayal left her wholly crushed. She was shattered, and for the past eleven years, her hate for him engulfed her, making her the woman she is now-a wealthy vicious woman.

"Then why? Why die because he is dead? Why murder his killer? I don't understand you, Pandora."

"Because I badly want to know why he abandoned me." Pandora wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks.

She was no longer sober but instead spiteful. Rodrigo was her childhood love, a man she met when she felt suicide was the only option. He came to her and coloured her world, and just like how quickly he came, he disappeared like that leaving her to her fears.

"Then give me more time. I will meet with the doctor that performed the autopsy for the deceased. They must have compared the DNA. Let me confirm first." Antonio pleaded.

"It's been two months since I've been putting up the charade with Jose Del Lacoste. If that man kisses me anymore, I doubt I can withhold the urge to slit his throat and watch him die." Pandora grunt.

"A week, just a week. After that, if I still can't prove Rodrigo is alive, you can kill Jose Del Lacoste. But until then, you will do everything he wants." Antonio gulps his saliva. He wasn't scared of dying, but he was scared to watch the woman he admired die most without a chance at happiness.

"A week?" Pandora could see Antonio's effort, and because of him, she agreed.

He sighed heavily. It was as if a huge load had been lifted off his chest. He reached for the champagne on her desk and poured wine into the empty glass beside it. Then he emptied it into his stomach and belched loudly.

"I brought the dress." He muttered in a low tone.

"Hmm." Pandora sighed. "I have to meet with Jose Del Lacoste over dinner. I thought it was tomorrow." Pandora tried to stay calm, but she couldn't. Her grip tightened on the pen she was holding, and it broke. "After this dinner, the next time, I will meet Jose Del Lacoste with the grim reapers."

—

Later that night. Dressed in a simple knee-length gown the colour of red with her hair up in a neat bun, Pandora arrived at the Del Lacoste residence with Antonio by her side. She never went anywhere without him by her side anyways, and a stupid dinner with some enemy wasn't about to change that either, and Antonio didn't trust her to send another guard.

Aside from Antonio, her silver Glock 19 was strapped safely around her thigh. Just like the words she always says-never visit a gangster without safety measures, Pandora never fails to keep to her own rule.

"Welcome, ma'am, sir" The old butler at the door greeted them with a smile.

"This way," he said afterward, pointing them towards the path leading to the Del Lacoste garden where their dinner was taking place.

With her shoulders squared and her head held high, they both walked through the pavement leading to the garden. Pandora could hear faint music coming from the said direction and wondered if it was just her or if Antonio could maybe hear it too, and fortunately, he was.

Del Lacoste's presence immediately greeted Pandora as they got closer, and it turned out it wasn't just him. There seems to be a party going on with other guests in attendance as well.

She gave Antonio a sideways glance, giving him a look as if to find out he was aware of the ongoing charade, and it seemed he, too, was just as surprised.

Even though she felt disgusted by Jose Del Lacoste's very presence, Pandora had no choice but to put up a huge smile that was just as bright as the stars above as she happily walked over and stood before him.

"Welcome mi amor, glad you could make it. You look lovely," Del Lacoste said with his heavy accent, and her smile grew slightly more.

"Gracias, you don't look bad yourself," Pandora said politely as she could and immediately got pulled into his chest for a warm embrace.

Her whole body went rigid momentarily at the incidental body contact before she finally relaxed into the warmth of his embrace.

Once she pulled away, she could breathe again without having to breathe in too much Armani men's cologne that was mixed with too much tobacco from his breath.

"What's the celebration? I thought it was a simple dinner?" Pandora couldn't help but ask with a chuckle, her eyes narrowing at the guest throwing weird glances in her direction.

"It's a little surprise, mi amor. You will see" He took hold of her hand and began to lead her toward the large table with silverware and a display of food.

"Let's eat, shall we?" He pulled out a chair, and she shot him a small smile in appreciation before settling on it, still feeling slightly uneasy.

She looked over her peripheral and found Antonio not far off and sighed in relief before patting her gun slightly under the table.

A male chef came forward and poured some wine into their glasses before filling their plate with steak and mashed potatoes and whatnot. Everything looks delicious, and what would make it more dazzling would be Jose Del Lacoste's head detached from his body and seated on the table. That would ecstasize her.

"So, how's your investigation about me going?" He asked unexpectedly, and Pandora nearly choked on her meal.

"Relax, don't act so surprised, Bella, I have eyes and ears everywhere, and nothing goes in or out of this city without my permission."

Pandora swallowed hard, her appetite for food gone. "What do you want?" She asked, her eyes blazing as she stared at his smiling face.

He picked up a napkin and wiped it across his lips before reaching into his suit jacket and retrieving a red velvet box before sliding it across the table and towards her.

"What is this?"

He tips his head at her, "Open it."

Pandora hesitated for a moment, her heart racing a million miles within her chest as she stared down at the little box sitting before her.

"Oh, for fuck sake, woman, it's not a bomb, so go ahead and open it already."

Throwing him a glare, she places the trigger of her gun back to safety mode before taking a deep breath and then pushing the box open, her eyes immediately growing wide with shock.

"What is this?" Her words come out in a whisper as she stares at the sparkling mountain in that tiny box before her.

Getting down on one knee, he offered her his right hand as he picked up the diamond ring. "Marry me"

Fucking hell.

Her lips parted slightly, but no word made it past the tip of her tongue as she just sat there staring at his smiling face and, even worse, the expectant faces of the guest now staring at her, probably expecting her an answer she knew deep down she might never utter.

Her gaze drifted around, looking for Antonio, but she couldn't find him anywhere. Staring at Jose kneeling in front of her and the cheers from everyone around, she knew that a no from her would put a bullet through her skull. For her revenge, she nodded slowly as she stretched her left fingers toward Jose.

"She said yes!" Jose stood on his feet, smiling at everyone before he placed the ring on her finger.

Just right then, her phone beeped. It was a text from Antonio.

"Rodrigo is alive."