While some of the sinisterly suave looking male relatives usually turned out to be a Molotov. All of Beverly's close family members were the Townsends, and they were all chipper and eccentric. For the exception of her clinically moody aunt Margo. They say she was just born moody.
Bev looked gorgeous in her white bridal strapless dress and Grig perfected the part of the handsome groom in a tuxedo. But Vladimir's aesthetics in a tux drew more attention than any other man in the wedding.
Many of the women unrelated to him, fawned over his looks in hushed tones and obvious stolen glances. Yet on account of his intimidating appearance, they were too shy to approach him. Albeit, he paid them zero attention, as he lit a cigar and departed for a game of billiards along with a few men.
Was there ever a day in this man's life where he looked like a mess ?
I highly doubt it by now.
If only these idiotic girls knew how terrible of a personality he has.
"I got a text from Serge, he needs to speak to you, he's upstairs waiting near your bedroom door." Katie addresses me.
I excuse myself from Beverly and her aunt Margo's presence. I felt drained from running errands for Ilona all through out the day. Slipping off from my feet the heels Bev and Katie made me buy a week ago, and ascend the foyer. My dress already showing wrinkles.
Well garbed little giggling children, dash down past me while gripping white balloons. A couple of chattering women recline on the steps with their heeled slippers off and sipping glasses of champaign. The entire manor was alighted with vibrance and a soft orchestral harmony flowed in the air.
The corridor leading towards my room was thankfully empty, for the exception of Serge leaning against the wall next to my door. I distinguish propped in one of his arms, Ilona's rhinestone encrusted mini laptop.
Instantly my mind gears into an apprehensive overdrive and I pick up pace towards him. What the hell is he doing with Ilona's laptop ??!!!
Has he glimpsed my video clip ?!!!
He glances up from his phone in one hand. A small and wistful smile graces his lips. "Hey Sanam, there is something I have to discuss with you..got a few minutes to spare ?"
"Why do you have Ilona's laptop ? How did you get it?" I ask warily.
"I know she's blackmailing you Sanam."Serge states quietly. "Don't worry, I didn't see the video. I'm not a lowly dog."
I refuse to meet his gaze as I nervously fidget around with the high heeled slippers in my hands. "H-how did y-you find out?"
"Last night, I was headed back downstairs to the kitchen when I spotted her walking ahead. I decided to follow her and see what she was upto and I snuck in the kitchen from the entrance near the fireplace..I overheard her blackmailing you while you kept apologising..." He divulges bitterly. "So I manage to sneak into the room she's sharing with Vladimir, well I broke in more like it and got ahold of this."
In alarmed shame, I focus my vision on to my bare feet. He continues reassuringly. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, come on let's delete the files she's storing your video in. Fortunately enough, she forgot to fully shutdown her laptop so we won't be needing a password."
My heart leaps in joy within my chest as I breath a sigh of relief. "Oh thank you so much!"
His flashes me a grin and shakes his head. "No worries, let's head into your room and you can delete her video files quick before she comes looking for you."
After a span of a couple of minutes searching through her video files, I exhale dejectedly. " I can't find it !"
Serge halts pacing back and forth infront of my bed and walks over to me. "Check under other document files."
I start clicking on random files and they pop up with the maps of what appears to be the Nielsen manor and estates. I let out a miffed groan. "All I see is some maps of this manor and surrounding estate but no video files."
"What?!" Serge sputters and quickly leans over me to peer at the laptop screen. "You've got to be kidding me ..what the fuck is this .."
He takes ahold of the laptop from me and starts clicking away through it and his eyes widen in shock before narrowing in anger. "No fucking way! No fūcking way in hell !"
"What? What's wrong?" I query in puzzlement. He snaps pics of the laptop screen with his phone.
Evading my question, he drops the laptop on the bed and starts texting on his phone rapidly. Then he holds the phone to his ear. "Vladimir! Man, bloody Shit is about to go down any moment now! I sent you screenshots....alright..alright! I'm headed down..yeah you let uncle and the rest know!"
"What's going on?" I demand as sudden worry crosses my mind.
Serge pulls open the bedroom door and glances my way with a watchful expression. " I need you to remain up here, something very dangerous is about to take place! Some people might die tonight.."
"What?! Why!?" I question, panicking. "What about Rachael! Katie! Bev ! And the children!!??"
"Whatever happens, DO NOT come downstairs until I return!" He rephrases rigidly.
Just as that, the door slams shut as I'm left staring agape. I quickly pull the laptop over to me and stare at the maps, blueprints and some other details indecipherable to me. I didn't understand how he learned all of this from just viewing these images with weird markings.
Was Ilona behind this ? This was after all her laptop. What was going on exactly ???
Not longer than 10 minutes pass when I hear the unmistakable sound of gunshots being fired somewhere in the manor.
My heart freezes in complete mortification.
Then proceeds blood curdling screams of people downstairs. I clutch at the bedsheets in complete fear. Within a matter of minutes, the screams are audible enough by now in close proximity. I vault to my feet, rushing towards the door and fling it open. More sounds of gunshots pierce the air.
Poking my head out of the door, I spot a cluster of shrieking women running my way through the corridor ahead. Looks of pure terror etched into their faces while some of them carried children in their arms.
"Come in here!!" I holler at them while frantically motioning them to get in my room. "Hide in here quick!!"
They all clamber in, some nearly tripping on their dresses. Suddenly I feel tiny arms encasing my legs. I glance down and find a frightened Arielle, clutching onto my dress. Immediately, I haul her up into my arms and slam the door shut.
The women are crying and sobbing.
"What's going on??" I question apprehensively, while peering at all of their faces.
"We don't know, oh God it's horrible !" One of them wails. The rest voice their agreements and fall into a crazy chatter.
Sounds of gunshots start piercing the air relentlessly, and we all let out shrieks while falling to the ground in discretion. Arielle begins bawling in my arms. "I want my mummy!!!"
I clasp her tightly against my chest, vehemently hoping that Rachael, Katie and Bev were safely hiding somewhere. That no innocent people be harmed in this nightmare come to life.
Ya'Allah please please please make this all stop please help us!!!
Then abruptly, a loud thundering roar rattles my ears. I whip my head up and I can't believe my eyes when I glimpse ahead through my windows, flames reaching the sky from the gardens below.
"Oh my God, it's a bomb!!!" One of the women screams and the rest start screaming along in turbulence.
What the hell was going on !!!??
I squeeze my eyes shut, my heart hammering against my chest in complete petrification.
◆◆◆
"Sanam! Sanam! Get up!"
I feel a strong tug at my sleeves, and I slowly pull my head away from the enclosure of my arms. Momentarily, its as if everything was occurring in slow motion. I look around myself and then up. Bev is peering down at me with abundant concern. Right next to her stands Rachael with Arielle in her arms and Katie with Charlie.
There are EMS and fire fighters walking in and out of the room, carrying some wailing women on stretchers and some with oxygen resuscitator masks. The atmosphere is t
hick with tears and cries of people. The sound of helicopters flying over head in brief intervals.
"Oh thank God you're alive!" Rachael exhales in relief.
"We thought you were hurt!!" Katie pipes in with equal amount of concern.
"You wouldn't answer at first when we kept shaking you. Do you need to get to the hospital? Are you okay?" Bev questions as she examines my face and the rest of my figure.
I gradually get to my feet, and feel my limbs tingle almost giving away to a collapse. How long had I been sitting there ? Must have been a long time since my legs felt so numb.
Bev catches on to my arm before I end up falling to the floor.
"W-what's going on ??!" I stammer in dread. " The gunshots! There was an-an explosion!
"Shhh everything is under control now, everything's fine now. You tell us if you need to head to the hospital?" Rachael asks, while Arielle clutches to her waist tightly.
"No, I'm-I'm fine really..is Serge alright ? Grigori?!" I frantically look at them for an answer in the positive. "Mrs.Agnelli? Anya? Lorna?!"
Bev nods reassuringly. "Yes they are safe, well Anya and Lorna are being transported to the hospital-"
"What??!!" My heart freezes. "Oh my Allah! What happened to them ?! Did they get shot ?!"
"No, thankfully they didn't." Rachael shakes her head in decline. "They were hurt in the stampede while trying to escape out of the ballroom."
I breath a sigh of relief and throw my arms around Bev for comfort.
◆◆◆
"I hope she recovers soon, without Anya and Lorna I feel unmanageable." Mrs. Agnelli breaks the somber silence within the moving limo. "They add a spark to my life, I feel like a mother to them.."
We had departed from a visit to the hospital to see Anya an hour ago. Lorna was discharged today but Anya suffered some broken ribs and the doctors said she needed more time.
A week has passed since that fateful night of Bev and Grigori's wedding. A week of total turmoil within the Nielsen manor, where in everyone was trying to recover emotionally from the events of that single chaotic day.
No one from the Nielsens, Molotovs and Townsends died, but plenty did get minor injuries. All thanks to Vladimir, Serge, Grigori and the other Molotov Mafia members, the concealed enemies were defeated. That day I had glimpsed dead bodies of the Doucette mafia members, being transported to the ambulance helicopters. Dead bodies of those undercover and posing as members of the Molotov Mafia.
They say It was all planned by Pierre Doucette's men and Ilona unsuspectedly had been aiding Doucette for quite some time now. Every detail of such hidden interactions came to light after the Molotov Mafia thoroughly searched through her laptop.
Unfortunately, they were unable to capture Ilona on time since she had managed to flee the scene by a helicopter on the night of the shooting.
"Anya will be discharged the day after tomorrow, that spark will return to your life soon Mrs.Agnelli." Rachael assures with a cracked smile, sitting across from us. Again the limo falls into bitter silence.
After another hour, we finally arrive back to the manor. As we depart the limo, our eyes set upon so many armoured vehicles and limousines parked in front of the manor. More than a dozen Molotov men standing guard outside.
This only meant one thing, Vladimir's uncle Dimitri Molotov the head of the Molotov Mafia and supposed empire, was visiting. He is a powerful man in his 60's. Perhaps one of the most wealthiest in all of Australia since his Mafia and corporations claim branches in prominent American and European cities. Bev had dared not introduce me to him at the wedding. But I had only caught a brief glimpse of him that day as he was entering the billiards room with his top Mafia officials encircling around him protectively.
I feel uneasy as we walk past the vehicles and the silent business suit clad men in black shades. We spot Grigori and Serge departing out of the manor entrance, they see us and stride over with solemn expressions.
"What's going ? Why is uncle here ?" Rachael confronts them.
Mrs. Agnelli and Duffield help support Lorna with her crutches as they pass us ahead. I remain standing alongside Rachael, with Arielle grasping my hand.
"Father has been worrying over Vladimir, it's been a week and he has failed to show up for any tasks." Grigori replies, embittered. "Of all people, It's unlike him to evade father. This is not normal for Vladimir."
Ever since the day of the shooting, Vladimir had departed the manor for two days. No one knew where he had disappeared to. Two days later, he returned in the middle of the night while we were asleep. He deigned to provide an explanation nor did he seek or give an ounce of comfort to his family. He locked himself away into his chambers, refusing to exit them ever since. But everyone was afraid to pester him, for fear of incurring his wrath.
Mrs.Agnelli would leave a tray of meals for him on a trolley next to his door. Sometimes the food would be left untouched while other times she brought back down partially eaten food by him.
Rachael's lips press into a thin line of agitation as she looks her cousin in his eyes and begins. "Oh for God's sake, can't uncle spare him some time? His girlfriend of three years betrayed him and uncle expects Vladimir to recover quick over this ? The Mafia appears to hold more importance to him than his own nephew's health?!"
Grigori groans in exasperation. "Come on, you know it's not like that with father. He's genuinely concerned about Vladimir's health."
"Well he should leave him be for now, none of us are bothering Vladimir. Trust me, you don't want to see the state he's in. He really loved her, Grigori...and she betrayed him." Rachael laments. "Just let him have sometime to gather himself.."
Right then, a dozen Molotov members march out through the entrance of the manor. In the midst of them, I spot Dimitri Molotov. He's a brawny man of average height, clad in an expensive overcoat. A cane gripped in his bejewelled hand. His demeanor set in a grim mode as he trudges towards us.
Instantly Rachael straightens her posture while Serge and Grigori part ways for him. Mister Molotov comes to a standstill infront of his niece and peers down at her with a dismal look.
"Uncle.." Rachael acknowledges with a nod and slightly curtsies.
Mister Molotov begins in a thick Russian accent. "Take good care of him..I didn't expect him to dwell on a woman this long.."
With that final statement, he heads for his limo.
Chapter 19
"Thank you for shopping at Waldorfs, return again soon and have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!" Chirps the cashier, clad in a Santa's Elf costume.
Katie, Arielle and I exit the upscale retail shop, carrying fancy plastic bags thickened with purchased merchandize. Huxley and a dozen undercover Molotov Mafia members trailing closely behind us.
It's the holiday season and two days prior to Christmas. The shops are brilliantly illuminated and enhanced with Holiday ornaments. Mini Christmas trees embellish each corners of the pedestrian walkways.
The streets are flooded by festive holiday shoppers, ecstatically piling in and out of stores. The absence of snow which I was adjusted to back in America, was the only detail missing from the exuberant setting.
"Miss Katherine, we should be returning to the manor now." Huxley reminds while momentarily peering at his wrist watch.
Katie nods in acquiescence and then cautiously whispers into my ears. "Let's hope Arielle forgets about meeting Santa at the mall."
But the little girl is much too perceptive for her age. She suspects all too well what Katie must have said, and soon enough she begins whining. " But aunt Katie!! I wanna meet santaaaaa !!!!!!"
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