Adopted – Episode 38

ADOPTED – Episode 38

© Happy William

Portia

“What do you mean ghost, Sergio? Are you outta your mind!?” I hissed, pulling him by his arm into my room and locking the door.

“Mamà I swear…. Cosima…. she’s come to… haunt me….”

I scoffed, getting tired of his blabbing.

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Not enough to classify this as a drunken ramp!” he shouted.

I flinched and turned my face away.

His breath reeked of alcohol.

He sweated.

He stank.

His eyes were red.

“Sergio pull yourself together. Cosima is dead!”

“NO!”

“Where did you see her?”

He began to narrate how he saw her when he looked in his window, but she vanished when he turned around.

“You’re crazy. But I’m going to find things out for myself. Sleep the drunkenness off till I’m back. OK?”

He nodded.

I took him to his room, kissed his forehead and closed the door.

Downstairs, I asked a maid for prudence.

She said she went out earlier but didn’t give off location.

I sighed and ran a hand across my face.

Things were threatening to go bad now.

I needed to be extra careful.

.

.

Emilio

.

Sitting with Cosima, Augusto and I were Prudence, Felix Cannavaro the lawyer and Louis, Portia’s driver.

I drummed my fingers on the table we sat at in a restaurant and listened as Cosima assured them in not-so-smooth tones that we just needed their pledges that they were going to cooperate with us in exposing Portia.

I still couldn’t believe it.

My own mother…. OK, the woman that gave birth to me!

“You’re sure of what you’re saying?” I asked them.

They nodded.

“The pains Portia put my daughter through… I’d ki*ll her myself!” Felix said gritting his teeth.

Louis added, “The pay I get working as her personal driver is very good. But no amount of money will be able to pacify my conscience.”

Augusto turned to him.

“What’d u mean?”

“I mean, signora Rufelli is not the first murder signora Salvatore and signor Sergio incorporated.”

“There were others?” I asked, unable to keep the sharpness out of my voice.

Now everyone apart from Aug and me nodded.

“And you all knew about this but didn’t bother to tell me? Prudence!?”

She sighed. “Portia threatened me — she threatened us all. And I was also scared because if I’d tried to tell you anything, she’d open everything up and you’ll loose all respect for me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Emilio. You know Portia as a bad person… but you don’t know the extent of her badness,” Cosima sighed and cont’d, “Portia collaborated with Dante Castillo and Sergio. They are the one’s behind your near bankruptcy, your near death too. They want all controlling power of the Salvatore’s Vineyards, Wineries and estates.”

“Wait, why would my mother and brother side with a total stranger who was a huge enemy of my father?” I asked.

“Perhaps it’s because that total stranger is their family and your brother is your stepbrother actually,” said Augusto.

“What!?”

“Yes Emilio. Sergio is Portia’s and Dante’s son,” Prudence said.

I sunk into my chair.

Unbelievable.

“Did my father know about this?”

“He eventually found out that’s why he died.”

“Dante?” I asked, balling my hands in fists. I’m going to put a bullet through his head once I caught up with him. In fact, they were all going to pay. “I swear I’ll ki*ll that sonofa—”

” Portia,” Prudence cut in. “Portia shot Signor Leonetti.”

“She did,” was all I said.

Slamming a fist on the table, I got up and stormed out of the room we all were in.

I took long strides to the parking lot, ignoring their pleas to me not to do anything drastic.

I had revenge on my mind.

I was going to deal with the trio of backstabbing bastards and —

“Emilio!”

it was Augusto breaking into my thoughts running towards me.

He reached me before I got into my car.

“You can’t go charging blindly,” he said.

“Damn it all. I’m going to make sure that they all pay! For gossakes Aug! My father! The only man I looked up to!” I ran my hand through my hair, and kicked the wheel of the car. I just wanted an outlet for my frustration and anger.

“I know man. That’s why we need to calculate all our steps. We want two hit them, and we’re gonna do so hard and unexpectedly. I promise, they’ll all be brought to justice.”

“Can’t I just take the law in my hands?” I asked lightly.

“You can. But I’ll be forced to place you under arrest,” he held up handcuffs with a grin on his face.

“Crazy cop,” I muttered.

“Yeah, I love you too,” he said sarcastically as we walked back into the room.

Prudence got up immediately.

“Emilio I’m sorry for not —”

“You knew.”

”Yes but—”

“Prudence, if you still think you’re deserving of the respect I’ve had for you since I was little, you’ll tell me everything you know, and help to pull her down. Because I can’t even stand to look at you right now. Did you know about it when you called me from new York?”

She nodded sadly.

I sat down.

”Come up with a plan,” I said.

.

NIGHTFALL

.

Sergio

.

I sat on the bed in my room.

I flinched and shivered at every little sound, and spun in 360° to check the room for the source of the sound.

Silence again.

I snuggled into the bed for a good night’s sleep.

Mamà said it’s all in my head.

I believe her.

Probably I was drunk, and hallucinating. Although I had this weird shivers down my spine.

Suddenly, I laughed out loud.

Sergio, you’re a chicken! What on earth made you believe that Cosima’s ghost was alive? Ghost’s in Italy were scare, if not zilch. Only in folklores.

I laughed again, and suddenly the China vase on the mantle table crashed to the ground in a loud BRRRRAAAAACCCK—PINKPINKPIKOLIN

K!!!

I screamed like a girl and pulled the bedsheets over my head, shivering from the hairs on my head to the sole of my feet.

No, it’s just the wind.

I left the window open.

I opened my eyes.

Indeed, the windows were opened.

Ha ha ha….

I laughed again.

“Think you can scare me! Huh, Cosima??? You’re rotting in your grave!”

«I don’t think so.»

I froze.

“Who’s that?” I spun around.

I reached out to on the lamp, but a slap came to my head, and the lamp went off again.

«Ha ha ha…Sergio. Who’s laughing now »

”Cosima you’re dead! Leave me alone! The dead has no business with the living,” I shouted, remembering a line from whatever Bible portion our Sunday school teacher taught us when I used to go to the cathedral in Rome as a little boy.

«Ha ha ha..so now you’re being religious?»

“What do you want from me!”

The portrait on the wall lifted and crashed to the ground.

I jumped off the bed, swallowing my scream.

The lamp lifted and crashed to the ground.

”MAMÀ!!!!”

«Ha ha ha, you’re a baby now, screaming for mamà!»

I ran to open the door, but she stood there.

Still in the same clothes she wore when I killed her.

Messy hair

Red puffy eyes

Angry

I turned around to the window

She was there.

«Sergio, talk now!!»

“You’re a ghost Cosima! No, you’re dead. I killed you! Because you were being a tellall bitvh!”

«And….»

“I called mamà. They asked her driver to dispose you off!”

“Mmm mmm. What about all the times you tried to ki*ll Emilio, because you wanted his inheritance when you knew fully well that you weren’t Leonetti’s son?”

“I I – go away!”

I reached out Into my drawer and pulled out a gun.

“I’ll sh00t you!”

«Ha ha ha. Go ahead. I’m a ghost right?›

I fired.

The bullet hit her.

She seemed to stagger, but then she was laughing again.

”I’ll haunt you, Sergio.» She widened her eyes and raised up her fingers. No, not fingers.

Claws.

She grinned, and her sharp teeth were visible.

I have to get away from this monster!

I ran to the door, still holding my gun

I paused to look back at her.

«BOO!»

I raced to mother, who was just entering the kitchen

“It’s Cosima — ghost— monster — in my room!”

‘”Stop acting crazy Sergio and be a man!”

“I’m not crazy! Come and see!”

But when we got to my room, everywhere was arranged as if nothing happened.

Mother glared at me

‘”Sergio stop being a sissy. We’ve got a lot on our hands. Man up.”

“But—”

“Shut up!”

To be continued

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