"I have always hated espresso. I believe Italians enjoy it only because they want to have a taste of bitterness. I mean, why would you want to drink black coffee with no creamer or sugar?" Serafina shrugged and lifted the cup coffee to her lips, blowing air into the cup and watching as steam danced into the air and dissipated into the atmosphere. "In our genetic baggage lies a gene that influences the daily need for caffeine, Sigrid. It's just something that comes naturally to us." "And if it doesn't taste awful?" She contorted her face like she had just thrown a ball of sour candy into her mouth. "It does taste awful but like I said, it is in our genetic make-up to always crave for it." After taking a sip from her cup, she raised the cup to Sigrid. "Un caffè." Her ears perked at the sound of a car honking in front of the house. Sigrid went over to the window overlooking the front of the house and her eyes widened slightly before she turned to look at her. "Mr
Over three weeks had passed since Serafina had last seen Giovanni. It had bothered her greatly but there was nothing she could do about it so she delved into work, deciding that she was going to use the rest of her six months here, working for just one purpose. A work permit. Today, she had nothing to do. Working with RYSWELL Organizations had given her four free days in a week to live like a normal human while the remaining three were used for working. After her encounter with the minister, she'd been given minor jobs of just seducing and stealing, one of the easiest jobs she'd ever taken and she was more than thankful for it all. Xavier had stopped picking her calls and she wondered why. Well, she'd only called him twice and it had gone straight to voicemail. Geraldo was the only person in RYSWELL she spoke with on a daily basis. Well, maybe Sigrid. But she did not really count as a worker since she had no idea what was really going on in the company.
Flashback… "I don't think I can help you, Mr Hudson." "What? Why?" Giovanni asked, his voice coated with fear. "Why can't you help me? You were there when it happened. You saw it all happen. Why can't you help me?" George stood from his seat and stalked towards Giovanni who sat before him, pensive. He stopped and took a seat at the edge of the desk. "Because there are powers that be. If I try to plunge myself into that fucking rollercoaster, I would not come out of it. It's what your father did. He thought he could bring justice and throw them all into prison. But see where it landed him. Into his fucking grave." Giovanni's fingers sank into his thighs. He tried not to look how he felt on his insides. "But we can make things right. He made a mistake. A terrible mistake that could have been avoided. We can do better. If we don't make a move, they would do worse. They would kill innocent people and they would cover it up with money and fucking influence!" "Do not raise your voice a
"You shouldn't be here. You do not belong with us and I am sure as hell that you know that, don't you?" Daneesha snarled at Serafina who had just walked into the club. Geraldo had invited her for a get together with the others. It was a monthly gathering for those who were interested and a way to make them mingle and make friends but Serafina was definitely not welcomed here. The room was mostly filled with ladies and a few other guys she'd never really talked to. And Daneesha didn't seem welcoming, so did her friends. She regretted ever deciding to come here but what option did she have? Boredom was fucking debilitating and she didn't want to spend her day doing nothing but scrolling through her phone and staring at the ceiling and filling her head space with terrible thoughts. Being in solitude could be detrimental for her and also relaxing but she wasn't ready to bet on what it was going to be because drowning in her thoughts gave her the shivers, gave her anxiety attacks. Th
Blood. Rain. Water. Her feet slid against the marble floors and she fell face flat, her hands and feet planting into the pool of blood that spread across the hallway. She pushed herself off the floor, her sobs echoing around the monstrous building as thunder rumbles and bright flashes of lightning ravaged the rooms. "Mama?!" She cried out, walking in the dark and searching for any sign of her. "Where are you, mama?" No replies came. The blood. She had no idea who had it or where it came from. The gunshots that had her paralyzed and catatonic in her room must have killed or severely injured someone. Just as she made to move, her fit hit a soft body and she looked down, squinting in the dark to see who it was but her vision wasn't so sharp. A bright flash of lightning came and for a fleeting moment, she caught sight of her mother's body, her dark hair pouring out behind her, her eyes wide but dead. "Noo!" Serafina screamed and crumpled on the floor beside her. "Mama! Mama
It had been weeks since Giovanni last saw Serafina. After their very brief encounter at the club, her passing by him and him acting like he didn't see her, it had been the last he had seen of her. Well, he had been able to survive because Geraldo kept giving him updates and even had to stop at one point because he was starting to hyperfixate on her. Her jobs for the past few weeks had been excellent and she had gone higher in rank according to the board of directors and scorers of the organization. In two weeks, she was topping the last five of the best ten of the organization and now, she was two people away from meeting Daneesha who had been at the top for almost a year. Tonight, she was going for one of the biggest operations to ever happen in RYSWELL and everyone was counting on her to do a good job and come out alive. She had been given the details of what to do and now, all they were all waiting for was good news tomorrow morning. "Don't tell me you're thi
Serafina's eyes flew open and she sat up immediately, her breath heavy and sweat trickling down her body. She immediately turned on her lights, not remembering how it got turned off in the first place. Climbing out of the bed, she walked into the bathroom and took her clothes off, right after she played soft music in the background to calm her nerves. The nightmares were becoming more frequent with each passing day and she woke up every night at three, either in tears or feeling a wave of crippling fear wash over her. Tonight, it was accompanied with unease and irritation. Once again, she had seen her mother's body in a pool of blood, only this time, she wasn't on the floor but hanging in front of their front door's lintel, her body flailing with the wind as blood trickled down her body. She stood in the middle of the bathroom, her eyes closed as water washed down her body before leaning against the wall and shaking with tears. After her operation tonight,
"What are going to do about him?" Giovanni shrugged. He was mostly absent minded for the whole of today. "I don't know. If he wants to be a part of us, then he should be put to the test." "We never put members of the organization to test unless they are workers." "Yes, we don't. But do you fully trust him? What if he's been sent to spy on us?" Geraldo smiled. "I think you're being paranoid. No one knows that we operate and you know that, right?" "Of course," Giovanni replied and rubbed his hand over his face. "But that doesn't mean he should be trusted. He worked for the CIA, remember? He's still connected to the federal government in a way and you know that." "You're right. So what are we going to do now? How do we know that he isn't a part of the CIA anymore or not working under anyone at all?" Giovanni sat up in his chair. "We are going to present it before the board members. I am sure someone will come up with a very good idea. What do you say?"