Duty Calls
Sofia
Today was the day. It was the day that I had been dreadfully praying for not to come.Just yesterday, my mother dropped news that Marco De Santis will be coming to our house today.
This was one of the times when I wished I had time rewinding powers. It would have come handy in this kind of situation.
Maybe if I went back in time, I would have been to stop Dad from making the biggest mistake of his life. Or hire someone to kill of Romanov Kristoff.
“Please Brenda make sure that everything is in order. What dish have you not prepared yet?”
I heard Mama say when I went down earlier to grab something to eat in the kitchen.
“Sofia, I hope you are already preparing?” She asked me the moment she noticed I was there. I became the center of attention as everyone stopped what they were doing to look at me.
“Hmmn.” I nodded with a murmured answer.
“Alright darling. Just take your time.” She smiled like this was supposed to be a happy day. To me, it was only the beginning of my doom. The end will likely be my ghost standing on the side watching them lower a casket containing my physical body into the grave.
I shivered at my weird thoughts.
I didn't bother returning the gesture, I just picked the orange flavoured jam and some slices of bread and I was off to my room.
After I was done, I took my bath and just sat on my bed in my black colored robe.
I couldn't bring myself to prepare for what
Deciding to call my best friend Lucia, who was also my first cousin. She was the only one who would be able to calm me down or talk me out of this situation.
“Hey Sof, I was about to call before you called. How are you doing?” She picked up the moment I rang her.
“I'm fine. Just wanted to hear your voice.”
“Are you sure you are okay? You don't sound okay.”
“You know why.” My voice was small and quiet.
“Sofia.” She sighed deeply. When I had told her about the impending nuptials, she had been so pissed off. To the extent she wanted to confront Luca about it.
“Lucia?”
“You don't have to do it if you don't want to.”
“I know. But I don't have any other choice. If I don't do it, they will come after my family.”
And that was something I didn't want.
“This is just not fair. If my family ever pulled a stunt like this on me, I'd run off.”
“I know.” I chuckled sadly. That was Lucia, she would do exactly that. We were both stubborn and understood each other very well.
“Let's run away together. I have enough funds to last us for years.”
“I wish I could.” Tears pooled in my eyes. But I couldn't do it, duty has embedded itself in my veins.
“Oh Sof.” She sounded like she also wanted to cry.
After the call, I gathered enough strength to select a dress from the ones we shopped yesterday.
A knock on the door broke my concentration.
“Yes, who is that?”
“It's Leo. Are you decent?”
“Yeah, come in.”
“You are not dressed yet?” His brows rose into an arch.
“Did Mama send you to check if I had run away?” My back was to him.
“Not really. Maybe.” I saw from my side view that he shrugged.
I hummed and continued my selection.
“Which one do you think I should wear?” I held the two dresses that had caught my fancy.
Leo was wearing a powder blue dress shirt tucked into black slacks and nice shiny shoes. His hair was styled in his usual way and not slicked back.
This was one of the few times that I have seen Leo being serious. Had it been that he slicked his hair back, he would have looked different, look more like Luca.
“This one.” He pointed to the second dress.
It was a nude body con dress with a sweetheart neckline. The fabric was rich and looked expensive.
It was the first dress that had caught my attention yesterday.
While the other was a green flared empire waist gown.
“Alright thanks.” I moved to the drawers to get the accessories I will be pairing with the dress. The next thing on my mind was to apply minimal make-up, I didn't want to come off as trying too hard.
“Have you been crying?” He observed.
“Hmmn.”
“Sof.” His eyes held a plea.
“It's alright Leo. It's what I have to do.”
“I wish you didn't.”
“Me too.”
“Come here.” Leo opened his arms for a hug.
I went in willingly.
We separated after his phone pinged with a notification. His eyebrows slammed down with an unreadable emotion.
“What's it?”
“They are here. Their cars just pulled up.”
“Well I think we just get it over with.”
“Yeah, I will be downstairs. Just hurry up now.”
“Alright.”
Marco De Santis had better be ready for me because even though I had accepted my fate, I wasn't going to make it easy for him.