Chapter 4 Echoes of Fire

The air in the room suddenly turned icy as tension between Martina and Dominic got super thick. She couldn't recognize the name "Melissa Santiago" but Dominic's behavior and demeanor towards her sparked a dark suspicion.

"Melissa Santiago? My last name, seriously? This can't just be a mere coincidence, something's fishy. Could she be the one he's being comparing me to ever since I got here and the reason he's been acting so cunning. This was a terrible mistake I should've never come here in the first place. I should've just stayed at home, this is getting so uncomfortable." She thought to herself, all nervous, her fingers and legs shaking.

Dominic tilted his head. "You're silent, no words? "

Martina blinked. "I don't know who that is."

"Then your parents must be doing a good job hiding secrets and pasts." Dominic stared.

Martina rose slowly from her chair "Look... I came here to work. To build something for myself, so I don't know what you think I know or have anything to do with... Whoever that is! You're really starting to piss me off!

"You expect me to believe that a girl as smart and intelligent as you are never questioned why you've been locked up your whole like?"

She stood speechless, her lips opened but no words escaped.

"The legend.. The icon.. The baddest bitch of all! Melissa Santiago was the most wanted woman in the country for Drug trafficking and weapon snuggling. She started in escort circles and climbed her way up to cartel queen. That woman burnt every bridge she ever touched. Including mine."

Martina flinched. "Yours?"

"Yes mine." He sighed "My brother died because of her.

His words slammed into her, leaving her frozen stunned in silence.

"Why would she killed your brother? Did you or him do anything to offend her or do something to trigger her because people don't just go around killing others just for fun."

His facial expression transformed from sorrow to fury, his blazing red with raised brows. "Are you trying to justify what she did to my brother, the pains she caused my family and I? You really are not different from her.

He closed the folder and placed it back on his desk. " We're done here, I should escort you out."

But she didn't move an inch.

A storm of anger, betrayal and confusion swirled inside her.

"If I'm so dangerous, she said as her voice rises in anger, "then why did you even let me up here?"

Dominic looked at her, his eyes flickered, not with hatred tho, but curiosity. "Because the moment I saw your application, I knew you were being hidden by someone, but I didn't think you'd be in the dark about it."

Martina clenched her fists. "You have no right to blame me for the sins of someone else just because we share the same last name! I don't even know her for crying out loud!"

He nodded slowly as he sat down "Maybe not, but when you share the same blood with a person, their sins rubs off on you and there's nothing you can do about it."

That was it. Martina had it enough. She turned around, didn't look back and walked away.

As she stepped onto the sidewalk, the tears she'd been holding back finally broke free, scorching hot and angry, rolling down her cheeks. She didn't even notice people looking at her all felt was her heart shattered into pieces. How could someone she had never met have such a bad impact on her life?

And worse... Her parents keeping it a secret from her?

The ride home felt like it took forever, she didn't answer her father's calls. The taxi stopped at the beginning of her street, she wanted to take a walk home.

She felt numb and had a feeling in her gut that someone was watching her. She kept looking back with the pace of her speed increasing. Her heart racing, she didn't know whether her mind were playing games on her because of what she'd just experienced or there's someone actually following her.

She finally got home and saw the gate opened. "They must be already back and worried, they wouldn't stop calling me. I didn't expect the meeting to the this long but now I have to face them." She took a deep breath as she stepped inside.

She met Hilda at the kitchen. "Where have you been Martina? Your dad and I have been worried sick of you! How could you? How could you dare cross the red ga...

"Oh shut it mum, I've had enough!"Martina furiously interrupted her mum. " You've been lying to me my whole life! Who is she?

Hilda's fingers frozen mid turn of a page. "What are you talking about?"

"You lied to me about about the reason I've been locked up like a prisoner in my own house! You said it was for my safety but it was just a silly excuse to bury your dark past, wasn't it? You never told me about Melissa!"

So I ask one last time! Who the hell is Melissa?Why do we share the same last name and why are her sins following me like a stigma? Martina's voice trembling with rage and tears streaming down her face.

The air in the room went razor sharp.

Alfred stepped in from the dining room just in time. "Martina..."

You knew too dad, didn't you? She turned to him. "You both kept her from me! I don't just get it why? Someone answer me!"

Hilda's face was unreadable "Martina, go to your room now!"

"I'm not a little child anymore, you can't just command me to go and leave this heated conversation hanging. We're settling this here and now!"

"Martina dear" Alfred said softly, "please let us explain..."

"No!" She snapped. "You don't get it, do you? You've had years to explain, I've asked you so many times but you'd always brush it off. Why I couldn't go to school, why I had no friends. You told me the world was "evil" but it seems I've been living with "evil" my whole life."

"Martina calm down..." Alfred tried calming her down.

"I met someone today and he told me everything you didn't."

Hilda shocked "Who?"

"Dominic Castellano"

Hilda slammed her first on the kitchen's cabinet. "You foolish girl."

Alfred looked like he'd just been betrayed. "You shouldn't have gone there."

"Why? Because he told me the truth you've been so cowardly about?"

Hilda moved towards her. "You have no idea what you've just done."

"I don't care! I want to know who I am."

She walked out on her parents, storming off to her room.

Outside, just at the beginning of Martina's street,

a car pulled up.

Inside a woman with dark red lips and sunglasses removed her glove and tapped a longer finger against the window.

"Time to pay old debts." She whispered.

Her eyes we're cold and calculating. Beautiful lady who had almost the same facial features as Martina.

Melissa Santiago had returned.