Chapter 9 HATRED HAS BEGUN

Adriana's POV

"Boom, boom, boom," someone knocked loudly on my bedroom door.

"I give you five minutes to come and see me in my study room," the voice shouted and I knew at once that it was Diego. The thought of going to see him made me shiver because I knew it would not end well.

"I haven't recovered from what he did to me earlier this morning and now another incident wants to happen?" I thought. There was no way I could avoid going to see him even if I wanted to because he was in control of everyone around him and he could instruct his men to drag me to him anytime.

I hurriedly opened my bedroom door and headed for Diego's study. As I went through the passageway leading to his study, both of his men looked at me with their faces smoldering like a brick and I was filled with trepidation of what would happen.

Diego's study room's door was slightly opened and I peeled inside to see him sitting on a chair and going through a document which was labelled as "confidential."

It was as if he knew I was already at the door and peeking inside. "I have no time to waste, get in and shut the door behind you," he said to me without even glancing in my direction.

I shut the door behind me and slowly walked to where he was. I then stopped when I was about 10m away from him in case anything was to happen.

"Who were you speaking with in your room a while ago?" Diego asked, still focusing on the document he was reading.

"I wasn't talking to anyone," I replied plainly. I took a step back still in fear of what might happen soon.

"Don't you dare lie to me," Diego said in a stern tone as he glanced at me. "Don't you know the consequences of lying to my face?" he asked.

I folded my hands together as fear set in. "I was only talking with my father on the phone, that's all," I managed to say. He smirked and took his gaze back to the document he was holding.

"Go into the kitchen and prepare something for my men and I to eat," Diego ordered me. I was confused at what he just ordered me to do.

"Was he insane?" I asked myself.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" he questioned, looking at me as I stood there in a confused state. "Go and make me something to eat now."

"Why should I do that?" I subconsciously asked. I put my hand over my mouth the moment I said that. I only wanted to say that in my head but it slipped out.

Diego dropped the document he was reading and glared at me. "Repeat what you just asked," he told me. I remained silent and shook my head in disagreement. He got up and began to approach me.

I tried to run away from him but before I could reach the door, Diego grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the other side of the room; far away from the door.

"Leave me alone,don't touch me," I shouted. I was tired of his constant maltreatment towards me. It was a lot, especially as I didn't do anything to him before till now.

Diego didn't listen to me, instead he held my neck and pinned me to the wall.

"You have no right to say anything to me and you should obey anything I order you to do," Diego said in an angry tone.

"I never did anything wrong to you so why are you always attacking me?" I said despite the fact he held my neck. I was lucky for now at least because he didn't press my neck; rather he just held it to the wall.

"Oh! You don't have to do anything wrong before I punish you baby girl," he said while smirking. His behaviour was beginning to frighten me as I feared he would do something drastic soon.

"The Cruz syndicate, especially your father, has done enough for me to punish you for a really long time, " he said, still smirking.

"What are you on about?" I asked. I needed to know what my father did in order for Diego to act this way to me.

"I will gladly tell you," he replied, smirking more. "Mr Javier killed my mother three years ago."

My father was falsely accused. "That's a lie, my father never did such," I said boldly. Yes, I could agree that my father killed many people but when it came to that matter, I knew the truth very well.

I had returned from Italy for my mother's anniversary and I was going to just stay for some days before travelling back. That day, there was a gun war between the Castillo and Cruz syndicates over a serious dispute and Diego's mum happened to be there too so she was shot.

I saw everything clearly and I knew who killed her but I couldn't say anything because of fear of my mental illness happening there and then.

"Of course you would deny it," Diego said angrily. "You are your father's little princess."

I instantly got annoyed. "I hate you Diego Castillo," I shouted. Diego tightened his grip on my neck the minute I said that and I could feel my breath coming in slowly and step by step.