Two Worlds Apart - Mafia World

As their eyes met, her eyes widen in disbelief. She was afraid to blink. Even to look away for a mere second. Taking two steps back, she grabbed Wes's arm to stabilize her.

"Are you okay?" Wes asked as he frowned down at her hand on his arm.

"A- Y- Yeah," Alice said.

She glimpsed at Wes for only a second. Forgetting a moment back she did not even want to blink. That mere second, she regretted once she looked back. She blinked a few times hoping, praying that he would reappear again. Could it be her mind playing a joke on her? Fifteen years have passed, and every day she wished, prayed to get only a glance of him.

Her eyes searched through the room.

"Where - Where did he go?" She murmured

"Who? What is wrong with you tonight, Alice? You are not acting like yourself." Wes followed her gaze,

"I thought I saw..." Alice glanced at Wes, but when she saw his disinterested glare, it awoke her to reality.

"Forget it."

The little bit of hope her heart longed for, was instantly washed away by the bitterness she kept in her heart. How can something like that even be a possibility when he was dead?

"Whatever. I am going to get something to drink. You want something?" Wes asked,

"No, I am good,"

Wes frowned at her distant behavior. He shook his head and walked away

"You look like someone I knew when I was younger. Only she had light brown hair.

Alice's eyes widen as she heard a voice behind her. As she turned around, she took a step back,

"You - You." Alice stuttered

"You seem like you have seen a ghost." He said with a chuckle.

She opened her mouth to respond but heard someone calling her in a hurry.

"Alice!"

She automatically turned toward the voice and watched Khan rush toward her

"Ahem. Yes, Khan?" She asked as she lifted an eyebrow

Khan glared at the guy behind her. His eyes moved to Alice.

"Your father is looking for you."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. You know he does not like to wait."

"I ... You go ahead. I will be right there."

"NO! I told him I will accompany you there."

Left with no choice. Alice turned around. Even when given a second chance, she wasted it. He was gone. Her heart sank as she had to watch his back while he walked away. Even if he was not Kevin. She only wanted to have a few minutes with him. Her heart was screaming at her to follow him.

Jackson Brown's words ran through her mind, "Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eyes."

"NOW. ALICE"

Khan's harsh tone shook Alice out of her thoughts.

Khan followed her gaze.

"Why are you so interested in that guy, Alice?".

She looked at Khan contemplating if she should tell him. She pondered for a second.

"He looks like Kevin, Khan. Could it be him? I need to follow him."

"Alice!"

"Don't you trust me?"

"What do you mean Khan? Of course, I trust you."

"How can you say you trust me when you think that man is Kevin, Alice? Haven't I given you enough evidence to prove his death? How can you get distracted by a guy that looks like your childhood love?"

Alice stared into the distance.

"You are right. I lost focus for a few seconds. It will not happen again."

"Are you sure Alice? Your whole reason for living is to revenge Kevin, or have you forgotten?"

"How can I forget? You're right as always. Let's go." Alice said in a cold tone

"Don't let me remind you again."

"I said I got it, Khan!"

"Good. Now follow me."

As Alice followed Khan into another room. She could not get the image of that guy out of her head. He resembled Kevin too much. As they neared her adoptive father, Adriano Bernardi, leader of the Berandi Mafia clan. She watched him standing with his back towards them. Engaged in a deep conversation with other leaders and shareholders.

"Sir," Khan greeted as they stopped behind Adriano.

Adriano turned around. He glanced at Khan and moved his eyes to Alice.

"Alice, where have you been?"

With a frown, he looked both sides and behind her. "Where is Wes?" He asked

"Good day father. He went to get us something to drink. We only arrived a while back and got held up by a few guests."

Adriano scowled at Alice. He turned sideways revealing her to the men.

"Gentlemen this is my daughter Alice. She will go to the meeting on my behalf in London."

"Welcome to my party, Alice. It is a pleasure to finally meet the famous Alice. We have heard a lot about you. Seems you are not someone to trifle with. The apple does not fall far from the tree. I am glad to see Adriano is finally showing you to the rest of the world," One man said.

"We look forward to working with you," another gentleman said.

Alice took a glass of champagne from a server that walked passed

"Thank you, gentlemen. I will see you all in London. I hope you all will treat me as one of you."

All the men lifted their glasses and took a sip.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Alice," Adriano said as he frowned at Alice over the rim of his glass.

"Aren't you planning to hand over the family business to her?" One of the men asked out of curiosity

"It depends if she can pass all the tests. One does not count their chickens before they hatched."

Testing someone can be done in a thousand ways, but Alice knew her father and his method of "testing." Hard days were awaiting Alice in the future...

Alice felt her phone vibrating in her purse. She sighed, as she saw the caller id,

"Hello?"

"Alice, are you back from London?" Wes enquired.

"Yes, I am heading home as we speak."

"Meet me at the restaurant around the corner from my company." Wes ended the call

Alice glared at the sorry of an excuse, fiancé sitting in front of her.

Wes stared daringly back into Alice's eyes.

"I do not think you are capable of loving anyone. I am your fiancé. Why can't you show me any affection?"

Alice leaned back in her chair. She looked down at her fingernails and moved her eyes back to him.

"This is a business transaction, Wes. You knew that from the start. Do you think I am not aware of the affection you received from other women? I always thought their affection was enough."

Wes glared at Alice, ignoring her words,

"If you think I will enter this marriage with you, you must be dreaming. This engagement is off!"

Wes did not wait on her response and stood up, straighten his tie, and turned to walk away.

Alice snorted. She made a small motion with her hand. Khan walked in front of Wes and stopped him from walking out by pressing on Wes's chest. Wes turned around abruptly and stared at Alice.

"You think I did not bring my men with me? Do you think I fear you?"

Alice narrowed her eyes at him,

"The ceremony starts at eight you better be there. You know what will happen if you don't."

"Are you deaf? I told you the engagement is off!"

"I never repeat myself, Wes," Alice said as she stood up and walked past him. She stopped. "Don't test us, Wes. You know we Bernardi's do not take it lightly."

She took the long white gloves she was wearing off and walked out of the restaurant.

As they reached the car, Alice waited for Oliver to open the back door and she climbed in.

Before Oliver closed the door, Alice motioned with her hand for him to stop.

"Khan!" He stepped forward,

"Yes Alice "

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" She asked with a grin.

"Yes. I will arrange everything. Your father has been waiting on your arrival. You should head home."

Alice nodded. Khan closed the door and motioned for Oliver to climb in. Khan walked toward his car and drove away. Oliver climbed into the driver's seat. He glanced at Alice in the rearview mirror.

"Where to?"

"Home." She said as she put her sunglasses on,

Oliver nodded. He started the car, and they sped off.

Alice stared out of the window deep in thought, as she looked at the trees passing by.

'NOT capable of love?' She sneered inside at those words.

Love. An incapable word no one can master. Love, a meaningless word.

Her thoughts traveled back to her childhood,

The eyes are the window to the soul. His eyes were dark, lifeless. Sending shivers through her body as she was forced once again to look into them. If the eyes are the window to our soul, he would be considered soulless.

"I - I did nothing w-w-wro-ng w-w-why are y-y-ou." She stuttered. She swallowed as she tried to speak her words out correctly.

"Do not cry do not cry do not cry..." She kept repeating to herself.

She watched him slowly approach her. She was reminded of the stories she heard in the orphanage, about the boogieman and the man who lurked in the dark. But this man. This man reminded her of a demon. He was a thousand times worse than a boogieman.

"When are you going to learn to stop? Why do you have to be so... what's the word... worthless. That's your problem you are worthless."

She squeezed her eyes closed and waited. Seconds past but nothing happened. She peeked with one eye and saw him still standing in front of her. When she caught the smirk on his face, she instantly crawled toward the door. She felt a painful pull on her hair. He twirled her hair around his hand and started to drag her out of the room. She gripped the door frame with her nails when her fingers started to slip. The wood tore into her flesh as his force on her increased.

"NO! NO! NOOOO! Please don't take me to that room! No! She screamed, she begged but it fell on deaf ears. The thumping in her head from the pain of his pull was unbearable.

He stopped. The wooden door creaked open. She closed her eyes as she fell on the cold floor inside the room. She jumped up and darted to the door, only to get hit by it in the face. She turned the doorknob, but it was already locked.

"NO! NO" She hammered the door with her fist. "What did I do this time? Tell me! Tell ME!"

She closed her eyes. The smell of blood, sweat, and another kind of scent she has never smelled before filled her nostrils.

Darkness was all she got to know since they took her from the orphanage. The place she always wanted to leave, but now she wanted nothing more than to go back. She slid to the floor. Three thoughts always lingered in her mind. Why didn't they kill her with the rest? Why did they keep her alive only to torture her? What do they gain out of this?"

"Bang, bang, bang, bang..."

The sound echoed through the room as the blood on her forehead coated the door.

"WHY ARE YOU PEOPLE DOING THIS TO ME!!!!! I did nothing wrong..."

"Alice?"

Alice got pulled out of her deep thoughts

"Yes, Oliver?" Alice hissed.

"I said we are here. Do you need more time before you enter?"

Alice glanced past him. The elite country house stood in front of her. Surrounded by a few oak trees. Blue bougainvillea flowers spread across the white paint of the villa.

She climbed out and walked toward the house. The butler opened the door.

"Welcome back Miss, Alice"

Alice nodded, took her sunglasses off, and handed them to Oliver. She walked past the butler toward the entertaining room.

As always, he sat in his chair, paging through reports. He looked up and closed the document as soon as he noticed her.

"Father," she greeted as she walked up to him and kissed him on his cheek.

She took the chair opposite him and crossed her legs.

"How did the meeting go in London?"

Adriano was in his late eighties. He could not travel as much anymore due to his age and health.

"It went well. Khan said he already informed you."

The butler walked in and placed Adriano's whiskey on the table next to him. The butler bowed and left.

The tray flew across the floor. Whiskey splashed against the wall and glass pieces shattered everywhere.

"I asked you! How many times do I have to tell you, to not trust anyone?"

Alice did not flinch. She only stared at him.

The butler hurried in and started cleaning and picking up the pieces of glass.

"The deal went through. They liked our proposal. We will start supplying in ten days."

Adriano nodded. The sound of his ring finger tapping against the wooden chair annoyed Alice

"Everything going as planned with the engagement party tonight?" Adriano asked as he looked with curiosity at Alice.

"Wes wants out. He wants to break off the engagement."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll make him regret crossing us. Isn't that what you taught me to do?"

Adriano nodded,

"Good. I'll wait to hear the good news"

An outsider would frown upon you when they hear you say, "good news sends a chill down your spine". If only they knew good news to Adriano meant the opposite.

Alice nodded,

"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave then. I still have to go to the company." Alice said

Adriano nodded.

He stared at the doorway where Alice had left.

They arrived at the company. Alice climbed out and walked into the building. When she reached her office, she sat down and opened her laptop. Her fingers ran fast over the keyboard. She leaned back into her chair, then pressed enter. With a smirk, she stared at the coding text on her laptop. Alice pressed the intercom button,

"Oliver, get me the CEO of Targo on the line."

"Yes, Alice"

A few minutes later her office phone rang. Alice answered the call,

"Hello, Jackson."

"Hello Alice, what can I do for you?"

"I want you to freeze all further orders from Techno Corporation."

Jackson kept silent for a while,

"I heard from your father, Wes will be his future son-in-law. So why do you want me to do that?"

"Are you coming to the engagement party tonight Jackson?"

"Of course, I am. It would be rude not to."

"Good. You will get your answer tonight. If you want me to continue our business transaction, you will do as I tell you to."

"Alice, If I may ask. Did Wes cross your family?"

"Yes," Alice hissed

"It is always a pleasure doing business with your family. Jackson said then ended the call.

Targo Corporation.

Jackson placed the phone down and turned to his assistant.

"Stop all future and current orders that are going out to Techno corporation."

The assistant's eyes widened,

"Sir?"

"You better hurry and do as I say. This is an order from Alice herself. If one of our trucks is seen offloading supplies to them, we will be on the wrong side of the Bernardi clan. So, hurry!"

When the assistant heard him mentioning the Bernardi clan, the hair on his arm automatically stood up. The two most feared mafia clans were the Rodriguez clan. Their leader was Kevin Rodriguez, and the Bernardi clan.

The assistant hurried to his desk. He called all the departments and informed them to stop all current and future orders. The manager of the orders department stormed into the assistant's office,

"What do you think you are doing? Do you know how big a loss the company will make if we go ahead with your request? Are you insane?"

The assistant looked bored at the Manager.

"I'm sorry, but the company's future is more valuable than a few dollars we will lose when we stop our business with them.

The manager almost fainted when he heard the assistant's words.

"Stop- Stop – our business with Techno. Have you gone crazy? Where is Jackson, is he aware of this?"

The assistant sighed,

"Do I ever do anything without Jackson's orders? I work for him. So of course, the order came directly from him."

The manager could not stand it anymore. He grabbed the chair that stood next to him and slumped down.

"How – How can he do this? They are one of our biggest customers."

The assistant waved a dismissive hand, "Not for long. They are in the process of collapsing."

"WHAT? SINCE WHEN?

"They crossed the Bernardi clan. It is only a matter of... I would have said days, but I think the correct term would be hours."

The manager leaned forward,

"What was Techno thinking? Are they insane!"

"They were not thinking at all."

The manager glanced around the office and then looked back at the assistant,

"Are the stories true? That Adriano Bernardi is letting his daughter, Alice take over? I heard them say she is the most beautiful woman you will ever see but inside she is as cold as ice. She has exceptional fighting skills." He rubbed his arms as he felt goosebumps running over them.

The assistant raised his eyebrow,

"All I can say is that everyone knows not to cross that family."

The door to Jackson's office opened. Jackson stood in the doorway staring at the two in front of him.

"Should I call Alice and tell her you would like her to come and tell you her story herself?" Jackson asked annoyed.

The manager's eyes widened. Jackson's words made him jump to his feet,

"I – I have a lot of work that still needs to be done." He said and hurried out of the office