Love and Debt

Alora was just listening to Paolo and was surprised about the history of the Santelmo's and  the Wilson's.

One of the guards walked towards Luke and gave some files before Paulo was able to continue.

"Alfonso Santelmo, your great great grandfather. The most influential man back in the 1970's. He was friends with Adrian Wilson, my father's grandfather. Alfonso was imprisoned because of the rape and murder of Agatha Wilson, Adrian Wilson's sister. Alfonso died in 1980. He was beaten and stabbed to death." It was Luke who continued.

Paulo didn't say a word but Alora saw that he was surprised by what Luke said. He didn't expect that Luke knew something about it. The case file of Alfonso Santelmo was erased from the police's database and no one knew how it happened. 

"I don't think it was the Wilson's who did the betrayal part. Here. You could take these files and proof. It's all yours." Luke said while sliding the files on the table towards Paulo.

Paulo took the files and his son as well. They looked at it and were frowning while reading it.

When they're done, Paulo stared at them.

"This doesn't change anything." He said.

Luke already knew that. It wasn't easy to end an ongoing feud for decades. The Santelmo's are proud men of the Mafia and the Wilson's would not bow down to anyone either.

"I know. I just don't want to hear anything about the past and blame my family for something we didn't do." Luke seriously said.

Then Paulo suddenly looked at Alora.

"Your fiance was like an angel on the outside but in truth she's -" 

"I'm a murderer." Alora continued and cut him off. 

She let out a short laugh and saw the men were surprised to see that Alora didn't feel any fear from them.

"What? It's true. I already killed four people as far as I remember. I know you knew I'm a crazy bitch and planned to use it against me and the Wilson Group. But go ahead and try." The ice princess smirked.

"Baby, calm down." Luke whispered. 

She smiled at him and nodded.

"We didn't ask you to meet us so we could chat about the past or make friends with you. That would never happen. Like Alora said, go ahead and try again. Maybe try harder next time. You've been toying with us since we were kids. We are not kids anymore and it's time for us to fight back." Luke remarked.

"Are you threatening us, Mr.Wilson?" The younger guy called James finally spoke.

Luke laughed this time, before glaring at the men across them.

"It depends on how you interpret my words. But I assure you, there will be no next time, you will never get another chance to lay a finger on  Alora or to any of the people around us ever again."

Luke's voice was firm and commanding. It was a warning to the Santelmo's. His face and aura shows no fear. He's ready for a war with them anytime.

"You are challenging us, Mr.Wilson. You just became the new chairman of Wilson Group and you are already full of yourself. Just so you know, we will never back out. We never give up on a fight. We are ready to do everything and anything, and sacrifice even our own to achieve our goal." Paulo warned back.

Alora chuckled which made the other side frowned.

"Don't you think it's funny telling us about not backing out and sacrificing your own? We already know that. We've been dealing with you since I was eleven. And you made me kill two of your men when you kidnapped us. Then now, you are trying to use that to blackmail me and Luke. What for? So your clan could go back in power here in Northbay by controlling and using Luke through me. Well played."

"It seems you are not afraid, Miss Smith." James blurted while giving her a smirk. 

Alora felt a sudden rage flowing in her body. She hated people like him. Those eyes with malice and lust towards her; she wanted to get close to him, strangle him and poke his eyes out.

"I'm more afraid of losing the people I love than fighting the likes of you." Alora answered in a cold tone.

She felt Luke's hand squeezing hers while he glanced at her, as if saying to relax and calm down. Luke knew what she felt so he was comforting her.

"Don't you think it's a good idea? Mr.Wilson, you will stay as the chairman of Wilson Group but you will be working under our supervision, supporting and giving us everything so we could gain power. In exchange, we will never hurt any of you. We could live in peace together." Paulo offered.

"That was really funny. Peace? You call that peace? You wanted me to be your puppet so you could take over Northbay City. Do you think I would agree to that? You don't know me. I would never allow anyone to control me." Luke answered with clenched teeth.

"Then I think you have to prepare yourself. Are you ready to kill and get killed?" James asked.

"We are. And the next time I see you, I'll be delighted to kill you." IAlora was the one who answered.

"I'll be looking forward to that, Miss Smith. If you wouldn't do it then I'll let your fiance watch as I take you in my bed." James suddenly said.

Luke's expression changed, his face was dark and ready to attack James. But to everyone's surprise, Alora was the one who attacked the guy.

The men behind them and Paulo were pointing the gun at Alora but Eugene and Luke's men were pointing their guns  at them.

Alora strangled James while he was seated. His eyes couldn't believe how she was able to move that fast. He couldn't breathe and his eyes were becoming red.

Alora leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"Don't ever underestimate me. If you ever lay a finger on me, even just a strand of my hair, if you ever utter a single word about my fiance, I swear I will hunt you down and rip your eyes and heart out. Like what I did to your cousin, Raphael."

His eyes widened. Alora didn't expect that James was not aware of it. Judging by his looks, she thinks he's the same age as Raphael so maybe no one told him about how he died.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she knew it was Luke.

"Baby, I told you to calm down." He said.

When she let go of James, he was coughing. One of the men handed her a white cloth and a disinfectant. Paulo and James' faces changed.

"I'm sorry I was trying to be calm. Let's go back to our seats." Alora said while giving them a devilish smile.

Now, she was staring at the man who she almost killed, and now married to her friend, Nina. She still couldn't believe that the James Santelmo she met before somehow changed.. Alora knew that he was sincerely in love with Nina just by looking into his eyes, but it wouldn't change the fact that the Santelmo's had tried to kill her for so many years.