Santi's Downfall

Chapter 3: The Set-Up

Life is all in the setup. A lot of people think I got the world handed to me, and I let them think exactly that whilst they handed me the world.

Dan Bilzerian


Santi Marchesi's POV

Selective Amnesia.

According to the information, Nico gathered Haven suffered from selective amnesia. Her brain blocked a certain part of her memories caused by trauma and I was part of those memories she forgot.

I didn't know if that was a good thing or not that she doesn't remember me since I played a vital role in why she'd been kidnapped in the past. I was her guard that day and I wasn't really paying attention looking after her that's why she'd been taken away right my very eyes.

I balled my hands into fists on my side. I swore to myself that I would never bother her again after that incident and now fate has other plans...

I heard Nico clear his throat behind me. I turned around to face him he was looking at me with an amused face. "What?" I asked defensively.

"What do you plan to do with your ward?" He raised with a knowing smile on playing on his damn mouth.

I took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose remembering how difficult she was to deal with when we arrived at my house she was screaming and kicking while I have to get her out of the car. "How is she?"

"What do you expect after you lock her in the guest bedroom do you think she will take it lightly?" Nico countered dryly. He allowed himself to smile slightly probably remembering that maddening while ago. "Oh, by the way, allow me to tell you that she just broke the expensive vase you just bought last month she threw it against the wall."

"I'm starting to have a headache," I confessed, closing my eyes leaning my head against the glass wall of my study room.

My cousin and also my right-hand man laughed at my misery. "How does it feel to have such feisty ward, boss? You will have so much on your plate from now on. Do you think you can bring her to Sicily without trouble?"

"She doesn't have a choice," I answered with a firm tone. "She'll come with us willingly or not."

"From what I can see from her she'll fight you tooth and nail. You can't just drag her wherever you want. She's something since she's the daughter of a well-known underground boss."

I tucked my hands in each pocket of my pants. "That's the thing, it seems she doesn't even know how rich her father was. She claimed that her Dad was only an average man with a minimum salary."

"Do you think James deliberately lied to her about his work and how wealthy he was after that incident—?"

Nico cut off his words when I threw a deathly glare in his direction. He knew very well that I don't like to be reminded of that kidnapping incident in the past. "It doesn't matter now what James had been thinking what bothers me is the fact that he named me as the legal guardian of his daughter and the legal custodian of his properties until his daughter turns twenty-five."

My cousin patted my shoulder kindly. "Well, cheer up, boss. Four years will pass in a blink of an eye. You can survive the next few years with your temperamental charge."

"Are you being optimistic or sarcastic?" I inquired matter-of-factly.

He gave a short laugh shaking his head slightly. "Both. If you're worried about it so much why don't just leave Haven here and hire someone to look after her while you go back to Sicily and resume your normal life?"

"That's highly impossible," I informed him. "I couldn't possibly leave her in the care of other people when her father entrusted me with his daughter which I still don't understand after what happened in the past."

"Maybe you're the only person James trust with regards to his daughter. But you also need to put into consideration that your ward is no longer a minor she's already at the right age and let me remind you that man and a woman living under the same roof could prove to be problematic in the future."

My eyebrows drew together while looking at him questioningly. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing. I just want to remind you that your twenty-one-year-old ward is a fine woman—"

"Hey, watch your mouth, you fucker!" I glowered at him darkly. "Are you forgetting that's James' daughter you are talking about? I don't want to hear this bullshit from you ever again, Nico. I'm warning you."

My cousin raised his hands upward in silent surrender. "All right. But I am just telling you the possibility of living on the same roof with a woman near your age."

"I'm six years older than her." I retorted back hotly, giving him a deathly look. I sorely want to put a bullet hole in his head at the moment. "For me, she's still the little girl I used to know in the past and that will never change."

He shrugged again as if not believing the word I have been saying. Oh, how I want to toss him outside the balcony. "If you say so, boss."

I pointedly ignore Nico's teasing and went to my desk to get the file I was looking for. I don't have time for Haven's tantrums and the sooner she accepts her new fate the better since I need to go back to Sicily as soon as possible and I only squeeze this trip to fetch her into my already tight schedule.

My cousin gave me an interesting look. "Oh, you're going to talk to her?"

"Yes," I breathed out, taking the file with me. "I need to sort this mess as soon as possible. We need to fly to Sicily late this afternoon."

He whistled softly, smirking in my direction. "This is going to be interesting. The little wildcat will be mad again if she learns that you're going to drag her to Sicily. I heard that she already has plans for her summer break and now you're here to ruin it."

"It doesn't matter what her plans are. Her father left her in my care and as much as that's so troublesome for me I would take care of her even if that means she needs to stay wherever I am at the moment."

Nico chortled, shaking his head at the thought. "That sounds so possessive in my ears, Santi. I am having chills just hearing about it."

"Niccolo Marchesi..." There was an unmistakable warning in my voice that often made my enemies shake with fear. And my bastard cousin knew that he had already reached the limit of my patience with his jesting.

"All right, fine..." He said holding his hand upward for a surrender. "I will not tease you any more about this. Should I instruct your pilot to have your plane ready?"

"Yes. This conversation with that little girl will not take long." With that, I left Nico in my study and went in the direction of the guest room where I locked my ward. "Open it," I instructed the man who was guarding the door outside.

As soon as I entered the room, I ducked instantly when my instinct told me because there was a flying object that went straight in my direction. "What the hell...!" I demanded looking at the maddening woman across the room. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?!" She echoed in disbelief, her eyes snapping with fire. I never knew someone who would boldly oppose me like her. "You're honestly asking me that, you bastard?! After you lock me here like a prisoner? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"Don't curse on me, woman," I stated coldly. "I will not take it lightly if you repeat that in the future."

"I don't give a monkey's ass." She replied angrily, tucking her hands in the middle of her chest. "You can't tell me what to do. You're nothing to me! Do you hear that?"

I locked the door firmly behind me because the men I installed as guards in this room couldn't help but look at us curiously. Of course, who could resist some drama? "I told you before that I am not your legal guardian."

"And I told you countless times before that I don't want to be in your care. Can't you understand that, thickhead?"

"Watch your mouth, young lady," I told her frostily, giving her a warning look. I don't know what makes my head throbbed even more her stubborn attitude or that bright pink hair of hers. "I don't tolerate insults."

She has the nerve to scoff in my face. "You can't lock me up here I want to go home now. I don't have time for your games, Mr. Marchesi."

I started to advance in her direction and she consciously took a step backward. "I'm afraid that's highly impossible from now on."

Her eyebrows drew together. "What do you mean?"

"I need you to come with me to Sicily," I announced with a firm tone. I don't want to waste my time here in Los Angeles when I should be in Sicily right now taking care of our family business. There's so much that needs to be done back at home.

"Are you out of your mind, Mister?!" She asked indecorously. "What makes you think that I'll come with you to Sicily?"

"As I said numerous times already I am now your legal guardian and it's my duty to look after you—your father's last request."

"That's bullshit." She opposed fiercely. "I'm sure my Dad will not request such a ridiculous thing from you. You seem shady to me."

I chuckled, staring straight into her eyes with amusement. I would ignore her insults for now and just focus on the main issue. I pushed the folder in her hands. "Here is the copy of your father's last will I'm sure after you read it you'll be convinced to what I am saying is completely true."

She reluctantly opens the folder and reads it in silence while she's so occupied with the file in her hand that I took the opportunity to study her discreetly. It's been almost a decade since the last time I laid my eyes on her. From what I could see she barely resemble the twelve-year-old girl who have a bright smile on her face whenever she came to visit us in Sicily with her father.

Maybe because her changes have something to do with the fact that she's no longer in her preteens and now grown into a young woman...

Fucker, where do you think your thoughts are leading you?

I shook my head, this was all Nico's fault because of his nonsense a while ago it made me unconsciously examine her appearance. Don't be ridiculous, she's the same child who used to tag along with me and Nico years ago I reminded myself. For me, she's would be always that little girl even if years had gone by.

"I can't believe this," she said, dragging me out of my not-so-pleasant thoughts. I glanced at her making sure she doesn't have any idea what kind of thoughts I was having with her. "Are you sure this is Daddy's last will? How come I didn't even know that he was this wealthy?"

"I'm not sure but I think he did that to protect you."

"Protect me?" She repeated with a frown. "Protect from what?"

I didn't wish to remind her about the kidnapping incident and who was responsible for why she was taken away that fateful day. "I am not sure." I lied smoothly.

She closed the file in her hand and handed it over to me. "It doesn't matter, I am sure we can talk about our set-up. You can look after my wellbeing and finances while I am living here in Los Angeles and you go back to Sicily."

"That's impossible," I told her harshly, crushing all the hopes she have about me leaving her alone. "There's no way I would settle in that kind of set-up. I need to keep an eye on you so you'll spend your summer in Sicily with me. Danger can be everywhere."

"My God! Do you hear yourself, Mr. Marchesi?" She gestured herself from head to toe. "Look at me. I am already a full-grown woman who can take care of herself. I am not a child anymore that I need some guardian to look after me."

I raked my gaze off her with a mocking smile. "Mi dispiace. But for me, you're still a child." I almost laughed at the disbelief expression on her face. I glanced at my wristwatch. "We'll be leaving two hours. Be ready."

"You can't possibly be serious! I will not come with you willingly unless you will drag me to Sicily."

I permitted myself to smirk in her direction. "Thanks for the idea. I will keep that in mind, Signorina."

I walked out of the guest room with a smile still fixed on my face. This was going to be a long four years ahead of us. There's no doubt about it.