Game Of Sins

15 - Aella

"You were out with that boy, weren't you?", Dad's voice cut through the silence.

My feet were on the cold marble floor. My hands were on my knees and my head was bent. Ace silently sat beside dad on another armchair, looking at me as if I was the biggest disappointment in the world.

Words churned up and died in my throat. I slowly looked up to see which one of the stupid guards had followed me around again.

"Answer me!",Dad shouted as he stood up. His towering figure stood over me and I tried my best not to flinch. I looked over to my brother for any sort of moral support but he wasn't Archer. He was Ace. He was never my favourite brother.

I looked up at Dad again. His usually ocean blue eyes were now a dark hue.
"It is for your own safety! Why don't you understand that?!",he said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

Tears threatened to surface.
"It was one night.",I said softly.

"One night? Do you know what could've happened? You could've been kidnapped, drugged or worse.",he said.
"You're my little girl and I always want you to be safe.",he said.

Ace snorted.

Anger rose in me.
"I'm not a little girl, Dad. I can handle myself, you know. I'm going to be eighteen. And all these years, I've been following your stupid rules. I don't have friends at school. I don't have a phone. I don't have anyone to talk to. I beg for your forgiveness if having one night to myself was such a big deal for you."

"You don't understand the nature of our business, damn it! Anything can happen anytime! We've been trying our best to give you the life you deserve but you're not going to learn, are you? You want to end up like mom and Archer.",Ace said, getting up.

His words hit me like a brick.

"Ace!",Dad snapped, turning around.

I clutched the sofa, my knuckles turning white.

"No, who does she think she is? Walking around like some queen. Dad, are you gonna tell her, or should I?",Ace said coldly.

"Tell me what?",I asked hoarsely, standing up to face my dad.
"Dad?"

Dad wouldn't meet my eyes. He fiddled with his gold rings.
"Dad?",I called out again.

I turned to look at Ace. His expression was stoic and his arms were crossed across his chest. He looked at me coldly.

"What the hell is it?",I asked him.

"The Southside came here a few days back.",Ace started.

I nodded. I remembered but I knew better than to tell him that.

"They brought...an offer.",he said slowly.

"What kind of an offer?",I asked, everything going right past my head. Since when had I started to become a part of Dad and Ace's stupid deals?

"An alliance.",Dad said slowly.

"Okay...?",I was doubtful.

Dad took a deep breath.
"I know you're just seventeen now but you're turning eighteen next week. Their offer was strong. If we have an alliance with them, we'll become indestructible. The Vice Kings will have no choice but to bow down to us."

"Okay but why does this involve me?",I said.

Dad stayed silent.

"As collateral against any sort of funny business from our side, they asked for...for your hand in marriage. With Zenas' son. He's twenty two.",Ace completed.