Page 55 of Violent Attraction

Not if I have a say in it. I’ve been through too much shit in my life, no way in fucking hell am I adding this to the list..

So, what am I going to do?

Talk to my father, or at least attempt to talk to him.

Maybe, just maybe, if I go to him and he sees that I really want no part in this, he will call the whole thing off. Maybe he will realize that he doesn’t have to marry off his daughter to gain more power and money.

You know that’s not going to happen.

A girl can hope, right?

I’m strong, and I vowed once in my life already that I wasn’t going to let any man in it, make me feel like shit ever again.

It’s time to stand up to my father.

Like any other time that I have attempted to speak to my father in his office, the one and only place that you will find him, I square my shoulders and take a deep breath.

You can do this, Isabella.

You can do this.

Here goes nothing.

I lift a fist up to knock on the wooden door, but before I can make contact, the door opens. Standing there in front of me is the man I was about to ask to speak to.

“Papi,” I give him a bright smile as if nothing in the world could be wrong.

He looks me up and down, probably wondering what I’m doing here, about to knock on his door.

When it comes to interactions with my father, we usually keep them to his living quarters, the patio, the dining room, or the kitchen. If me and Camila want to speak to him, we will do it then. Leo is the only one that gets the benefit of the office.

Camila and I do not venture over to his office, unless we are asked too.

Like I was when he told me I was going to be marrying Emilio.

“Isabella, todo está bien?” He gives me a concerned look. I let my smile grow a little more and try to act like everything is fine.

“Si,” I give him a nod to convey it. “I was just wondering if you wanted to go for a walk with me. It’s a beautiful day out and all.”

As much as this office is his safe space, it’s not mine. I rather not step foot into the one place where my world came crashing down. I need to be in my own space and walking through my mother’s garden is one of the places that I can do that.

He gives me a look that tells me that he doesn’t believe that everything is fine and knows that I’m full of shit, but eventually he gives me a nod.

“Estará bien.” A court nod and an offered elbow later, me and my father are walking through the estate and heading straight to the garden.

Taking walks like this is something that I have missed dearly. Before my mother died, these kinds of walks were almost a daily occurrence. Usually it was just me, my mother and Camila, but there was always the rare occasion that my dad would join. It was those walks that always put a bigger smile on my face.

It was always those small moments with my father that I always enjoyed and to this day treasure. But when my mother died, and the cartel became a more prominent focus for him, these types of walks became things of memories.

I honestly can’t remember when the last time I spent time with my father like this was.

“It really is a nice day today.” He guides us to the garden and soon we are surrounded by colorful roses and the ever-bright flor de muertos.

My mother’s favorite.

I nod. “I can’t remember the last when me and you went for a walk like this.”

He is silent for a few seconds, and I watch him as he thinks through my statement.