THE MAFIA'S PENANCE

A DREAM

A noise was heard from the event room. Renata and I were very surprised. Renata swiftly opened her lower dress and picked up the weapon she had hidden on her right thigh inside the dress.

"What's going on, Ren?" I asked with fear.

The guard standing guard outside the toilet opened the door but not for how long he was shot and died on the spot. Renata pulled me to hide behind the wall next to the entrance. There were steps of several people approaching but not for how long the sound of a lot of gunfire was heard.

"Ren, are you inside?" Arthur's voice sounded from outside.

Renata stepped towards the door and I followed her. Arthur came with some of his men.

"What's going on, Art? Where's Vernon?" I asked confused.

"We'd better get out of here. Foggiana's already sent a hit man to kill Simon." Arthur cried while holding Renata's arm. "Come with me, Viv."

"Where's Vernon?" I asked with a feeling of worry.

"He and his men are still in chaos. When Simon attacked with him. It seems that he was trying to protect Simon with his men, possibly Simon asking for protection from him before this." Answer Arthur. "Come with us, Viv."

I did not listen to Arthur and chose to run straight to the event room where at this time there were still sounds of several shots fired. I don't care about Arthur or Renata calling me.

I bravely entered without thinking anything until a shot landed on my left abdomen. Instantly I fell down. I could hear Vernon yelling my name and a few shots sounded louder as Vernon ran towards me who had fallen to the floor covered in red carpet. The pain of the gunshot wound in my stomach darkened my vision but before my sight was completely gone, Arthur appeared with his men shooting at the men who tried to shoot Vernon.

"You're so handsome, I love you. Why won't you be my fiancee?" I said to someone standing in front of me right now. "I know you and the girl love each other but she and my sister are engaged."

My current conversation opponent did not answer anything and just stood before me. Even I could not see her face at this moment because the sunlight was blinding my eyes as I raised my head to look at her.

Suddenly I opened my eyes with a breath of air, and my eyes ached from the light of the lamp. I was lying down and just woke up. Someone was standing on my right side but for a moment because my eyes were still blurry I couldn't see who he was.

"You okay?" Ask the guy, hear him say I know it's Vernon.

My eyes began to return to their original state and saw Vernon staring at me. I'm in the hospital right now. My stomach was still hurting when I woke up from my sleep.

"You better lie down first. You've been unconscious since yesterday after you were shot. The doctor took the bullet, thankfully, it didn't hit any vital organs." Vernon held my shoulder from waking up.

I try to remember what happened to me. Yeah, I got shot stupidly on that show. I shouldn't have gotten into the showroom, fortunately I didn't die from that shot. That stupidity will never be forgotten for the rest of my life. I should have followed Arthur's words and gone with him. I don't know what I was thinking until I ran into that mess.

"You okay?" Ask Vernon.

My eyes looked back at Vernon. For a moment I felt something different at this moment when I saw him. There was a feeling I didn't understand about Vernon. That dream, is the person in front of me Vernon?

"What's wrong? Are you all right?" Vernon repeated his words and made me realize from my daydream that was just staring at him. "You heard me, right?"

"Why did you go back to that place? You should have gone with your sister." Vernon exclaimed with a look of annoyance at me. "Why don't you think getting into that place is so dangerous?"

"Where did you know that Art was with me?" I looked at Vernon because he seemed to know that Arthur was coming to me and Renata to the toilet.

"Renata caught you in the toilet, Arthur must have been looking for her." Answer Vernon. "I shouldn't take a stupid woman like you to such an event."

"A way like that?" Look at me I feel something strange. "So you knew it was going to happen, right? Yeah, Art also said yesterday that the father of the woman you love asked for your help to protect her from Foggianna's attack, right?" I don't know why I'm upset right now. After dreaming like that, it felt like my frustration with Vernon increased when I thought about the woman he loved.

"Then why? Is there a mistake with that? Why don't you look like him?" Ask Vernon.

"Shouldn't you invite me to the shootout?! It really scared me. Two days in a row I had to experience the same fear." I said very upset.

"Don't you like that kind of mess?" Look at Vernon coldly. "Why are you being a coward now?"

Vernon's words he said coldly made me fall silent. What he said must have been about the old me. But this time I just kept quiet without saying anything or wanting to ask about it. To be honest, I'm tired of thinking about it and trying to find answers by asking, because it's always useless. Vernon won't answer everything I've asked about the long-ago incident.

"Why are you silent now? Don't you want to know what you did first?"

I looked up at Vernon, but I did not answer him and waited for him to continue.

"Yes, I won't answer either because it's better you don't ask me anything more about it." Vernon.

Instantly the door of the room in which I was being treated opened. Appeared Sesya who immediately walked with wide steps approaching the bed.

"Viv, are you okay?" Tanya Sesya stood beside the bed in place of Vernon earlier after the man walked over and sat on the sofa. "Thank God you're not dead." Sesya's eyes looked teary and my best friend was holding my right hand with both hands.

"I'm doing fine. You don't have to overdo it." I replied a little annoyed at Sesya's overreaction. "Don't cry for me, I'm still alive. You can cry when I die because I won't see your tears."

Suddenly the door of the room opened again and this time Alec appeared. His presence makes me feel happy. It felt like I wanted to run and directly snatch her body to hold her. But what power, other than that I can't get out of my place, Vernon's existence makes it not happen.

"You coming to see, Alec?" Look at Vernon on Alec.

"Yes, I want to see how things are." Alec answered walking over to me. "You okay, Viv?" Tanya Alec stood on the left side of the bed where I lay.

"I'm fine." Answer me with a smile. "Alec I'm glad you came to see me." Unknowingly my left hand moved by itself holding the right palm of Alec's hand.

Instantly Vernon who was sitting on the sofa in Alec's direction stared at what I was doing. I just realized what I was doing was wrong.

...–NATZSIMO–...