Europe / Florence / Florence (Palazzo Medici Riccardi): July 19th, 2020.
The room was completely silent.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Exactly how I liked it.
Dear reader.
(Annabelle's POV)
I slowly sat down in one of the large chairs with both hands resting on top of my cane.
Everyone continued staring at me.
Gian.
Mercy.
Isle.
Bartholomew.
I stared back.
Dear reader.
Family.
A beautiful thing.
Until you actually meet them.
"What happened to your face." Asked gian with raised eyebrows.
"I got it done." I said calmly like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Gian scoffed softly and said "Clearly."
"Then stay silent you incompetent fuck." I said calmly with dismissive eyes.
The room was silent.
Mercy's lips twitched.
I ignored her and adjusted myself comfortably into the chair.
"Romeo has been diagnosed with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome. I know it is godd news so don't get excited, this is not why I called for a family meeting." I said calmly.
The room immediately became serious.
Isle froze.
Bartholomew lowered his head.
Gian stared at me with widened eyes.
"How do you know." Asked Isle very quickly.
"Don't you worry about it." I said with calmly closed eyes.
The room was silent.
Gian rubbed his forehead and said with a sigh "Annabelle."
"What." I said calmly with no reaction at all.
Isle slowly stood up and said with a clenched jaw "Where is he."
"Being brought back here." I said calmly with with narrowed eyes.
"Why." Asked Isle with surprised and confusion.
"Because hospitals cost money. Do you have any money." I said calmly while waving my left finger at her.
The room became silent again.
I slowly looked around.
Nobody said anything.
Dear reader.
I wonder why.
"Speaking of money." I said with a soft heard snort, my laugh slipping a little as I tried to hold it in.
Gian immediately sighed.
Dear reader.
That sigh told me everything.
"How broke are you people." I said with a sigh.
The room was completely silent.
Nobody answered.
I slowly leaned forward and said with the most gentlest smile that you would see in the whole world "That bad."
"The family possesses significant assets." Said gian Immediately.
"That wasn't what I asked." I said calmly with a sigh at this demented motherfucker.
"The assets are not particularly liquid." Said gian calmly with a shrug
The room went completely silent.
I stared at him.
Dear reader.
Rich people have an amazing talent.
Lying.
They can say they're broke without ever saying they're broke.
"The family has debt." Said bartholomew calmly.
"How much." I asked Immediately with interest.
Silence.
I narrowed my eyes and said calmly "Exactly, nobody knows."
The room was silent.
"We would need the records." Said gian calmly with squinted eyes.
I stared at him for a long moment and said while pointing at him "You are ninety five years old."
Gian's eyebrows furrowed as he asked with his jaw clenching "What does that have to do with anything."
I laughed and said "You've had ninety five years to figure it out. I don't need to elaborate more on this topic."
Mercy covered her mouth.
Gian immediately looked toward her.
She calmly looked away.
I smiled and said with a firm tone "Get every financial record connected to this family."
Gian looked back toward me and asked with a look of genuine confusion on his face "Under what authority."
The room became silent.
"None." I said with no reaction at all.
Gian blinked.
"I am not the current duke or duchess. Romeo is, therefore I have no reason to pay attention too a matter like this but if it concerns our survival then yes I will." I said calmly.
Isle lowered her eyes and said while chewing her bottom lip "And currently tomeo can't govern."
The room became heavier.
I tapped my cane onto the floor.
*Pak*
"Somebody needs to figure out what the fuck happened to florence. It will be all of you because you caused it." I said while pointing my cane at all of them.
Gian stared at me and asked "And you believe that should Include you."
"No at all. I already spent seventy three years running this place." I said with a very carefree tone.
The room was silent.
Dear reader.
She did.
Close enough.
"I don't want the title. I want the books so get moving." I said calmly with a wave of my left hand as I grabbed and threw a cherry into my mouth.
Bartholomew slowly stood up and said "I understand, mother."
I looked toward the large windows.
Florence stretched beyond them.
Beautiful.
Old.
Expensive.
Broke.
"Because I left behind a functioning city. Now businesses are closing, people are unemployed, this family is drowning in debt and apparently nobody knows where the money went." I said calmly with a firm tone.
Nobody spoke.
I looked back toward them and said "I have money."
The room became completely silent.
Gian's eyes narrowed as he asked "How much."
"My money." I said with a very bougie tone as I struggled but managed to cross my left leg over the other while throwing another cherry into my mouth.
His face twitched.
"You expect us to show you our finances while refusing to show yours." Said gian calmly as his hand tightened around the knob of his cane.
"Incorrect. That is the dukes wealth and is romeo's responsibility to manage it, you, mercy and Isle have never worked a day in your entire life." I said calmly while grabbing a wine glass from a servant that bowed and left.
"That is absurd." Said gian with anger, his hand trembling.
I shrugged while taking a sip from the glass of wine as I said "Then stay broke you."
Mercy suddenly laughed.
Everyone looked toward her.
She immediately covered her mouth.
"Sorry." Said mercy.
"No you're not." I said Immediately.
"Indeed. I'm not." Said mercy calmly with a sigh.
I nodded.
Smart woman.
Gian sighed and said tiredly "I will have the records gathered."
"Wonderful. Look at us cooperating." I said with a fake smile.
Isle rolled her eyes.
I ignored her.
"Oh." I said while waving at a servant man by the double doors to come inside.
The servant came inside and towards me with a silver tray.
I reached toward the tray and picked up the folded letter and said calmly "Queen elizabeth invited me to windsor."
The room went completely silent.
Gian's expression immediately changed.
"Elizabeth." Asked bartholomew with a confused tone, failing to see the importance.
"The queen of england." I said, calmly correcting.
Bartholomew blinked for a moment and said "I know who elizabeth is, mother."
"Good, know the Importance of the head of state in england that has the power to remove and appoint the prime minister." I said calmly while sitting the wine glass down on the table beside me.
Gian quickly stood up with trembling legs and came over and took the letter from my hand and read it.
His face slowly became serious.
"What. Surprised that your relevance has faded" I asked calmly with a chuckle.
"Hopefully your body soon with it" I thought with a neutral expression.
Gian remained silent.
He looked toward me.
"She mentions matters from many years ago." I said calmly.
"I can read." Said gian Immediately with a serious look on his face
Gian ignored me while saying "If she means what I believe she means…you should go."
My eyes narrowed as I asked "What do you think she means."
Gian glanced toward the others and said softly "Not here."
The room became completely silent.
Dear reader.
Oh.
Secrets.
My favorite.
I slowly smiled.
Gian immediately frowned and said "Don't smile like that."
"Like what." I said with a wide grin.
"Like that." Said gian with disgust.
I stood up slowly with the help of my cane and said "Fine."
I looked around at everyone and said with my bottom lip puckerd like a hard thug and said while pointing at them "Until romeo gets off his menstrual cycle, nobody does anything stupid."
My eyes slowly moved toward bartholomew.
"Especially you." I said with my thug face cold.
Bartholomew sighed and said "Yes, mother."
I looked toward isle and said with a glare "And you, bitch."
"I haven't done anything." Said Isle with a very offended look on her face.
"Keep up the good work. I am proud of you." I said with a motherly tone and look on my face.
Mercy's lips twitched.
I turned toward gian and said "And you skinwalker."
"What did I do." Asked gian calmly with confusion.
"Incest." I said with a sigh as I wiped a fake tear away from my eye.
The room died.
"ANNABELLE." Said Isle, mercy, gian and bartholomew loudly at once.
Dear reader.
Successful meeting.
No.
Tamed but successful meeting.
I slowly walked toward the double doors.
*Tap*
*Tap*
*Tap*
"Mother." Said bartholomew suddenly.
I stopped.
"What happens now." Asked bartholomew with a whisper like tone.
I glanced back toward florence through the windows.
Then smiled.
"We find out where the money went." I said calmly with a sudden witch like loud laugh.
"HEHEHE…AHAHAHA."
CREAAAAK
The doors opened.
Dear reader.
New face.
New teeth.
New body.
Broke family.
Vegetable duke.
A queen with secrets.
And missing money.
…
This should be fun.
*BOOM*
…
THE END…