The Tycoon

LEENA

Curiosity killed a cat, they say. They're not wrong. My curiosity has earned me several body bruises and a trip to a place I've never been. I'm going to live with people I've never known.

"Leena, are you done packing your bags?" my Father asks, walking into my bedroom without knocking.

I sniffle, wiping away the tears rolling down my cheeks. "Please let me stay here, I don't want to go and live with strangers."

He walks to the bed where I'm seated and begins to close my suitcase. "You brought this upon yourself."

"I didn't mean to," I say, sliding off the bed to

my knees. "Please, I won't mention a word to Mom."

He stops fidgeting with my suitcase and looks at me. "A word about what?"

"About you and Aunt Carissa," I say and he slaps me hard in the face.

"You've just proven a point, Leena. You can't keep your mouth shut so come on, start taking your bags to the car."

He lifts my suitcase and walks out of the room. I get off my knees and carry the rest of my bags to the car.

When I got home from work last night, I heard a female's voice in the house and I followed it to the guest room, opening the door without knocking because nobody uses it. That's when I found my Father having sex with Aunt Carissa, Mom's older sister. I stood frozen at the door until my Father started beating the hell out of me for invading his privacy. Aunt Carissa didn't say a word or try to stop him, she just gave me an apologetic look instead. That's what put me in this situation.

It is a quiet drive to the train station. Dad doesn't say a word to me until my luggage is safely loaded on the train.

"If you ever mention any of this to your mother, I'll kill you," he says, rubbing my shoulders with both hands. Anyone around us would think we're having a sweet emotional farewell conversation.

"I know," I say. Nothing can stop this man from doing just what he says. "I won't say a word to her or to anyone else."

"Good," he says. "Henry will be waiting for you at the station. Safe trip."

With that, he walks away and I get onto the train. I take the window seat, plug my AirPods, and lean my head against the window, watching the fog that spreads over the glass with each breath I take.

A man comes to sit next to me and across from me, a woman and a young boy. I don't realize they're a family until the man seated next to me displays a bunch of toys on the table and they all join the kid in a pretend play. It reminds me of my own family - Mom, Dad, and me - and how loving Dad was to me before he changed into the beast he is now. I close my eyes and let my mind wander to many years ago when everything was perfect, years ago before Dad got the job that changed him and the rest of us.

The airhorne blast startles me awake and I quickly wipe away the drool that is rolling down my cheeks. The kid looks at me and laughs. His mother says something to me, but the music in my ears is too loud, so I just offer her a smile. The train comes to a stop and the family leaves. I hug my jacket tighter as the train proceeds and mentally prepare myself for what awaits me - a holiday in a different city, with a different family.

When the train makes the last stop, I get my bags and go out. There are so many people around, hugging and laughing. Then there's me, looking around for the man who is supposed to pick me.

I turn around when someone taps my shoulder and find myself looking at a tall man, almost my father's age. He looks cold and dangerous, just like Dad.

"Leena Jackson?" he asks.

"Mr...Henry?" I say, realizing that his first name is the only information that Dad gave me.

"Yes, welcome to New York," he says, lifting my suitcase and taking it to his car. I follow behind him and slide into the backseat but he asks me to sit in the passenger seat instead.

"You've grown so much," he says, starting the car. "You were about seven the last time I saw you, how old are you now?"

"I'm twenty-one," I say.

"I see, how's Marina? I heard she moved to a different state."

"She's fine," I say. Marina is my mother. She was transferred to another state for work so I only get to see her on holidays, except I won't see her this time.

"What is the festive season like in Philadelphia?" he asks.

I sigh, not in the mood to talk, "It's just as it is everywhere else, jolly moods, decorations, fireworks and all."

"I see," he says and continues to drive in silence.

"How do you and my father know each other?" I ask, curious.

"He's an old friend," he replies. "And we're in the same business."

I nod, worried about how much more violent a man who isn't even my father would be.

He turns into a driveway and comes to a stop in front of a house decorated in all sorts of festive embellishments.

A woman opens the door and walks to the car just as I open mine. She comes straight to hug me and introduces herself as Anna, Henry's wife.

"Welcome home," she says, smiling so hard.