Bitter Life

Bianca was still silent on the balcony, her dream party was ruined by the arrival of the mafiosos invited by her father. Her beautiful face had disappeared and was replaced with a gloomy face, her fists tightened on her dress which would leave rough indentations on that beautiful dress.

“Principessa… are you okay?” asked Juan, the dashing man looked at the beautiful girl worriedly.

Growing up together in the same building, made him understand and know more about the cartel boss's favorite little daughter.

“Si, si, Juan… just a little disappointed with Papa.” Bianca tried to smile.

“Is Papa in there? I want to try and persuade Papa again to get the mafiosos out of my party.” This girl looked at Juan's blue eyes with hope.

"Hmm, Signore is back inside with the Capos." Juan looked at those light brown eyes calmly. He knew that the girl's wish would never come true. Juan really understood his boss, Matteo Acetta. Matteo, the leader of the Mafia Il Diamante cartel in Sicily, is known to be overprotective and strict about the rules for his two children.

“Principessa, the boss' rules are fixed. You know that, right? It is unlikely that the boss will agree to your wishes.” Juan straightforwardly broke the Birthday Girl's hopes.

The light brown eyes widened and stared intently at those blue eyes which crushed her last hope of persuading her beloved papa once again.

“Argh… leave me alone now, Juan! Your hospitality is just fake.” The girl's fist tightened again and her voice grew cold.

The gloomy gaze was getting cloudier, staring blankly ahead, remembering her childhood with her beloved brother.

***

“Papa… Where's Luca? I miss him so much." The little girl ran to her father who was working in the living room. The slurred voice distracted the handsome man from the mountain of paper.

"Oh la la, mia Principessa ... don't run again! Papa doesn't want you to get hurt. Your brother is at the pool with Juan.” The handsome man lifted his beautiful daughter into his lap, looked at those light brown eyes lovingly and kissed her daughter's forehead gently.

“Ah, I just want Luca! Luca… Luca… Biana is here, where are you!” The scream of the little girl echoed from the door facing directly to the swimming pool.

"Oh my Bianca... Come here!" The dark brown haired man turned his gaze towards the door, looking at his beautiful little sister with exasperation. Luca came out of the pool and approached his little sister.

"Come… come… wanna hug me?” Luca spread his arms waiting for a tight hug from the beautiful girl.

“Si, si, si, Luca… Biana want Luca.” The girl ran cheerfully into the arms of her beloved sister.

Juan who saw the closeness of the siblings smiled warmly from the edge of the pool. Luca, the candidate for successor to the throne of Matteo Acetta, tightly embraced his beautiful sister and went inside, leaving Juan the right hand man.

“Luca, wanna play doll with me?” Bianca's round eyes begged Luca to play with her dolls.

"Si, mio Angelo... I'll be the King, then." Luca pinched his sister's cheeks affectionately and kissed Bianca's forehead gently.

***

Those sweet memories with Papa and Luca made Bianca feel calmer. She would still try to persuade his Papa. It's her special birthday party that should end perfectly as she dreamed.

Bianca convinced herself once again to talk to her father who is overprotective and full of rules that he must obey. She was tired of all the rules from her papa even her circle of friends was regulated by the father making her restrained.

Inside the room, Matteo stepped aside from the mafiosos, staring intently at the old painting in the hall. Mateo had no regrets at all by inviting the mafiosos to his beautiful daughter's birthday party even allowing the mafiosos to toast and feast in full lavishness.

Her little daughter's friends are few and of course they are the children from his own cartel. Matteo was relieved to know they were having a party with the cartels, because for him it was something of honor for Bianca as a red rose of Il Diamante. It was certain that his girl would be safe among his confidants.

The safety of his little daughter and eldest son was of course a top priority for him. His memory went back to the past when he had to lose his soulmate

***

“Mm ... Mm ... Mio Marito ... Hh ... Help us Lu ... Luca and Bianca please save ... save them ..." His wife's voice was stuttering, crying and sounded so desperate.

Matteo just froze, didn't expect to get call like this. He tried to call back the number but nothing happened.

“Juan, call all the members! Track the number and be ready to fight. This is a life or death between us and our cartel. They kidnapped my wife and my kids, you know? If they hurted them even just one inch, I'll kill them!” Matteo hit the table really hard and full of anger.

That day, his wife and the kids supposedly go to park with his bodyguard, but it turned out to be disaster.

“Signore, both of the bodyguards died in the scene! They got shots in head and near the heart. Our car's still in parking lot, we try to get all the cctv and information about this cartel too.” Juan, his right hand man then gave Matteo the information about his bodyguard who was responsible to protect his family.

“Acetta, you have to bring thirteen billion! Oh, and also two bags of Heroins and Fentanly! The exchange will be at 4 PM in the old warehouse, Castelmola!” Matteo got the call after 2 hours. He answered the request from the boss of Aquila cartel in low deep tone holding his anger, "Bastardo ... if you hurt them, I'll kill all of you!”

Matteo tried to calm himself and prepare all the things quickly. All of his cartel were already in the warehouse, waiting for his family to come for the exchange. He promised himself he would kill all the members of that small cartel.

Aquila's cartel had arrived in the warehouse. They dragged Matteo wife's from the first car, then his kids from the second car.

“Papa... Papa... Papa help us!” screamed Luca.

"Hey, let my sister go!" His son tried really hard to escape from Aquila's cartel man, but ended up got hard slap, till Luca fell.

The situation ended up so badly, gunfire exploded between the cartels. Matteo turned out was really late to save his wife. He saw it so clearly the don of Aquila cartel shot his wife in the head.

Matteo then shot the don of Aquila in the head fifth times before running toward his wife who was already lying lifeless and hugged her so tightly. “Amore… wake up… noo… noo… Amore, ti amo!!!” Matteo was crying and screaming.

Juan finally could take Bianca from the shooting areas. He took her to their car and locked her inside.

"Nooo ... bastard, I'll kill you! Principe, stay with me, please ... everything will be okay!" Juan screamed seeing Luca got shot. He ran back to his car and took the two kids to the hospital.

***

Matteo sighed harshly remembering that dark time. “Ti amo, amore...” Matteo mumbled softly. He wanted to close all the past of his son and daughter from severe trauma. That's his top priority, so providing extra protection for them, especially his little daughter, is the best choice.

Money is an easy thing to get for Matteo. With money, he is easy to move anywhere. Il Diamante makes a lot of money in many ways, both clean and dirty hands. He would do anything for the cartel.

Matteo rejoined his subordinates who were partly drunk. He finished a bottle of Grappa with 60% alcohol. Then, he saw his daughter waving at him with a blurry look.

"Papa ... Papa ... wait! I wanna talk with you, please ...” Bianca ran fast to reach her father. She hold her father's hand really tight and took him back to balcony.

"What now, Bianca? Papa already told you!” Matteo glared at his daughter with a slight stagger.

"Really Papa? Are you drunk too? God, I'm so done with this! I have enough! This is my birthday party, but Papa destroyed it. Not just seeing all of the mafioso got drunk and make a mess in my party, let alone you Papa!” Bianca takes a breath, “I'm not happy with my life, I want to be free, Papa. It sucks to live my life like this! Papa broke my heart exactly on my special day!” Bianca screamed to her father.

“What did you say, Bianca? Papa always give you the best life. I even tried to protect you from danger outside there. I give you so much money to buy everything you want. Papa gave you everything!” Matteo snapped at his daughter with bulging eyes.

"I'm not happy with your job as a don Papa, don't be greedy and crazy for money, Papa!" Bianca's voice weakened with tears in her eyes.

"You're crazy, Bianca! You don't understand about things here ... so, shut up your mouth now!” Matteo left her daughter with anger.