I stared at the car which stopped a few distance away from my house, it stayed there for a while, before it drove off once again.It's been a few weeks since I started seeing that car around me, at first I thought it was a coincidence, maybe a student with a car staying around. But it has been showing up everywhere and anywhere I go. Maybe it was Andrei asking someone to keep an eye on me, but for some reason I wasn't bothered and wasn't about to panic.I opened the door, walking into my house and shutting it behind me, making sure it was locked.It's been two years since I left Italy, two years without Nico and two years since I started all over in a place no one knew me.Andrea decided to go to fashion school at the last minute so we were separated, not that I minded.It was nice to be in a place without anyone staring at you with pity at every minute, waiting for you to break down so they could wrap their arms around you and tell you everything was going to be alright.It was sicke
*Warning. This chapter contains a little bit of smut.**Isabella Russo's POV*I was walking down to class when someone yelled my name from behind."Hey Bella! Wait." Pretending like I didn't hear the person, I increased my pace, hoping to avoid whoever didn't want to leave me alone."Bella. Stop" He placed his hands on my shoulder and unfortunately I couldn't fake being deaf or unable to feel his hands on me so I stopped and turned."Hey Charlie. What's up" I say with fake euthusiasm. Charlie is one of my classmates, who apparently likes me since first year. But I've been avoiding him my whole time since then because why not?Everyone expected us to date because apparently the 'queen' and 'king' has to be together. But no thanks. Don't even know why they tagged me as that."What do you want Charlie?" I ask again when I notice he has been staring at me without saying anything. My cheek hurting because of the fake smile I had on for too long. He shakes his head snapping out of whatever
"Disneyland!!" I shriek excitedly, bouncing up and down in the car seat. Finally we would be going to see Disneyland, after I had begged daddy and promised to be good."Be still you, let me put your seatbelt on" Mom holds me in place before she buckles my seatbelt. "There, all set" she ruffles my hair. I swat her hand away pouting. "Mom" I whine trying to fix my hair. She does this all the time . "What?" She laughs as I glare at her "What will all the princesses think if my hair isn't pretty" I huff, folding my hands across my chest. "Now who cares what the other princesses think" Daddy gets into the driver's seat, turning to look at me. "You're my princess" I smile at his words showing my missing tooth. "That means you're a king, and Mom is a queen" "Of course" Daddy nods and mom gets into the passenger seat. "Ready?" She asks. "Ah ah, seatbelt ma'am" I wag my finger, giving her a stern look. "Ooh, I'm sorry" Smiling she buckles her seatbelt and we drive out of our mansion
I slowly walk to my aunt cautious of the men with guns. She holds me. "It is okay dear, don't worry" But I am very worried right now. "Who is he?" I ask not taking my eyes off him. He's staring at me too, so we maintain eye contact. I ignore my heart beating so fast. Not now you. Don't fall for a stalker. He's hot. But a stalker. "I'm here for what's mine" He answers my question, eyes still on me. "What's yours?"I ask because I am confused "No one here belongs to you... Not my daughter. Not my neice" Aunt Sofia spat. "Bold of you to assume I want your daughter. What would I possibly want with that spoilt brat?" He raises a brow directing his question at Aunt. I stifle a laugh, covering it with a cough. Alessia glares at me. Not the right time to laugh. "You don't seem to be aware of this. But my Bella.. " "She's not yours" Aunt Sofia cut him off, but he ignores her. "My Bella was used as collateral for the death of one of our people when she was eight " What? "I don't beli
"Nico" I whisper. His eyes widen, before going back to its blankness. Happened so fast that I doubt it even happened "What are you doing?" The old man who I am guessing to be his father yells. "What the contract says" he shrugs not caring in the slightest."You!" His father says, His face red with anger. Oh, Daddy seems angry. "Don't forget I am the capo now. Know your place" I sense the threat in Nico's words. That means the mafia is his? Like really his?.He hands some papers to me. Marriage certificates. "Sign" He pushes a pen into my fingers, letting me go. Do I have to? Can I escape? I look at his father who is currently glaring at us and that answers my question. I have no escape.With shaky hands I sign it, his words ringing in my ears. You are mine "Isabella Perez now belongs to me. I expect you to show her respect as you would to me. That includes you father" Nick warns them all.His father grits his teeth, banging his walking stick against the floor. "You take th
Taking a shower, I dress up. I peep out of my room. No one. Tiptoeing out, I quietly go down the way I came back. The smell of waffles hits me and my stomach grumbles. I'm hungry. I follow the smell getting to the kitchen. I see someone sitting on the kitchen island and I pause. Maybe if I slowly walk back I'd go back unnoticed I back away slowly almost getting away, then he looks up. His face scrunches in confusion before realization settles in. He smiles at me beckoning me to come closer. Damn. He's good-looking. "Come" he says. What's it with these people and one word? I shake my head taking a step back. "Are you hungry?" He askI shake my head one more time. My stomach grumbles loudly. Betrayer. He laughs. I like that sound. "Here" I look at the plate of waffles he's giving me "Just take it. I don't bite" I quietly walk to him taking the plate off his hands. Might be poisoned. I stare at the plate suspiciously "It's not poisoned" "Thank you" I say quietly. I tur
"Mind explaining what is happening here?" He is standing at the doorway, glaring at us with cold eyes. More like glaring at them. The temperature in the room drops by a few degrees due to his icy stare.When no one said anything, I tried to explain"You see.." I start but he cut me short before i said much."I wasn't talking to you. You both. Explain" He ordered them."Little Madam wanted to play games" Matteo answers, head low.Little madam? They called me by my name few moments ago. Why so formal now?"Is there a reason why you're acting so casual with her?" He asks again. Ohh he's jealous. I try to explain to him once more"You see…" he shoots me a look that shuts me up. I shiver cause of how cold his eyes were. Scary."I asked a question" "No boss" Matteo and Antonio answers."Leave" He orders and they both scurry out fast.No, don't leave me. Maybe if I run with them…I was about following them but he's eyes pinned me to the spot."Where. Are you going?" He asks me the temperatu
Matteo standing behind me is trying not to laugh out loud. Everyone staring at us at the door makes me feel awkward. I really don't like people staring at me this wag "Your seat is beside Boss" Matteo whispers and I search for Nico. I see him at one end of the table and his dad at the other end.I see that man from the kitchen, who I kindly named waffle boy, sitting by Nico's right and a red head sitting by his left side and I'm certain that's my place. With my chin up, I gracefully walk, well as graceful as one wearing a Donald duck tee shirt and matching shorts with no slippers on could. I ignore the judgemental stares and whispers keeping my head up. Everyone wore fancy dinner clothes, to them I don't fit in the circle. Andrea would be so proud of me for not running off. I walk till I get to Nico stopping next to the redhead, I glance at Nico and he has his eyes fixed on me already, like he is waiting for what I'd do. Waiting to see my reaction. He had the nerves to let some ot
*Warning. This chapter contains a little bit of smut.**Isabella Russo's POV*I was walking down to class when someone yelled my name from behind."Hey Bella! Wait." Pretending like I didn't hear the person, I increased my pace, hoping to avoid whoever didn't want to leave me alone."Bella. Stop" He placed his hands on my shoulder and unfortunately I couldn't fake being deaf or unable to feel his hands on me so I stopped and turned."Hey Charlie. What's up" I say with fake euthusiasm. Charlie is one of my classmates, who apparently likes me since first year. But I've been avoiding him my whole time since then because why not?Everyone expected us to date because apparently the 'queen' and 'king' has to be together. But no thanks. Don't even know why they tagged me as that."What do you want Charlie?" I ask again when I notice he has been staring at me without saying anything. My cheek hurting because of the fake smile I had on for too long. He shakes his head snapping out of whatever
I stared at the car which stopped a few distance away from my house, it stayed there for a while, before it drove off once again.It's been a few weeks since I started seeing that car around me, at first I thought it was a coincidence, maybe a student with a car staying around. But it has been showing up everywhere and anywhere I go. Maybe it was Andrei asking someone to keep an eye on me, but for some reason I wasn't bothered and wasn't about to panic.I opened the door, walking into my house and shutting it behind me, making sure it was locked.It's been two years since I left Italy, two years without Nico and two years since I started all over in a place no one knew me.Andrea decided to go to fashion school at the last minute so we were separated, not that I minded.It was nice to be in a place without anyone staring at you with pity at every minute, waiting for you to break down so they could wrap their arms around you and tell you everything was going to be alright.It was sicke
*Isabella Russo's POV*Prom day went by fast, which I obviously missed and finally it was graduation day, the day everyone has been waiting for to come. Everyone except me of course, I just wanted to be over and done with all these. I sat on my own waiting for Andrea to arrive. She was the only one I could lean on today.I was wearing my graduation gown over a plain shirt and baggy jeans.Andrea talked about it all she could, but I didn't care that it was "D graduation", I want it done.l s I could start a new beginning.I didn't bother telling Andrei it was today because he would be busy and things like this didn't interest him, I don't want to bother him. But it didn't matter along as I was finally leaving this place. "Why are you looking so lost? You should be happy that finally we are leaving this school" Andrea said, sitting beside me and snapping me out of my daze. She held m e tightly, gluing her sweaty body to mine and I wondered what she did to be that sweaty."You do know tha
Isabella Russo's POVThings were becoming a bit better and Andrea always stayed with me and made me forget the pains I suffered earlier. School was going well and my finals were coming up soon. The days of my high school was coming to an end. And I could remember vividly when Nico promised to attend my graduation. What a jerk, I had come to accept his death and live a free life but doubted loving again."Bella, can I see you for sec," the principal requested as I was crossing the hallway with Andrea. "Thank you for your audience, I was wondering if you would like to be the valedictorian of the year. It's like I'm imposing it on you. But you have the highest grades so far and I don't know if..." She starts, staring at me and hoping I would accept. S"I will take it, the speech, I will say it. After all I earned it for myself. It would also be a great start for me in college," I smiled easing her tension. Everyone in school knew about my tragic story. They were avoiding me mostly and
Isabella Russo's POVThe funeral took place at the Perez's burial ground. As usual, everyone wore black and stood in line waiting for me to place the last flower on his coffin and say my final wordsNot that I was ready to say my final words to him, I wasn't ready to let him go.I was not allowed to cry because it would be a sign of a bad omen. In the mafia, Don's were to be respected till the very end. Crying would only mean that he was weak and didn't live a good life. I held my tears back and stood in front of Nico's coffin. Inside, his face was covered I couldn't even see his face for the last time. This was the part where I hated the mafia tradition. I couldn't see his face as I said my goodbye. And Andrei safi wasn't even allowed to say my farewell here to me. The mafia rules are against such. I really felt pathetic doing this, my tears were pending and the mourning crowd was waiting for my words."You have to speak Bella, the time is ticking," Andrei stepped to my side prompti
Isabella Russo's POVI froze in shock when Andrei dropped the bomb on me. "He lost a lot of blood and before we could save him...""You are lying to me. That's an on obvious lie Andrei. Please tell me you are joking. It's impossible, Nico can't leave me here alone," I held his shirt tight hoping that he would tell me that it was all a joke. But he didn't, instead he held me in his arms and let me cry on his chest.I got angry when I wasn't let to see his body. I wanted to confirm his death and and actually believe that Nico left me but Andrei didn't let me. He carried me away from the hospital and drove me back home.For two weeks, I refused to eat or talk to anyone. I couldn't believe that Nico was no longer with me. And the longer I waited, the more I felt his absence.He was gone for good and I couldn't get myself to accept it. I was fully healed and able to move on my own thanks to my consistency intake of the medicine. Andrei handled most of the activities in the mafia while I tr
*Isabella Russo's POV*My entire body went rigid with fear when I saw the bomb tied around my waist. It was ticking fast and had two minutes left before it went off."I don't want to die Nico." I cried holding him tightly. The bomb started to count after nico had shot his father dead. That is to say that he was the trigger."Don't worry, I will not let anything happen to you," Nico comforted as he looked at the bomb thinking of how to diffuse it."I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. If I had grown stronger or listened back then, none of this would have happened. I'm so pathetic for causing you all this trouble. Maybe if I hadn't left your office then I wouldn't have been taken." I muttered forgetting the pain I felt on my cheeks. "Don't say that, I'm the one who should have protected you. I let my guard down after I had promised to never let anything hurt you. You don't know how worried I was when I couldn't find you. And seeing you brusied and bloodied, makes me want to beat myself.
*Domenico Perez's POV*I marched down to the inn, completely blinded by rage. Martins was standing at the entrance of the inn, the same way he was the night before when we got here."I heard the explosion and I see you here. It seems she took you there earlier than she was supposed to" He tsked and I look at Angelina who was standing behind him, she lowered her head, unable to meet my eyes."You knew about it all these while" I say and he didn't bother denying it."Yes I did. I had a job to do. Kill the men coming to my village. And I had to perform this job." He says and I once again look at Angelina." Oh no, don't look at her that way. It wasn't her fault really. The girl just has a kind heart and wanted to help you even if it meant going against her father. I was just expecting her to hesitate a bit before she decided to disobey her father" He says and I see the tight grip he has on her wrist."So you were working for Andrew. You lied and said you were not working for him" Andrei
*Domenico Perez's POV*We had searched the whole village, searched every corner, every building and yet we couldn't find her. Angelina and Martins had watched us leave the inn, and the stare they gave us while we were leaving made it seem as if they knew were she was."They would know" Andrie said and I looked at him.We were currently parked at the back of the inn. "What?" I ask him. "The father and daughter would know where she is" Andrei says and I know that. "Would they be able to speak though? Tell us where they kept her? Do we have to torture them to get them to tell us? Andrei, each passing second that Bella stays with Andrew has my mind racing on what he is doing to her and all he can do to her. He would break her to the point of no repair. And I don't want that to happen." I say breaking down and he just listens, he doesn't have to say anything or do anything. He just listened.We has searched everywhere we could think of and I was getting frustrated and really angry. Wher