ROSALINA'S POV"What's wrong?" I frowned at him for stopping the car in the middle of the highway like this. I was getting late for my flight dammit! Where did all that hype and energy go?"What did you say your name was?" His face scrunched up like a raisin in the sun.Was he seriously pissed off by my name?No, he was actually pissed off by my surname. The name Russo used to have a notorious reputation in this city. However, that reputation was snatched by the Salvadori crime family a long time ago."Rosalina," I said, backing up to the door while I sneaked my hand around the door handle."Russo." He finished with gritted teeth.Wait, he didn't have a reason to be so offended by my surname unless he was a..."Salvadori." Hate coated my voice.The hate for snatching my Mamma away from me.The hate for killing Aunt Ariana.The hate for killing my beloved Papa.He gave a sarcastic smile at my quick guess. "You guessed it right, Russo."I pulled the door but it won't open."Who's the gu
ROSALINA'S POV Saint grabbed my elbow and dragged me inside the house where all of my family members were waiting. The stares aimed at me caused my pulse to quicken with anticipation, as though I were an animal on display at a zoo. Nonno scrunched up his nose upon seeing me and Nonna, who stood right beside him, shook her head in disappointment. "I'll talk to her." My Uncle Ricardo offered. Among my three uncles, he was the most caring and patient one, and he understood that my Nonno's temperament could harm me if no one intervened. Uncle Ricardo halted in his tracks as Nonno gave him a lethal, gray-eyed glare. "You got something to say, young lady?" Nonno asked gruffly, pinning those steely eyes on me and raising his cleft chin up a little. Did I really have something to say after being caught red-handed? Nope, not at all. So I kept quiet. "I asked you a fucking question!" Nonno's sudden outburst caused my shoulders to jump. My body shook so much that only an earthquake match
ROSALINA'S POV I spent the week investing most of my time inside my room, on my pink bed, binge-watching several TV shows on Netf*ix or else, I would have plucked out all of my hair and gone crazy out of boredom. The reason I was so upset was not just because of my house arrest. My Nonno found me a fiance who was a decade older than me. From what I heard, he was the senator's son, Italian, and needed my Nonno's connections for the upcoming elections since my Nonno was well-respected among the Italian community here in Brooklyn. My Nonno could easily help them out without an alliance, but of course, he wanted to punish me in another way instead of beating me up. I'd grown a thicker skin over the years and I got beaten up more than any other male cousin in the family. Not flexing, but it was a fact. Nonno believed in gender equality only when he had to punish his grandkids. He never showed me any mercy because I was a girl. But did that stop me from calling him out on his B.S.? Abso
ROSALINA'S POVThe next Sunday came, which meant all of my family members would gather around the table for family dinner. Well, technically we are just your average, everyday family - if your idea of normal was living in a mansion, wielding power and influence like it's nobody's business, and occasionally making offers that people can't refuse.My friends talked about the romanticized version of the mafia (From Mafia novels mostly). Most of them were about a rich and handsome Mafia man and a damsel in distress, or that cliché arranged marriage trope. I found it funny how contradictory it was to the real thing.Made Men were the least desirable partners. Most of them were self-centered assholes who didn't give two fucks about fidelity.Now, don't get me wrong. I wasn't talking about ALL Made Men, but most of them were jerks. Take my Nonno Matteo Russo, for instance. He was a good husband to Nonna, and I don't think he ever cheated on her, considering how obsessed he was with her. But
ROSALINA'S POV Nonno was taken to the hospital immediately by Saint and Uncle Roberto. Luckily, he survived the heart attack I gave him, otherwise, my Nonna would have berated me for the rest of my life for killing her husband with my temper. Nonno and I were like two vicious tigers trapped in a room, ready to tear each other apart.Maybe it was because we had similar personalities. Both of us had disastrous temperaments and were stubborn as a mule, never backing down from a challenge or argument. Instead of telling Nonno to stop getting on my nerves all the time, Nonna suggested I work on my anger issues.I was clueless about how to tame my inner Hulk. For ages, my raging temper was my signature quirk. It was not like I flaunted it, but disposing of it was as tricky as ditching a tattoo.Lily (The future doctor) recommended that I get my ass to therapy.Which, I did.***As I settled onto the couch in Dr. Emily's office, my eyes landed on the nameplate displaying her credentials: Dr
FLASHBACKROSALINA'S POV(Five years old)"I want to tell you somethin'" Papa stood at the kitchen doorway, hiding his hands in his pant pockets. Mama paid no attention to him, she kept scrubbing the dishes from the sink.Papa almost begged, "Alina, are you even listening to me?'""I'm listening," Her voice was uncaring. As if she already knew what he was about to say wouldn't have any effect on her.Papa swallowed a lump trapped in his throat. "I hooked up with a girl once. It was a one-time thing. I just needed to feel something because you were always shutting me out and I..."THUD!The porcelain coffee mug crashed into the plates after Mamma dropped it so abruptly that even I shrieked from the dinner table. I was playing with one of the Barbie dolls after my evening dance practice, still in my pink tutu. Mamma shot me a look that made me shrink in my chair."Go to your room," She ordered with a face stripped of any emotion.I grabbed my doll and ran outside the kitchen, but I was s
ROSALINA'S POV"What triggers your anger?" Dr. Emily asked me, growing more and more curious about me.To be honest, I didn't really know what actually triggered my anger. All I knew was that I'd always been a troubled child, a hellion."I hate to admit this, but I'm sort of like a spoiled child. I throw tantrums when things don't go my way or I'm told to do something I don't wanna do. But that's like every other teenager my age. I don't see the issue here." I said, shrugging a shoulder."Right, so when did it start getting problematic?" She asked."Shit hit the fan when my grandpa got a heart attack because of my outburst," I answered."How do you typically express your anger? What do you do or say when you feel angry?""I... yell, curse, and throw stuff." Well, wasn't that how normal people with emotions expressed anger?"Have you noticed any patterns or themes in your anger? Is there a particular emotion or need that your anger is masking?"I thought hard. I must say, I'd never pai
ROSALINA'S POVI checked myself in the mirror and scrutinized my features carefully. I gazed into my hazel eyes, which were the most beautiful part of me, inherited from my dear Papa. While I got the rest of my perfect face my Mamma."Is that what you do all day? Stare at your pretty face?" Elizabetta asked with a roll of her eyes, laying on my bed beside her sister Isabella, who was too busy texting someone on her phone.I couldn't resist admiring my stunning reflection once more, but then I wondered, "How can I transform this masterpiece into a mess?" Let's start with my long, silk-like brunette hair that reached my mid-back. I picked up a pair of scissors from the drawer and snipped off a chunk of my hair."Stop!" Elizabetta gasped. "What are you doing?!""Can't you see? I'm giving myself a haircut." I said nonchalantly.Isabella got up from the bed and tried to pry the scissors from my hand, but I pushed her away and went on chopping off my hair."Stop it, you'll look ugly!" Isabe