Chapter One: The Devil's Wildflower

Viviana stepped off the subway, the scent of greasy food and damp concrete in the air. A bright smile alongside her tired look was on her face as she made her way towards her destination, her boyfriend, Ryan's apartment. She had spent years building a life far from her family in Italy, far from the Bellini name that carried as much weight as it did bloodshed. She just wanted a life away from the bloody life for once and she decided to come to school in New York for a change. 

Here in New York, she was the charming, easygoing girl with dreams of a normal life. And all of it revolved around her boyfriend, Ryan. Although he was in the mafia and she was aware of it, he wasn't aware of her true identity and just flaunted his, but she didn't mind. 

Ryan had promised her an indoor date tonight after a day of her working as an intern again. The thought of a simple dinner, maybe with a bottle of wine made her excited and eager to relax in his arms. 

She reached the apartment, clicking the door open gently and Viviana stepped in, the sound of her heels clicking softly against the hardwood. Soft murmurs came from the room and she thought to surprise him by arriving unannounced. With a smile, she approached the half open door but stopped as she peered inside, her breath catching. 

The murmurs she heard turned into moans. Ryan was there, his lean, tattooed body pressed against Lila, her best friend. Their bodies weren't just pressed against each other, it was obvious they were in the middle of sex. Her moans filled the air along side her shaky voice. 

“Ooohh, I love you Ryan…” she breathed, her eyes rolling backwards. 

“Damn… you're much better than my girlfriend.” He breathed, thursting deeper into her. 

Viviana stood there disgusted, her grip on the doorframe tightened until her knuckles turned white. Her first instinct was to burst in but she knew it wasn't going to stop anything and this wasn't the place and time. Why not let them enjoy themselves? She thought. 

Instead, she stepped back, her movements quiet. She left the apartment without a word, the scene she just came across buried into her mind, reminding her it was all too good to be true in the first place. Lower ranked and arrogant men like Ryan would always have something to do with outside relationship affairs. 

In Viviana's apartment, a glass of untouched wine sat on the table untouched in front of her. Her hands were steady as she disassembled and cleaned her sniper rifle, clicking them all in place with satisfaction. 

“It's been a while, my love.” She said to her rifle, her eyes gleaming with danger and excitement. Who dares to betray Viviana Bellini and get away with it? No one.  

The next morning, Viviana sat in Lila's favorite cafe simply dressed in her pajamas. For someone who saw her boyfriend cheating on her, she was extremely unbothered about it. She sipped her coffee casually, the timer on her wrist counting down to something. 

Lila arrived right on time, her long legs striding confidently towards the counter and Viviana's eyes didn't even bother trailing her with her eyes. She knew what she would do next. Lila stood there flirting with the barista, her laughter echoing through the small shop. 

Viviana slipped out of the cafe into the alley behind the cafe. She lit herself a cigarette as she took her already set up sniper from the bag seated on the roof of the building she was aiming from. The sniper was custom made and the deadliest anyone could find. It never fails to finish its job since she started using it. 

Through the scope, she watched Lila exit the cafe, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand. Tossing her cigarette in her ashtray, she readied herself. Lila paused on the sidewalk, her phone pressed to her ear. She was smiling, unaware of the approaching danger. 

Viviana's hand hovered over the trigger and without hesitation, she pulled it. 

The shot rang out, sharp and precise, hitting Lila straight in the skull. 

Lila crumpled to the ground, her coffee spilling across the pavement in a dark stain. The bystanders screamed, chaos erupting as they scrambled for cover. A sneer found its way to Viviana's lips as she dismantled the rifle in seconds. The thrill she hadn't felt in years came gushing down her spine, it was cold yet soothing and she loved it. 

_________

Later that evening, Ryan sat alone in his apartment, a bottle of whiskey before him as he went through the picture of Lila's dead body there on the pavement. He had sent his men out immediately he got the news to search for whoever did it because it might be linked to him but they found not even a speck of clue which was really unusual. 

He smashed the glass in his hand, shards cutting through his palm. Irritation and frustration overwhelming him. Not only because his rivals might have gotten to him but his sex thing had just died, gone forever. 

He poured himself another drink, the amber liquid burning his throat as his thoughts wandered to Viviana. He didn't see her last night and she refused to pick his calls but he saw traces of her coming in even though he wasn't sure. Could it be?

But no, that's impossible. Viviana was too sweet, too innocent to arrange this. 

Or so he thought. 

As his thoughts wandered towards her, his phone buzzed as a message from Viviana got in. 

“I'm leaving New York. We're done.” 

______

“You can't leave like this.” He said, cornering her outside her apartment. “You didn't even say anything beforehand and you're just leaving now with a simple text?”

She stared at him, popping a cigarette in her mouth as a cold smirk placed itself on her lips. This was the first time he had seen her smoke and she looked like she was accustomed to it which took him back. How much does he even know her. 

“That isn't the issue now, she can't leave just after Lila died. I can't lose two women on the same day.” He thought, before speaking out, grabbing her arms tightly. “Did I do anything wrong? We've been together all this while and see, I even plan on proposing soon.” 

He thought there would be a gleam of something in her green eyes but it was just a cold look of hatred and disgust which sent chills down his spine unconsciously. 

“Do I look like I care?” She asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked at him, taking out the cigarette in her mouth. “I think it's high time we left each other Ryan and you can go ahead to enjoy other girls as you please.” 

“What are you talking about? You're the only…” 

He stopped with the glare she threw him. “You can't go, Viviana. If you leave, I'll search for you and get back with you no matter what you do.” His tone came out threateningly this time, exposing his real intent. 

A soft chuckle escaped her lips, her green eyes unflinching as her eyes met with his. “If I see you

again, Ryan. I won't hesitate to kill you.”