Mena
As the day turned into evening, the party was in full swing. The ballroom of the Fanucci mansion was filled with people of high status. Politicians, entrepreneurs, and I had overheard even the mayor was present.
All these 'important' people couldn't fool me though, because just like everyone else, I knew what this family stood for.
Among the attendees were also families from the underworld, who would just like the Fanuccis—hide behind their businesses, which were merely a shield to hide their criminal roots. A prime example was the Baldinis, the family of the future bride.
Despite the glamorous outfits, the true nature of these mafia families was clear to those who could see beyond the surface.
I knew all too well that men like Domenico Fanucci, who greeted the guests with a big smile, lacked the decency and empathy that made us human.
I was exhausted from serving the guests their drinks and snacks. There was no time to rest as everything was performed under the watchful eyes of Madam Catherina.
The only time I got to rest was when Liza handed me a tray with a single bottle of expensive champagne, which came straight out of the Fanucci winery.
"This way you get to stand still for a second," she whispered, giving me a hand.
"Thanks, Liza," I said, gratefully.
We both moved our gazes toward Maxine, whose dramatic laughter could be heard from across the room.
She stood beside Alessio, who looked out of place and was glued to his arm like a pot of honey. Around them were various people, who I presumed were her friends.
"Once she moves into this mansion, it's going to be a nightmare," Liza sang.
"Tell me about it," I replied, thinking back to the day I served her, her lunch. Maxine had an alarming level of arrogance, one no one could compete with. She treated the staff as if they were invisible, she had no respect, had shown no appreciation.
"Do you see those people over there?" Liza's words brought me back to reality. She pointed at a man and woman, looking down from the balcony. Both well-dressed.
I nodded, "Yes, I see them."
"They're Leonardo and Pamela Baldini." she shared the information. "Leonardo owns the West Coast. They call him the Leone, and some folks say he's even worse than Domenico."
I chuckled at Liza's words, not entirely whether she was joking or not. Was that even possible?
"When you think about it, the union of these two families is quite frightening."
I took in Liza's words, quickly deciding it would be wise to avoid them as well. It would be great if I could stay clear of both families tonight.
"Oh, by the way, I ran into little Melody today," I told Liza. "She's quite something for a six-year-old, isn't she?"
Liza huffed, "That child is a spoiled brat, but don't tell anyone I said that."
Although I felt guilty about badmouthing a child, I couldn't help but agree. Comparing was never great, but if I would compare her to Naty—my daughter was an angel. By now she was probably curled up against Mrs. Rodriquez, who had agreed to let her stay the night.
To my dismay, I locked eyes with Alessio, who was staring at me with a smug smirk displaying on his lips, and a glass in his hand.
Alessio was wearing a black tuxedo that seemed to match his attitude perfectly.
His dark hair was neatly styled, emphasizing the annoyingly handsome features of his face.
I nodded back, a sign of acknowledgment which made him eye me strangely.
His frown and the shake of his glass made it clear that he was simply requesting a refill. That was all.
My cheeks were red from embarrassment. "Duty calls," I excused myself from Liza, not daring to let someone like Alessio wait any longer.
Once I stood in front of him with the bottle of champagne, I refilled his glass without making any eye contact. By now I knew making any kind of contact with the Fanucci brothers would get me into trouble.
I turned to leave, but Maxine's voice stopped me. "Excuse me," her tone was anything but polite. "It's kind of rude of you to forget about me—don't you think?"
Aggravated, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then I turned around with a smile. "I'm sorry, Madam," I spoke, refilling her glass as soft laughter erupted from the group.
"The first thing I will fix once I live here are the maids," Maxine told her entourage. "Stuff like this doesn't happen at the Baldinis."
I tried ignoring the words that came after. Just as I was about to leave, Alessio's hand closed around my arm. Startled, I looked at Maxine, fearing the woman might kill me—but luckily, she was too busy with her own conversation. Flustered, I stared from Alessio's hand to his eyes, waiting for him to tell me off—but he never did.
"Wait," he simply mouthed.
Obeying his words, I remained frozen as a statue as he let go of me. I was already on the edge of Maxine's belittling words, and I was not in the mood for any games.
Alessio raised his hand to gather everyone's attention, and everything stopped what they were doing to look at him.
"Thank you all for being here tonight," he began his speech, strong and confident. "I appreciate each and every one of you."
"Family, friends, mom, dad, my brothers, my adorable sister... the Baldinis—and of course, Maxine," Alessio locked eyes with his future bride, whose mouth nearly twitched from smiling. "Maxine, there's something I have to confess."
Maxine covered her mouth with her hand, giggling. "Don't be shy. What is it?"
Alessio took a breath. "I didn't want to do it like this, but I can't stand here and pretend to marry you when my heart already belongs to someone else."
What?
The room fell into stunned silence. Despite her evil ways, even I felt sympathy for Maxine. No matter how mean she had been, this was a harsh and public humiliation. This was neither the place nor time for this.
"What are you talking about, Ales?" Maxine chuckled nervously, looking around for support. "What is the meaning of this?"
Alessio continued, unbothered by her reaction. "I can't stand here and pretend to be happy, while the woman I truly love is forced to watch all of this... serving us as a maid."
Gasps filled the room, and heads turned as everyone, myself included, tried to find the maid in question.
Alessio Fanucci with a maid?
Who would've thought?
Most of all, which maid would've been stupid enough to involve herself with a Fanucci?
"A-A-A maid!" Domenico made his way downstairs from the balcony. Leonardo Baldini, and his wife, did not move a muscle, but their faces said enough.
"Yes, a maid!" Alessio raised his voice. Before I got the time to process everything, he had turned towards me and grabbed my hand, tightly. My heart beat out of my chest as I slowly realized what was happening.
"And her name is Jimena."
Just like that, the world around me had stopped.
MenaNo, this couldn't be true.Alessio Fanucci didn't just use me as a scapegoat.My eyes were wide open as everyone's attention turned towards me. I was never a big fan of the spotlight, and somehow I got involved in this mess.The whispers, the gasps, the murmurs—the attention was suffocating, and so was Alessio's grip around my waist, pulling me closer.I was lost, caught up in Alessio's twisted game that I didn't understand, let alone wished to play. All I could do was stand there, glued to my spot as fear crashed over me.My plan for the night was to avoid the Fanuccis and the Baldinis.Obviously that didn't work out."Jimena," Alessio locked his eyes onto mine, giving me a look that was enough of a warning that I couldn't fuck this up.I gulped, wondering what kind of nonsense would be leaving his mouth next."The words you said to me last night, you were right," he continued, his eyes never leaving mine. As far as I was concerned, I hadn't said a word to him.This was a nightm
MenaThe night had passed and it was morning already. Only, I hadn't closed a single eye. The events from yesterday were still running through my head. The way Alessio played me, fooled me, threatened me.All night, I had been stuffing clothes and all necessary belongings into suitcases. One thing was certain. I wouldn't be staying here in this apartment, risking mine or my daughter's life any longer.By the time I was almost finished, too much time had already past. So much time I didn't even realize it was already 8:30. Alessio's driver would arrive soon, and I was determined to get Natalie and myself out before then.In a hurry, I picked up the last of Naty's toys while she watched with a confused frown on her face. She had been staring at me wide-eyed since she had caught me packing like a possessed woman. Yes, I would love to explain the reasoning—but how could one even try and explain to a child that the monster from her bedtime stories was real?Naty's voice broke through the s
AlessioI tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for dad to finish his phone call. In the early hours he had already called me to his office, and at the moment he sat in his big chair, fully ignoring me as he discussed some sort of business.Behind him stood my uncle, Stefano, who also happened to be his advisor. Despite him being an almost 6'5 muscly beast, I had never feared him, liked him, nor admired him—but if looks could kill at the moment, I would've been dead by now.It was probably deserved after the scene I had thrown last night, when I had cut of my engagement with Maxine Baldini in front of everyone. To add fuel to fire, I had also announced my plans to marry the maid. Jimena.It was all an act, but the aftermath was very real.Ever since, the tension was thick. Dad hadn't looked at me since last night, and Dante who had sworn he wasn't into the maid, treated me like a ghost.Dad ended his call, meaning I could finally escape Stefano's dagger eyes. Not that it meant much beca
MenaPeeking out of the window, I could see we had reached the Fanucci estate. My heart pounded against my chest, and the reality hit me. It was all too overwhelming, and I couldn't believe that I had actually stepped inside of the car.This time around there was no turning back.Naty, who was sitting next to me with eyes filled with confusion had already been given simple instructions. No matter what happens, don't say anything unless Mommy tells you to.As understanding as she could be, despite her age, she had only nodded in agreement."We're here, Miss," the driver said the obvious. It also might've been because it looked like I wasn't getting out anytime soon.With a raising heart, I stepped out of the car, clutching my daughter's hand.Instantly the doors to the mansion opened, and the security stepped aside to let us enter. The scene seemed like something straight out of the movie.Letting my luggage be for now because I feared I would've gotten yelled at otherwise, I entered t
MenaWith a firm grip, Alessio led me through the mansion, straight to the lion's den. His room.The second he shut the door, he immediately pinned me against the wall. It wasn't aggressive, if anything it was gentle. His dark eyes were intense, boring into mine with a slight smirk playing on his lips.Avoiding his gaze was of no use because he wouldn't let me lose it.What did he want to discuss?Was he going to confront me about the lie?I had expected for him to be furious, to wrap his strong hand around my neck and choke me, so the fact that he didn't made me even more anxious."I should..." Alessio began speaking, then he shook his head. "No, let's switch things up," he bumped me, almost playfully. "How about you tell me what you think should happen to you?" His tone held some kind of mockery."I-I..." I failed to manage my voice. Perhaps preparing what I wanted to say would be better for the next time. Then again, it wasn't every day one was told to make up their own punishment."
MenaAlessio's words were clear: stay out of sight. So, I did what I had to do. This morning, I had taken Naty for breakfast with my own money, dropped her off at school, and then came back to the mansion immediately.Naty had no problem with the change whatsoever. She accepted this new reality without question, while I was crumbling—still wondering whether I had made the right decision or not.Not having anything better to do, I sat on the enormous bed, recalling my first night at the mansion. Alessio was away for business, and I couldn't call it a blessing nor a curse.He scared the shit out of me, but then again, I was forced to depend on him. The person who brought me here in the first place.He ordered me to follow the rules, so I did. I kept my mouth shut, didn't show myself—and just like he said, no one seemed to care. Whether it was because he told them not to talk to me or because they saw me as his fiancee that wouldn't last, they just didn't. Not even Liza.There was one rul
MenaAfter that strange run-in with Mr. Gatekeeper, I took a cab to the mall. Honestly, I didn’t even know what I was doing there, but anything was better than suffocating in that house. Some time to breathe without feeling like I was under a miscroscope.As I wandered around, I found myself going on a mini food marathon. I hadn’t realized how much I was starving until I ate ice cream, then ramen—followed by pizza. A weird combo, one that would leave me hugging the toilet, but it wasn’t like Alessio was there to smell it anyway.At least Naty had Melody, and just like last night, those two would most likely eat dinner at the children’s table. As long as she wouldn’t take over Melody’s attitude, I didn’t mind.Munching on my pizza, a thought hit me. How in the world was I going to manage my meals moving forward? I couldn’t just keep eating junk for the rest of my stay.I let out a breath, shaking my head. Here I was, right in the center of a mafia crisis, yet I was fixated on food. Go
MenaTime passed, and as much as I despised the idea, it was time to get back to the mansion. I waited on the cab, in an alley right around the corner of a mall. I couldn't help but wonder what Alessio was doing at the moment. He went away for business, but what kind of business?Whenever those thoughts crossed my mind, I seemed to realize the true situation. He did not have a normal job, that family was not normal anyone in this city knew that.God knew he was blasting bullets through somebody head.Perhaps something as disgusting as selling people, maybe even something horrific like organs?I cringed, shaking my head. Whatever it was, it was not legal. That much I can tell you."Mena," my thoughts got interrupted by a too familiar male voice. No, no, no...Instantly knowing who it belonged to, I took a deep breath and turned around with my eyes closed. I felt like sinking through the floor, because that probably would've been better than the confrontation that was about to follow.I