Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: Marry a Monster.

Maria twirled around in her office chair, taking a puff of her cigar. Although my parents used to smoke, I hated the smell of cigarettes.

"Has she had something to eat?" She asked Grace.

"She wanted to see you first." Grace bowed.

Maria chuckled. "Okay. You may take your leave. Aria come seat." With that, Grace left us alone.

"Where are they?" I asked.

"I knew you would say this so I got you an answer." She made a call and a man with a projector came in.

"Play it." She took another puff.

My legs felt heavy as I followed Maria and the man to the other end of the office. What I saw ended me. My breath hitched, my eyes felt dry and itchy as they teared up.

I lost my stamina when I saw my family's body covered in blood. Men in black suits placed them together. My mother's white floral dress was completely red from blood, my father's head had several bullet holes in it, and my sister's face looked beaten up. The white tiles of our dining room was stained red. My sister's eyes were still open and a man shut them. I couldn't see the men's faces because they were masked. Another video played again and I saw our house explode. I saw it go down in flames. There was really a bomb in it.

"No! No! No!" I shut my eyes and fell to the floor. I could have actually died. I sobbed uncontrollably.

"Stop the video." Maria sighed.

"What did you do to them?" My body shook so violently, it seemed like it was over for me as well.

"Not me hunny. You have the wrong person." She took another puff. I felt a sharp pain in my head, I felt dizzy and nauseous. It was all too much to take in. "It's who? who did this to them?"

My lips parted. "Who? W-ho d-did this t-to them? I stuttered.

"Dante Di salvo." That was the last thing I heard before darkness engulfed me.

As my eyes flittered open, I thought it was all a dream. My head was still throbbing with pain and there was a drip standing next to me.

"You're awake." Grace smiled as if a wave of relief had washed through her. "Stay still." She immediately ran out of the room.

Di Salvo was all I could think of. I had heard that name several times before that day. He was important to my father. My eyes reverted towards the door. Immediately I heard the sound of clicking heels.

"Finally, you decided to wake up." Maria rolled her eyes.

"How many days has it been?" I asked.

"Three days."

"I know Di Salvo." I spoke up.

"Who doesn't?" She sat on the side of my bed.

"Rest for now." She stood up.

"No! Who exactly are you? At least let me know everything before you go."

"Federico, you left a burden and she's exactly like you." She threw her hands in the air, grunting. "Aren't you worried about your health?"

"I couldn't care less. I want answers." I insisted.

"I'm your father's cousin. His mother and my mother were sisters. I was the last person he called for backup. Unfortunately, I got his call too late. Way too late." She mumbled the last part.

"What about the man?"

"Who?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Ivan, he said my sister killed his brother and gave him a hard time." My eyes searched hers, waiting for her to give me a reasonable answer.

"Ivan is a fool. Gia thought he was an enemy, killed his brother and even in her final moments she was still trying to fight him, refusing to believe he was there to help."

"And Di Salvo?"

"I thought you already knew him."

"I've only heard his name a few too many times."

"Okay? He's a powerful man. The Don of your father's Cosa Nostra, and the one who killed your father."

"What's a Cosa Nostra? My father never mentioned you or a cousin."

"We weren't that close but we pledged to help each other whenever in need. You don't know what your father does for a living? You don't know why he built that stupid hideout, do you?

"I know he wasn't a good man."

"Clever of him to inform you before his death."

"He was the underdog of a Mafia boss." She paused before continuing. "The mafia is a dangerous world, the only way you can escape a Mafia is by death. They kill, smuggle, kidnap, launder. The list is endless."

I gulped. "I want to kill Dante Di Salvo."

Her eyes widened before she laughed hysterically. I could have sworn she laughed so much there was a tear at the corner of her eye.

Maria clicked her tongue, she stared at me amused. "Do you know what you just said?"

"I'm not crazy." I pouted my lips in a frenzy.

"I won't call you crazy because you're a foolish young little brat." She scowled. "I also want him dead, but he isn't a man you can kill so easily, you twerp. I was going to train you for that anyway, so I made preparations. He killed a family member my mother treasured. He must die too."

"Grace. Fetch Armani for me, tell him to come with the documents I instructed him to prepare." She ordered Grace, who hurried away.

"I had your name changed." She said.

"Why?"

"Do you want revenge?" She asked me.

"Yes," I muttered.

"That's why."

Armani brought a file. Maria helped me sit up and opened the file for me to see.

"You're now a Da Costa. Serena Da Costa." She told me proudly.

I ran my hands over the name in the file and began to sob.

That day was the day everything completely changed. After recuperating, Maria trained me to be a killing machine and Raffaele played the role of my godfather, teaching me everything I needed to know about the Mafia.

FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER

"He proposed to me!" I shrieked.

"It's good." Maria had grown older, she was now in her fifties. She didn't look as young as she was before. Her blonde hair was shorter than it was before, she began to have some grey hair. However, it didn't stop her from acting youthful, it didn't stop her from being MARIA. Her lean frame remained as it was from the beginning.

"That wasn't part of the plan." It wasn't part of the plan from the start. I only wanted to kill Dante. I didn't want to marry his son. That fucking asshole just had to die before I could kill him myself.

"What were you expecting when you dated him?" Maria took a puff of her cigar.

I couldn't reply." I wasn't expecting marriage, there I was thinking I was going to get the key to destroying their mafia by getting as close to his son as possible. But that smart devil wouldn't let me go deep into his personal life.

"Listen. The plan wasn't just to kill Dante, it was to ruin their mafia and entire family. Is that clear?"

"I don't want to marry him!" I yelled and Maria's hand flew across my face, sharp and unforgiving.

"You will marry him! I did not spend time training you all these years to for you to turnout to be ungrateful." She spoke calmly. "Don't you realize the only way to destroy their Mafia is from inside the mafia." She threw her cigarette on the floor and stepped on it. "You will marry Adriano Di Salvo and destroy everything they've worked for."

"You want me to get married to that monster." My hand was still on my cheek.

"You're no less than a monster yourself. You've killed many. That MONSTER HAS BEEN TAMED BY YOU! Use that to your advantage, Serena."

I stared at Maria unbelievably.

"I raised you as my own daughter."

"Would you let your daughter marry a monster for revenge?"

"I wouldn't know. I don't have a daughter, Hun. I'm childless." She said that to remind me of my status."Or do you want me to remind you of the reason why you should get revenge?"

A tear slipped from my eyes. I couldn't bear to see those videos one more time. It wrecked me time. and time again. My body shook with fear. I had to do what I had to do. I had to marry Adriano and avenge my parents.