OWNED BY THE MAFIA: His Obsession & His Downfall

Chapter 16

LYRA

I was back in my tiny apartment with Sandra, packing my things into the few bags I had brought out earlier.

After everything that had happened over the past few days, I was going to be moving back to my father's house, and honestly, I wasn't looking forward to it.

Sandra sat on my bed, watching me fold my clothes and put them into my bag while I updated her on everything that had happened since my father took me back to the Lombardi estate.

I told her about Iris's engagement party, how I discovered that Dante Russo was the man my sister was supposed to marry, and how my father had already arranged my own engagement to Mr. Bianchi.

Of course, I also told her about my encounter with Dante that night, leaving out none of the details.

Sandra stared at me with her mouth open when I finished.

"Lyra, are you seriously telling me that the man you sucked off in this very apartment is your sister's fiance?" She asked, her eyes getting even more wider.

I nodded, dropping another dress into my bag. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Girl, how do you even get yourself into these situations?"

I turned to look at her. "Do you think I planned any of this? I didn't even know who he was!"

"I know, but this is a lot to take in. And what about your sister? Does she know?"

"No, and I don't intend on telling her. I already feel bad enough about the whole situation, even though I didn't know he was her fiance at the time."

Sandra shook her head, still looking surprised, but she didn't say anything else about it.

After packing most of my things, I went to my neighbor's apartment to pick up p***y.

My little boy had been staying there since my father took me away, and I couldn't wait to have him with me again. My neighbor handed him over with a smile, and I thanked her before carrying p***y back to my apartment.

"Look who's coming home with me," I said, stroking his fur as he settled comfortably in my arms.

Pussy let out a small meow, and I smiled before gathering my bags.

Just then, my phone rang from the back of my jean pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the caller ID, it was my father.

"Hello?"

"Where are you? Come back home!" He ordered and before I could say anything, he hung up.

By the time I finished arranging everything, Sandra was already running late for work. She grabbed her bag and hurried toward the door while I followed her out with my things.

"Call me when you get home, okay?" she said, giving me a quick hug.

"I will. And don't forget to miss me."

She rolled her eyes. "As if I have a choice."

I laughed, said goodbye to her, and watched as she hurried away before turning toward the driver my father had appointed to me.

He helped me put my bags in the car, and after making sure p***y was settled safely with me, we headed back to the Lombardi estate.

I spent most of the drive looking out of the window, wondering what my father would say when I arrived.

Considering how suddenly he had ordered me home, I knew he probably had something important to discuss, and I could only hope it wasn't another one of his ridiculous marriage arrangements.

Unfortunately, I wasn't that lucky.

As soon as I arrived, one of the maids informed me that my father wanted to see me in his office. I left my things in my room, made sure p***y was comfortable, and headed downstairs.

My father was sitting behind his desk when I entered, and he gestured for me to sit down.

"Do you know why I called you here?" he asked.

"No, Father. That's why I'm here." I rolled my eyes in my head. Does he think I read minds?

He ignored my response and leaned back in his chair.

"Mr. Bianchi is dead."

I stared at him, wondering if I'd heard him correctly.

"What?"

"Mr. Bianchi is dead," he repeated, his expression unreadable.

I blinked, trying to process his words. "Dead? What do you mean he's dead?"

"He was found dead in his apartment with a woman. Both of them were killed."

My mouth fell open slightly as I stared at him. I hadn't expected to hear that, and for a moment, I didn't know what to say.

"What happened to him?" I asked, not in a caring tone but I was still trying to make sense of the situation.

"That's not important right now."

I frowned at his response. How could he say that when he had just told me that the man he intended to marry me off to was dead?

"How is that not important?" I asked again with a slight frown.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead before looking at me again.

"Your engagement to Bianchi is no longer possible, so we'll have to make other arrangements."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you serious right now? A man has just been killed, and all you're thinking about is finding me another husband?"

"Watch your tone, Lyra."

"No! I'm not going to marry another man just because you decide it's time for me to get married. I never agreed to marry Bianchi in the first place, and I'm certainly not agreeing to marry anyone else."

His expression hardened, but I continued before he could interrupt me.

"You can't keep making decisions about my life without even asking what I want. I'm not some business deal you can use to get whatever you want from another family."

"That's enough."

"No, Father, it isn't! And what about Iris? You can't just marry her off to Dante Russo without considering what she wants either."

I paused, catching my breath as I stared at him.

"She's your daughter, not some bargaining chip you can use to strengthen your position." I continued after a few seconds.

For a moment, he said nothing, and I folded my arms across my chest as I waited for his response.

I knew Iris wasn't happy about the engagement. I'd seen the look on her face when Dante slipped the ring onto her finger, and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

She clearly wasn't excited about marrying him, and I couldn't understand why our father was so determined to force us into marriages neither of us wanted.

My father finally stood up, his expression making it clear that he wasn't pleased with anything I'd said.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Lyra."

"Then explain it to me."

He stared at me, but instead of answering, he turned toward his desk.

I watched him for a moment, confused by the look on his face. He seemed troubled by something, and although I couldn't figure out what it was, I knew it wasn't just my refusal to get married.

"Whatever you're planning, I'm not going along with it," I said before turning toward the door.

"Lyra."

I stopped and glanced over my shoulder.

"We'll discuss your future when the time comes."

I shook my head in disbelief before leaving his office, wondering how a conversation that started with the news of a man's death had somehow turned into another discussion about my marriage.