Bought by the Mafia Prince: His Hidden Queen

Amelia held her university acceptance letter tightly. Maybe at this moment, my parents will finally be proud of me, just like before. A bright smile graced her face as she hurriedly went to look for her parents. “You’re not going to college.” “Excuse me?” Amelia’s smile faltered as she looked at her parents. Their tone made it clear that negotiation was not an option. “You heard your mother. It would be a waste to spend money on education you’re never going to use. Tch.” “But—but I can pay for it, I’ll get a scholarship and—” “Didn’t you hear what we just said, Amelia? Besides, Cindy will go in your place.” “But Cindy is—” “That’s enough out of you. Your mother and I have come to a decision, and you must do your part and obey it. Is that clear?” She lowered her gaze to the floor. She didn’t trust her voice not to break. The acceptance letter in her hand suddenly felt heavier than it had moments ago. “Yes, Father.” “Humph. Foolish child. You were always too weak. This is why you need to follow your parents’ instructions.” They walked away, leaving her to her thoughts. Amelia then hastened her steps towards her room. She looked at her acceptance letter, and tears slowly fell from her eyes, dripping onto the paper. It was no longer something she could call hers. She walked towards her desk and placed the letter on top. Her fingers felt for a hidden compartment under the desk where she kept the money she had saved. Her breathing eased when she felt the small wooden drawer. At least they hadn’t taken everything. She opened it. Empty. “What the—” Her head snapped towards the chuckling sound coming from outside her room, and Cindy stood there leaning against her door frame, a crooked smile forming on her lips. “Missing something, Amelia?” Amelia took in a sharp breath. “Did you—how did you know about this?” Cindy walked into her room and sat on her bed. Her eyes darted towards the small compartment and then back at Amelia. She smirked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Amelia.” Her voice was sickeningly sweet. Amelia clenched her fists. That’s impossible. This drawer has never been touched by anyone else. How could she have known about the money? I made sure to keep it when everyone was out of sight. Unless… “What do you want, Cindy?” “Well, I came to thank you for the acceptance letter you got for me. Mom said you worked so hard for it.” She got up and walked up to her, leaning in. “I’ll be taking this.” She snatched the letter from the table. “And I’m sure our parents will love the little gift you saved.” Amelia’s breath hitched. “Cindy! Give it back. Please.” The words left her mouth before she could stop them. Cindy turned around, looking surprised. Amelia rarely demanded anything. She smirked. “Getting bold now, are we? That thing must be really important for you to talk back like this. Well, being the caring sister that I am, I gave it to our parents to decide what to do with it. I mean, what will you do with that kind of money, Amelia? Don’t worry; if you’re good enough, maybe they’ll give you half of it. Which is more than you deserve anyway.” Amelia looked at her with soulless eyes. Cindy shivered slightly and turned to leave, muttering the word freak and slammed her door shut. The word was barely a whisper, but Amelia heard it. Because she remembers everything. And she can’t ever forget. She looked at the empty drawer and the space where the acceptance letter was placed. She sat down on the chair and sighed deeply. “How did we get here? You used to be such a sweet little girl.” She looked around her room and got up. She walked towards her bed and bent down to take a suitcase from underneath it. She opened the medium-sized brown suitcase and took out a small album. She sat on the ground, resting her back against her wooden bed frame. She flipped through the pages, her fingers hovering over the baby pictures of her and Cindy laughing and playing together. She flipped again and smiled, seeing how bright her parents’ faces were when they took a family photo at the amusement park years ago. “Where did things suddenly go wrong?” She flipped through some more, and when she was done, she closed the album slowly. For a moment, she held onto the memory of the family she used to have. Until her mother’s voice shattered it. “Amelia! Come down here right now!”