Bought by the Mafia Prince: His Hidden Queen

Chapter Six

“Mmm.” She slowly opens her eyes, squinting against the harsh sunlight from her window. Strange. I don’t remember leaving them open last night.

She does a series of twists and turns before she finally sits up. She sat quietly for a moment, collecting herself, then proceeded to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for the day. Every brush of her hair and every button she fastened reminded her of the same question. What exactly was she supposed to do in a place that literally decides her fate?

She walked to the wardrobe, opening it to see clothes already arranged for her, as if it had been prepared before she even came to this mansion.

She put them on, and they were her exact size. How odd. She paused suddenly, remembering something.

“My phone. I wonder what happened to it. I remember having it with me before I escaped. I must have forgotten about it at the auction house. I’ll have to ask Luca if I can have one.”

She stepped out of her room and looked along the hallway. It was fairly quiet. You could only hear the tapping of shoes from the staff as they went about their daily work.

Walking along the hallway, she passed a few maids doing their work, but none of them stopped to acknowledge her. It was like she was invisible to them. Or better still, their master had yet to acknowledge her.

Amelia paid them no mind but noticed that each of their faces had little to no trace of emotion as they did their work.

Since she didn’t have anything to do, she preferred to wait for Luca to send for her rather than seek him out herself. She decided to explore the mansion.

There were a few rooms on the floor she was staying in, but they were all locked. She doubted anyone stayed in them, because the handle looked like it had never been used, and the house looked centuries old. But then again, she could be wrong.

She saw a staircase leading to the upper floor and wanted to explore that area, but a maid quickly blocked the way.

“The place is off limits, miss,” she stated.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

She lowered her head and left. She was quick. A little too quick for a maid. I didn’t even hear her footsteps. Hmm, maybe it’s best if I explore downstairs instead. She looked at the stairs again, then left.

Reaching the end of the staircase, she got a good look at the place.

The place looked like a mansion from the 80s. Dark cream walls stretched toward a ceiling so high it almost disappeared into shadow. A sweeping staircase wrapped around a massive pillar. And a circle of grey couches gathered around an elegant cream fireplace. Time seemed to have settled into every corner of the mansion, yet the polished cream marble floors splashed with grey accents, and the subtle renovations kept it from feeling abandoned.

There were hardly any guards stationed in the house, but she guessed some of them lived there. She smiled softly. This wasn’t what I expected of a mafia prince.

She walked further into the living room. Then she remembered last night’s events, and how she felt after talking to Luca. She turned her head towards the window, admiring the view.

Walking towards the window, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. It was so light that she wasn’t startled or anything, but simply turned to find out who wanted her attention.

Turning around, she saw his bodyguard, whose name she had yet to learn.

“Miss Amelia, my name is Daniel Russo, and Luca would like your presence in his office.”

Well, it’s about time. Although I had a nice time wandering about the mansion, I need to know what I came here for.

“Hello, Daniel. You can just call me Amelia. Will you be taking me there?”

“Of course, Amelia. And no, I will not be taking you there as I have a prior errand I need to run. His office is actually on the second floor at the end of the hallway.”

I didn’t know one of the rooms was an office.

Daniel guessed what she was thinking and let out a subtle smile.

“It’s easy to miss it, so don’t worry. You’re not the only one who didn’t notice it.”

She looked up at him and let out a tiny breath of laughter.

“Are you comforting me, Daniel?”

He looked amused.

“Well, you could put it like that. But your expression gave it away.”

He’s different from the Daniel I met yesterday.

“Well, thank you for that, Daniel. I’ll be on my way then.”

He bid her goodbye and went on his way.

I can’t remember the last time I smiled this naturally back at home.

She went upstairs to the end of the corridor and noticed a door that was slightly different from the rest.

She knocked softly, but there was no response. She knocked again. When she didn’t hear anything, she gently placed her hand on the silver handle and slowly opened the door.

She stepped in with her front facing the door as she closed it. When she turned around, her hand immediately went to her chest. She didn’t expect to see people in the office. They didn’t seem to pay any attention to her, and she was glad they didn’t.

After regaining her composure, she stood by the door and waited silently and patiently, so as not to disrupt them. Although she guessed they knew she was there with the way one of them kept stealing glances at her.

As her eyes roamed around the office and onto the men who were discussing, her eyes caught a blue blueprint. She was so focused on it that she didn’t notice Luca watching her from the time her eyes locked onto the paper, as if he wanted her to see it.

“Alright, dismissed.”

Her eyes snapped to his form once she heard his voice. The men bowed, each one portraying the terrifying respect they had for him in their stance. As each of them left, not sparing Amelia a glance, one of them in particular glanced at her for a quick moment before he left. Now it was just the two of them.

His eyes…

“Amelia.”

She was lost in thought, her eyes still glued to the door the men left through, before she perked up at the mention of her name.

“Yes, Luca?”

“Sit.”

She strolls over to the chair gracefully and sits down, hands on her lap with her index finger tapping on them.

“Would you like some tea, Amelia?”

“Oh yes, please.”

As much as she would like to get to the point of the conversation, tea is the one thing she can not refuse. And almost immediately, a knock is heard, and a maid comes in holding a silver tray with splashes of gold on it.

Placing it on the table, Amelia could see how exquisite the set was. The cups had a layer of gold coating inside, while the outside was silver.

The maid poured the tea into each of the cups. Amelia breathed in. She closed her eyes and smiled at the fragrance. She opened them to see Luca staring at her while sipping his tea.

“Thank you.”

The maid lowered her head and left the office.

“You seem to enjoy your tea, Amelia.”

“I do, Luca. It’s one of the many things I enjoy.”

Amelia watched as Luca sipped his tea elegantly and smiled.

Luca noticed. “What are you thinking about?”

She placed her finished tea on the tray and looked up at him. With a soft smile.

“Nothing really. It’s just, I never imagined tea to be your kind of drink.”

“Hmm.”

Silence settled between them once more.

He put down his empty cup and looked straight at her, and Amelia could tell that they were about to get down to business.

“Amelia, what did you think of my guests when they were leaving earlier?”

That wasn’t the question I was expecting.

“They were alright, I suppose.” Although one of them looked unusual. But I think it’s best not to mention that. I don’t know what he might do if I said something like that about his guest. Even if he looks calm now.

“I see.”

Silence again.

Her finger tapped on her hand, and she proceeded to ask Luca for something.

“Luca. Is it possible for me to have a phone? Since I am here, I might as well do something to pass the time.”

He nods and opens a drawer, bringing out a brand-new phone, as if he knew it would be the first thing she would ask.

This…feels too easy. Like I’m about to fall into a trap I don’t know about.

She looks at him, his hands holding the phone, waiting for her to grab it, as if daring her.

She waits for a moment, then slowly raises her hands from her lap and hesitantly collects the phone from him.

Luca settled back into his chair, watching her expression, as though already knowing what kind of questions were running through her head.

She was about to open the pack to check the phone until Luca suddenly asked, “Do you think it’s wired, Amelia?”

She pauses.

Then she responds, “Even if it wasn’t, I don’t have anyone to talk to, Luca.”

He smiles.

“Luca, what am I supposed to do here?”

He takes a breath.

“Nothing.”

Amelia raised her brow.

“What do you mean, nothing?”

“That is exactly what I mean, Amelia. When I need you, I would naturally call for you. But for now, I require nothing.”

Luca, knowing she had more to ask, said, “You may leave now.”

Amelia hesitated, but got up. As soon as her hand reached the handle, Luca said, “Also, you are free to leave the mansion as you wish.”

She turned around and looked him straight in the eye, wanting to know if that was true or a trap.

“Good day, Luca.”

As soon as she left, Daniel went in.

“Sir, should I have her followed?”

Luca got up and went to stand in front of the window.

“No, Daniel, that would spoil the whole fun. Besides, I need her to lure him in. I have my own way of tracking her.”

At his desk lay an open drawer, with Amelia’s file laid in it.

“Amelia Rhodes, what an interesting family you have.”