Anastasia

Prologue

Anastasia pleaded her innocence to the men in her, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Please Grandfather Leonardo I didn't do it, you have to believe me!" Anastasia begged

Crystal blue eyes bore into the judgmental onyx ones, her uncle's and cousins stood with her grandfather behind his wooden oak desk, which had a burgundy finish. Anastasia could feel there stares on her, while her eyes where on her grandfather. Right then and there Anastasia knew that he didn't believe her, with that none of them would. She slumped in the chair that she was in, that was directly across her Grandfather.

"Oh so that isn't you in the video." his tone lacked any warmth while he spoke to her. He ran his hands through his salt and pepper hair. Anastasia flinched, as she looked into his eyes again, for the first time there was a harshness in them that was directed to her.

"Yes...No...I mean that's not me!!" Anastasia said as she was flustered by the words that came out of her mouth. She straightened in her chair, while leaning forward. "I was out all day you could even check the security cameras. I was getting a present for your upcoming birthday. I can even go and show it to you." tears streamed down her face, leaving a trail on her pale skin. Her skin looked as if the sun never touched her skin, despite how active she is.

"Oh so your making up excuses now." he spoke to her and with all passiveness he put one leg over the other crinkling his black 3 piece Gucci suit pants, his actions spoke louder than words.

There was no denying that the tension was building in the room and everyone can feel it. She glanced to the side where she saw her honorary Uncle Luca standing there, not a word of defense passed his lips for her. Her instincts told her to run and hide with each passing moment, but to whom?

"No it's the truth."

"LIES!" Leonardo's voice boomed across the room, as he slammed his hand down on the desk. His form towered over her petite frame and it didn't help that she was sitting in a chair. The action shook her to the very core." There where no cars taken out of the garage ,and do you think that if you so much as took a step out of this household it would not be reported back to me ." he continued "I am the Supreme Don and my words are absolute." he said the last sentence through gritted teeth. It was told barley over a whisper, but it was if his baritone voice was still shouting.

"That was because I took an Uber I snuck out today actually I'm sorry." Anastasia quickly tried to grab her phone to show her Grandfather, but it fell from her as soon as she took hold of it. Revealing her tense form and sweaty hands from all the fear that coursed through her body. Her anxiety level rising again, she tried to compose herself, before she spoke again. She stood up from her chair leaning forward to show him her phone.

Leonardo grabbed her phone as he snatched it away from his hands. He then threw the phone across the room, making a banging noise, as it hit the wall behind her. The situation escalated quickly, as suddenly she found both of her older cousin's behind her. They grabbed both of her arms in a bruising grip dragging her behind the desk where she was in front of her Grandfather again.

"Look again and tell me it's not you!" her grandfather said with an abusive grip he grabbed a fistful of her sliver almost white natural hair that was at waist length. Anastasia cried out as the pain bloomed where her Grandfather had a steel grip on the back of her head, her hands grabbing his as she tried to alleviate some of the pain. The action didn't do anything for her, but make her face scrunch up in more pain. Leonardo's hand directed her in front of the laptop screen that was on his disk, pressing the space button to play the video again.

The video played again in front of her, as sobs raked through her body. Anastasia tried to focus again as much as she could. She saw herself entering the office room that they where in, unknowing that a camera was recording her every move. She went to the safe that was in the corner and entered the pin number successfully. Then opened it grabbing classified papers and shutting the safe again, she moved to the desk where she sat in the brown leather office chair. Frantically she began opening desk drawers and started grabbing other papers. When she finished she stood up again before making sure that she left everything as it was and with the papers in her hand she left the room. Something that caught the attention of Anastasia was that in the video her face was always angled away from the cameras, as if the person knew where the camera's where. A second point is that the person was not wearing her mother's necklace; she never took it off even in the shower. It proved that this person was not her, but her family thought otherwise.

"Now where are the papers," Leonardo said angrily "and to think that we tried to hide you from our way of life, believing that you where that naive." harshly saying the words as he came close to her ears.

"It's not m..." whimpered Anastasia, she didn't even have the chance to continue, as she screamed out again from where her grandfather tightened his hand on her hair.

"You still sprout lies" Leonardo having had enough seeing as this was not going anywhere "You betrayed this family by handing these paper over to a stranger for money, if you had not known he was one of my men. Have we not provided everything you can dream of, have you not went to dance classes the moment you wished it, have you not went to the most exotic places and eaten the most expensive food, but I guess your greediness knows no bounds." Leonardo dragged her by her hair to the front of the door.

"Greediness and betrayals does not have a place in our family. You will not use the Romano name again everything we gave you we will take back. You will leave this household with the clothes on your back, and never show your face again to me. Count yourself lucky If you where anyone else I would have killed them on the spot. Your parents would not have strength to look in your face." throwing her to the floor, but it was cushioned by the intricate Persian rug. "Leave!" shouted Leonardo pointing to the door. Anastasia tried to stand up as she grabbed his blazer.

"Grandfather Wait you have to hear what I have to sa..." Leonardo turned to look at her and without warning slapped her face with his other hand with a force that pushed her to the floor again. Red blooming on her face instantly as she blacked out for a second.

"I won't say it again!" Leonardo sat in the office chair resting his back to the chair and for the first he looked his age of fifty seven.

Anastasia looked in dismay at her grandfather as tears streamed her face; she picked her self up and left the room. She didn't even dare to go back to her room to try to pack a few things afraid of the consequences that might follow. A small relief overtook as she took her now broken phone with her as she left the room, without them realizing. She knew her small bag was in the parlor with the present that she would have given to her grandfather on it. She finally realized that she had been disowned has finally set in, not knowing what to do she tries to find her grandma and aunt's hoping that they would vouch for her.

Realizing the reason that everyone was acting odd towards her from the beginning of the day. Anastasia briskly walked towards the sun room, taking the double staircase that where furnished by a royal blue carpet. She made her way quickly as she held the banister with her dainty hands, her cheek still throbbing in pain. It didn't matter as adrenaline coursed through not wanting to waist time in wanting to prove her innocence to her family. She would never betray her family that way, even if they did a few wrong things she would at least talk to them first about her quarrel. To assume such things about her didn't they know who she was, what they raised her on. It broke her heart.

Anastasia was always a well mannered girl that came from old money. In everything she did she had to succeed in. Of course she had to as she was from the Romano family in Italy. Her family always shielded her from there line of work. That the money they made was dirty money, and there business was just a face for the public and authorities. Well that didn't do much to help as the hole of Italy knows not to mess with the Romano Family. Everyone knew there true colors anyway no matter what they tried to portray to keep evading the authorities. By their actions Anastasia grew up quiet naive and innocent. Not knowing that people can be bad and while they give a smile to your face they can hold a knife behind their back waiting for the chance to turn your back.

She was what girls want to be and boys wanted to be with. Again her family's actions towards her made her naive to boys' flirtations. Truth is told she was groomed to be the perfect wife as talented as she was. She spoke five languages, an honor student, and a talented ballet dancer. Her looks and petite frame added to the notion of her being vulnerable and her family being overprotective. She was after all named The Jewel of Italy by all who met her.

Her albinism made her even more unique, her snow-pale skin, her sliver white hair that brushed past her hips, her crystal blue eyes that was framed by white eyelashes that stopped at her cheeks, and her naturally pink plump lip graced her face. Her frame stood at about 5'2 making everyone tower over her. She charmed anyone she met.

Anastasia stood in front of the French doors that led to the sun room. The well mannered girl she is she knocked first and entered quickly. There sat on the veranda eating there afternoon lunch on the fancy table that had carvings of beautiful designs in it, where the female role models in her life with her cousin from her mother's side of the family.

"Aunties, Grandma Maria please you have to help me there is a mistake." cried Anastasia

Maria had a look of fury on her face as she saw her ex granddaughter. That looked stopped Anastasia right in her tracks.

"How dare you show your face to me you insolent girl!?" Maria said "Didn't Leonardo tell you to leave, then why aren't you gone." Her eyes started to water from the tears she held in. "and to think that you came from my son Alessandro and Adelina they would be ashamed of you. Haven't you done enough to this family?"

Maria couldn't hold back the tears and that started to fall. She turned her head towards Caterina her other aunt. Not wanting to even look at Anastasia's face.

"But...But I was out all day, even Emilia was with Me." she looked at her cousin from her mom's side of the family with her eyes begging for her to help her clear this misunderstanding. "Tell them Emilia, Please!!" said Anastasia.

"Do not drag me into the wrong doings that you have done, you snake!!" shouted Emilia

"How dare you drag my daughter into you lies!" said Lydia Emilia's mom "My daughter was with me the entire day."

Anastasia looked in horror not understanding why her cousin wouldn't tell them why she was with her. Without a word being said Liliana stood from her chair grabbed Anastasia by her arm, and threw her out of the room, and slammed the door in her face. She winced in pain as her aunt grabbed her arm that was starting to bruise before she could say a word. What the others didn't see was Emilia and her mother smirking at what was happening.

Tears still continued to stream down her face, as she could feel her heart broke into a million pieces. Betrayed by her family that couldn't have faith in her, she didn't know what do she only had one place left to go. She kept walking until she reached the main door grabbing her bag and present that she put inside the bag with her she left the house, that was actually a mansion, and kept going until she reached the steel gates. Looking back at the house that was in the hills of Italy, deep in her heats, she knew that this was not the final time she saw the house that she grew up in.

She grabbed her phone as she started to walk again to the nearest park that was a few miles away. The mansion was pretty isolated and the fastest way down the hill from where it is located was by a car. She knew that she couldn't touch the money that was in her bag and she had to be careful with what she got. Hopefully everything would be okay once she explains the situation to her mother's side of the family.

Anastasia knew that her saving grace would be her Grandfather Stefano; she knew he would help her. She pressed the contact on her know cracked phone and waited for him to pick up. She heard the sound of line being picked up.

"Grandfather please listen to me I need your help." she shouted on the phone.

"No you listen to me little girl. Do not call this number again when you betrayed your family you also betrayed us. For generation we have worked for the Romano Family and your disgrace will not tarnish our name. Do not even think about calling us again or even think about coming to the mansion." with that her other grandfather Stefano closed the line in her face.

Anastasia didn't know what to do everyone turned there back's on her. Her life was in shatters how will she carry on school now that she was in her final year, how will she live, who will she live with. All the thoughts ran through her and it was like ice cold water had been poured all over her.

She looked up at the darkening skies and had to be quick and take shelter, but it was useless she knew she was still miles away from the nearest place. Thinking quickly she put her phone in her designer waterproof bag and made sure that everything was closed correctly.

With a deafening c***k that sounded through the sky a few minutes later. It started to rain heavily as the rain poured from the clouds, hitting her as she kept walking into the unknown. It was as if the sky was mourning with her and her past life.

Looking back at it now Anastasia new that this was the moment that changed her life, and as they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

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Opinions please.

What do you think will happen next to Anastasia.

Will she overcome her issues?

Will her family know the truth?

Or do you think she actually did it?

Chiki_ruki~~~~