The mafia lord’s imposter

The day was bright and sunny, the birds chirping and dancing. Everything felt in place. Tracing a cupid arrow on the window of my taxi, my eyes fell on the diamond ring on my finger, and I smiled at the thought of my fiancé and what he had in store for tonight’s dinner. The green, knee-length gown he bought hugged my skin beautifully. Stepping out of the taxi, I thanked the driver, who returned it with a smile and a nod. I brought out my phone to inform him that I was outside, but the call kept ringing with no answer. “He’s probably not close to his phone. I’ll surprise him then.” With that thought, I gleefully but carefully brought out the key from my purse, opened the door quietly, and closed it behind me. The light in the living room was dim. Seeing a faint reflection from the kitchen, I decided to check there first, but he wasn’t there. Knowing the last possible place he could be, I turned around but not before something caught my attention. I moved closer to the counter. Two cups of unfinished red wine sat there, and one had a lipstick mark. ‘Perhaps he had a guest from the office or something,’ I thought, but my heart still felt unsettled for some reason. Deciding not to waste more time, I went upstairs. I could hear muffled voices through the closed door. ‘Is the guest still around?’ I leaned in closer. “Ahh!! Yes, faster… please!! Ooooh, that’s the spot!” “Ahhh, baby! More!!” The bed creaked repeatedly. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Why was it happening? I slammed the door open but they didn’t even stop. Either they didn’t hear me or just didn’t care. “Cole!!” I screamed his name. Finally, he turned, freezing mid-action. I expected him to deny it, to beg, or at least say something. But he didn’t. Then I looked at the girl beneath him. “You… Ari… Arianna!!” I stuttered in disbelief. This isn’t happening. I must be dreaming. It’s all in my head. But that fragile hope shattered when I heard their laughter. Mockery twisted their faces as my sister and my fiancé looked at me. “I can make space for you if you don’t mind,” Cole said, eyes scanning my body. “Virgin slut.” They both snickered like it was some inside joke. “How can you both act like this? How could you do this!?” “It took you long enough, darling sist—” she slurred, as Cole slowly pulled out of her, earning a soft, breathy moan from Arianna. Disgust overwhelmed me. “Why?” was all I could manage to say. “Really?” Arianna scoffed, picking up Cole’s shirt from the floor, sniffing it before wearing it. “Did you really think he’d marry you? An illegitimate daughter?” “Arianna!” I yelled, my vision blurring with a mix of anger and unshed tears. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. You look so miserable right now. Why don’t you leave already? Go cry to mummy. Oh, wait, you don’t have one, do you?” she mocked. “You… you said you loved me,” I whispered to Cole, wiping away the tear that slipped down my cheek. “How could you do this to someone you love?” “Love?” he scoffed. “You expect me to love a cheating w***e? You couldn’t even let me touch you once, yet you opened your legs for numerous men.” “w***e? What do you mean by numerous men? I’ve never cheated on you, Cole, believe me!” I pleaded, my insides twisting painfully. “Believe a w***e?” “Cole,” I breathed, stepping forward. “Drop my keys and leave my house. I don’t ever want to see you again.” “But… but..” I stuttered, confused and broken. “You heard him, didn’t you, illegitimate w***e?” Coming from Cole was one thing, but from her, the one who actually deserved that title, it stung worse. Anger rushed through me. I raised my hand to slap her, but Cole grabbed it. Arianna took the chance to slap me twice across the face, sending me crashing to the floor. “How dare you try to hit me, you bastard!” Arianna yelled, kicking me repeatedly. “b***h!” “Darling, we don’t want a dead w***e here,” Cole said, lifting her off me. He turned to me coldly. “What are you still doing here? Do you want to die that bad?” With shaky legs, I stood up, holding my stomach. “I’ll make you regret everything,” I said before walking out. Behind me, Arianna’s mocking voice rang out, “What’s the worst a piece of trash like you can do? Don’t forget to leave my father’s house today!” I slammed the door shut, and all the tears I’d been holding back finally came pouring out. “Are you still there?” Arianna’s voice called from behind the door. I didn’t answer. I ran. I boarded a taxi straight to my father’s house. Dragging my heavy feet to my room, I was stopped by Susan, my stepmother. “You really thought he’d marry you, didn’t you?” she sneered. “Coming here flaunting your rich fiancé, only for him to fall in love with my beautiful daughter. Such a shame.” She brushed past me, bumping my shoulder as she left. Her words cut deep. I had always treated her like a mother. My real mother died before I could know her, and my father well, he was never around. And when he was, it made no difference. I’d turned a blind eye to their cruelty, hoping it would change someday. Then I found Cole, he made me feel wanted. Loved. But that, too, was a lie. I entered my room, overwhelmed. I grabbed the gown I’d been wearing and threw it out the window in frustration. Feeling drained, I collapsed onto the bed, tears streaming down my face until sleep finally took me. The sound of screaming jolted me awake. Then came the crash of something breaking. Knowing exactly who it was, I sighed, picking up my phone. It was barely five in the morning. Arianna never ceased to amaze me. I tried to go back to sleep, but before I could, someone began pounding on my door. “Jade!” The panicked voice of our housekeeper, Maya, came from the other side. I jumped out of bed and opened the door. Her face was pale with fear. “What’s going on? Are you okay?” I asked. Maya was one of the few people who treated me kindly, like her own daughter. “I’m sorry for waking you, but there’s a big problem!” she said, voice trembling. “What problem?” Before I could get an answer, she grabbed my hand and pulled me along, forcing me to match her pace as we ran down the long flight of stairs. Whatever this was, it wasn’t one of Arianna’s usual tantrums. At the bottom of the stairs, I froze. A group of men filled the sitting room. Their presence radiated danger. My heart pounded wildly as I spotted Susan, Arianna, and my little six-year-old stepsister, Devi, huddled in a corner, their heads bowed, shaking. For once, they looked terrified. I almost laughed. I was usually the one trembling like that. But Devi was still a child. She didn’t deserve this. “What are you guys doing here?” I managed to say, my voice thin but steady. They didn’t respond. Just continued destroying things. “Seriously?” I muttered, then rushed forward, standing in front of one of the bulky men who was about to throw a vase at the TV. “No!” I said firmly, meeting his eyes. I had no idea where the sudden confidence came from. It sure wasn’t there yesterday. Finally, they turned their attention to me. “I said, what do you want?” “This one can talk,” one of them said, stepping forward. I hadn’t noticed him before but by the way the others straightened, I knew he was the leader. “You can’t just keep destroying things without an explanation,” I said, my voice faltering slightly as he came closer. “Is that so?” he replied smoothly. “Forgive my manners, dear. I’m just looking for your father.” “He hasn’t been home in weeks. Please, just leave.” “That’s not a very nice way to speak to your guest.” He placed a hand over his chest, feigning offense. “Now listen to me,” he continued, his tone dropping. “If your father doesn’t show up in twenty-four hours, I’ll be forced to initiate the second contract.” My heart skipped. “What contract?” He smiled. slow and cruel. “Ownership contract.” “Of what?” I asked, voice trembling. He leaned forward, eyes dark and glinting. “Not what, sweetheart…” He paused, lips curling. “Who.”