The Mafia Lord's Broken Bride

SERENA I couldn't contain the smile on my face when I stared at the new apartment I had just got. It's been days, but I've finally gotten here. I was now free from the golden cage once called home. The fresh air I inhaled and the moment I stared out the window—It hit me. I was free. I was no longer ruled by the iron fists of my parents and could actually do whatever I wanted. It sounded so surreal, but I couldn't wait to start my new life. Especially after it's been months of planning. And trying to escape the mafia household was like asking for a death wish. I still don't know how I did it, but I was glad I escaped at least. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. ****** *FLASHBACK* “My mi amor is going to be twenty one,” mom squealed, tightening her hands around my cheeks. I tried to act like I was excited, when in truth I was suffocating and had made up my mind to leave this place once and for all. I took her hands and clasped it in mine. I wasn't all close with my mother, but I had a decent relationship with her compared to my father and brothers. She was the only one that always seemed tolerable to me. I forced a smile and placed a soft kiss on her hand. “Thank you for everything, mom. Today is so perfect and I just can't thank you for everything.” She giggled, “No need to thank me, Mi Amor. You're twenty one after all and you know what that means,” she winked. She didn't have to tell me twice. I knew what it meant. It was a tradition that once a girl clicks the sheet of twenty one in the mafia household—She'd be signed into a wedding alliance. I couldn't believe my parents actually wanted to go through with it. This was probably why mom is acting so nice to me. It's all an act, to sway me with her antics. Now, I'm more determined to leave this place. I slowly withdrew my hands from hers, and gave her a smile. A rehearsed one. “You don't have to worry about that, mother. I know my duty,” I replied through gritted teeth. She clapped my hands. “That's my baby girl,” she put loose strands of my hair back in place. “Go get ready. The party would be starting in a few minutes and make sure what the dress I picked for you.” I nodded. “Yes, mother.” I didn’t even wait till nightfall. The moment I got back to my room, I packed what little I could carry. A few clothes, some cash I’d been hiding for months, and the fake papers I got from Mateo — the only guard who still had a conscience. My hands shook the whole time. Every sound in the hallway made me flinch. My father’s men were everywhere, and one wrong move meant I’d be dragged back before I even made it out the door. I looked around the room one last time — the gold mirrors, the expensive perfume bottles, the bed that never felt like mine. It was all too much. I never wanted any of it. I wanted to live. Pulling my hoodie over my head, I slipped out through the back gate and ran. I didn’t stop until my legs started to burn. The night air was cold and sharp, but I didn’t care. I kept running until the mansion was nothing but a blur in the distance. That night, Serena Armani died. And Serena Vale was born. ***** *BACK TO PRESENT* The next morning, I found myself in a small, cheap motel miles away from home. The mirror above the sink was cracked, and the bed sheets smelled like cigarettes, but it was heaven compared to the life I left behind. For once, no one knocked on my door. No one yelled my name. No guards followed me around. I was free. I started small — a new ID, a new phone, a small apartment with a leaking ceiling. I even got a job at a local café downtown. The pay wasn’t much, but I didn’t mind. I just wanted normal. And for the first time in my life, I laughed without fear. ******* It was on one of those long shifts that I met him. Ethan Carter. He walked in with messy hair, a coffee-stained shirt, and the kind of smile that could melt away every ounce of exhaustion. He wasn’t rich or powerful — just a man with tired eyes and charm that came too easy. “Can I get a cappuccino?” he asked, leaning against the counter like he owned the place. I blinked, caught off guard. “Sure. One cappuccino coming up.” He watched me for a bit. “You new here?” “Yeah,” I said, trying not to look directly at him. “Just started last week.” “Well,” he grinned, “you make the best coffee I’ve had in days. What’s your name?” For a second, I almost said Serena Armani. But that name didn’t belong to me anymore. “Serena Vale,” I answered instead. He nodded like he was trying to memorize it. “Pretty name. I’m Ethan.” From that day, he kept coming back. Every morning, same order. Sometimes, he’d sit by the window and just talk about random things — his failing startup, his dreams, his stupid dog that kept chewing on his shoes. I didn’t realize when I started looking forward to it. To him. He treated me like I was normal. Like I wasn’t the daughter of a killer or someone with blood on her family’s hands. With him, I could laugh, be silly, make mistakes — things I never dared to do before. It felt like peace. Like the life I’d been craving for years was finally in reach. But peace doesn’t last long in my world. Ethan once held my hand and said, “I’ll love you forever, Serena. No matter what.” And I believed him. God, I wanted to believe him so badly. I didn’t know that forever meant until I was no longer useful.