CLAIMED BY THE MAFIA

The Bouquet

Sienna’s POV

AFTER taking a shower and getting dressed, I went downstairs. I was only renting a room in this apartment because it was conveniently close to the hospital where I worked.

I walked over to the table and took a seat. I watched Mrs. Helena as she placed the food on the table. I didn't bother helping her anymore because I already knew she would refuse my help anyway. That's just how she was. Sometimes, I even felt embarrassed about how much she did for me, even though I paid for my share of the food and rent.

I was honestly lucky to be living here. Not only was the rent affordable, but they were also kind and welcoming—especially her daughter, who had become a close friend of mine.

“Here,” She said as she placed food on my plate. She then prepared a cup of coffee for me, sometimes she often did every morning. “Is, Elara still asleep? Well, it's Sunday anyway, so she doesn't have work today.”

“She’s probably still asleep,” I replied before starting my breakfast.

“What time did you get home last night? I didn't get to see you because I had already fallen asleep,” She suddenly asked as she sat down and began eating as well.

I suddenly remembered what happened last night.

That jerk.

He stole a kiss from me.

I just hoped I wouldn't have to see him again. Without realizing it, I cleanched my fists in annoyance at the memory.

“Sienna, are you okay?” She asked when she noticed how quiet I'd become.

I looked at her and smiled. “Ah—yes. I just suddenly remembered something.”

“Uh, is that so.”

I simply nodded. “Uhm.”

A few moments later, we heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I already knew it was Elara since the three of us were the only ones living here, and she was the only one upstairs.

Mrs. Helena and I both turned toward her as she approached the table. She took the seat beside me and served herself some food on her plate.

“You two are up early,” Elara said, her eyes focused on her plate.

“What time did you get home last night?” Her mother asked her. “And who did you go out with?”

“I don't remember, Mom,” She answered without looking at her mother. “But I was with some friends—my coworkers. It was one of our friends birthdays, so we decided to go to a bar to celebrate." She glanced at her mother for a moment before looking at me.

“Next time, if you know you're not going to be home early, let me know. You're old enough to knock that by now,” Mrs. Helena reminded her daughter.

“Noted, Mom. Sorry,” Elara replied. “By the way, Sienna, I saw you last night. You were in such a hurry to get into a taxi. I even called your name, but you didn't turn around,” She told me.

I was slightly surprised. “Uh—um, well, my stomach was hurting, so I was in a hurry to get home,” I said struggling to come up with an excuse.

But the truth was, I had been rushing because of the man I ran into last night.

God, I really wanted to punch him in the face out of sheer annoying. He even used me as shield against the men he was running away from just so he could get away.

“Oh, I see. Too bad. I was actually going to ask you to come with us—”

She didn't get to finish because Mrs. Helena suddenly cut her off.

“You were really going to drag Ms. Sienna into your late-night outings? You should fucos more on your work, especially with how expensive everything is these days.”

“Come on, Mom. I don't go out that often. Besides, it looks like, Sienna hasn't really experienced that kind of thing yet.”

“That’s because she's a responsible woman. Ms. Sienna isn't the type to go out partying all the time, so don't compare her to yourself," Mrs. Helena said.

“Or maybe it's because her fiancé doesn't let her go anywhere without him. He's probably just afraid someone might take her away.”

I laughed at Elara’s comment. It was true that Samuel didn't really let me go out with just anyone, but I didn't think that was the reason. Maybe he was simply worried about what could happen to me. He just didn't want me to get into trouble, especially since this place had become so chaotic lately.

Just like what happened last night.

“Will you be quiet, Elara? You're always saying the most ridiculous things. Just eat,” Mrs. Helena said, giving her daughter a stern look.

I simply continued eating. When I finished, I excused myself and went ahead of them. I could still hear Mrs. Helena lecturing her daughter, who always seemed to have an answer for everything. Elara was a kind person, but she could be quiet stubborn sometimes.

I turned on the TV and sat down on the sofa. A news report immediately caught my attention. It was about several people who had been killed_people I assumed were involved with drugs and had connection to criminal syndicates.

“The killings in this place really never seem to stop,” I muttered to myself while watching the TV.

Just last month, there had been a series of deaths around the area. Most of the victims were found already dead, with little information about who was responsible.

I changed the channel, only to frown when I saw a scene of the man and woman kissing. The man was forcing himself on the woman while she struggled to get away from him.

I let out a frustrated sigh and quickly changed the channel again. I finally stopped when I found a cartoon playing and placed the remote control on the table.

“This is much better,” I muttered.

A moment later, I felt Elara’s presence beside me as she sat down on the sofa. She had a bowl of popcorn in her hands and was already chewing.

“Seriously? Peppa Pig?” She asked teasingly before laughing. “But it's actually pretty good. It used to be my favorite—used to be. Not anymore," she added.

“Same,” I replied.

“I’ll be heading out for a while,” Mrs. Helena said, making both of us turn toward her. She was already dressed to go out.

“What time will you be home, Mom?” Elara asked.

“I’ll probably be home late. I still have somewhere I need to stop by,” Her mother reply. “There’s food in the fridge, so don't bother cooking anything else. It'll just go to waste. We're not rich enough to waste food,” Mrs. Helena added.

“Yes, Mom. Take care.”

“Take care, Mrs. Helena.”

After putting on her shoes, she finally stepped outside and left.

We stayed quiet while watching a cartoon. After a while, Elara said she was feeling sleepy and decided to go upstairs, leaving me alone in the living room.

Time passed quickly, I got up and went to the kitchen. I grabbed a glass, poured myself some water, and drank it before going back to the living room. I had only been sitting there for a few seconds when I heard the doorbell ring.

It rang twice before I finally got up and walked toward the door. I slowly leaned closer and looked through the peephole. My eyebrows furrowed when I saw the person standing outside. I reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it, opening the door slightly.

“Why?” I asked the man.

“Are you Ms. Sienna Valeria?" He asked.

“Yes?"

The man smiled. “Someone asked me to give this to you, Ms. Sienna Valeria.”

“I frowned slightly. “For me?”

He nodded and handed me a bouquet of flowers wrapped neatly in brown paper.

“Someone asked me to give this to you,” He repeated.

I didn't take it right away. Instead, I stared at the flowers for a moment before looking back at him.

“Who?”

“I was told not to say.”

I didn't say anything else. I just stood there and watched as the man walked away, the bouquet still in my hands. I closed the door and went back to my seat.

In the two years that Samuel and I had been together, he had never given me flowers like this. He wasn't really the type to give flowers anyway.

But then, who would send me flowers?

I stared at the bouquet for a moment before noticing the letter tucked between the flowers. I pulled it out, unfolded the paper, and started reading what was written on it.