Owned by the Mafia: An Obsessive Marriage

Chapter Three: The Weight of Doubts

The bright morning light streamed through the tall windows, but it did not make Lila feel warm or safe. She woke up feeling stiff and tired, as if she had spent the whole night standing on edge, waiting for something to happen. When she looked around the room, the beauty of the place only made her feel more trapped. The soft carpets, nice furniture, and pretty decorations were all just part of the fancy cage she now lived in. She walked to the door and tried the handle, but it did not move. The heavy lock held it firmly shut, just like she knew it would.

She had been awake for only a few minutes when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Her heart started beating fast again, and she stepped back quickly, standing near the bed. She did not know what to expect, but she knew that whoever was coming would bring more news, more rules, and more of the world she did not understand.

The door opened slowly, and Cole walked in first. He looked big and strong, wearing dark clothes that made him look even more dangerous. Behind him came Elias, then Gideon, and finally Damian. They all stepped inside and stood in a line, looking at her like she was something important that needed to be watched carefully.

“Good morning, Lila,” Damian said. His voice was calm and clear, but there was no kindness in it. “We have things to talk about today. Important things that will change your life forever.”

Lila swallowed hard and folded her arms across her chest, trying to look braver than she felt. “What do you want from me?” she asked. Her voice was still shaking a little, but she tried to make it sound firm. “You took me here. You say I belong to you. But I want to know why. And when can I go home?”

Cole laughed, a loud, rough sound that made her jump. “Home?” he said, stepping closer until he stood right in front of her. “This is your home now. There is no going back to the old life. That world is gone. It does not exist anymore.” He looked her up and down, his eyes full of interest and control. “You need to stop asking questions that have no answers. Just listen and do as you are told. That is how things work here.”

Elias walked around the room, touching the furniture and looking at the walls like he owned everything. “Cole is right,” he said, smiling softly. “But let us explain things simply, so you understand. Your father made a deal with us a long time ago. When he could not pay back what he owed, he left us with no choice. In our world, debts are paid with things of value. And you, Lila… you are the most valuable thing we could ever have.”

He stopped and looked directly at her. “You saw what happened last night. We do not do things by accident. We planned this. We wanted you, and we got you. Now, to make everything official and legal, there is only one thing left to do.”

Damian stepped forward then, and all the men went quiet. He looked at her seriously, his eyes staring right into hers. “We are going to have a wedding,” he said. “You will marry me. And as we said before, this is not like normal weddings. It is not about love or romance. It is about making you part of the family. Once you are married to me, you belong to all of us. No one can take you away. No one can hurt you. And most importantly, you can never leave.”

Lila felt like the floor had been pulled out from under her. “A wedding?” she whispered, her eyes wide with shock. “I can’t… I won’t do it. I don’t want to marry you. I don’t even know you. This is wrong. It is illegal. You can’t force me!” She started to panic, her hands shaking as she spoke. “This is k********g. This is not right. I have rights!”

Gideon, who had been standing quietly in the corner, finally spoke. His voice was deep and steady, with no emotion in it at all. “Rights are for people who are free,” he said simply. “You are not free anymore. You are property of the Vance family. And property does not choose who it belongs to. It just belongs.”

His words hit her harder than any hit could have. She stared at him, feeling tears burn in her eyes again, but this time she refused to let them fall. She would not let them see her break down.

“You are wrong,” she said, lifting her chin high. “I am not a property. I am a person. I have feelings, and I have a mind of my own. You can lock me up, you can order me around, but you can’t make me love you. You can’t make me want this. And you can’t take away who I am.”

For a moment, the room was completely silent. The men looked at her, and she could see different things in their faces. Cole looked impressed, like he liked that she was fighting back. Elias looked thoughtful, like he was thinking about how to control her better. Damian looked pleased, like her anger made him want her even more.

Damian took a step closer, so close that she could feel the power coming off him like heat. “We are not trying to make you love us today,” he said softly. “We are just making sure you understand the rules. And yes, you are right. You are a person. But you are our person. We will teach you how to live in this world. We will give you everything you need. You will have nice clothes, good food, a safe place to live. You will never want for anything. All we ask is that you obey us, and stay with us.”

He reached out and touched her arm gently, but his grip was firm enough to remind her that he was in charge. “The wedding will happen in three days. It will be small, and only people we trust will be there. It will be done legally, so there is no way to change it. Once it is over, you will be my wife. And you will live here, with us, for the rest of your life.”

Lila pulled her arm away, but she knew it did not matter. There was nothing she could do to stop this. She looked at the four men standing in front of her, and she saw how strong they were. They had all the power, all the money, and all the control. She was just one person, alone in a world that was dark and dangerous.

“I hate this,” she said, her voice low and clear. “I hate that you took me. I hate that you are doing this to me. I will never be happy here. I will never accept it.”

Cole smiled a wide, mean smile and walked up to her. He stood so close she could smell his strong, sharp scent. “Hate is good,” he said. “Hate means you feel something. And feeling something is better than feeling nothing at all. You can hate us as much as you want. You can fight us every single day. But it will not change what is going to happen. We want you. We need you. And no matter how much you hate us, you are still ours.”

Elias nodded in agreement. “And you will see,” he added. “As time goes on, things will change. The fear will fade, and the anger will turn into something else. Something stronger. Something that you will not be able to live without. We are obsessed with you, Lila. And once you are ours, that obsession will only grow. It will become a part of you, just like it is a part of us.”

Damian looked at her one last time, his eyes dark and full of promises. “We will give you time to get used to things,” he said. “In the morning, someone will come to help you choose clothes and get ready. You will learn what is expected of you. And remember this—no matter how much you run, no matter how much you fight, you will always come back. Because you know that this is where you belong. With us.”

He turned toward the door, and the others followed him. Before they left, Damian stopped and looked back at her. “Rest well, wife-to-be,” he said. “Your new life starts in three days.”

The door closed behind them with that same heavy click, and Lila was alone again. But this time, she did not feel just scared. She felt angry, and she felt determined. She walked over to the big window and looked out at the high walls and the guards walking around. She knew she was trapped, and she knew she could not escape easily. But she also knew that she would not give up.

She sat down on the edge of the soft bed and looked around the room. It was beautiful, but it felt cold and empty. She thought about the wedding, about being married to a man she did not know, and about living with four dangerous men who thought they owned her. Her heart felt heavy, and she wanted to cry. But she wiped her eyes and made a promise to herself.

I will survive this, she thought. No matter what they do, no matter what they say, I will not let them break me. I may be trapped here, but my mind and my spirit will always be free. And one day, I will find a way to be free again.

But deep inside, a small voice whispered something she did not want to hear. She thought about the way they looked at her, the way they talked about wanting her, and the strong pull she felt even when she hated them. She shook her head to push the thought away, but it stayed there. She knew that whatever happened, her life would never be the same again. And the obsession that had brought her here was only just beginning.