Why does the Mafia want me so bad?

4: Gunshot

"Carlos, you can't kill him. Killing him means war between the Rizzos and the Corleones," Giulia said. She was telling the truth. After all, those families had been rivals for decades, so if Carlos shot Cristobal, it would spark a huge fight in the Mafia world because both the Rizzos and the Corleones are big and notorious mafia families. Carlos dropped his hands and said to Cristobal, "I don't ever want to see you on my property again."

"Carlos, why are you acting this way? I'm not your wife anymore. We’re divorced. You got what you wanted, and I got what I wanted and it's a win-win, so stop behaving like this," I found myself saying.

Cristobal helped me with my luggage, and we drove out of Carlos' mansion. We were silent, and the awkwardness was too much and then Cristobal decided to break it. "I never thought I’d find you in his house. It’s just Susanne..."

I cut him off. "Sorry. I apologize for what Carlos did earlier. It was embarrassing," I said. But he laughed.

"Trust me, that’s the least of my problems right now. I've known Carlos since kindergarten. He’s always been like that," he said.

I was curious about how he knew Susanne, so I asked. "How did you know Susanne, are you friends with her?" He explained, "Susanne is my cousin from my mother’s side." That explained why he had come to pick me up.

We reached a big mansion, and I was shocked at how grand the place was. Susanne came out and hugged me. I was surprised to see her and said, "I never knew you were in town." She replied that she had been in town since she saw my message, which wasn’t even 24 hours ago.

She looked at me, then at Cristobal, and said she’d do a proper introduction. She smiled and said, "This is Esmeralda Larosa, my 001, and she’s very single." Then she turned to me, pointing at Cristobal, and added, "And this is my cousin Cristobal Rizzo, very handsome, very single."

We both laughed. Cristobal offered me a job after he learned I was a graduate with excellent results. I was thrilled about the opportunity. I won't be a housewife anymore. Thank goodness for the divorce. I'm finally free.

Cristobal is a businessman—well, technically a Mafia boss, but he uses legal businesses to cover up his dealings. I was already used to the Mafia lifestyle, so it didn’t shock me.

The next day, I decided to go shopping and buy a new dress for my new job. I went to a boutique and found a beautiful corporate gown I really liked. As I picked it up, someone suddenly snatched it from my hands. I became annoyed as I turned to see who it was, and it turned out to be Giulia. She was just as shocked to see me there.

"Why did you take the dress from me? You know I picked it first," I asked her. It was unbelievable. She looked me up and down badly, smirking. "You’re not supposed to be in this boutique," she said. "You can’t afford these clothes, anyway."

"Give the dress back," I demanded.

"No," she replied. Just as I was about to grab the dress back, Carlos appeared out of nowhere and stopped me. He looked at me and said, "Have you been stalking me? How did you know we were here?"

I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Me? Stalking him? Before I could respond, Cristobal stepped in and said, "No, Carlos, she hasn’t been stalking you. We came here together."

It was a relief that Cristobal defended me, even though, deep down, I knew we hadn’t actually come to the boutique together.

He asked what was happening, and I explained that I had picked out the dress, but Giulia came out of nowhere and snatched it from me. He demanded that Giulia give the dress back to me, but Carlos laughed and asked why. Giulia said she would only return the gown over her dead body. Cristobal didn’t say anything; instead, he pulled out his phone and started operating it, like he was chatting with someone. Then, the boutique personnel arrived and politely asked Giulia to hand over the clothes. Giulia groaned angrily but eventually gave up the dress. The employee handed it to Cristobal.

"Is there anything I can do for you, boss?" the employee asked, referring to Cristobal as his boss. I was shocked, Giulia and Carlos were just as surprised. Cristobal noticed the disbelief on our faces and said, “Yes, I own this place. Leave before I call security on you.”

Carlos balled his fists angrily and stormed out, with Giulia following behind him. After they left, Cristobal handed me the gown. I was speechless, still processing the display of power between him and Carlos. I thanked him, and he replied, “If you’re truly grateful, join me at an auction this evening.”

Later that evening, a car came to pick me up and drove me to Cristobal’s mansion. From there, we went to the auction together. When we entered, it wasn’t the kind of auction I had imagined. They were auctioning people—girls being used to transport illicit drugs, men trained as assassins, guns, and all sorts of illegal items.

What else should I have expected from the Mafia? This was their way of life, their tradition. Men were chanting in excitement, some smoking and drinking. The atmosphere was unbearable. I felt deeply uncomfortable and needed fresh air. Cristobal instructed two of his men to accompany me outside for protection.

Once outside, I could finally breathe. The cold air was refreshing, a relief from the overwhelming noise and the strong smell of weed and alcohol. I turned back, and Cristobal’s men were standing right behind me. It all happened so fast—a figure emerged out of nowhere. Before Cristobal’s men could react, the figure shot them. They fell to the ground, and I stood there in shock, already crying.

The gunman pointed his weapon at me. The last thing I heard was a gunshot before I collapsed, gasping for air.