The Mafia's Second Wife

"From now on, you will be the new Mafia Queen of Larosa City, understand?"  Katerina's eyes open as wide as she could be, staring blankly at the woman sitting in front of her with utter confusion. Just yesterday, she thought that her life would soon change for the better, and that Larosa City would finally bring her what she wanted the most; an opportunity. But now, looking at her surroundings, it seems that she has gotten herself into a dangerous situation that will change her life, forever.  The woman looks at her watch, she bites onto her lower lips lightly and brushes strands of hair stuck to her cheek. “Such as hot day, isn't it?”, she asked Katerina in a low, breathy voice.  Katerina nods lightly, her eyes glued to the piece of paper given to her earlier on by the woman. She scanned through it, not really understanding what all of these complex words are, except for a short sentence hitting right in her face.  Ms. Katerina Allen must complete her act of seduction within 30 days after signing this contract.  "Mrs. Carter, I really don't understand! So you want me to seduce your husband?"  "You can call me Serena, sweetheart. And yes! That's basically all I need from you", Serena replies in the same breathy voice. She takes out from her bag a large envelope and hands it to Katerina. "If you can succeed in seducing Ray within 30 days, this will be yours.” "But why?" Serena chuckles and shakes her head. “I just want him to stop loving me, that's all." Katerina has become more confused than ever. 'What kind of woman hopes that her husband will stop loving her?' she thought. But looking back at the contract, and then the envelope, it is such a too good to be true deal that she cannot resist. She bites a lip, then thinks about all the hardships she has to go through before coming to Larosa. She remembers her parents' struggles, her sister's illness, her dirty old farmhouse in the countryside, and her terrible life back then. 'If this is the only way I can make it, then I'll take it".  "I agree. I agree to be the second wife of Ray Carter," she says determinedly. Serena Carter raises her eyebrows, but soon her surprise look turns into a cheeky smile. Katerina starts to inspect her more carefully.Serena Carter, the most powerful woman of Larosa City, is quite young, perhaps in her early thirties, but she has that drained, worrisome expression on her face, making her look at least ten years older. She wears a long, blue dress with short, puffy sleeves, and her brunette hair is tied up loosely, leaving strands of hair falling carelessly down onto her worn-out face. If not being told from the start, Katerina would never have guessed that the young, wearied woman sitting in front of her is supposed to be the wife of ruthless mafia boss Ray Carter, "I'm glad you made up your mind, sweetie. I think we can both benefit a lot from our deal. You'll get the life you've always dreamed of, and I will also get mine." Serena stands up and straightens out her dress. A man from outside walks in with her big fur coat. She looks back once more at Katerina, "I'll have Paul pick you up tomorrow, and we can get started on preparing you for your 'mission'. You better not change your mind, or else the consequences will be bad, very bad." Katerina nods. Serena's tone does not really bother her. She is not really sure what the consequences are supposed to be, but she is up to anything, as long as it does not involve her family. She looks around the old and filthy apartment room. Just yesterday, she was a country girl with a big dream, a dream of making it big, a dream of becoming a famous, star-studded actress surrounded by fame and wealth. Just yesterday, she arrived in Larosa City with the hope of securing an acting gig at a local theater, and a waitress job at an American Bistro. She was hopeful, she had her plan written out clearly, so what really went wrong? It probably started when she bumped into Serena Carter on the busy street. Their first meeting was not very pleasant. Katerina was holding onto her plastic coffee cup, and Serena was wearing a tight, white jumpsuit. Their collision should have been the end of Katerina's life, but surprisingly, the first thing Serena said was not an angry demand, it was something Katerina would never expect to hear from anyone, let alone the wife of a mafia boss. "You are one beautiful young lady," Serena said, in that same low and breathy tone she used to threaten Katerina the next day. From that very first compliment, it seemed that Serena had finally found what she wanted, a solution to her problem, and a worthy replacement for her position as the queen of Larosa City. Katerina should have known better to not mess with anyone from that dangerous world. But she always made the wrong choice when dealing with people. And so she invited Serena back to her home, here in this dirty apartment she rented on Hilly Street, for a change of clothes. And that was the end of everything, and the beginning of everything. Katerina is now bound by a deadly contract that involves seducing a married man. But not just any married man. He is Ray Carter, one of the most dangerous men, a man who can easily put an end to her entire future, and perhaps even her life. She is still not sure why Serena is that confident about her plan. As if Ray would just instantly fall madly in love with a country bumpkin like her! Yet at the same time, Katerina is intrigued. Maybe, just maybe, this would be her chance to achieve her goal, and to help her parents pay off all the debts and bills they owned. She has always been hopeful about everything, and this time, she should be more hopeful than ever. It is the start of a brand - new chapter, and she is no longer the same old Katerina, she is now on the road to becoming the new Mrs. Carter, the new power woman of Larosa City, and of Ray Carter's life.