THE THIRTEENTH BENEDETTI

CHAPTER 1: Charlie’s POV “I'm wondering who's going to be the next to volunteer his life.” “Did he die last night?” “Shh! Lower your voice. If the master hears….” “He was her bodyguard. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time.” The whispers outside my bedroom door were supposed to be quiet. But they weren't quiet enough. My eyes opened slowly. Another one. I didn’t even bother sitting up immediately. Instead, I stretched lazily across the bed and stared at the ceiling. Dead. My bodyguard from the South-East wing. A Romanian citizen, he had lasted longer than most. Fifty-two weeks. That was almost impressive. A faint breath escaped my lips. Not the first. Not the fifth. Not even the seventh. Every bodyguard assigned to me eventually died. Or disappeared. Most people in this mansion had already accepted it as a normal occurrence. Some servants even whispered that the thirteenth daughter of the Vincenzo family was cursed. Maybe they were right. I pushed the thought away and swung my legs off the bed. Sunlight leaked through the curtains. I walked over and pulled them open, letting the warm morning light flood the room. Outside, the massive gardens of the Vincenzo Benedetti mansion stretched endlessly across the estate. Beautiful. Golden. And suffocating as hell. A knock came from the door. “Lady Charlie,” a maiden said softly from the other side. “Breakfast is ready.” I didn’t answer. There was never any point rushing. No one at that table was waiting for me. After washing up and dressing, I finally stepped out of the room. The hallway was already silent. The maidens who had been gossiping earlier had vanished like ghosts. They always disappeared when I appeared. I walked down the long marble corridor toward the dining halls. Servants bowed their heads when I passed. None of them met my eyes. The large dining hall was already full. The massive table stretched across the room, decorated with silver plates and expensive glassware. Some of my siblings were there. A few glanced up when I entered. Others didn’t even bother. Most of the Vincenzo children didn’t live in Italy anymore anyway. They only returned when Father summoned them. I didn’t join them. I never did. Instead, I walked into the smaller private dining room beside the main hall. My table. Always prepared for only one person. Me. I sat down and began eating quietly. The silence was peaceful. For a moment. Then the atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted, I could feel it deep in my skin. Every servant suddenly straightened up. The doors opened. My father walked in. Vincenzo Benefitti. The man who ruled both this mansion and half the underworld connected to it. Every sibling at the large table stood up immediately. Every single one, except me. I continued eating, and few of them noticed. None dared to say anything. Father’s eyes briefly passed over me. Cold and unreadable. Then he spoke. “Contact the First, Third, Seventh, Ninth, and Eleventh children.” His voice was calm but absolute. “They are to return to Italy today.” The butlers immediately moved, pulling out the home landline. “There will be a banquet tonight.” Dad said his voice was cold and authoritatively bold. A banquet? I couldn't help but mutter slowly. That meant something important was coming. I ate my food and left it half way, surprisingly filled and stood up. Leaving quietly like always, the moment I reached the first stairway I heard my father's voice. “Charlie.” My steps froze. I slowly turned around. His gaze rested on me sharply. “You will attend tonight’s banquet.” “And you will attend with your new bodyguard.” My expression hardened. “I don’t want a bodyguard.” BANG. Father’s hand slammed against the table so hard the plates rattled. “My words are final.” His voice echoed through the hall. But the anger inside my chest had already broken free. “And that’s what you said about the others.” My voice came out colder than I expected. “The ones who died.” Dead silence fell across the room. One of my sisters shifted uncomfortably. Another one smirked. Father’s expression didn’t change. Without waiting for another order, I turned and walked out. The moment I reached my room, the strength drained out of me. I collapsed onto the bed. Tears burned my eyes before I could stop them. Why? Why did this keep happening? Why did everyone look at me like I was something cursed? What was wrong with me? My bodyguards kept dying. Servants feared me. And dad only treats me like a prisoner instead of a daughter. After a few minutes, I wiped my face angrily. Crying wasn’t going to change anything. I walked out onto the balcony. The city of Rome spread across the horizon beyond the mansion gates. Cars, People, Freedom. So close. But still unreachable. I needed air. I needed to get out. Even if only for a little while. So I left my room again and headed downstairs. As I approached the entrance hall, I heard my father’s voice. He was speaking to someone. I ignored them and continued walking toward the door. Almost free. “Charlie.” I stopped. Two house guards immediately stepped forward, blocking the exit. My jaw tightened. Father approached slowly. “You are not leaving alone.” “I’m not asking permission,” I said coldly. “You will go with your bodyguard.” I opened my mouth to argue…. But shut them back the moment my gaze caught the guard, he was tall, probably over six feet, Broad shoulders stretched beneath a black suit jacket. His dark hair fell slightly over sharp, calm eyes, his face was unfairly handsome. Too handsome for a bodyguard. For a moment, our eyes met, there has to be no way I'm finding a mere guard attractive. Then I quickly looked away. Without another word, I turned and walked toward the garden. If Father wanted me to watch, fine. The bodyguard followed silently behind me. His footsteps were steady. Unhurried. I walked through the flower gardens slowly. Watching and timing myself. I wanted Freedom….even if it's going to mean living in a hut I was ready. When I was sure no one was paying attention… I ran. Straight through the flower beds. I climbed the outer fence quickly and jumped over it. My feet hit the ground outside worst. I felt a sharp pain on my leg so sharp that I couldn't stand on my feet to even run. For one perfect second…. Then a deep voice shouted behind me. “Charlie!” My heart dropped. I turned. The new bodyguard was already running after me.