Kidnapped By The Mafia

Surprise!!! Today was my twentieth birthday. I sat on my bed, pondering what my twenties had in store for me. My birthday was unremarkable, just another day in my family's house. I had no friends to celebrate with, and my parents wouldn't join in because I failed my college entrance exam—again! Suddenly, a knock on my door interrupted my thoughts, and I hurriedly opened it. For some reason, I hoped the person was there to wish me a happy birthday with a cake, but my expectations were dashed. "Mom, good morning," I greeted my mother, who seemed to be in a cloudy mood. I couldn't discern if she was upset or happy; she had a straight face and appeared forced to my doorstep. I waited for her birthday wishes, but it took longer than expected. "Get dressed! Your father and I want to take you somewhere," my mom blurted and walked out, her heels clacking loudly, creating a storm on the floor. I didn't know why she was angry, but her mood wasn't good. Spotting my elder siblings from afar, I braced myself for their wishes. To my surprise, they didn't say a word; instead, there were murmurs and pity-filled eyes. I started to wonder what was going on. "Mom, where are we going?" I asked, and silence was the only response. She didn't say a word until we stopped at my father's car, parked and waiting for us. "Get in!" Her voice was commanding and demanding. Now, I began to rethink if it was an actual surprise or if something was truly amiss. "Father! It's my birthday today," I stuttered, thinking they might have forgotten. Reminding him, I figured everyone might be too busy with work to remember my birthday. "We know it's your birthday today, Leah!" my Dad replied, his eyes on the road, focused on driving. My mom, on the other hand, avoided eye contact with me. The atmosphere felt suffocating, and I closed my eyes, trying to nap, wondering, "What exactly is going on?" After almost an hour of driving, my father stopped and parked his car. I was gradually dozing off, but the car's reverse screeching sound woke me up. "Get down from the car, Leah!" my father commanded. It wasn't the first time I received such energy from my family, but I felt trapped in my thoughts because I had no idea what was going on. "What are we doing here?" I muttered, and my parents looked at me as if I made a mistake by speaking. "Keep your mouth shut!" My mom whispered, and immediately a middle-aged man dressed in all black came to where we were standing. It seemed my parents had met him before. They left to a corner and started whispering words I couldn't put together. It dawned on me that I was probably here to witness my surprise birthday party or something of that nature. "Utter her in," he said, and my mom grabbed my hands. "Mom… What is it?" I asked, and she looked away. "Won't you say anything to me at least?" I sighed. "Leah, this isn't the time to worry about worthless matters. We are here for business, so be focused," my father blurted out, and my mother nodded in agreement. The strange man led the way, and the doors opened, revealing a magnificent living room. I didn't see any balloons, cakes, glitters, or gift boxes. Instead, my eyes gazed at what looked like the living room of a wealthy family, with several portraits of men and women on the wall. The interior and decorations had a dark and gothic vibe. I started to think this was no surprise party of any kind. "Welcome! We have been expecting her!" a voice from behind echoed. "Me?" I looked at my parents in confusion, and they nodded. "Yes… you," they both replied in unison. Their faces looked like they suddenly wanted to tear up but were fighting the urge. I heard my mom sniff in her tears countless times. Today was supposed to be a day of joy for me, yet I was in a room filled with confusion. "She's beautiful… My master will like her," the voice echoed again. I looked around to see who it was, but there was no one in the room with me. "What does he mean his master will like you?" I stuttered, looking at my parents in confusion. I didn't know what to say or how to react because I wasn't sure what was happening yet. So, I just kept calm and wanted to hear my parents' reassurance, but I was met with awkward silence. "We have waited for her arrival for a long time. Why are you just bringing her now?" the voice roared, making my father flinch. Whoever was behind this voice had a commanding influence on my father. For sure, my father was afraid of him. "We are sorry… We, uh, we have been busy with our office work. We brought her here immediately we had the chance," my father replied immediately. I stood there confused. There was some scheme going on, and I had no idea what it is. "Okay then… Did you bring her stuff, or did she come with empty hands?" the man asked. This time I grabbed my mom's wrist, and she held me close. I felt sad because my mom never showed me any affection before then. She was literally shaking and grabbed me closer to herself. "No… She came empty-handed, not even with her cell phone," my father replied. My mind immediately went to my phone I left on my bathroom shelf. "Okay then… I think we are done with business now. You can leave," the voice thundered. I turned to leave with my parents. I had no idea what was going on, but I was excited to go back home. "You! Stay back," the voice thundered. It was then my mom slowly let go of my grip. I started to breathe and sweat profusely because I was afraid. "You have to stay back, Leah…" My mom's voice was shaking, and I could hear the pains in her voice. "Why?" I stuttered.