The Mafia's Mistress: Violent Redemption

Chapter two

CHAPTER TWO

Bella

I groaned in pain, trying to flutter my eyes open as an excruciating headache took over. My head felt so heavy that I thought disconnecting it from my entire body might provide some kind of relief. My surroundings smelled fresh and quiet, the only sounds I could discern in my half-conscious state were those of small footsteps.

Groaning in pain, I slowly fluttered my eyes open. The light in the room was a little too bright, burning my eyes slightly. I closed them, then opened them more slowly this time, trying to adjust to my surroundings—and I finally did. A woman dressed in a maid’s outfit noticed me and said, “Finally, you are awake.” With that, she rushed out of the room while I struggled with my fatigue, sitting up straight on the bed and rubbing my temples.

I took a deep breath, looking around, and I couldn’t recognize the environment I was in. It was a nice room, but for some reason, it felt different. I knew it was none of the rooms in my mansion, so where was I? Then, in the blink of an eye, the memories came flooding back, and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes almost immediately. Did that really happen? Had I truly been betrayed by the love of my life and sold off to my father’s enemy like that? Was I really in my father’s enemy’s lair? I wondered, looking around.

Just then, the same maid walked back into the room, this time accompanied by an elderly woman who appeared to be in her late fifties. She was neatly and classily dressed. I could tell she was a butler. “Good to have you awake. Get some rest because you’re going to need all your energy when you meet with Don tonight,” she said sternly as she opened the wardrobe next to me, revealing an array of dresses, before muttering, “This isn’t enough. You need more things.”

“What are you doing?” I asked, confused, taking a deep breath. I tried to understand the situation as she looked at me, adjusting her glasses before saying,

“The Don doesn’t usually go for mistresses this skinny. I guess his taste must have changed.” Her comment felt as though she wasn’t even speaking in front of me. She blatantly ignored my presence as she said to the maid standing next to her, “Have some new clothes sent here, then feed her. Make sure she gets some proper rest, and when it’s nighttime, do what you need to do.”

I was confused. A lot was happening right in front of me, and I wasn’t being provided any accurate answers to anything. What did they mean by a mistress? I never agreed to be anyone’s mistress, and was this even legal? I had been taken without my consent, and now they were discussing something about being a mistress. I was bewildered and didn’t know how to react.

“Can you provide me with some explanation?” I said, suddenly catching her attention. “Who are you people, where am I, and what is going on?” I asked, looking around. The woman's eyes landed on me as she said,

“Forgive my manners. Let me properly introduce myself.” She took a brief pause before continuing, “People around here call me Madam Claudia, and you are in Don Lorenzo’s house. You have been offered to him as his mistress, and here you are. You will be meeting with him tonight, so I suggest you rest. Okay?”

“His mistress?” I asked in disbelief. I couldn’t make sense of anything. What did she mean by his mistress? It was all too shocking. What was going on? I wanted answers, but it seemed Madam Claudia wasn’t willing to provide any. She noticed my hesitant demeanor as she stepped closer to me, her hands clasped demurely in front of her and said, “You are no longer in your domain, little princess. Here, your best option is to do as you are told so you don’t end up paying with your life.” Her voice was cold. Was it a warning or a threat? I couldn’t tell but fear immediately ran down my spine, so I didn’t bother to protest or ask questions.

Don Lorenzo’s organization was murderous and highly dangerous, led by someone as fearless and dangerous as Don. I knew that until I found a way to escape, not acting stubborn or adamant was my best option. My survival instincts immediately kicked in as I remained quiet.

“It seems you get the memo,” Madam Claudia said with a smile. Her eyes traveled up and down my frame, as she said, “You need to eat more. I will have the maids serve the best food to you.” With that, she walked out of the room, followed by the other maids.

The day went by quickly. I was offered some food, which I hesitantly ate. I was advised to get some rest, but I didn’t want to—not at that moment. I was in a strange place, my father’s enemy’s lair and I was expected to serve their Don. Who knows what he even looks like? I would assume him to be an old man, as I hadn’t seen him. How could I be the mistress of someone probably old enough to be my father? What kind of pervert was he? I had heard rumors about Don Lorenzo’s mistresses and his love for women, but what about me had captured his attention? I didn’t have answers to any of my questions.

I sat in front of the mirror as the maid dressed me in a sexy outfit that revealed more than I had intended. What was the occasion? They applied perfume and styled my hair in a way that would probably please their boss.

Madam Claudia walked towards me, extending a glass with an unknown liquid, saying, “Drink this.” I looked at her hesitantly. I didn’t know what was in it, so I didn’t want to drink it. I noticed her expression change as she said, “Have you forgotten about my warning so quickly? I would hate to see you die so young, princess. Drink it.” Hesitantly, I reached out, took the glass from her, and swallowed the liquid. It tasted weird and somewhat sweet. She had a pleased look on her face as she commanded the maids, “Leave her for now. Come back for her and escort her to his room in thirty minutes.”

With that, they all walked out of the room. I looked around cautiously, searching for the nearest escape. I rose to my feet and rushed to the balcony, staring at the world below. A few armed men were strolling around the vicinity, and my room was ridiculously high above the ground. I knew trying to escape through there would be a bad idea.

I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to think of something, but nothing came to mind. Just then, I started feeling my head spinning, and it soon began to get light. It was becoming difficult to stand still as my vision blurred. What exactly was in that substance I just drank? Had that woman drugged me? How else could what I was feeling be described?

I collapsed to the ground but immediately picked myself back up, thinking, *I have to leave, I have to get out of here immediately.* I couldn't be with that Don. I rose to my feet, reached for the door, grabbed the knob, and opened it, stepping into the corridor. There was no one in sight, and it felt like my head was spinning in circles. I just couldn't figure it out but I still wanted to escape. I collapsed to the ground again but soon stood up, leaning against the walls as it felt like they were closing in on me. I could barely see where I was headed; my vision was blurry as hell.

At that moment, escaping was no longer my priority—I just needed to find somewhere to rest for a while. I walked further down the corridor, noticing a door slightly ajar, and I pushed it open, walking into the room. It was dim, but I could make out a few things. I squinted my eyes a bit and saw someone sleeping on a bed. I didn’t even care who the person was as I staggered to the bed, collapsing into the soft cushion almost immediately. I heard a deep, manly voice groaning close to me. Normally, I would have been conscious of this, but whatever was in that drink was getting to me. I didn’t even know when I drifted off to sleep that night.

The next morning was like a haze. I woke up to someone tapping me gently on the face, saying, "Hey, hey, hey." At first, I thought I was dreaming, but it didn’t seem so. The voice continued, getting clearer as it brought me out of dreamland. I slowly opened my eyes; my vision was blurry, but it soon adjusted, and the very first person I saw was a man standing before me.

I stretched lazily, my bones cracking with the movement, right before I closed my eyes, stilling my body. Then it all occurred to me—what the heck was I doing with a man? My eyes snapped open to be sure I wasn’t seeing things, and to my dismay, I wasn’t. He was standing right in front of me.

My heart hammered in my chest as I kept my eyes on the man standing right there. His eyes traveled up and down my frame, studying me intently with a cold expression. I looked around, wondering, *Where the f**k am I? How did I get here?*

I scratched my head in confusion while his jaw clenched right before he muttered, running his fingers through his hair, “God, I should stop drinking so much. Too much vino, not enough thinking…”

I didn’t know how to react or what to say. Should I be confused, or should I just stare at the honk right in front of me hungrily? Now, standing before me was a 6'3" Greek God of a man. His appearance was like God had carefully and meticulously crafted him, using extra days with no rest in between just to perfect this human being. I gulped, seeing him stand there, his jaw clenched as he tilted his head to the side, carefully studying me. His silver eyes danced on his face as his black hair fell effortlessly to the side with each movement he made, further enhancing his insane facial beauty.

He stood there shirtless, his body muscular and framed with the perfect set of abs. A small tattoo adorned his muscular biceps, and a silver necklace matching his piercing eyes dangled around his neck. I didn’t know when I muttered, “Wow.” I was just too entranced by his looks.

My reaction seemed to annoy him, judging by the look on his face, as he asked, this time with a stern expression, “Who the hell are you?”

“Are you Don Lorenzo?” I blurted out without thinking. His eyes scanned my body as if contemplating the perfect response.

“And what business do you have with Don Lorenzo?” he asked, and I immediately felt embarrassed. What was I thinking, asking him that question? There’s no way he’s Don Lorenzo; he looks nothing like I imagined the man to be. “I see, you’re one of his little whores, aren’t you?”

I was taken aback, tilting my head to the side as I said, “Excuse you?”

“Tell me, how much did he pay you to warm his bed?” His eyes traveled up and down my frame again as he added, “You look different from his usual preference. Get the f**k out of my room. Girls like you disgust me,” he said, walking over to a table and pouring himself a glass of water. I couldn’t believe the audacity of this man.

I scoffed in disbelief, rolling my eyes as I said, “Why are you being so rude?” I looked down at my body under the duvet and noticed I was naked. I glanced around and saw my clothes scattered across the floor. “Why the heck am I even naked? Did we have s*x?”

“What the f**k does it look like to you?” he barked, slamming the glass on the table. “You walked into my room, and I was heavily drunk and passed out. I don’t even remember what happened.” He paused for a moment, his jaw tightening as he said, “Is it money you need? I’ll have the butler give you plenty. Go freshen up because you’re probably going to be warming Don Lorenzo’s bed when you’re done here, whore.”

Who the heck was this man? Forget everything nice I thought about him—I wanted to kill him right then and there. He was despicable, stupid, and rude. Why was he calling me names without even knowing me?

“You don’t know me. Why the heck are you being so rude to me?” I asked angrily. He looked at me, his gaze cold and intimidating, sending a wave of fear through me and making me recoil in bed as I gulped. His aura suddenly became dangerous as he muttered,

“Get dressed and get the f**k out of my room.” With that, he glared at me, walked into his bathroom, and slammed the door angrily behind him, making me jump in fear.

What the heck was wrong with this guy?