THE MAFIA PRINCESS'S SILENT SCARS

MIA'S POV Mia has always known that her love life wasn't hers to decide. Knowing how her father operates she knew that he would most likely trade her off to get more alliances in their world. But a year ago she met Theo and fell in love with him. She was convinced that she would be able to convince her father to let them be together. Yes she was beautiful but ever since she lost her ability to speak she didn't consider herself an important asset anymore. So she snuck out and went to visit her boyfriend and try to convince him to come see her father to ask for his permission to officially court her. As she approached his house she stood frozen by the door, her heart racing. She could hear Lucy’s laughter, loud and carefree. But it sounded different now, almost mocking. "What is she doing at Theo's house though "? she wondered. She slowly pushed the door open, every inch of her body screaming to run, but she couldn’t. Not yet. What she saw made her stomach twist. Theo was on the bed, his hands tangled in Lucy’s hair. They were passionately kissing. Mia’s breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t move. Her body went cold. She dropped her bag on the floor in shock and they both turned around to look at her. “What the f**k is happening here?” Mia signed, her hands trembling, her heart breaking with every word. Lucy pulled away first, a slow, satisfied smile curling on her lips. “Oh, Mia,” she said, her voice thick with amusement. “You didn’t know? Theo and I... we’ve been seeing each other for a while now. Guess we just didn’t know how to tell you.” Mia’s hands shook harder. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. "How could you do this to me?" she signed, her eyes burning with disbelief. Theo stood up quickly, but he didn’t meet her eyes. His face was pale, his mouth tight. “Mia, I never wanted you to find out like this,” he said, though his voice sounded weak. “I’m sorry, but... it’s not what you think.” Mia signed faster now, her frustration and pain spilling out. "You’ve been lying to me, you bastard?". The words hung in the air, heavy and sharp. Theo sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I... I care about you, but, ” He hesitated, looking at Lucy before speaking again, his voice lower. “I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep hiding it. I’m scared, Mia. Your father... He’ll never accept us. He’ll never let me be with you.” Mia’s heart broke a little more with every word. "So you chose her?" she signed, tears blurring her vision. Mia felt the room spin, her world cracking in pieces. She could feel the tears threatening to spill, but she refused to let them. "You don’t love me." She signed the words slowly, almost in disbelief. "You never did." Lucy’s laughter broke the silence again, loud and mocking. “Oh, come on, Mia. Don’t be so dramatic, yes you're beautiful but you're mute and you don't give him what he wants in bed. Men love s*x and you've been holding out on him for weeks. He made his choice. And it’s not you.” Her voice was cold, the satisfaction in it clear. Mia shook her head, her hands trembling with the weight of the betrayal. "I thought you were my friend, Lucy."The words were quiet, but they hit harder than anything. She turned to leave, her hands still shaking. "Goodbye, Theo." She signed the words, but her hands felt heavy, as if they were no longer her own. “Mia, please, wait!” Theo's voice cracked, and she heard him take a step toward her, but she couldn’t face him. Not now. Not ever again. She walked out with her head up high, never again she promised herself. She saw all the red signs but she ignored them because she fancied herself in love with him. If she ever chooses to fall in love again, it's going to be with a real man who can stand up for himself and isn't afraid of her tyrant father. ************************ Mia sat alone in her room, staring at the yellow rose in the crystal vase on her vanity. It was the same rose she received after every performance for the past six months. She's been crying for hours now but no more. She didn’t know who it came from, but she liked to imagine it was from someone who cared. The flowers were the only thing that made her feel noticed anymore. She couldn’t keep dancing after the injury that had shattered her career at twenty-one. Her dream was gone, and now she had to figure out how to live her life. She stood up, gathered her things, and packed her remaining costumes into a white box. As she closed the lid, a wave of sadness swept over her, but she pushed it down quickly. There was no point in crying over things she couldn’t change. Her mother knocked at the door, but Mia didn’t respond immediately. Then, her mother’s voice came from the doorway. "Your father wants to speak with you," her mother said. Mia didn’t want to talk to him. She had no interest in his power games. But she knew she had no choice. Her father, Thomas Russo, was the head of the family business, and when he called, she had to obey. She walked to his office and knocked softly before stepping inside. She didn’t wait for him to tell her to sit; she knew he wouldn’t offer. “Still acting out, I see,” he said without looking up from the papers on his desk. “Soon, it will be someone else’s problem.” Mia didn’t react to his words. Her father liked to play games, and she wasn’t interested in being part of them. But what he said next made her heart race. “We’re making a deal with the Russians,” he said, finally meeting her eyes. “You’re marrying one of Di Salis’s men next week.” Mia’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t believe him at first. She shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “It’s already decided,” her father said, his smile cruel. “You’ll marry one of his men. Congratulations.” Mia grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from his desk, quickly writing something down. She handed it to him. He read the note, and his face flushed with anger. “You think I can’t make you do this?” he shouted. Before Mia could respond, her father grabbed her arm, yanked her toward him, and slapped her across the face with such force that her head whipped to the side. Her ears rang, but she didn’t cry. She slowly straightened up and picked up the note that had fallen from his hand, placing it back on his desk, pointing at the words written on it, then turned to leave. “If you don’t do it, I’ll give Annabelle to them,” her father said coldly. Mia froze. Her little sister, Annabelle, was only nineteen. Mia turned back around, eyes filled with disbelief. Her father’s cold smile showed that he meant every word. “I see that got your attention,” he said, smug. “Good. Come back here.” Mia walked back to the chair slowly, her legs feeling like lead. She sat down, her body tense. She had no choice now. She had to do what he said to protect Annabelle. Her father leaned back in his chair, lighting a cigar. He looked at her with a satisfied grin. “You’ll be a good wife,” he said. “You’ll let him f**k you however he wants. You’ll make him trust you. You’ll listen to everything he says. The routes, the deals, everything. You will remember every word.” He pulled a phone from his desk drawer and gave it to her. “You’ll send me everything. Do you understand?” Mia stared at him, her anger rising. Her day just couldn't get any better. She didn’t care about his games. She would do this, but not for him. She would marry into the Bratva to protect Annabelle, not because her father told her to. She nodded, grabbed the phone, and walked out of the office, feeling her father’s smug gaze follow her. She was determined. This wasn’t over. She wasn’t going to die because of him again. She was going to protect Annabelle, no matter what.