BENEATH THE MASK

Growing up in darkness

The first thing you learn growing up in a family like mine is this: trust no one.

They teach you that early. Before you can talk, they drill it into your head with lessons. You don't forget it. It's a kind of survival instinct, something that becomes second nature when you're surrounded by people who'll slit your throat the second you're no longer useful.

I learned that lesson well.

I grew up in the shadows, a world ruled by royalty and fear.

My father's empire stretched across the city like a spider's web, and I was raised in the center of it. From the outside, we were a family -just another powerful, wealthy household with connections that went back generations.

But underneath that facade was a criminal syndicate built on drugs, arms, and bodies.

And I was his heir, Alex, the son of Don Ricardo.

To the world, I was a boy, his perfect successor, the one who would someday take over everything he'd built. But inside? Inside, I was still Ava, a girl who had been forced to bury herself so deeply that some days, I forgot who I was.

I didn't have a childhood, not in the way normal kids do. There were no toys, no carefree days playing in the park. My world was violent.

I was trained in combat before I could even read. I learned to shoot a gun before I learned how to ride a bike. By the time I was ten, I could break a man's arm in three places.

My father never questioned it. He never looked at me or saw anything other than his son, his strong, capable, ruthless son. He didn't see the girl beneath, the girl hiding behind the supplements and the cold, hard exterior.

I didn't let him see.

It was safer that way.

_____________

I sat in my father's study, staring at the oak desk in front of me, my hands clasped in my lap. The smell of leather and cigar smoke filled the room, thick and suffocating. My father sat a cross from me, his sharp eyes focused on the papers spread out in front of him.

He was always working, always planning, always one step ahead.

"You're almost eighteen now Alex," he said, his voice low and commanding. "It's time you start taking on more responsibility."

I nodded " Of course."

He glanced at me, his eyes narrowing slightly I could tell he was scrutinizing me. Assessing whether I was ready. I had no choice but to look back, maintaining the mask I'd worn for so many years.

"We have a shipment coming in from the east," he continued, leaning back in his chair.

"I want you to oversee it. Make sure everything goes smoothly. This is an important deal, Alex. Don't let me down.''

"I won't."

He gave me a sharp nod, satisfied with my response. But I could still feel the weight of his expectations pressing down on me. I was never allowed to fail. Failure wasn't an option in my world- it meant weakness, and weakness was death.

"Good. Now, get out there Marco is waiting for you."

I stood, my heart pounding in my chest, and walked out of the room. As the heavy wooden door closed behind me, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. My father's approval was the only thing that mattered in this world, and I'd spent my entire life earning it.

But as I walked down the long, marble hallway of our mansion, I couldn't help but feel that no matter what I did, it would never be enough.

No matter the deals I closed, how many people I killed, and how much I proved to myself, I would never be the son he wanted.

Because I wasn't his son. Not really.

______________

I found Marco waiting for me by the garage, leaning against one of the sleek, black cars parked out front. He was one of my father's most trusted lieutenants, a man who had been with him since the beginning. He was ruthless, cold, and fiercely loyal. He'd been there for all the big deals, the ones that solidified my father's empire.

"Your old man giving you reins, huh?" Marco smirked as I approached.

I shrugged. "Just a shipment. Nothing big."

Marco chuckled, but there was something in his eyes that made me uneasy. He had always been like a second father to me, but sometimes I wondered if he knew more than he let on.

Did he suspect? Did he know the truth?

"You ready for this, Alex? It's a big step. You mess up, and it could mean trouble."

I didn't flinch. "I'm ready."

Marco gave me a slow, appraising look before nodding. "Good. Then let's get to work."

I climbed into the passenger seat of the car, feeling the familiar chum of anxiety in my gut. This was my life, my reality - a world where I had to constantly prove myself or risk losing everything.

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