Chapter 1 - Viviana.
V I V I A N A
You know, most people feel at peace when they're at home.
It's a place they consider their refuge, a place that shields and protects them from the horrors of the outside world. Unfortunately, that's not the case for me. Not when the very thing you're hiding from lives under the same roof as you.
I guess it comes with the territory. Both in the literal and metaphorical sense. Being the daughter of a notorious Mafia leader. My father is Don Ettore Costanzo, Don of the Costanzo crime syndicate, one of many significant and old families born and bred in the heart of New York City. Everyone seems to have gotten it figured out. My father, is a successful businessman with companies all across the city and beyond. His wife, my step-mother, is the perfect woman, in his eyes at least. I'm the only one who seems to have my bullshit detector on red alert when I'm around her. My real mom died when I was very young, so young that I barely even remember what she was like. And before I could even cherish whatever memories I had of her, she was quickly replaced by the one and only Lucia. She made sure I knew that I was no longer the most important person in my father's life. She was. And boy, did she love reminding me of it.
It's like the house simply breaths without me, and it's always been that way. The walls, polished to a mirror's shine, echo with unfamiliarity despite me having lived here for 24 years. The mansion buzzes with servants, soldiers, my father's men. All of them serve a purpose, and that is to make sure that Costanzo Headquarters is running smoothly. People move past me, most of them with their heads lowered. I'm supposed to be the daughter of the Don, but it's clear these people don't respect me.
This estate is my prison. My curse. But it's also meant to be my inheritance, and that's the only thing that keeps me going. I'm supposed to be the one to take over from my father someday, whether he likes it or not. The laws of the Underground are very clear. I am his firstborn, therefore his rightful heir. So this legacy, will be passed on to me. And it's something I've been preparing my whole life for.
My father wanted me to be strong. So I was. He wanted me to be a killer, and unfortunately, I became one. A weapon fashioned perfectly for the rule of the Costanzo family.
I walk forward quietly, exhaling deeply as I prepare for the start of the day, having come from my training and a fresh shower. I stride through the hallways, my pitch black hair falling in large, bouncy curls on my back. My eyes are blue, not like my father's brown ones. No. I looked just like my mother. I'm average height, standing at about 5'6, and I'd consider myself pretty fit considering I kept healthy, worked out and trained every single day. I've had many suitors, many that have shown interest, but my father could never allow them to get close to me. He would either threaten to kill them, or they would simply be too scared to come close to me because of my family's status. And he claims it's because none of them were ever worthy of me, and if I were to find someone to be with, it should be someone within our community, one who would help build a powerful legacy.
I'm finally downstairs, and breakfast is already half over when I slip into the dining room. The long table stretches like a battlefield, and my father sits at the head. My stepmother Lucia is at his right hand, as well as Victor. My half-brother. He sits confidently in his seat, and as soon as he sees me, irritation appears on his face. The same resulting with mine. He is three years younger than me, but he looks at me the way a king looks at a beggar. It's obvious the two of us never got along. He is the favourite son, and I was a reminder of a life my father is trying so hard to forget.
I can already feel their eyes glaring at me as I approach the dining table. I meet their gaze finally, and all I feel is venom, especially that of Lucia.
"Good morning." I issue a greeting, one I'm not eager to give, just as I sit at the far end of the dining table, at the opposite head of the table, my usual seat.
"Viviana." My father lets out sternly, not even bothering to greet me back.
“You’re late.” Lucia’s voice cuts through the air as soon as I sit down. I narrow my eyes at her, locking us in a deadly, unspoken exchange. It isn’t true. The clock says I’m early, but in this house, truth bends to her will.
"By point 10 seconds? Sure, mother." I answer her distastefully just as I begin to serve myself food, reaching for the bacon, eggs, sausage, mushrooms and toasted-butter toast in front of me.
"Watch your disrespectful little mouth." She snaps at me, and I freeze before locking my eyes on her, remaining silent before I shift my gaze to my father, wondering if he will say anything, do anything, to defend me. But as usual, I expected too much of him, and so I remain completely silent, focusing on nothing but his food.
I scoff lightly before shaking my head and refocusing on my food. Hopefully, I don't lose my appetite.
“She probably overslept. Again.” Victor speaks up, and I glance at him, watching him grin as he slices into his eggs. His tone is careless, but the look he flicks toward me is malicious. A reminder: he belongs here. I do not.
"I was training. Something you're clearly unfamiliar with." I answer him casually. My brother has always been lazy, and I'm the only one who seemed to be training hard to be a fighter, a mercenary, to protect myself and others. But him? People don't even expect him to lift a finger.
The room goes silent after my response, thank God, and I try my best to enjoy my food. The servants hover near the walls, waiting for the smallest command. When Victor asks for more coffee, two men rush to fill his cup. When I finish mine, no one notices.
This is how it has always been.
But today feels different. My father’s gaze remains on me longer than usual, making me curious why he's staring so long... When he finally sets down his fork and signals the meal is over.
"Leave us. I wish to speak to Viviana alone." Is all he says, and Lucia and Victor glance at each other curiously, right before a ghost of a smile appears on her face, and she begins to stand, along with Victor, the two of them eventually leaving the room. I watch them leave before my eyes focus on my father.
"Dad." I let out quietly.
His response his calm as he briefly wipes his mouth and stands to his feet. “Walk with me.”
I rise immediately, my heart pounding in my chest.
I follow my father out of the dining room, through the glass doors that lead into the garden. It’s spring, the cool and fresh. It should calm me, but I don’t feel it, and my nerves are on fire beneath my skin. He walks slowly, hands clasped behind his back. I match his pace, silent, waiting. Then finally, he speaks.
"It's time we talk about the future of the Constanzo family. And your inheritance, and title as Donna of the Constanzo family." He speaks, and my heart drops sharply. For twenty-four years, I’ve waited for this moment. For acknowledgement. For him to see me as more than a mistake left over from a marriage he’s long buried...
