HIS RULES, HER SILENCE (THE MAFIA'S CHOICE)

CHAPTER 1: THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER "Don't touch her! Ignore me—just take my daughter and run! Please! Help us! He'll kill us!" Lily cried, her voice cracking with fear, tears streaming down her pale face. "Help my daughter, if not me! Please help her!" "Let's go!" the mafia boss ordered coldly, his voice sharp and thick. Lily clenched the man's coat desperately, tears rolling down her cheeks, her voice shaky and slurring. She tightened her grip on his coat, her body trembling. "Please... don't leave us," she whispered weakly before collapsing. The man looked down at the unconscious woman as his lips curved into an enigmatic smile. "Fine..." he said after a moment. "Help them." The guards immediately lifted Lily and her little daughter into a sleek black vehicle. But instead of driving them to the hospital, the car stopped at an enormous mansion. "Bring them in," the man commanded. The large iron gate opened slowly, revealing a luxurious estate that looked more like a fortress than a home. Lily and her child were lying on the cold marble floor, unconscious. The mafia boss sat calmly in his favorite chair—one no servant dared to touch. “Bring a bucket of water,” he ordered. One of the maids hesitated. “That could kill them,” she thought nervously. But disobeying him was never an option. Lily remained unconscious until a pail of water was poured on her. "Ahh!" Lily gasped as she jolted awake. Her heart raced as she looked around the room, which was large and unfamiliar. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and heavy curtains blocked most of the daylight. Then her eyes fell on the man sitting in the chair, his steady, unwavering gaze fixed on her. She then noticed Fiona lying beside her, completely still. "Fiona!" Lily cried in panic. “Fiona! Wake up! Please wake up!” Luca Santoro, the mafia boss, on the other hand, remained calm and silent, watching from his chair as he let out a sly smile. "No one ever knows what the boss is thinking," one of the maids thought nervously. "Let the child," Luca finally said calmly, "she'll be fine." "No!" Lily shouted, her voice shaking. "She's my daughter. She has been through a lot these past few days. Please… have mercy on her!" A maid leaned closer to Lily and whispered softly, "No one dares disobey our master, ma'am." Luca's eyes darkened slightly. He wasn't cruel just for cruelty's sake; he didn't harm children unnecessarily. He had rules, and anyone who failed to obey his rules paid a heavy price. Lily didn't know it, but her daughter's safety was his first priority. Without another word, Luca stood up and walked towards his room, leaving the maids and Lily confused. "Master," the chief maid called, bowing her head and asking in a trembling voice, "What about the mother and her... child?" "My child isn't dead," Lily exclaimed, her hands trembling as she splashed water onto her face. With tears in her eyes, she felt her heart beat and let out a soft smile. "She's alive! Please help her. I can feel her heartbeat. Please bring a cup of water; she must be tired," Lily said as she panicked. Luca snapped, "Does this look like your father's house? What makes you think you can command my maids?" The maids lowered their heads; no one dared to breathe when Luca spoke. Lily looked around and noticed the fear in the maids' eyes, which made her feel unsafe. She immediately apologized to him, "I'm sorry, sir. Please... just help my child; that's all I ask for..." Luca had rules: children were never to be used for cruelty, but adults who challenged him would face the consequences. "Lock them in the basement. Moreover, I didn't force you to come with me. You kept begging, not knowing who you're facing. You'll be a useful vessel for me," Luca said as he walked into his room, bringing out a pack of cigarettes. That night, Lily and Fiona were locked in the basement. The room was filled with cages containing harmless insects: rats, cockroaches, beetles, and spiders, but nothing deadly. A stray spider bit Lily as she tried to shield Fiona. Lily panicked. "Haa!" she blurted as she threw herself into the air. "Mummy, it's so dark! Where are we?" Fiona whispered. Lily turned to Fiona and let out a faint smile. "Fiona!" she cried. "My child, you're awake." "Mummy, where are we?" Fiona asked again. Lily hugged her tightly. "We're far away from that man, my child," she whispered, rocking her daughter gently. Lily had no idea who Luca Santoro was or what plan he had for them; all she knew was that they were far away from that man. As the day broke, Lily felt weak from exhaustion, but she kept her focus on Fiona. "Mummy," Fiona cried out as Lily collapsed. "Go find help," Lily told her daughter. Fiona banged on the door several times, shouting for help, but no one could hear her little hands. Luca Santoro slept upstairs, tiredly in his room, unaware—or perhaps pretending to be—of the struggle downstairs. Even in fear, Lily began to pick up the pieces one by one. He was unpredictable; yes, children were protected, and adults faced fears. Lily thought of it: survival meant understanding those rules. Luca woke up to a text message. As he groggily picked up his phone and checked the sender, Luca's face turned pale as he read the message: "Luca, you have 3 days left to bring the most valuable person to prove that you're really the mafia boss of the gang.” "I'll give them one of my maids or the woman in the basement; after all, he'll marry them off for money," Luca said to himself as he stood up and went into the bathroom. When his phone buzzed again, he said, "What is it this time?" in an angry voice as he picked up his phone. "Bad boy, remember today's meeting. Hope you've settled the boss?" Luca sighed and said, "Get lost!" as he dropped his phone and continued taking his shower. Luca sat in his favorite chair and ordered his chief maid to bring Lily and her child over. The maid bowed and did as he commanded. "Woman, the boss wants you in," the maid said to Lily, but the room was silent. She only heard Fiona's voice replying to her, saying, "Mummy is resting." The maid immediately got angry and moved closer to her, seeing her weak body and insect bites on her skin. The chief maid panicked and called in some maids to pick her up. Two maids came to carry her, with Fiona following them barefoot. "Mummy is just sleeping. Where are you taking her?" Fiona asked. "Shut up, little girl!" the maid shouted at her. Lily was lying weakly in front of Luca, who was seated comfortably in his chair, holding a lit cigarette in his hand. "Call a doctor for treatment." After a while, Lily woke up with her child staring at her. "Finally, you're up," Luca said to Lily as he received a phone call. He excused himself and went into his room to take it. The chief maid was passing by his room when she overheard Luca saying, "She's dear to me because she works for me. She's a beautiful woman..." The chief maid got excited, thinking Luca finally wanted a wife because she was aware of the pressure on him regarding marriage. She immediately left what she was doing and headed to the maids' room. She pulled off her clothes and put on a mini skirt and a tight blouse, making her look sexy and revealing her shape. Luca went back to his yard and sat on his favorite chair. "Get up!" he ordered Lily, and she did exactly that. "I need a maid to step out," Luca commanded, but no maid was brave enough to step forward; only the chief maid stepped forward in her mini skirt and tight blouse. The chief maid caught Luca's attention, and he smirked as he stared at her. "Oh, this is going to get ugly,” a maid whispered to another maid.