She Belongs To The Mafia

Chapter 7

Cherilyn Knight's Point Of View.

"Funny how people dump their emotional baggage on others just to feel stronger, to make themselves seem tougher," I muttered under my breath, barely able to get the words out.

"Shut up," He snapped, while his voice was sharp and full of frustration. "I own you now. You are here to do what I say, no questions asked. Drop the attitude and that useless pride. People like you, lowlifes, have nothing to be proud of anyway."

His grip tightened around my neck, cutting off my air. Panic shot through me. My hands flew up to try and pull his hand away, but he was too strong. My vision started to blur, little black dots danced in front of me, and I felt like I was suffocating.

"Do you understand?" His tone was eerily calm, like he was speaking to a child, which only made it more terrifying as his action spoke otherwise. My head moved up and down in a desperate nod, tears flowing freely down my face. I could feel my body shaking from the panic, the lack of air, and the sheer fear of what he might do next.

Finally, he let go of my neck. I dropped to the cold floor, gasping for breath, my chest heaving with every painful inhale. I held my throat, wincing from the stinging pain. His grip had been so tight that I knew there would be bruises by morning.

"I need to hear you say it, Cherry," he said, while his impatience could be seen clearly on his face.

"Y-yes," I stuttered, while still struggling to get my breath back.

"Yes, what?" He demanded, standing over me, making me feel even smaller and more powerless.

"Yes, D-don," I managed to whisper, while my voice was shaky and weak.

"Good," He said, and his tone was cold and detached. "You are walking a fine line here. You better figure out what's best for you because you won't like what happens if you don't."

His words hung in the air, heavy with threats. I did not need him to explain what he meant. His actions spoke loud enough, and the fear of what he might do next kept me frozen on the floor, trembling and gasping, too scared to move.

I knew one thing for sure: I had to survive, no matter what it took. But the question was how? How could I live under his control, knowing that any moment he could turn my life into an even worse nightmare?

"Cherry, wake up! What the heck is happening? Are you okay?" I heard Anna's voice as my eyes snapped open, pulling me out of the nightmare. I saw her beside me, her hands were gently gripping my shoulders, while worry could be seen etching on her face. I cringed, realizing I had dreamed about that awful moment with the Don again. That encounter between us was burned into my mind, and even in my sleep, it kept coming back, haunting me like a shadow I could not escape.

I shook my head, as if that would somehow erase the memory, but it clung to me, refusing to let go.

"Where am I and what time is it?" I asked, while my voice could be heard in a bit of a raspy tone.

"You are in the clinic. You passed out for almost eight hours. It's two in the morning now," Anna replied softly. Slowly, everything came flooding back—my numb hands, the dizziness. I immediately checked my hands, fearing they might still be numb, but as I wiggled my fingers, I felt a rush of relief. They were fine. I was fine.

"What happened to me?" I asked, while still trying to piece each and every thing together.

"The doctor said your iron levels were really low, which is why your hands went numb. Plus, you are really dehydrated, which explains why you fainted."

"So, what is happening now? What do I need to do?" I asked, already fearing the answer that was about to come.

"You need to rest," She said, but her face twisted into something uneasy.

"What's wrong? What's bothering you?" I pressed, as I noticed her change in mood.

"Well, the Don heard about what happened..." Anna trailed off, and just hearing the word 'Don' made my stomach drop.

"...and?" I urged, while my heart sunk as I braced for bad news.

"H-he said that you have to continue your scheduled work. He does not want you to rest, Cherry," She said, while her voice cracked as tears welled up in her eyes.

I felt a wave of frustration rise in me, but I tried to lighten the mood for her sake. "Hey, I should be the one crying here, not you," I joked, though the situation was anything but funny.

Anna wiped her eyes and tried to compose herself. "H-he's not usually like this, Cherry. I swear, something's bothering him right now," she said, as if trying to defend him.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Please. His actions speak for themselves. You do not need to defend him," I replied, while my voice felt sharper than I intended.

Anna sighed, clearly not wanting to argue. "You need to rest now so you can get some energy for later," she said, while changing the subject.

I laid back down, knowing there was no point in fighting it. The Don did not care about my well-being, and no amount of defending him would change that. Rest was the only option I had right now, and I needed every bit of strength for whatever was coming next.

"Hey, uhm, is there any food left? Can you arrange some food for me? I am starving." I asked, as I felt my stomach growl again, reminding me of how hungry I was.

"I knew you would ask," Anna smiled softly. "So I saved some food for you."

Seeing the tray of food she brought over felt like the best moment of my day. My eyes lit up instantly. "The portion size of the plate seemed to be more than usual. What's the occasion?" I asked, as I noticed the generous portions.

".... and that's because I gave you my share," She replied with a gentle smile, and I was taken aback.

"You did not have to do that," I said, while my voice felt shaky. No one had ever done anything humble and kind to me, not even my own mother.

"It's fine. You need it more than I do," She reassured me, and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes from her kindness.

"Now, please don't cry, darling." Anaa said, while her voice was soft. "You need to eat now so you can rest later."

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, truly bewildered by her generosity.

"Of course, Cherry. What is it?" She said, in an eager voice.

"Why are you so kind to me?" I asked, the question that I have kept bugging me since I had set foot in this mansion.

"In a world full of hatred, a little kindness won't hurt, right?" She beamed at me, and I could not help but smile a little through my tears.

The sunlight seeped through the curtains, gently warming the room. Outside, I could hear birds chirping, carefree, as if nothing bad ever happened in the world. From the gallery, the faint murmur of footsteps and distant chatter floated in, reminding me that life was going on, as normal, for everyone else, but for me, it felt like a cruel joke.

The cheerful sounds of the morning felt like a cruel contrast to the turmoil inside me. Every cheerful chirp, every quiet conversation, seemed to mock the fear and dread bubbling up in my chest. I was torn between the beauty outside and the heaviness weighing down my heart.

The sunlight should have been comforting, but instead, it felt harsh, like the world was rubbing salt on my wounds. The birds sang of freedom, but I could not shake the invisible chains around me. The warmth of the sun, the cheerful morning sounds—they were all just cruel reminders of the normalcy I could not have. It made me feel more alone than ever, stuck in a life I could not escape.

One could see me back in this ridiculously large garden, even though my head still felt light and dizzy. I was grateful Anna had given me some pills to take and even a jug of water. She had also hidden a piece of bread in my bag, telling me to eat it with my pills so no one would notice. She warned me about the surveillance cameras in the garden and told me to be extra careful.

Cleaning and pulling out weeds from this massive garden always made me anxious. Who knew what could be hiding among the bushes? A snake? Some other dangerous animal? The fear of an attack kept me on edge, so I tried to stay as alert as possible, even though my body still felt weak.

All of a sudden, the sound of the lunch bell rang, signaling that it was time to eat. I stood up from my squatting position, stretched my aching legs, and started walking quickly towards the mansion, but just as I reached the door, Lucas appeared out of nowhere and yanked me harshly to the side.

"The Don wants to see you. You need to go now. Do not make him wait, do you understand?" He barked, while his voice was as cold as ever.

Fear shot through me. After our last encounter, no sane girl would want to face him again.

"Don,..but what about my lunch? I meant to say..." I asked, while my voice was barely a whisper.

"I am sorry, but do I care?" He sneered, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Go! You are wasting my time and one more thing for your own safety. Do not dare to make him wait."

With the following so-called advice, he gave me a hard shove, pushed me, which made my dizziness worse. I staggered, as I tried to keep my balance.

"s**t! Don't you dare faint on me now!" Lucas snapped angrily. His hand shot out, while grabbing a fistful of my hair, and yanked it so hard I screamed in pain.

"Stop struggling!" He growled further, dragging me towards the elevator by my hair and arms. The roots of my hair felt like they were on fire, as it was stinging so badly that I could barely hold back the tears.

"We do not want to keep the Don waiting. I do not care about you but myself and keep fighting me, and I will throw you in the dungeon without a second thought," He threatened, while his eyes were cold.

With no choice left, I forced my weak body to move forward, heading toward the lion's den, knowing full well what awaited me inside. My heart pounded in my chest, but I had no strength to resist.