She Belongs To The Mafia

Chapter 2

Cherilyn Knight's Point Of View.

I nodded quietly in a submissive manner while the gravity of the situation was settling heavily upon my shoulders. Each passing moment felt like a ticking time bomb, counting down to a destruction I could not yet comprehend.

Anna's gaze softened as her eyes betrayed a flicker of empathy amidst the chaos. "I know this is difficult," She said while her voice was gentle yet resolute. "...but we have to trust each other if we are going to make it through this. Right?"

Her words struck a chord within me. Even though things were seen to be crazy, Anna being there made me feel a little better. It was like having a light in the dark.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up straight and tried to act brave. "I trust you," I said, meaning it with all my heart.

"Good. We don't have much time," She said while urgency was lacing her words. "The Don's expectations are high, and we can not afford to keep him waiting any longer."

She did not waste any time. She ripped the dirty dress right off me, leaving me standing there in just my underwear. It was super awkward, to be honest. After a moment, she gave me a little push towards a room with a shower in it.

"Ten minutes, tops, for your shower," She said sternly. "Don't even think about trying anything funny. If you still do, they will catch you for sure sooner or later. Hence, from my point of view, it's not even worth trying. Cameras are everywhere, you know."

"What, the fudge? Is it also here?" I stammered as I was shocked to my core while freaking out a little.

"Yup," She replied, while her face showed pity towards me as my eyes practically popped out of my head. I tried to hide myself with my hands while looking around for the cameras she mentioned.

Sure enough, I spotted two of them – one in each corner of the room.

"Come on, get in. You only have ten minutes to shower. It's cutting close, so you are advised to make it quick. Any longer and things get messy for both of us." She said again, and not seeming to care that I felt totally exposed under those cameras. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath while I slowly walked towards the shower as I felt super uncomfortable.

After ten long minutes, I finally finished my shower. Each and every second, felt like an eternity while being there in my most vulnerable naked state. The water was not even that warm, but I had none of the choice left and had to manage at the given time, as I could not stay in any longer. After stepping out, before I could even grab a towel, Anna grabbed my arm really tight and pulled me over to a stool. She did not say a word and just pointed at the stool for me to sit down.

The whole room was pretty run down, like everything else here. There was just one light bulb hanging from the ceiling, and it was so bright it made scary shadows on the floor. I decided to divert my mind and looked towards Anna.

Anna opened a first-aid kit and took out some stuff to clean my wounds and bandages, which was well, unexpected given to the situation.

My knees were all scraped up from the rough treatment I had received a few minutes ago, and it hurt really badly, the moment Anna cleaned them.

Whoever did the following, to me was a real jerk. It caused me more discomfort and pain than I expected. Not only that, but my stomach also growled really loudly and, of course, why would it not protest? I had not had a proper meal in two days! I was hungry, but way more scared about what was going to happen next.

"Who is this Don guy, and why does he want me?" I finally, asked in a tiny voice. I tried to sound a little respectful, but I don't think it worked as one could see my annoyance very clearly. My stomach growled again, like to remind me I was weak. The last few hours had been awful, both for my body and my mind.

Anna stopped cleaning my knees for a second and looked at me. "The Don, he is like the master here," She said in a respected tone.

"Everyone calls him that, but his real name is Christian Achestan." She let out in a low voice while looking directly towards my attentive eyes.

The name sounded horrible, like a punch in the gut. My eyes got huge and I could not breathe. I remember seeing stuff about him on the news and people whispering about him – Christian Achestan, the ruthless mafia heir everyone was scared of. All the hope I had, even if it was small, just disappeared in a jiffy. I turned white as a ghost, I was so scared from the core of my heart. I had thought that her answer would ease me a little, but what she said did not make me feel any better. In fact, I was even more scared and one could see the pure terror on my face.

"C-Christian Achestan?" I stammered while my voice was barely a whisper. I was screwed for sure.

Anna just nodded. "Yeah. Now put this dress on. It is kind of like a uniform everyone wears here. Yours is a different color because you are new." She said and threw a light blue dress at me.

I was still in shock. My whole body wanted to run away as fast as I could, but where would I even go? I was stuck there, like a fly caught in a spiderweb, only the spider was a famous criminal. I had no idea what was going to happen next, but all I could hope for was to somehow make it through the night.

Well, the dress. It was not fancy, just a plain dress that went down to my knees. At least it was clean, compared to the clothes I had on before, but it could not make the fear go away – I was terrified. The dress felt okay on my skin, soft even, but I could not stop shivering. Well, it was not from the cold, though, but that was not even close to the scary feeling in my stomach.

"Are we finished here?" Anna asked while sounding kind of annoyed, and I could give her a weak nod in response. The Don was waiting, and whatever he wanted with me, it was not going to be good, for sure.

"Follow me," Anna instructed while her voice was clipped in professionalism. I tried to walk but ended up limping after her as each and every step concluded a fresh sting in my throbbing knees. The fabric of the new dress stretched uncomfortably across the raw wounds. We reached a doorway unlike any I had seen before. This one whispered of luxury. Grand and imposing, it gleamed with a polished mahogany finish but instead of a doorknob, a flat panel gleamed beside it. Anna placed her hand there, and with a soft whir, the doorway slid open, revealing an elevator to my surprise. For a moment, I thought it was a luxurious door of a luxurious room.

My jaw dropped. The interior was a marvel of modern design. Rich, dark wood paneling lined the walls, and a thick pane of reinforced fiberglass replaced the usual mirrored surface. As the elevator began to rise, I found myself glued to the view outside. The sight was so unexpectedly beautiful, and it momentarily stole my breath away. The sprawling gardens of the mansion unfolded beneath us. It was a tapestry of vibrant colors and manicured lawns.

A gentle tap on my shoulder brought me back to reality. Anna gestured and signaled the arrival of the top floor. We stepped out into a hallway far more beautiful than the corridors I saw below. The higher we went, the fancier everything got. Chandeliers adorned the high ceiling and soft carpets replaced the cold floor. There were even beautiful flowers that smelled like a real ones - Ridiculously the best.

After a few steps, we reached the end of the hallway and a giant black door with the extravagant designs blocked our way. I took a long breath in order to calm my nervous nerves, while the air around the place did not help me to calm the frantic pounding in my chest. All of a sudden, the surroundings started to look kind of scary and my heart pounded like a drum solo. Anna, too, seemed to take a fortifying breath before reaching out to press a small button beside the door. A soft click announced it was unlocked and that was it - I was about to see the Christian Achestan.

My heart thumped like a drum solo in my chest, boom boom booming so loud I felt like everyone could hear it. Every second stretched out forever, and it felt like hours, not seconds, as I waited while my nerves were jangling like a broken guitar string.

The infamous Don was not a stranger to me - his name, whispered in hushed tones by children and adults alike, was synonymous with power and cruelty. Everyone knew about him. Stories, both good and bad, swirled around him, but the bad far outweighed the good.

He was one of the world's invisible puppeteers, a man who seemingly held the fate of countless lives in his callous hands or, who pulled the strings on everyone's life, and he did not care one bit about anyone but himself.

Tyranny.

That was the word that best described the rule of these men. People bowed in fear and not in their respect as they perceived. – they acted all nice to him, but secretly they all thought he was a total jerk. Nobody dared to stand up to him, though. If they dared do the same, they would just vanish – poof, gone!

One can see the world's most twisted mockery in the following scenario - a giant messed up joke.

The thought of becoming this man's slave sent a tremor through me. Images of endless torment and suffering played in my mind, fueled by the whispers and rumors from my small hometown. A shiver danced down my spine at the thought of what awaited me behind that door. Tears welled up in my eyes and blurred my vision. Anna, while sensing my fear, gave me a gentle push towards the door. Her own eyes flickered with panic, and in a silent plea, she mouthed the a single word "go."

I reached for the handle with my trembling hands while the weight of the mahogany was cool beneath my sweating palm. A silent prayer escaped my lips as I slowly pushed the door open, stepping into the unknown.

"Good evening, Don," Anna's voice trembled as she bowed low while her words were barely a whisper. "I have brought the new girl, as per your order."

Woah, the most awaited meeting is here.