•Arabella Bianchi•
•8th May 2018•
The vanity a few meters away from my bed used to be my grandmother's. I wish she was here to tell me what to do. I'm only 18 and my life has been planned out for me since my parents found out of my existence. I was raised to obey men...which only increased my disobedience towards them. My father was never able to have a son, like Henry the 8th. They all died.
I have one sister, she's 12 and sometimes clingy but family is family. Especially in the world I was born into.
The Mafia.
My sister Viola and my female cousins are here to help me. Do what? Oh yes, look presentable for my future husband. He has been my future husband since I was born, our parents immigrated from Italy together and became the two ruling mafia families of the world but for some reason, our family has been having troubles for years now and I have to marry this man to save my family.
"The Bianchi–DiStefano alliance will be like no other," my father once said. It's not like I have a choice, just a duty.
Beatrice's voice pulled me out from my thoughts "I think you should wear the mesh bodysuit with the skirt on top," she had a hanger in each hand.
"Yeah, that'll be okay," I grabbed them from her hands and locked myself in the bathroom. I just needed time alone. Once I was out of the bathroom with my clothes and heels on they decided to coat my lips with red matte lipstick and adorn my eyelashes with mascara. My hair was neatly styled into a low ponytail with a golden kinda bracelet thing to cover the band and a velvet choker surrounded my neck with an A hanging from it.
"Arabella?" Viola stood beside me.
"Yes, sorella?" That means sister, I was forced to learn Italian since I was born. Three years of my life I only spoke Italian
"I want you to have mom's bracelet for luck," it's a thin gold band with her (my mom's) name engraved on the inner rim. This is a big deal for my sister, she never takes it off.
"Thank you, Viola," I stood up and kissed her forehead. "Cross my heart and hope to die that we'll spend every afternoon together and I will still help you with your homework," she didn't sleep last night thinking about being alone with dad. He drowns himself in alcohol every night.
Viola has hazel eyes and long black raven hair (she likes to wear wigs) whereas I have emerald green eyes and long dark brown hair, not to my ass like Viola but to my mid back.
I wish I could've inherited the business, that way my sister wouldn't have to be away, but the woman never sits at the head of the table, they stand behind the man at the head holding his hand.
Bullshit runs in mafia families, especially the ones with a man as capo.
Children, that's what mafia men should be called. Or babies if we are going to get realistic.
They whine if they don't get what they want.
A knock on the door "Arabella, are you ready?" aunt Carlotta asked from the other side of the door.
"Yes! We'll be right down!" Before walking out, I made sure the straps of my shoes were properly strapped.
They're all younger than me. Natalia is 11, Emma and Elisa are 13; Minerva is 15, Rebecca is 16, Aurora and Beatrice are 17.
I hate having to be the 'role model'. What am I supposed to be teaching them? To be submissive To bend to men's rules?! UGH. I'm only doing this for Viola, that's it.
We all got in the black SUVs and I asked everyone to stay silent and to not ask me any questions about how I think things are going to go.
Bad, that's how things are going to go.
Why? I hate the man.
Why I hate the man? He has a god complex. They all do.
On our way there a lot of things went through my mind, I asked myself a lot of stuff and wanted to cry but didn't because Viola had already taken that part for me.
I've been to his house before but I've never seen him in person; when I came I was 5 and he was 16 so that means he was probably off being trained by cold-blooded people.
Of course, he lives in Long Island because where else could you get 180,000 square feet all for yourself and your family.
There's, of course, a gate the size of his ego so we went through that and then there's a path surrounded by endless trees and guards. It's like a four-minute drive from the gate to the main door. The staff and a man in a suit were waiting for us outside the door, what is this? Downton Abbey?
"Welcome to the DiStefano state," an old man with a thick Italian accent said.
So these are the gates of hell? Great.
"Thank you," I've mastered the art of the fake smile.
Once all my cousins were out of the car the old man led us inside the house. It has a chess floor, made out of white and black marble, the old man informed us that there is not one but three grand double staircases, a living room for each floor, a small kitchen for the second and third floor, an interior pool underground and, of course, there's one in the backyard apart from the jacuzzi...How the fuck am I supposed to live in here? I'm gonna get lost looking for the fucking bathroom.
"Miss Bianchi, I'm so sorry but everyone has to be searched before dinner," he told with his hands behind his back.
I nodded and in less than a minute there were 8 men in the room, ready to search us. Everyone stood like a starfish, I looked at Viola and tried to smile when it was her turn. I knew the men weren't going to touch her improperly but she had never been searched, same as with Natalia.
When they were all done and sure we weren't carrying any type of weapon the old man told us to wait for Mr. DiStefano and my father in there. So we sat down and they all were silent, admiring the architecture of the house.
"What do you think he looks like?" Aurora asked.
"Aurora I've seen plenty of pictures of the man; under the table he might have a business but he also has an empire over the table," I answered looking at my mom's bracelet decorating my wrist.
Then I heard Rebecca slapping the back of Aurora's head "Ouch! Rebecca!"
They fought for 10 minutes and Viola rested her head on my arm, I'm gonna miss my little sister.
Then the sound of at least 9 men approaching us snapped me out of my trance, I saw all my cousins gasp and whisper things into each other's ears but I couldn't see what they had their eyes on because I was across from them so the gasp-worthy thing they were seeing was behind me.
"Miss Bianchi," the butler's voice said behind me and then he was in front of me "he wants to see you in his office." I kissed my sister's temple, told the girls I would be right back and then I was following the man towards his office at the end of a long hallway. He knocked three times, then waited three seconds, and finally knocked twice. The door opened immediately from the inside.
"Quindi, considerati morto," a low husky voice said in Italian, a normal girl would've been afraid of him but I wasn't. Over the years I've heard my dad say worse and do worse.
(Then, consider yourself dead.)
"Lei è qui capo," the guard who opened the door said.
(She's here sir.)
"Lei ha un nome e sa parlare italiano," I rolled my eyes.
(She has a name and she can speak Italian.)
His husky chuckle sent shivers down my spine "Leave us," in less than a minute we were alone in the room. He turned around and his blue eyes locked with my green ones "They already searched you and your family, yes?" he walked to me.
"Yes," I simply answered, even with heels on he's taller than me.
"Really?" he stood too close to me.
"Yes," I assured looking up at him. He was 2 inches away from me and then I felt his cold hand trailing up my inner thigh. Fuck.
"I might have to kill those men for not finding this," a dark smirk curved his lips, touching my inner thigh. I stayed still looking in his eyes, challenging him and then he pulled out my small knife. "Nice meeting you, Arabella Bianchi," he said caressing my cheek with the small blade before throwing it to his desk.
"Can't say the feeling's mutual, Apollo DiStefano."