Mia's POV
Aria takes my hand and leads me to another part of the plane. There are dressed, pantsuits, skirts, shirts, shoes, and handbags everywhere. I look at Aria as if she is crazy, and I look at the clothing and see everything is in my size. How did they know?
"Riccardo sent me your size, and he must have seen it on your uniform," Aria says as if she can read my mind.
"I can not pay for this," I say. I can see the clothing is designer fashion.
"You are not paying, honey. Ricci is paying, and he has enough money," Aria says.
"I do not want to owe him anything," I say.
"Think of it as uniforms, and you work for him until you pay your father's debt. I know my brother. He will not let you go until he thinks you do not owe him anything," Aria says with a sigh. I can see she looks frustrated.
"Well, if you put it like that. I think I will be better armored to face the devil in Prada than in a waitress uniform," I say. Aria laughs.
"Oh, I hope Ricci falls head over heels in love with you! You are so different than his other women. You are refreshing for a change. I love everything about you," Aria says.
"I like you, Aria, but I do not want your brother to fall in love with me. All I want is to have my freedom back," I say. I look at the high heels on the bed and pick them up.
"Do you like those shoes?" Aria asks.
"Yeah, it is beautiful, but I do not think I can walk in them. I will break my neck," I say.
"I designed them and will teach you to walk in them, but first, let down your hair, and let us start working on your hair and face," Aria says. She has a whole team of women with her, and I look at them as if they are vampires about to suck all the blood out of my body. They start washing my hair and cut off the dead ends, leaving my hair long. I cannot see myself in a mirror as they start with my face and nails. I wouldn't say I like it. What part of I am not a lady do they not understand? They even put tips on my nails. I am not used to having long nails as I work in water all day at the diner because I help do the dishes when I am not busy in the front.
"Do I have to have long nails? I do not like them. I feel clumsy with the nails on," I complain.
"Honey, you will get used to them," Aria says. I sigh. So I will have to get used to all of these fake things? Why can I not be myself? I know being the mistress of Don Riccardo, the Godfather of the Italian Mafia, is a big deal, but not for me. I wish I were back home and staying in the apartment. I wonder what Rosa will do with my apartment now. My phone rings, and I see it is Rosa. She must be worried sick about me.
"Rosa! The good news is I am alive. The bad news is I am turning into a lady and am now the mistress of the Godfather," I say as soon as we greet, and she asks me if I am okay.
"Honey, it is not that bad. Deep down, Ricci is still the good boy he used to be. He will look after you, and I am sure he will fall in love with you," Rosa says. I know she is trying to be positive for me, but damn, why is everyone telling me Riccardo will fall in love with me? I do not want him!
"I have to go, Rose. They are busy trying to turn me into a bloody model. You know as well as I know it is impossible, and can you believe they gave me long nails? Damn, I hate this, and it is all because of my stupid father, that does not know how to keep his greedy hands off other people's money," I say.
"I know, honey, but be strong. I will pray for you," Rosa says. I know she is laughing at the thought of me having long nails and wearing high heels and a dress. We greet each other, and I hang up.
"I can see Rosa loves you. It means you are a good person," Aria says. She smiles at me as they are done with my hair and face. They are getting me an outfit, and I like the pants suit they chose. I am glad it is not a dress. They also give me some boots with small heels, and I feel comfortable in them. At least they are not starting me off with those thin heels that look a mile long. They let me look in the mirror for the first time, and I could not believe what I saw. I look like one of the models in a magazine. My eyes are popping, and I look like I am at least twenty, not sixteen.
"Wow, I never looked this good before," I say.
"You are gorgeous. Look at those soulful eyes," Aria says. The other women look at me and smile.
"Well, I feel like a woman for the first time in my life," I say.
"Let's go and show Riccardo, and I bet he will lose his heart today," Aria says.
"Nope, he will not! I am not his type. He only falls in love with blond, blue-eyed models, and I do not think he is over Bria Parisi," I say. I want to know if my suspicions are correct that Bria was his old love.
"You know about Bria? Did Ricci tell you about her?" Aria asks.
"No, it was a guess, as Mario only mentioned a Bria to Rose before they wanted to destroy her diner because she did not want to tell them where I was hiding," I say.
"Do not underestimate yourself. You are much more beautiful than Bria. You have a rare beauty, and no one can deny it. Bria had so much work done on her that I hope she does not swim in the ocean. There is already enough plastic in our oceans," Aria laughs. I laugh as we walk into the plane's main cabin. Riccardo is sipping on a drink and talking business with Mario. They are so deep in conversation that they do not notice us walking in.
"Holly hell!" Mario says, and he looks like a fish on dry land. His mouth is opening and closing, and he is swallowing hard. Riccardo looks irritated as he looks in our direction, as Mario stares at me. I feel a little uncomfortable under Mario's gaze. He is obviously taken aback by my appearance. I look at Riccardo's face as he stares at me.
"You are still one of the best in the game, Aria. She looks acceptable," Riccardo says and goes back to working on his laptop, but he keeps looking up at me as if he can not believe I am the same girl as the one in the waitress's outfit.
"Acceptable! How dare you! Mia is beautiful and much more attractive than that Barbie doll, Bria!" Aria says.
"Hahaha, Aria, it is okay. As long as I am acceptable, I am happy," I say. I do not care what Riccardo say of me.
"Mario, close your bloody mouth. It is fly season, and stop staring at my mistress. You can have her when I am done with her," Riccardo says. His words hurt me. He is talking about me as if I am a toy they can take turns playing with.
"Oh no, Don Marina. I am not going to be thrown around like a toy you and all your friends can play with. Besides, I am not going to sleep with you, and you said you would not force yourself on me," I say. I am tired. This has been an eventful day. I am not in the mood for this anymore. Until now, it was all fun and games, but now my gloves are coming off, and I will not take his bullying anymore.
"We will see, la mia, Mia. We will see if you can resist me when you are in my room," Riccardo laughs.
"Yeah, you will first have to get me in your bloody room because I am not playing your games, Riccardo Marino. I am not going to stand for what you want from me. I am also not that easily seduced. So go fuck yourself and leave me alone, or you will regret the day you were born," I say. I am pissed off that he thinks I am his possession he can hand out to his friends.
"That is what you get when you treat people like you own them, Ricci. You have pissed off Mia, and I can not say I blame her," Aria says.
"She is my possession because her father stole from me. I do not like thieves and their daughters. She can be glad I felt sorry for her and did not want to kill her with her family. I wouldn't say I like how you talk to me, Mia. It would be best if you showed me some respect," Riccardo says.
"You demand respect from me? I can not give you respect if you treat women the way you do. I may be the daughter of a thief, but does anyone judge you for being the son of an alcoholic? Do you do the same thing your father does? How can you judge me by what my father did? I am nothing like him or any of my family members. I am ashamed of them as you are of your father. I hope you never get to be in my shoes," I say. I can feel tears building up in my eyes, but I refuse to cry in front of Riccardo. I turn around and look out the window of the plane.
"I am ashamed to call you my brother! Ricci, what the hell happened to you? You were never like this. Why do you take out all your hatred for women on Mia? She is still young and does not deserve your harsh words. You need to apologize," Aria says.
"It is not necessary, Aria. I do not expect an apology from and chauvinistic pig like your brother. I am sorry. I know you love him despite all his mistakes, but I can not stand him and will never let him lay a finger on me. I would rather die than get into his bed," I say. I am still hurt about what he said, but I have had enough for one day, and I can feel all the tension of the day getting the better of me.
"I am sorry. You did not deserve my harsh words. I do not see you as a possession. You are a human being, and I was angry because I was looking at the amount of money your father stole, and I took it out on you. My sister is right. I am not like this. I was mean and will not pass you on to anyone after I am done with you. I will help you run your father's business and show you how to make money. I will teach you and pay for your studies. After you have paid back all the money from your family business, you will still have enough money to live off and redeem the Costa clan. Donna Costa, I like your bravery and your standing up to me. Not many people in this world will be as brave as you are. Don't make me angry, and I am sure we can work out something between us. You look beautiful, and I will be honored to be seen with you in public," Riccardo says. I look at him in surprise. Was he pushing me to stand up for myself? Was he playing mind games with me? Who are you, Don Riccardo? What are your plans for me in the future? I wonder by myself.
"You are forgiven for now," I say as I sit down. We are about to land in Houston, and I do not know what my future holds, but I am ready to face whatever comes my way. I am now Donna Costa and will make my clan powerful again, but I will not help my family as they are dead to me for putting me in this position.
Riccardo's POVI look at Mia, and she looks beautiful. I can not believe it is the girl I felt sorry for at her parents' house in New York. I can not think that I, Riccardo Marino, feel sorry for someone, but she also intrigued me because she was unafraid of me and gave me hell from the start. Maybe she did not know who I was, but she cleared that up quickly. She is not going to let me play with her and her feeling. I apologized to her, and that was not sitting well. Why the hell did I feel the need to do that? I do not know. This woman is playing with my head. I can not wait to get home. I know no woman can resist me, and I am not full of myself. I know that because every bloody woman I meet wants to jump into my bed and be with me. That is why I want a mistress to help keep the ladies away from me. I do not want any of them in my life. Bria hurt me when I was young and broke, but no other woman will ever humiliate me like that again. I am no one's plaything. "Don, we are about to l
Mia's POV We stop in front of a huge mansion. I am sure if Riccardo gives me trouble, I can hide from him for weeks without him finding me. I will not be surprised if my bodyguards are with me all day. I get out of the car before the driver can open my door. I wouldn't say I like that they treat me like I am the lady of the house. I will only stay here until I have reached my goal and paid back Riccardo. I know Riccardo does not respect women and never will because of what one woman did to him. "Your room will be next to mine. I wouldn't say I like to let my girlfriends sleep too far away from me. Also, I wouldn't like it when someone cheats on me. I will kill you if you try to do that," Riccardo says. "Who the hell will I cheat on you with? The man on the moon? You know your clan will never betray you and that everyone is scared to death of you. You have put your damn mark on me, and no man will even think of looking at me. Even men not in the Mafia will not try to cross the mig
Mia's POVThe following few months are hectic. I have to go to parties with Riccardo, and the women are all very catty and awful, but I keep smiling. I have become stronger and more confident as my business is growing daily. We started generating an income after all the test runs we did. The people are downloading our games, and soon we have people advertising on our little cell phone game. Everyone is talking about the game and enjoying playing the game online. The game is about the only survivors during a zombie apocalypse. It helps people to escape their daily reality, live and play in a post-apocalyptic world and meet other players with whom they can form an alliance or fight against. We have "packs" they can buy to help their heroes power up faster, and I am surprised that people spend so much money on a stupid game only to be stronger than the rest of the world. We have invested some of the money back into the game to improve it and make it more attractive for the player to kee
Mia's POVI wake up with one hell of a headache, and my whole body is in pain. What have I done last night? I am too afraid to move as I hear a man breathing beside me, and I am too scared to look at who it is. I am trying to think about what happened last night, but my head feels like someone hit it with a hammer. Shit! I start remembering what happened last night, knowing that Riccardo is lying beside me. I get out of bed slowly, not to wake him up. "Why didn't you tell me you are a virgin?" Riccardo asks. "Damn! Can you not give me a heart attack this early in the morning? Can you whisper my head hurts?" I say. "I asked you a question, Mia," Riccardo says. "I was drunk last night, and the last thing I was thinking about was my bloody virginity," I say. "There are headache pills in the bathroom cabinet. Take some and bring me two and a glass of water, please," Riccardo says. I am glad I am not the only one with a hangover. "Fine," I say. I need to get away from him. I am not p
Riccardo's POVI know what I am doing is wrong. Mia deserves better than what I can offer her. My heart is full of hatred for Bria, and I need to get it out of my system before I can even think of love. Bria is a bitch, and I know she is getting a divorce from Steven because she wants my money. I do not believe she is capable of love. She is a heartless woman with no feelings for anyone. I look at Mia sitting on the sofa playing a game. I see the smirk on Bria's face. She liked it when I talked hard to Mia. It just shows me what kind of woman she is. She likes it when someone else is in trouble. She was the cause of my biggest humiliation. That day was the worst day of my life as a young man. I can not forget how she, Steven, and their friends laughed at me. Yeah, I was stupid, but I was in love with Bria, and it hurt me so severely that it scarred me for life. I can not trust women. They all have an agenda. Did I enjoy last night with Mia? Yes, I did. I feel guilty because I took her
Mia's POVWell, it looks like Bria is getting what she wished for. Steven is divorcing her, and he offers to buy her a house. Of course, the house is next to Riccardo's house. I bet she paid a lot for the house, but honestly, I do not care. I have problems of my own. I need to get back to New York as soon as possible as my new game has a great response, and I need to help my team sort out the last little problems. The last few months have been hectic since Riccardo, and I spend the night together. Our drunken night of passion, as I call it. I am not feeling well and have been vomiting for the last few days. I think I have s stomach bug or something, but it gets better during the day. As long as I do not smell meat cooking, I am fine. I am paying my last debt installment this month and can not wait to regain my freedom. Riccardo and Bria have been hanging out lately, not in public but at his house, and it upsets me. Yes, I love Riccardo, but I will never tell or let him find out how I
Riccardo's POV I am sitting in my office looking at the letter and the receipts. How did this happen without my knowing? Was I so busy with my revenge on Bria that I lost Mia because I was not paying attention to her? My men called me from the airport saying they needed to buy tickets to France since Mia was about to board a plane to France. I can not believe she will go overseas and something is off. They take a photo of Mia with her luggage, waiting for the plane to France. I know the sunglasses and handbag, as I was with her when so bought them, but I know instantly it is not Mia. I know Mia will not wear sunglasses inside a building. I also know Mia's body, and that is not Mia! I call my men, and I am furious that they do not know that the woman with Mia's handbag and glasses is not Mia. I call Mia's bodyguard and Enzo Valentino. He is the son of my bookkeeper. I am furious that they did not tell me Mia is paying off her debt. I know I am being unreasonable, but it hurts that
Mia's POV I am back in New York, and feel free. I am not moving into the house my parents and siblings are staying in. I have two reasons for that. I hate that house as I only have bad memories of that house, and two is Riccardo, and his men will look for me there. I have enough money to buy an apartment, but I have decided to rent one first. I ensure the condo I rent has nothing to do with the Mafia. I rent the apartment in the name of one of the girls working with me. I do not want Riccardo and his men to find me. My team runs the family business, and I do not need to go to those offices. I will avoid them whenever I can. Besides, Lucia, the servant I met on the first day I was at Riccardo's house, tells me everything he and his men does. Aria, Sienna, and I keep in contact as I have become friends with them. They are angry at Riccardo because he is involved with Bria again. Aria and Sienna have moved to New York, but I did not tell them I am also here. Sienna does not want to st