Taking a shower, I dress up.
I peep out of my room. No one. Tiptoeing out, I quietly go down the way I came back.The smell of waffles hits me and my stomach grumbles. I'm hungry.I follow the smell getting to the kitchen. I see someone sitting on the kitchen island and I pause.Maybe if I slowly walk back I'd go back unnoticedI back away slowly almost getting away, then he looks up. His face scrunches in confusion before realization settles in.He smiles at me beckoning me to come closer.Damn. He's good-looking."Come" he says. What's it with these people and one word?I shake my head taking a step back."Are you hungry?" He askI shake my head one more time. My stomach grumbles loudly. Betrayer.He laughs. I like that sound."Here" I look at the plate of waffles he's giving me"Just take it. I don't bite"I quietly walk to him taking the plate off his hands.Might be poisoned. I stare at the plate suspiciously"It's not poisoned""Thank you" I say quietly.I turn away to go back and that's when I saw him.Nico.His face was blank, expressionless. So I didn't know what he was thinking.He looked at the plate in my hand. Then at me."Let's go"He tells me and I quickly walk to him holding his arm. My fingers couldn't even go around his arm. He takes the plate from me.He didn't even look at the other man, walking away with me following."I told you not to leave here" he locks the door behind him once we get to the room."No. You said not to talk to anyone that isn't you" I tell him staring at him."Keep your eyes down" I immediately look at the plate in his hand. Looks delicious. My mouth waters at the aroma."You can eat if you want" he says after a few seconds, handing the plate to me."Thank you, master"Eating slowly, the room is covered with silence as he watches me one more time."It's weird for you to stare" I tell him not looking at him.He doesn't reply, but I can feel his eyes on me."You called my school?" I try to create a conversation but he's just so stubborn."Yes" He answers after a few minutes.Really? Just a yes???"Oh…" I say lowly."Is there a reason you're creating a conversation with me?" He asks meI swear these people read minds."I just want to know you" I shrug."It seems you are still in your denial stage. You shouldn't 'want' to know me. That's the last thing you want to do. If you think getting close to me would make me want to let you go then you're in for a shocker because I never let go of what's mine. Never"Each word he says sends thrills down my spine. Is that normal? Not at all."I can end you, Bella Mia. I could destroy you if I want to. So my advice to you is don't even think of getting close to me." With his last words, he leaves the room.Now why does that make him seem more attractive?I finish my food, and not knowing what else to do I fall asleep.Waking up a few hours later, I sit cross-legged on my bed.I'm bored. I'm going through my contact list and I see a name I'm certain wasn't there before."MASTER"It can't be.Trying my luck I call the number, he answered immediately."What is it?" He's voice is cold. But hot."I'm bored"There's silence.I've been making a lot of people speechless lately"Sleep then" he finally answered"I just did""Sleep some more" he hangs upThe audacity of this…My phone rings again and I'm hoping it is himUnknown number. Huh."Hello?" I answer"You didn't come to school today" Oh, Leo."I noticed" I say nonchalantly. Hopefully he gets the message and hangs up."I'm asking why" Of course he didn't get the message"Cause I didn't want to""What's this I'm hearing about a sugar daddy? Are you in trouble? I can help you" His voice is urgent.No thanks. You'd only get me in more trouble."I'm fine" I answer bored with the call already."Where are you?" Leo asks. Can I end this call already?"Home""No, you're..""Bye" I cut him off ending the call.I come down from the bed, walking quietly to the door. Slowly opening it I peep out. Two of Nico's men are standing outside, they both turn to the the moment the door opens."Uh….""Boss said to follow you wherever you go" one of them says."Where is he?""Work" is the only reply I get."Obviously he's at work. Where is work?" They don't reply.I step out barefooted.They both look at my feet. But they don't speak. GoodI walk past them and they follow behind. Going straight to the kitchen because I was hungry. I pause at the door when I hear voices."She thinks she could just come here and steal Dom from me?"What?Sounds like the first maid that came to my room."Oh, when I'm done with her" I step into the kitchen pretending I didn't hear anything. She goes quiet along with the other maid."Do you need something?" She asks meI look at her but don't say anything."You could have told me if you needed something" She tries again."Does she need your permission to be here?" One of them asks."Of course not, I was only saying…""Know your place" he cuts her short. She lowers her head walking out with the other girl.I grab an apple and turn to look at my two bodyguards."Where to now?""Wherever you want to go" I open my mouth to speak"Except outside this house," I pout. What should I do here?"Is there a game room here?" They nod"Then let's go!!"A few games later, I found out a bit about both of them.So they were Antonio and Matteo, both 25. They were born into the mafia so they were raised according to the mafia rules and the omerta.It is more like: tell anyone about the mafia and you both die. So I can't tell Andrea then.Oh and they were both single."Yessss. I won" I pump my fist in the air. Finally! I won. I start my victory dance making them both laugh"I let you win" Matteo says ruining my victory dance"You meanie" I punch his arm."I didn't feel that" he laughs at my weak attempt at punching.Someone clears their throat behind us and they both stand up straight.Uh oh.I slowly turn to see Nico glaring at us.*Warning. This chapter contains a little bit of smut.**Isabella Russo's POV*I was walking down to class when someone yelled my name from behind."Hey Bella! Wait." Pretending like I didn't hear the person, I increased my pace, hoping to avoid whoever didn't want to leave me alone."Bella. Stop" He placed his hands on my shoulder and unfortunately I couldn't fake being deaf or unable to feel his hands on me so I stopped and turned."Hey Charlie. What's up" I say with fake euthusiasm. Charlie is one of my classmates, who apparently likes me since first year. But I've been avoiding him my whole time since then because why not?Everyone expected us to date because apparently the 'queen' and 'king' has to be together. But no thanks. Don't even know why they tagged me as that."What do you want Charlie?" I ask again when I notice he has been staring at me without saying anything. My cheek hurting because of the fake smile I had on for too long. He shakes his head snapping out of whatever
I stared at the car which stopped a few distance away from my house, it stayed there for a while, before it drove off once again.It's been a few weeks since I started seeing that car around me, at first I thought it was a coincidence, maybe a student with a car staying around. But it has been showing up everywhere and anywhere I go. Maybe it was Andrei asking someone to keep an eye on me, but for some reason I wasn't bothered and wasn't about to panic.I opened the door, walking into my house and shutting it behind me, making sure it was locked.It's been two years since I left Italy, two years without Nico and two years since I started all over in a place no one knew me.Andrea decided to go to fashion school at the last minute so we were separated, not that I minded.It was nice to be in a place without anyone staring at you with pity at every minute, waiting for you to break down so they could wrap their arms around you and tell you everything was going to be alright.It was sicke
*Isabella Russo's POV*Prom day went by fast, which I obviously missed and finally it was graduation day, the day everyone has been waiting for to come. Everyone except me of course, I just wanted to be over and done with all these. I sat on my own waiting for Andrea to arrive. She was the only one I could lean on today.I was wearing my graduation gown over a plain shirt and baggy jeans.Andrea talked about it all she could, but I didn't care that it was "D graduation", I want it done.l s I could start a new beginning.I didn't bother telling Andrei it was today because he would be busy and things like this didn't interest him, I don't want to bother him. But it didn't matter along as I was finally leaving this place. "Why are you looking so lost? You should be happy that finally we are leaving this school" Andrea said, sitting beside me and snapping me out of my daze. She held m e tightly, gluing her sweaty body to mine and I wondered what she did to be that sweaty."You do know tha
Isabella Russo's POVThings were becoming a bit better and Andrea always stayed with me and made me forget the pains I suffered earlier. School was going well and my finals were coming up soon. The days of my high school was coming to an end. And I could remember vividly when Nico promised to attend my graduation. What a jerk, I had come to accept his death and live a free life but doubted loving again."Bella, can I see you for sec," the principal requested as I was crossing the hallway with Andrea. "Thank you for your audience, I was wondering if you would like to be the valedictorian of the year. It's like I'm imposing it on you. But you have the highest grades so far and I don't know if..." She starts, staring at me and hoping I would accept. S"I will take it, the speech, I will say it. After all I earned it for myself. It would also be a great start for me in college," I smiled easing her tension. Everyone in school knew about my tragic story. They were avoiding me mostly and
Isabella Russo's POVThe funeral took place at the Perez's burial ground. As usual, everyone wore black and stood in line waiting for me to place the last flower on his coffin and say my final wordsNot that I was ready to say my final words to him, I wasn't ready to let him go.I was not allowed to cry because it would be a sign of a bad omen. In the mafia, Don's were to be respected till the very end. Crying would only mean that he was weak and didn't live a good life. I held my tears back and stood in front of Nico's coffin. Inside, his face was covered I couldn't even see his face for the last time. This was the part where I hated the mafia tradition. I couldn't see his face as I said my goodbye. And Andrei safi wasn't even allowed to say my farewell here to me. The mafia rules are against such. I really felt pathetic doing this, my tears were pending and the mourning crowd was waiting for my words."You have to speak Bella, the time is ticking," Andrei stepped to my side prompti
Isabella Russo's POVI froze in shock when Andrei dropped the bomb on me. "He lost a lot of blood and before we could save him...""You are lying to me. That's an on obvious lie Andrei. Please tell me you are joking. It's impossible, Nico can't leave me here alone," I held his shirt tight hoping that he would tell me that it was all a joke. But he didn't, instead he held me in his arms and let me cry on his chest.I got angry when I wasn't let to see his body. I wanted to confirm his death and and actually believe that Nico left me but Andrei didn't let me. He carried me away from the hospital and drove me back home.For two weeks, I refused to eat or talk to anyone. I couldn't believe that Nico was no longer with me. And the longer I waited, the more I felt his absence.He was gone for good and I couldn't get myself to accept it. I was fully healed and able to move on my own thanks to my consistency intake of the medicine. Andrei handled most of the activities in the mafia while I tr