Mafia’s Feud : Love & Betrayal

“I don’t like the way you guys look at me and treat me in this so-called family. I am not a child anymore, and I would appreciate it if I am treated like the lady I am!” Lucy’s voice thundered across the grand but cold apartment, the sound echoing against the high ceilings and marble floors.

Her words were sharp, bold like shards of glass scattering across the room. And for the first time in years, her four brothers stopped what they were doing.

Vince, the eldest, leaned back in the leather armchair with a glass of whiskey in his hand, his piercing eyes narrowing. He was always the calm one, the leader who carried the weight of the family’s empire on his shoulders, but Lucy’s sudden defiance pulled his brows together in a crease.

Matteo, the second brother, with his ever-present smirk and restless hands, stopped flipping the silver knife he had been toying with. His smirk faltered for a moment as he studied Lucy, as if weighing whether she was serious or just having one of her “moods.”

Damian, the third, leaned against the wall with his cigarette. He blew out a slow puff of smoke, watching it curl into the air, masking the faint amusement in his eyes. Of all of them, he liked provoking her the most. To him, she was always their “little sister,” the girl he teased mercilessly, never a woman to take seriously.

And then there was Adrian, the youngest but still older than Lucy. His jaw tightened, his protective instinct always stronger than reason. He had always seen himself as her shield, her guard, and the thought of her wanting independence set his blood boiling.

Lucy’s chest rose and fell as she looked at each of them, her gaze fierce despite the storm of nerves raging inside.

She continued “Do you even hear yourselves when you speak to me? To you, I’m still the little girl who needed protecting, who had to be hidden from everything. But look at me!” She spread her arms, her voice cracking as frustration leaked into every syllable. “I’m not that girl anymore. I have a voice, a mind, and dreams of my own. And I will not let you treat me like I’m invisible or incapable just because you think this world is too dark for me.”

Vince placed his glass down on the table, the soft clink sounding louder than thunder in the silence. His voice was low, steady, but it carried an edge sharp enough to slice through steel.

“Lucy, you don’t understand this world we are in yet.” Vince replied

Her eyes flashed. “I understand more than you think! I see the looks you give me when I speak, the way you dismiss my opinions. I hear the whispers when decisions are made behind my back, as though my existence doesn’t matter beyond being the baby sister. Well, I’m done being the ‘baby’ in this family. I am a woman now. Treat me as one.”

Matteo chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. “A woman?” he muttered, twirling his knife again. “You’re still too fragile to even carry the weight of our name, Lucy.”

Her gaze snapped to him, fiery and unyielding. “Fragile? You think because I don’t carry guns, I’m weak? Because I don’t break bones, I can’t stand on my own? Strength isn’t only measured by the blood you spill, Matteo. Sometimes it’s measured by the courage to speak, to rise even when everyone tries to keep you small.”

The room grew tense. Even Damian, who had been smirking, grew quiet, the smoke from his cigarette now curling unnoticed between his fingers.

Adrian stepped forward, his voice rough with conflict. “We’ve kept you away from this life for a reason, Lucy. It’s not about disrespect, it’s about keeping you safe.”

Her lips trembled, but she lifted her chin, her voice steady. “Safe? Or caged? Because that’s what I feel every single day in this house. A bird locked in a golden cage, told to sing softly and never fly. I don’t need your cage anymore. I need my freedom. And if you truly love me as your sister, you’ll stop underestimating me and start respecting me.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Her words hung heavy in the air, stirring something none of them were ready to admit. For the first time, her brothers saw not just their sister, the one they had sworn to protect at all costs but a woman standing before them, demanding her rightful place in the family.

The air was thick with silence after Lucy’s words. It was the kind of silence that pressed down on the chest, heavy and suffocating, the kind that preceded either an explosion or a breaking point.

Vince, the eldest, finally broke it. His deep voice was calm, but every syllable carried the weight of command. “Lucy… do you even realize what you’re asking? This life isn’t glamorous. It isn’t freedom. It’s blood, betrayal, and constant enemies at your throat. We’ve carried that burden so you wouldn’t have to.”

Lucy’s eyes burned as she took a step closer, squaring her shoulders. “Don’t twist this into protection, Vince. You’re not shielding me, you’re silencing me. I know about the blood. I’ve seen the late nights, the bruises, the funerals you don’t speak of. You’ve hidden me from the fire, but I’ve felt the smoke all my life. And still, I’m standing here. Stronger than you think.”

Matteo leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees, a sardonic grin curving his lips. “Strong? Little sis, strength isn’t about raising your voice in a pretty speech. Out there, people would eat you alive. You wouldn’t last a day without one of us pulling you out of the fire.”

“Then maybe,” Lucy shot back, her voice sharp as glass, “you should let me walk into the fire and see if I burn. Because I’m tired of being smothered under your shadows.”

Damian chuckled darkly, flicking ash into the tray beside him. “Listen to her, Vince. She’s got fire. Reminds me of Ma, before this life turned her heart cold.” His smirk faded into something unreadable as his gaze lingered on Lucy. “But fire, Lucy… fire burns the brightest before it dies.”

Adrian slammed his fist against the table, making the glasses rattle. His protective instincts boiled over, his voice harsh. “No! I won’t let you throw yourself into this madness. You think these men out there care if you’re our sister? They’ll target you faster, use you against us, break you just to watch us crumble. Do you understand what kind of danger you’re asking for?”

Lucy flinched at his words, but her chin stayed high, her voice unwavering.

“Do you understand what kind of prison you’ve built for me? You’d rather see me locked away than risk me being strong. You’d rather I stay your fragile little sister, voiceless and unseen, than admit that I’m capable of taking care of myself.”

Vince’s hand tightened around his glass, the amber liquid trembling. He studied her, his eyes calculating, as though weighing the woman in front of him against the little girl he remembered. “You want to be a woman, Lucy? Do you even know what that means?”

Her voice softened, but her conviction did not falter. “I know enough. And I know I can’t keep living as your shadow. If I am truly family, then let me prove myself. Don’t love me by caging me, love me by trusting me.”

For a moment, no one spoke. The tension coiled around the room like a snake, waiting to strike.

Matteo broke it first, his smirk returning. “If you’re serious, then maybe it’s time we stop pretending she’s a child, Vince. Maybe she should prove if she’s as tough as she said”

Vince rose to his feet, towering over them all, his presence commanding the room. He looked down at Lucy, his expression unreadable. “You want respect, Lucy? You want to be seen as more than a child?” He stepped closer, his voice low, dangerous. “Then understand this, that can’t happen as long as you are in this family”

Lucy’s chest rose and fell in sharp rhythm, her heart pounding so loudly she could hear it in her ears. No one moved after Vince's speech, her brothers were just like stone, shadows carved from ice, unwilling to give her what she wanted.

Her nails dug into her palms until crescent moons etched themselves into her skin. Then, with a sharp inhale, she turned on her heel, the heels of her boots clicking hard against the marble floors.

“Lucy.” Vince’s voice came, firm, controlled, but laced with warning.

But Lucy didn’t stop.

Her strides were quick, each step a declaration of war. The tension in the air trailed after her like invisible chains, but she tore through them with every stomp.

Her brothers called after her,

Adrian’s sharp voice cuts in

“Don’t you dare walk away!” But still Lucy's mind was fixed on getting out of their presence, Matteo’s mocking whistle followed, Damian’s low chuckle chased her, but she didn’t so much as glance back.

By the time she reached the tall glass doors of the apartment, her fury had crystallized into resolve. She yanked the handle, the cold air of the city rushing in like freedom itself. With one final glance at the gilded cage she had called home, Lucy slammed the door shut behind her. The sound echoed through the halls like a gunshot.