2. The First Taste of Blood

Nora felt the weight of his words but her mind was drifting off to somewhere else. Glimpses of the past starting floating through, ones that she had tried so hard to drown. Stubborn memories that refused to sink. Now they forced her to relive through every moment that had lead her here.

Her mother’s death when she was six left a void. Her father, August Reeves, tried to fill it by marrying into another Mafia family. Marcella came into their lives with her daughter, Aria, but for Nora, it was just torment.

Nora still remembered her very first encounter with Marcella. She wasn't tainted by misfortune yet. She still had hope in her. Just desperate for a mother’s warmth. Little Nora looked up at her new mom with wide eyes. She hesitated for a second. Then made up her mind and reached out for a hug. An innocent act of welcome.

Marcella gave her a dismissive glance before shoving her away like something diseased. Nora saw her smooth out her dress, like she was brushing off something filthy.

That was the first time Nora understood.

Marcella wasn’t here to love her.

Her love and attention was reserved entirely for Aria.

Aria, six years older, was her mother's mirror image in every way, cunning and ruthless. Nora became their scapegoat, treated more like a servant than family. She scrubbed floors and fetched water with her hands and spirits bruised.

It was rare for August to be home. When he eventually noticed the bruises on her arms or faint scars on her face, his expression would darken with concern. He’d ask what had happened. Nora’s heart would start racing in hope. Thinking he might finally understand her predicament. But before she could respond, Aria would always step in. She used her innocent voice to brush them off as accidents. “Clumsy little Nora.” Aria would add with a sweet smile. Even if it was rare, August’s presence was the only comfort Nora had.

Behind closed doors, Marcella and Aria found joy in tormenting her. Nora learned to hide her bruises and scars. One night, Aria pulled her into a dim room and threw her onto the cold floor. She turned on the TV. A grainy video started playing. There was a man on his knees. He was pleading and sobbing. Then a loud bang.

Nora flinched so hard she nearly toppled over, her tiny hands flying to her ears. The man collapsed, blood spreading across the floor like ink. Aria leaned in, her voice a whisper of poisoned honey. "This could be you if you don’t behave." Nora was too young to understand the weight of death but she understood fear. And that night, she learned there were things in this world worse than monsters under the bed.

Marcella also seemed to revel in her fear. She often flashed her gun before the trembling kid. Just to watch her panic. Once, when Nora was seven, Aria took it further again, chasing her through the house with that same gun. Aria cornered Nora and held the weapon inches from her face. The child squeezed her eyes shut in fear. Nora was convinced that her life would end in that moment.

When Marcella found out about this, she immediately scolded Aria. But it wasn't because she was concerned about Nora. It was to caution her daughter. Not to do anything too visible. An evidence that August might notice. But the damage was already done. Nora’s fear of guns rooted deeply inside her. It never lessened as she grew older.

August was known for being a powerful honorable man. He had morals and refused to harm the innocent. He protected his family and their identity from public eyes. Both his daughters were homeschooled and kept isolated from outside world. It was a lonely existence, but Nora grew up with it.

But Marcella and Aria never maintained any such principles. They were ambitious and would do anything for their desires. As Aria grew older, she learned to manipulate powerful men. She used her charm and even her body to secure whatever she wanted.

Just before Nora turned twenty, August realised Marcella and Aria's true nature, realizing how far they would go. Betraying every value he'd tried to uphold. One night, a heated argument broke out. August threatened to cut ties with both women if they didn’t change.

For a moment, Nora dared to wish for a change. Then, without any notice, her father’s health collapsed. A sudden stroke, the doctors claimed. But Nora couldn’t ignore certain hints. How Marcella’s lips curved ever so slightly when the news broke. Or how Aria’s gaze glittered with something close to victory. With her father in a coma, Nora’s fragile shield was gone.

Marcella and Aria grew even bolder. Their cruelty became unrestrained. Marcella dismissed Nora’s education as a waste of money. There would be no future for Nora. Instead, she forced Nora into the role of caretaker for her comatose father. A man who, even in his helpless state, offered more comfort than anyone else in the house. But deep down, she knew this fragile safety wouldn’t last forever. And when the time came, they would find a way to destroy her completely.