Three.

(Lily’s POV)

My eyes slowly flattered open. I squinted as I tried to adjust to the lighting of the room, a flashlight was passed across my eyes making me wince.

“Mrs. Gambino, how are you feeling?” I heard someone ask me.

“Thirsty.” I croaked out barely recognizing the sound that left my mouth.

“Here you go.” I heard a deep voice say as someone helped me take a sip of water.

I looked around, “where am I and what day is it?” I asked, confused.

“You’re in a hospital.” I heard the doctor say as I saw him writing something down.

“Honey I was very worried about you.” The deep voice said again as I felt someone gently touching my hand and placed a kiss on it, “from now on I’ll be there to protect you.”

It took a minute for me to gather my thoughts and actually remember why I was in the hospital to begin with and why this strange yet handsome man kept referring to me in endearing terms. When I finally remembered why, I started crying. I needed to play the part.

“He took me and he kept me in this dark room for so long.” I said in my emotional tear-filled state. “I wasn’t sure if I was every going to see you or our son again.”

“I’ll leave the two of you alone.” The doctor said as he walked out of the room.

The man, Alfonso Gambino, I recalled him from the pictures, stood up and hugged me, holding me carefully, comforting me. He was so gentle that for a minute there I wondered if he was even a dangerous gangster like what I was made to believe.

“Do you remember who took you?” He asked and I could see in his eyes that he was ready to kill.

I shook my head, “they kept me drugged up, I didn’t even know how long they kept me in that room.” I sobbed, “how long has it been?” I asked.

He looked at me sombrely, “a month and a few days.”

“What?!” I exclaimed. “How’s my baby doing? Did he miss me?” I asked playing the role of the caring mother but there was a slight change in Alfonso’s demeanour that told me that maybe the other Lily wasn’t exactly a caring mother.

“He kept asking about you the whole time.” He replied, “I could ask Catherine to bring him to see you if you want.”

My hands went to my face, “I don’t want my baby to see me like this.” I said.

Alfonso took my hand away from my face as he placed a kiss on my forehead, “you look beautiful my love.” He whispered and I could feel butterflies in my stomach.

Why would they let this man suffer like this? Why wouldn’t they just let him be happy with his wife? I was starting to feel guilty but I had to remind myself that it was all a business transaction, if I didn’t want to end up in prison, I had to play my part and play it well.

“You are just trying to make me feel good but I don’t want to scare my little boy.” I stated, “I don’t want this to be the first time he sees his mommy with her face all swollen and bruised.”

Alfonso’s hands covered my own, “I’m guessing this experience made you want to become a good mother?” He asked.

I looked at him, “this happened because of you, you know.” I replied to a completely irrelevant question.

He frowned, “what do you mean because of me?” He asked, confusion written all over his face.

“From the bits and pieces that I can put together, they wanted to know how you got the money to start your company and how it quickly rose to stardom.” I replied.

“Why were they asking you that? Why wouldn’t they ask me?” He asked.

I scoffed, “look at you and look at me. I seemed like an easier target, what they didn’t know was that I know almost nothing about your businesses either. You never tell me anything.”

If I was going to put my life on the line, I might as well come out of this experience with something that benefits me in the long run, I thought.

“You never showed interest in wanting to run the company.” He responded.

“Because you always made it seem like you married me to just bare you children and to just look pretty beside you. You never think I’m clever enough to help you out with anything!” I snapped.

I was surprised with just how well I was playing the part. Maybe I should quit being a con artist and instead become a movie star, I thought.

“Where is all this coming from?” He asked with a sigh, “you never seemed to mind being part of the business and just going shopping. You are barely a mother to our son and you let Catherine do everything for you.”

Tears started to well up in my eyes, “I spent almost a month in a dark room. Alone and isolated.” I stated, “being in a position like that gives you time to re-evaluate your life choices and think about all the mistakes you have done and how you could do better for the people you love.” I continued as I saw him sympathize with me, “considering your past, if anything were to happen to you, I don’t think I’ll be able to take care of Frank on my own.”

He sighed as he held my hand, “believe me, this has also given me time to think about our life together and I feel like you also need to be more involved in the company and I can also teach you how to defend yourself.”

I sniffled and smiled, “really?” I asked.

He smiled back as he nodded.

“Come here.” I said as I opened my arms for him. If I were to pretend being the wife of someone, I was glad it was this handsome, rich man.

After spending two weeks in the hospital, the swelling of my face went down and I was glad to go back home, or at least to Alfonso’s home. To my surprise it was a massive house in the suburbs. I didn’t know what I was expecting but definitely not this.

“Mrs. Gambino, I’m so glad you’re back home safe and sound. I’m sure Frank will be happy to see you.” The nanny, Catherine, who was younger than I thought said as she helped Alfonso with the bags of clothes he had brought me at the hospital.

I usually didn’t like to be the centre of attention but I got the feeling that being Alfonso’s wife was bound to bring me some unwanted attention. I just needed to keep my head down.

“Here.” Alfonso said as I felt him swoop me up from the ground, taking me by surprise, “the doctor said you should exert yourself so much, so I’ll carry you to our room. Catherine if you could please bring the bags up.”

Our room? I wondered. I hadn’t thought about it this far. Was I required to sleep with him in the same bed? What if he wanted to make love? Did I really want to have sex with some random woman’s husband just because I happened to look like her?

I had a million questions and I had no one to talk to about them. I was thrown out of a van and into this luxurious life and I had to think of everything all on my own. This wasn’t going to be an easy ride as I thought.

Alfonso carefully placed me on the bed just as a small boy came running into the room screaming, “mom’s home!” He hugged me and I felt my heart melt. He looked like a smaller version of his dad.

I carried her and sat him beside me, “did you miss mommy?” I asked.

He nodded eagerly.

“I’m sorry mommy left without saying goodbye. But I’m back now.” I said as I brushed her hair with my fingers.

His little fingers gently brushed my face.

“What happened?” He asked pointing to my face.

I looked at Alfonso who was just staring at us in awe.

“Mommy had a little accident and had to go away for a while but I’m back and you, daddy and I are going to have so much fun.” I replied excitedly as I played around with his hands.

I guess that maybe I did like kids after all, I thought.

“Frank, how about we give mom sometime to rest while we go get something to eat?” Alfonso asked.

I looked up at him.

“Can the both of you stay here with me until I fall asleep?” I asked, but it came out like I was pleading.

He looked at the little boy who seemed eager to want to stay with her mother and he nodded as he joined us in bed.

I knew that this wasn’t my life and I was on borrowed time but before he eventually finds out that I wasn’t his wife but for the mean time, I wanted to enjoy this life. The stability and comfortability it offered.

I was woken up with the sound of Alfonso arguing with someone.

I looked around the room and I was by myself. I guess they left after I fell asleep but I didn’t know how long that had been.

“But I just brought her back home.” He stated angrily.

He paused. I couldn’t hear the voice of someone else so I assumed he was speaking on the phone.

“Why can’t he send Marco to do the job?” He spat.

He paused again as if to listen.

“I agreed to come back to the mafia but we agreed we won’t drag the life I have built for myself into it!” He yelled, I guess he thought I was still asleep.

He sighed, “fine. I’ll be there in an hour.” I heard him hung up and I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

I didn’t know what to think, I thought that he was no longer in the mafia. But if he still is, what does that mean for me when he finds out that I’m not his real wife? I wondered.

I heard his footstep approach close to the bed and I felt fear crippling me that I froze in place. My eyes shut as I waited to hear what he would do. I was starting to have second thoughts about this but I was already in too deep to back out now. He kissed me on my cheek then he walked out.