THE MAFIA HEIR'S BETROTHED

I sit in the corner of the crowded convocation hall, watching as graduates and their families celebrate this momentous occasion. The blue and gold of our colleges graduation gowns flash around me as people move around laughing, hugging each other and taking pictures. The air is filled with excitement and joy, but my heart feels heavy. I keep glancing at the entrance, hoping for a familiar face to walk through those doors, but time continues to tick away, and there's no sign of the one person I want to see. My father.My father wasn't always present in my life growing up. He was always busy to the point were it felt like he was prioritizing his work over me. Despite that, he made an effort to be there for special occasions and important milestones. And so, today, on my graduation day, I had hoped he would surprise me, just like he always did.As the ceremony winds down, my best friend Dio walks up to me.“Happy graduation day, Jules!” he blows a party popper and the golden string and t

The next morning, I slowly regain consciousness. As my eyes struggle to adjust I take in my environment.I'm in a hospital bed in a starchy white hospital gown that feels itchy against my skin.Confusion washes over me as fragmented memories of the night before begin to flood back. My graduation. Finding the bar and drinking shot after shot. Leaving the bar. Bumping into the stranger.Panic sets in as I recall the events that transpired after meeting the enigmatic man with the deep jasmine cologne and the buttery soft leather car seats. I wonder why I allowed myself to indulge in such reckless behavior, feeling a deep sense of regret and shame.My self-loathing was reaching an all-time high if I was going around sleeping with strangers. Once again I blamed my father for being such an ass.A nurse approaches with a small smile. She's wearing a pair of purple scrubs and looks beyond tired. Her brown hair is in a haphazard bun.“Good morning dear,” she greets as he takes out a tiny flash

“I'll strike a deal with you for my freedom,” I repeated, even though my mouth was drier than the desert.My voice, although wobbly with apprehension, cuts through the tense air of Alonzo's office. My hands tremble slightly as I summon the courage to propose a pact that could potentially untangle me from this colossal mess.Alonzo, his piercing gaze never leaving mine, considers my words. The pressure of his grip on my face, which moments ago felt like a vice, finally relents. As he releases me, I can feel the lingering ache where his fingers left their mark. His response is a measured, "I'm listening," uttered in a tone that suggested he was willing to hear me out, but that he was nowhere near trusting me.“I will get you the flash drive,” I started. “But as soon as I do that you let me me go. No strings, no conditions, nothing. I walk out that door and it will be like we never met. You leave me alone.”“And what makes you think I'll agree to this?”“You said you were desperate to fi

The night air hung heavy with a tense stillness as I approached my home. The key dangled from my fingers, ready to unlock the door that separated me from the quiet safety within my own home. I had no idea that this ordinary act, the mundane click of a key turning in a lock, would transform into a moment that wpuld stay with me for the rest of my life.As I bent over to insert the key into the lock, an unsettling disturbance rippled through the air. A sudden, deafening noise sounded out, causing me to momentarily freeze. At first, I didn't understand what would make such a noise at this time of night. Then, all at once the realization hit me like ashockwave – a gunshot had disrupted the stillness around me. Panic gripped me, an electric jolt coursing through my veins. The truth slammed into me like an oncoming train – a bullet had just torn through the door, mere inches from where my head had been only moments before.I froze, the key slipping from my trembling fingers as the panic pre