Chapter 15 - Angela

I was still trying to process how she could be alive after all the atrocities my father swore Marco had committed against Giulia Romano.

“That’s definitely what our parents would have wanted, but I was saved by Mr. Falcone and have been helping the Camorra ever since,” she replied, a bright smile on her face.

“What? Helping the Camorra? How is that even possible?”

“Giulia contacted me when she left her father’s house. She was one of those who decided to stay, and shortly after, she fell in love with Dante Marino, one of my soldiers, and just completed her training,” Marco said beside me, lazily sliding his fingers along the back of my neck. “She’s become a good informant, especially in revealing the vulnerable points in her father’s territory.”

My jaw dropped as I stared at the blonde in front of me, showing a proud smile.

“You became an informant, Giulia? Betrayed the famiglia?” I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but all that information in such a short time was causing utter chaos inside me.

“Family? What family, Angela? You might have had a perfect life as the Don’s daughter, protected from all the brutality of life in the mafia, but I didn’t.” Her voice lost all its lightness and charm, just like her expression, which now looked outraged, as if I had attacked her. “My father used to beat me as much as he beat my mother. He also didn’t mind doing... many other atrocities to me before arranging for me to marry an old man, and no one would ever do anything to save me because he was the Capo.”

“I had no idea, I would’ve never imagined that…”

“Of course not, because the little princess would have no clue what happens outside her glass palace.” She cut me off, her fists clenched at her sides, looking even angrier after my words.

“Don’t forget who you’re speaking to, Giulia!” Marco’s snarled words snapped her back to herself. The girl blinked quickly, opened her hands, and released a long sigh.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. Just know, Mrs. Falcone, there’s nothing about the Cosa Nostra worth being loyal to or honoring.” She spoke in a much lower tone and stepped back the moment I stood up, ready to say that I wasn’t Mrs. Falcone, but Marco pulled me onto his lap.

“Let me go,” I growled, feeling my irritation reach dangerous levels after that conversation. But he only held my waist tighter. “Someone needs to correct her, I’m not Mrs. Falcone.”

“That’s only a matter of time, angel. Now stop squirming. Giulia shouldn’t have spoken to you like that, and she knows it. But I don’t blame her for being irritated at seeing you defend the people who hurt her.”

“I didn’t mean to defend the Cosa Nostra, I recognize all the harm they cause, and it’s because of them that I’m here. But I’m surprised to find out she earned a place here by betraying her own family, knowing they could be killed at any moment.”

Marco sighed, and I saw Giulia leaning against a tall, strong man who looked much older than her. The man’s hard gaze met mine, and I shrank in Marco’s lap. As wrong as it was, I felt safe there.

He nodded to the man, who wrapped his arm around the blonde and quickly left.

“Giulia was abused by her own father,” Marco’s voice made me turn to him quickly. “She told us it started in her teens, and no one ever did or said anything. When her father arranged a man involved in human trafficking to be her husband, she decided it was time to do something for herself and ran away.”

“How... what…” I couldn’t even form a coherent thought as I stared into his serious eyes.

“Giulia was a frightened, broken twenty-year-old when she arrived here three years ago. It took a long time before she trusted anyone enough to let Dante get close. But the widower had fallen in love with her and waited patiently. Maybe it was her strength, or maybe it was the pain — something they both knew well — that brought them together.” Marco lifted a hand, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear, keeping me even closer. “She never had to buy her place here in exchange for loyalty. It was her choice to bring down her father as revenge. My only demand was that she train like all the soldiers. If she wanted revenge, she had to be ready for the worst.”

“So she was right. I’ve spent all this time in a glass castle, far from the brutal reality of what the mafia is like for women.”

I felt ashamed now. I never imagined she had such strong reasons to go against her own father. And even if she didn’t, I couldn’t judge her — I’d been considering betraying my own father and marrying Falcone just to have my freedom.

“You’ve suffered abuse too, Angel. You just haven’t realized it yet because it’s been perfectly ingrained in your mind as something normal. But there’s nothing normal about being forced into diets or hurt by corsets just to reach someone else’s ideal of beauty.”

I swallowed hard at his words, and something in Marco’s tone made my eyes fill with tears. I could almost feel the walls I’d built around myself start to crack.

“Why did your sister tell you that?” was all I managed to ask, and he smiled faintly, brushing his fingers across my cheek.

“Melissa wanted to warn me. She said you’ve been treated like a doll with no will of your own for too long, and that I shouldn’t do the same.”

I needed to thank Melissa for that. I hadn’t expected someone from a rival mafia to show me empathy.

“And that’s what you want, isn’t it? To treat me like a doll you can do whatever you want with.”

“No, Angel. I’ve never liked dolls. I want a woman of strength and spirit by my side — and I’m sure I’ve already found her.”

I opened my mouth, ready to challenge him to keep up that charade, when the doctor approached us again.

“All done, Mrs. Falcone. All the men have been treated.”

“I’m not…”

“Perfect, doctor. Take care of her so we can finally have breakfast in peace!” Marco exclaimed, cutting me off on purpose.

At least it didn’t take long for the doctor to check my foot and bandage it after confirming it wasn’t broken. The whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking about Giulia. I needed to find a way to see her again and apologize. I’d gone too far, made the wrong assumptions, and hurt her in the process. But I knew who could help me find her: Melissa.