All Chapters of FORCED MARRIAGE: The Italian Mafia's Obsession : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Now, I sat in silence at a small cafe in the city center. My face felt stiff from tears that had dried and then fallen again, alternating all night long.My career was ruined. The name I'd worked so hard to build over eight years of medical school, all of it vanished in a single ethics hearing that lasted less than two hours.And I'd never done any of what they accused me of.My phone buzzed on the table. My father's name appeared on the screen.I almost didn't answer it. My hand trembled as I picked up the phone, my finger hesitating over the green button. But I knew my father wouldn't stop calling until I picked up. He was a persistent man, one of the reasons he'd succeeded as a businessman."Father," I said, my voice hoarse."Camila, your father has heard everything.""How did you...""The hospital called me. They said your license was revoked. They said you were recommended for rehab. I didn't know you'd become like this. Drugs? You're taking drugs?""That's not true. They framed

The airport in Mexico City felt hot even though the air conditioning inside the terminal was on full blast. I dragged my suitcase through the arrival gates.My father had already sent a driver. An old man with a thick mustache greeted me with a cold nod.The drive to my parents' house took forty minutes.My parents' house was still the same. Not a single coat of paint had changed. White walls with red tiles, a small garden out front overgrown with purple bougainvillea, a wooden swing on the porch that had rusted from years of disuse.I walked past my stepmother without saying a word. I dragged my suitcase myself through the narrow hallway to the room at the end, then went in and closed the door.I left the suitcase lying near the closet. My body fell onto the bed, my face staring up at the cracked ceiling. There were voices outside, my father and stepmother whispering, unclear, but their tone wasn't friendly. I didn't care. I didn't want to talk to anyone.My hand reached for my phone

I couldn't sleep that night.The clock on the nightstand showed 2:47 AM.Outside the door, I could hear the sound of footsteps pacing back and forth. Two people, maybe more. Men in black suits ordered by Luca to watch me.My phone was still in my hand. The screen was cracked in the upper right corner, the battery at twelve percent. I'd already opened airplane mode, searching for any possibility. International airlines. Contact numbers for the American embassy in Mexico City. Even local police numbers I'd probably never call.But it was all useless.I didn't have any money. My wallet only had a credit card my father had blocked since yesterday, and Luca Vitale's business card.I turned the card over between my fingers. Thick cream-colored paper with gold embossed lettering, luxurious, expensive, just like its owner.4 AM.I didn't have much time left.The wedding would take place at eight at San Miguel Church. I knew that church. Small, old, with peeling white walls here and there. The

The car stopped in front of a four-meter-high black iron gate. From behind the tinted window, I could see a neoclassical-style mansion with four marble pillars at the entrance. The front garden was neatly arranged but felt cold. No colorful flowers. Only symmetrically trimmed green shrubs and marble statues of naked men staring blankly in my direction."We've arrived, sir," said the driver with a thick Italian accent.Luca got out first. I heard his door close, then a few moments later, the door beside me opened. He stood there, his hand extended to help me out.I didn't take his hand. I got out on my own, my heels hitting the gravel ground with a sound that was probably too loud.The servants were already lined up in front of the main door. Four women in gray uniforms and two men in neat suits. They all bowed simultaneously as I stepped inside."Welcome to the Vitale Mansion, Madam," said a middle-aged woman with her hair neatly pinned up. "I'm Elena, the head of household staff. If

The next day.The clock showed 12 PM. Not long after, the sound of knocking at the door woke me up."Madam, it's time to get up."Two women entered the room. The first was Elena, the head of household staff. Behind her was a young woman with short blonde hair and green eyes, probably around my age."Good morning, Madam. This is Aria, your personal assistant. I'll help you bathe and get dressed."Bathe?"What do you mean?""Mr. Luca wants you ready in one hour for breakfast.""I can bathe myself," I said.Elena smiled thinly. "Sorry, Madam. This is Mr. Luca's order.""Luca doesn't need to control how I bathe."Elena sighed. She exchanged a glance with Aria, then both stepped forward."We don't want to make things difficult for you, Madam, but we have to do our jobs."Aria's hand reached for the hem of my nightgown, a black satin gown that had somehow been provided in the closet. I swatted her hand away."Don't touch me!""Madam...""I said don't!"But Elena was already on the other sid