*ANASTASIA**
It's been three days since the argument with Dante. He's hardly been home, which suits me just fine—I don't have to see his face. We barely speak, exchanging only brief greetings in the morning. My time has been consumed with setting up my space at the fashion house, keeping me busy and distracted. Mila is arriving tomorrow, and I can hardly wait. I've missed her, and she's the only one who can help me stay sane in this place. I thought Dante might oppose her visit, but he seems completely indifferent to what I do.
When I mentioned the possibility of being with another man, I expected him to react—at least with a frown. Even if our marriage isn't based on love and we can barely tolerate each other, I am still his wife. As a Mafia don, his pride alone should prevent him from letting me even think about another man. Reputation means everything to them, yet Dante disregards me so completely.
I shake my head, trying to dispel the thought, and refocus on the stack of job applications in front of me. One resume catches my eye—a young woman who seems promising. I decide to take her on as my assistant and set her file aside. Before I can continue with the rest, the door bursts open, making me jump out of my seat in alarm. I relax only when I see it's Alessio.
"Is something wrong?" I ask, concerned.
Alessio steps inside, and I narrow my eyes, wondering if he's decided to guard me from inside my office now. I spent almost an hour convincing him to stay outside. "What is it, Alessio?"
"Something's happened. We need to leave. Now."
"Wait, what?" I stand up, completely confused. "What do you mean?"
"We need to leave first. I'll explain everything later," Alessio insists.
I bite my lower lip in frustration. This is the world I was born into. No one needs to tell me that this is likely a Mafia war, and leaving me here would only complicate things for Dante. He must have ordered Alessio to get me out of here.
"And where are we going? Home?" I ask, grabbing my bag.
Alessio nods. "It's the only safe place for now. The New York mafia have invaded the fashion house. Lorenzo was shot."
Wait, what?! Lorenzo was shot? I literally saw him this morning. What the hell is going on?
"But why would New York attack?" I ask, already moving toward the door with Alessio.
"Vincenzo is now a capo, and they're backing him."
"How is Vincenzo gaining support? And capo of which family?" I press as we make our way to the elevator.
"The Chinese," Alessio replies as he leads me inside.
I'm even more confused now. There's clearly more to Vincenzo than I realized. Just as the elevator doors begin to close, gunfire erupts in the hallway. I scream in shock and fear, cowering as Alessio shields me, aiming his guns at the direction of the shots. Two men appear, firing at us without hesitation. Alessio shoves me into the elevator while returning fire.
"Alessio, get in here!" I scream, terrified that he might be hit. I can't bear the thought of another person dying right in front of me.
Just as Alessio turns to join me in the elevator, his eyes widen in shock. He stares at something behind me, and I freeze in confusion.
"Shit!" he curses, diving into the elevator, but before I can react, two large hands grab me from behind, covering my mouth.
Oh no, no, no.
Cold metal presses against my head, and I tremble in fear, my eyes locked on Alessio, who's now aiming his gun at whoever's holding me.
"Let her go, or I'll blow your head off," he threatens, his eyes cold and unwavering, making it clear he's not bluffing.
The figure behind me doesn't flinch. "She'll be dead before you even have the chance," the person retorts, and I squeeze my eyes shut. Oh God, what is happening?
Alessio slowly raises his hands in surrender, and I stare at him in disbelief. Is this how he's supposed to protect me? Just when I think my fate is sealed, a gunshot echoes over my head, and the man behind me falls to the floor of the elevator with a heavy thud. Blood splatters across the side of my face, and I freeze in shock.
Alessio steps over to the body and kicks it. "Bastard."
I snap out of my daze and turn to look at the lifeless figure on the elevator floor. My eyes widen, and my stomach churns as I take in the blood and the corpse.
"What... What the hell is going on? Why is this Vincenzo doing this?"
Alessio sighs. "Vincenzo is trying to get to the Italian Mafia. Since your father cut ties with him, kidnapping you seemed like the best way to cause an uproar."
I stare at Alessio in disbelief. "How can one man cause so much trouble? My father told me he was just a kid who used to work for the Italian family, and that his father was supposed to be the don of all the territories. But his father betrayed the family and was ousted. Isn't that how the territories got divided?"
Alessio nods. "You listened well, Anastasia. You're correct. Vincenzo was just a kid the capos pitied after his father's downfall. Back then, the current mafia dons were only the sons of the capos who assisted Vincenzo's father. After Vincenzo father's demise, the territories were divided, and those sons became the current dons of their families, working together to protect the Italian Mafia."
Now I understand where this whole problem started. "Why wasn't Vincenzo made don after his father? His father committed the offense, not him."
"The family's reputation was already tainted, Anastasia. The members would never allow his son to take over. Vincenzo was supposed to be killed along with the rest of his family, but Dante's father, who was the most powerful capo at the time, spared him. To prevent further bloodshed, the territories were divided among the three capos, and their sons are the ones protecting the Italian Mafia today. No one saw what was coming with Vincenzo."
"They underestimated him," I say with a sigh. "So, he wants the territories back."
Alessio nods. "Yes, but with the three dons in power, that won't be possible."
"What if he succeeds?"
Alessio turns to me but doesn't say anything. Instead, he lets out a heavy sigh and looks toward the door, waiting for it to open. He pulls out his gun and aims it at the door as it slowly starts to slide open.
"Stay behind me, Anastasia," Alessio instructs, and I quickly comply.
The elevator door opens, and Alessio gestures for me to remain inside. He steps out cautiously, surveying the area. Once he's satisfied it's clear, he turns back to me. "Let's go, Anastasia."
Just as I'm about to step out of the elevator, gunshots ring out, and a bullet grazes Alessio's shoulder. I gasp in shock, covering my mouth with my hand. I quickly rush to his side.
"Get back inside, Anastasia!" Alessio shouts at me.
Panic erupts around us as people scatter, and I stand frozen, watching Alessio bleed, confused and terrified. "You're bleeding."
Alessio fires back at the attackers, skillfully dodging incoming bullets while keeping me shielded. "Get back into the elevator, Anastasia! There are too many of them; we need backup."
I nod and frantically press the elevator buttons, but someone else is already using it, and it's taking too long to arrive. I curse in frustration, turning to Alessio, but he's too busy fighting off the men to notice. I stand there, paralyzed with indecision, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly, Alessio stops shooting and throws me over his shoulder. My eyes dart to his injured shoulder, where blood continues to pour out. He starts running, turning back every few seconds to shoot at the attackers. Now I understand why Dante trusted him to protect me—he's relentless.
With me still slung over his shoulder, Alessio pulls out his phone and dials. Before he can speak, we spot a group of men entering the building.
"Shit," Alessio curses loudly, halting and turning into a corner. "We need backup, boss. I can't handle this alone; there are too many of them. We can't leave the building," he says into the phone, clearly speaking to Dante.
"Alright, boss," he mutters before hanging up. He sets me down and hands me a gun. "Take this and stay right here. I need to find a way to get us out of here. Backup is almost here."
I stare at the gun in my trembling hands. "Why the hell didn't Dante send the backup sooner?!" I mutter angrily. That bastard.
"Things aren't good on the other side either, Anastasia. I'll be back." Alessio says before he walks away.
I look down at the gun, unsure of what to do. My eyes drift to a nearby restroom, and I start running towards it. Just as I reach for the door, two large hands suddenly cover my mouth, and I'm knocked unconscious.
XOXO