Sophia's chest heaved with anger as she glanced at her drenched clothes. She looked up at the tall lady and wondered how someone as elegant as she was could be so uncut. Worse still, she was unapologetic, smirking at her. Irritated, she stood up and slapped the lady across the cheek. "You must be crazy, pouring dirty water on me."
"Did you just slap me?" the lady's eyes blazed with anger as she pulled Sophia's hair and pushed her to the floor.
"Why the fuck is she so strong?" Sophia wondered inwardly. Not one to back down, she stood up and lunged at the lady, but she ducked and twisted Sophia's arm behind her back.
"Let me go, you fucking bitch," Sophia struggled against her hand, and thankfully Carla, who had stepped out, came back and hurried over.
"Miss Armani, please let her go."
"Why should I? Do you know what this bitch did? She splashed water on my feet."
"Don't fucking kid me," Sophia snapped, using all her strength to pull away and shove the lady. "The water barely grazed you, but you emptied the whole bucket on me."
"I can't believe this tramp. In fact, where's Luca?"
"He left a couple of hours ago," Carla replied. "I'm so sorry for her behavior."
"And what's your name?" she asked Sophia but received a scowl in reply.
"It's Sophia," Carla cut in, trying to diffuse the tension. "Sophia DeLuca."
"Wait, is she the DeLuca bitch who was recently banished from her family?" There was faint mockery as she eyed Sophia from head to toe. The rumors about her beauty were true; even the tacky clothes couldn't hide it.
Sophia clenched and unclenched her fist, a second away from punching the smirk off her face.
"I guess I'll just go to the office to find Luca." A smirk danced on Miss Armani's lips as she walked away, her heels clicking on the tiled floor.
"Sophia, you have to be careful about your behavior. Do you know who Miss Armani is?"
Sophia scoffed. "And do you know who I am, Carla? Just because I was betrayed and thrown out of my own family doesn't mean it's the end. I'm going to go back one day."
"You had better stop dreaming," Carla shook her head. "This is your new life now, better get used to it. Now finish up here; we need to move to the kitchen. It's getting late already."
Sophia sighed in frustration. Her bones were aching, she was fatigued, and she was drenched in dirty water. When would this nightmare end? She picked up the mop and continued her work.
After several minutes, Sophia finished cleaning the living room and went to the kitchen, where heaps of dishes were waiting for her.
She pulled her brown hair angrily, letting out a low growl. "What the fuck is all this? Did they throw a party or something?"
"Actually, nope, it's mostly the staff's and the men's dishes," a voice said behind her. She turned around to see a girl with pale skin in a maid's outfit in front of her.
"Wait, why's your outfit shorter and more fitting than mine?" Sophia puffed, and the girl laughed in amusement.
"You're funny, but kinda right though. Your outfit is... uh... quite interesting."
"I know, right."
"By the way, I'm Kim, one of the maids in the Moreno Estate."
"I'm Sophia DeLuca. You've probably heard about me."
"Not really," Kim shook her head.
"Didn't you hear about the lady who was tied naked to a pole?"
"Oh my God! That was you?" Kim held her lips in surprise. "I don't even know what to say."
"I better get to work," Sophia sighed, picking up the dishes. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kim picking up a dish too. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to help you," Kim shrugged.
"Is that allowed?"
"Of course not, but Carla isn't here, so..."
Sophia smiled, glad that she could finally get some help.
Sophia and Kim were still doing the dishes when Sophia asked, "Why is the kitchen empty?"
"The maids and chefs are busy discussing Gianna," Kim replied.
"Gianna? Who's that?"
"She's the boss's friend," Kim explained. "I'm not sure, but it seems there was an incident between Gianna and one of the maids."
"Is Gianna the tall lady, Miss. Armani or something?" Sophia asked, recalling her earlier confrontation.
Kim nodded. "Yes, that's her."
"The maid would be me."
Kim's eyes widened in alarm. "You shouldn't have gotten into a confrontation with her."
"She drenched my clothes with dirty water just because I accidentally spilled some water on her," Sophia explained, her anger resurfacing.
"You need to be careful," Kim warned. "The boss might punish you for that."
"Are they dating?"
Kim shook her head. "Not that I know of. But they're very close. I don't know what the boss is waiting for—Gianna is a beautiful and successful model. Although she's quite snobbish."
"They fit perfectly for each other," Sophia snarled, drying her hands with a napkin. "Thank God this is over. Thanks for helping me, Kim."
"You're welcome," Kim smiled.
"Now I just have to clean the floor."
"But it's not dirty," Kim pointed out.
"Well, almighty Luca asked me to do so," Sophia replied with a hint of sarcasm.
Kim gave her a cautious look. "You shouldn't speak that way about the boss."
"Why? Why shouldn't I? He tied me naked to a fucking pole and turned me into a slave."
"He's never done such a thing to a lady before. I... don't know why he did that. As for the slave aspect, we don't have slaves here."
Sophia's eyes narrowed slightly. That was weird. Almost all mafias had slaves, even the DeLuca Mafia. There was more she wanted to ask Kim about Luca, but she decided to take it easy so as not to scare her away. She'd befriend her and get her to tell her all the secrets.
.
.
.
.
Downtown Marina
The hall was bustling with people, high-caliber figures from various Mafias in New York City. Luca sat with Gianna at a long, ornate table with his gaze fixed on the stage where Mr. Lincoln, one of the prominent Mafia bosses in New York, was giving a speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Lincoln's voice boomed through the microphone, "we are here tonight to celebrate our unity and strength. Together, we have built an empire that stands resilient against any threats."
Applause erupted, but Luca's expression remained impassive. He leaned back in his chair with his arm draped casually over the back of Gianna's seat. She leaned in closer to him, her perfectly manicured hand resting on his thigh.
"He's full of himself," Gianna's lips barely moved.
Luca smirked. "They all are. It's part of the game."
As Mr. Lincoln continued his speech, Luca's eyes roamed the room. He noted the presence of several influential figures—each engrossed in their own conversations.
Gianna nudged him gently. "Luca, you should pay attention. This is important."
"They bore me with these speeches. I just want to be done here," Luca murmured to Gianna, irritated.
"Patience, Luca." Gianna chuckled softly. "We're almost through."
On stage, Mr. Lincoln's voice rang out, "Let's do everything to make New York the strongest Mafia hold!" As the speech concluded, Mr. Lincoln raised his glass. "To our continued success and unbreakable alliance!"
Everyone in the hall raised their glasses, echoing the toast. Luca lifted his glass with a slight nod, though his expression remained bland.
"Let's mingle," Gianna suggested, standing up gracefully. "We need to maintain appearances."
Luca rose and offered his arm to Gianna, who took it with a charming smile. Together, they moved through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and false compliments. Luca's mind was always working, assessing potential allies and threats.
"There's Don Martel," Gianna nudged Luca gently. "At least someone we like." Don Martel was part of the French Mafia, but he was one of the people who made Luca who he was today.
They approached the bulky man, who greeted them with a warm smile. "Luca, Gianna, it's good to see you both."
"Don Martel," Luca acknowledged with a respectful nod. "Always a pleasure."
"How are things on your end?" Martel asked in a casual tone.
"Steady," Luca replied. "We've had a few setbacks, but nothing we can't handle."
Martel nodded as his gaze shifted to Gianna. "And you, my dear? How are you holding up?"
Gianna smiled politely. "It's always an adventure, Don Martel"
Suddenly, a scuffle broke out at the back of the hall, drawing the attention of everyone present. Heads turned, and the atmosphere grew tense. Luca and Gianna turned to see Greg and his gang storming in majestically.
Luca's chest heaved in rage. The bastard who betrayed him was here.