The Mafia Principessa’s Nine Knights Chapter 02

The Mafia Principessa’s Nine Knights Chapter 02

It was a Saturday afternoon.

Late autumn, and the maple leaves across the estate had blanketed the yard.

I was on the living room rug doing homework. Pudding, the estate groundskeeper’s orange tabby, kept swatting at my pen.

A car pulled up outside.

Edward Vance, our butler, announced from the foyer. “Don Luca is back.”

I shot up from the rug.

I didn’t even grab my shoes. Just ran for the door in my socks.

“Luca…”

But the word died in my throat.

Luca stepped out of the car.

A woman slid out behind him.

High heels. Designer wool coat. Flawless blowout.

Perfect makeup.

Lips painted red.

She was holding Luca’s arm, smiling like she belonged there.

“Luca, this is your estate? It’s gorgeous.”

Luca nodded.

Then he looked at me.

“Bella, this is Angelica.”

He paused.

“My girlfriend.”

Angelica Rossi smiled and leaned closer.

“You must be Bella. Luca never shuts up about you. You’re adorable.”

She reached out and patted my cheek.

Her fingertips were cold.

I didn’t say anything.

It wasn’t rudeness.

I just knew. When she smiled, nothing behind her eyes moved.

It was a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

But I didn’t show it.

I stepped back, looked at the two of them for a second, and walked back to the living room without a word.

Pudding had already stolen my pen and was trotting around with it in his mouth.

I didn’t bother chasing him.

Angelica spent the whole afternoon in the living room, chatting with my mom.

She said all the right things, laughed softly in all the right places, and knew exactly when to compliment my mom’s taste.

My mom smiled the whole time, but I knew that smile. It was courtesy, not warmth.

The women in this family weren’t stupid.

After dinner, Luca’s phone rang.

“Bella, I’ve gotta take this. I’ll be right back.”

He stood and glanced at Angelica. “Can you keep Bella company for a minute?”

Angelica nodded. The same smile.

The door closed.

I kept my eyes on my phone.

“Bella.”

Her voice was different now.

The sugar was gone.

What was left was flat. Cold.

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen.” I didn’t look up.

“Seventeen, and you’re still hanging all over Luca every day?”

My fingers stopped.

I looked up.

She sat across from me, legs crossed.

She didn’t even bother hiding the disgust in her eyes.

“Let me make something clear.”

She stood up and walked toward me.

Her heels clicked against the marble floor with every step.

“Luca is mine. He’s going to marry me. And you, don’t you think it’s a little pathetic, Bella? Clinging to him like this at your age?”

I froze.

Not from fear.

It was just so absurd.

I opened my mouth to say something.

But she was already leaning over me.

Her fingers locked around my chin.

Her nails dug into my skin.

It hurt.

“Someone like you?”

She leaned in close, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You? You think you get to hang all over my boyfriend?”

Everything in me went still.

Crack. She slapped me across the left cheek. Full force.

My head snapped sideways.

My ears rang.

Half my face was on fire.

White spots burst across my vision.

I fell back against the sofa.

My hands gripped the cushion, nails digging into the fabric.

She straightened up and looked down at me.

Smoothed down her skirt.

“Listen to me.”

“Stay away from Luca. Next time, I won’t stop there.”

She turned and walked away.

Two steps later, she stopped and looked back.

The sweet smile slipped back into place.

“Bella, Luca will be back any second. I’m going to get him a drink from the bar.”

Her voice went sweet again.

Like the last two minutes had never happened.

I sat on the sofa.

My left cheek was still burning.

Tears welled up and I blinked them back.

I bit down on my lower lip.

I didn’t make a sound.

Not because I was tough.

It was because no one had ever done this to me before.

Never. Not once, in seventeen years.

Nobody had ever even raised their voice at me.

I didn’t know what you were supposed to do when somebody slapped you.

My mind was blank.

The door opened.

Luca walked in.

My hand flew to my left cheek before I could think.

“Bella?”

He was already halfway across the room.

“What happened to your face?”