Status

1

"Okay, heels. Nude or gold?" I was holding a shoe in each hand. I looked at myself in the mirror. Minimal makeup would do for tonight, I didn't want to get out my eyeshadow.

"Nude, for sure." Aniya gave me a once-over. "Gold would be too much, I think."

Aniya was my older sister, but we looked nothing alike. She had pale skin, blue eyes, and bright red hair. My skin was olive-toned, my eyes were green, and my hair was chocolate brown. Aniya looked just like my mother, I looked like my father.

We weren't very close, our different appearances drove a wedge between us. Our family was known for its beautiful women, Aniya looked nothing like the rest of us. She always stood out.

Part of her always resented me for looking like a Rivera when she didn't. But she was still my sister and my only real female friend.

"Okay, nude... am I missing anything?" I cocked my head to the left in the mirror, something didn't look right.

"Jewelry?" She was putting on lipstick.

I put on a gold necklace. That seemed to do the trick.

I looked over at Aniya. "Is Emi coming tonight?"

Emi, or Emilio Romano, was Aniya's husband. They had been married just under three years, and they had a two-year-old daughter together.

She shook her head. "He's watching Giules."

Giules was short for Giulia, she was the daughter. I was absolutely obsessed with her.

"I thought Mom was watching her?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Emi wanted to bond with her or something, I'm not sure." She shrugged. "Will you help me pin these back?" She held up the ends of two dutch braids.

I walked over to her and helped pin them back. She didn't like having her hair up, but she wasn't allowed to leave the house unless it was tied back. Her hair signified that she was married, just like mine signified that I was single.

She turned to look at me. "Rumor has it that Prime Accardo goes to this bar."

I laughed once. "Because rumors about mafia men are so reliable."

"Avox said he sees him there all the time."

Avox was my older brother and my best friend. He may or may not have already told me this.

Aniya gave me a devilish smile. "Maybe we'll see him tonight. Then you two can dance again."

"Okay, it was one dance. You need to get over that." I tried to say it lightly but the blush on my face betrayed me.

"Yeah, one three-hour dance that lasted the entirety of my wedding reception." She looked at me like I was in middle school and was denying a crush. I was denying nothing. Prime was hot. Didn't mean I liked him.

"Not my fault he was the only man other than the hired dancer that had any talent." I turned my bright red face to the mirror.

"You slow danced the entire time, you don't need much talent for that."

"Shut up. You're just upset that I took the spotlight away from you."

She rolled her eyes. "I hated my wedding, you know that. Plus I was totally wasted by then."

She didn't hate her wedding, she hated that everyone was at her wedding. She hated that out parents insisted I danced at the reception. She hated our parents' obvious favoritism.

She grabbed my hand. "Don't try and hide it, I would've aimed for him if I was in your place."

I frowned. "Nie, I need you to talk me out of this, not into it."

"Why? He's going to be the capo. Think of what that could do to you."

"Exactly, he's going to be the most powerful man in Italy. He has infinite options, he could marry a common girl if he wanted to. I'm asking to get my heart broken."

"You are a Rivera, Natalia. He's an Accardo, fuck your feelings. I don't like being sold like cattle any more than you do, but we can't change that." She gave me a serious look. "What's the rule?"

I straightened up. "Power, above all else, shoot for power."

She placed her hands on my shoulders. "If something happened to the Accardos, the Riveras would gain control of the mafia. Why is that?"

I exhaled. "The higher a Rivera woman marries, the higher her family rises."

She nodded once. "If your feelings change, you will pursue him anyways. If not for you, for the family. For Avox."

I probably wouldn't have a problem staying in love with him, I was just scared. I didn't want to be stuck in a one-sided marriage.

I shook the feelings off. I probably wouldn't see him tonight anyway. I was worrying for nothing.

"Should we head out then? I'm ready to get a reasonable amount of drunk." I gestured toward the door and grabbed the keys from my vanity.

"Let's," Aniya said energetically. Literally bouncing up and down on her heels.

...
Again, please tell me any errors or needed trigger warnings.

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