Blinded By The Kindled Fire (Ongoing)

𝖖𝖚𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖗𝖔

𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐀

I missed the estate. I didn't realize it until now that I'm roaming its halls.

"Signora." Everyone I passed by greeted me with a smile. I know they miss me, who wouldn't? I was the princess of this place, soon to be its queen.

The estate was big enough to house all the men and women in the Cosa Nostra. The west wing being the only restricted area because it's where the high ranking families reside, and the rest is for the entire organization. Their families on the other hand are being kept in safehouses provided by us to protect them from this life, not all of our men's children and partners are born into this.

Although, there are also some of them who live at the warehouses, but that's for protection purposes of our supplies. Other than that, mostly everyone is here, not only to keep us safe but also to make sure everyone is accounted for.

The place is swarming with our people, most of them doing their rounds, some even just hanging out it the entertainment room waiting for orders. The entire Cosa Nostra is not just for pure legal and illegal business relations. We're a family, that's how much we trust each other.

Omertà is our family code of conduct. It is a sworn oath of silence taken by everyone who enters and the only way out of it is death. No one has ever lived with attempts to break that silence.

"Signora! Dovresti riposare!" Miss! You are supposed to rest! One of the maids went frantic when she saw me enter the dining room. I bet nonna gave out the order, now the poor girl might think she's fired.

"Mi sono riposato abbastanza. Dov'è Matilda?" I have rested enough. Where is Matilda? Matilda was the old maid that I grew up with when I was just a seedling here at the estate. She was practically like my second grandmother, but of course, I never told nonna about that.

"I thought I heard a little birdie come home." Someone came out of the doors to the kitchen.

There she is! "Matilda!"

"Davina." She opened her arms to embrace me. I missed this woman!

She cupped my cheeks and I gave out a sheepish smile, "You have grown to be much like your mother."

I raised my brow at her, "And here people keep telling me I'm like papà."

"You have Domenico's traits, especially when you are facing people out of the family." That may be true. I don't even know why people are so scared of me whenever I turn into Domenico mode when he's actually the softest person in the family. He's just good at hiding it.

"However, your tenderness and demeanor are reminiscent of Bella." She continued, "She would be so proud of you right now." That earned a smile from me.

Isabella Russo, my father's queen. I don't really remember anything about her because she died when I was just three and Dante was one.

She was very well respected in the family even before she married my father. The oldies never get tired of boasting about how my mamma was the baddest bitch here, almost like she took after my nonna. They even said she was more like a D'Atri than my father.

Mamma was papà's consigliere, his trusted adviser. And from what papà told me, a spark just ignited somewhere and they fell in love. Both being high ranking officials in the mafia, nonna was not against their relationship and was actually very hands on about keeping them together.

Hearing my father's stories, I always wished I could have seen what their love was for each other, but fate was not so gracious.

She died from cancer. When I asked about her when I was young, father was still sensitive to the subject. After that, I never asked again. What I do know is that her health began to deteriorate months after Dante was born. All I remember are the hospital visits and how they gradually came to an end.