Mafia's Revenge (Editing)

𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇14

By the time Lily regained consciousness, she found herself in one of the guest rooms of Kimberly's estate. She was still wearing Alessandro’s oversized shirt, though now paired with a pair of grey sweatpants.

She sat upright in the massive bed, her back pressed against the headboard, eyes fixed on the iPad in her hands.

“I don’t understand…” she murmured, dropping the device beside her and turning to Kimberly, who sat silently at the edge of the bed. “What are you trying to show me?”

The footage was unambiguous clips of Alessandro killing people in cold blood, albeit not in the most barbaric manner. There were headlines she had never seen before, along with a detailed profile that labeled him in bold Leader of an Italian originated criminal organization, followed by an extensive list of companies she had never known were tied to his name.

“Exactly what you saw,” Kimberly replied softly. “And that’s not even the worst of it. I couldn’t bring myself to show you his darkest side. I didn’t want to traumatize you.”

She reached out and gently rested her hand on Lily’s knee.

Lily’s gaze dropped back to the iPad, but she couldn’t focus. Her thoughts were unraveling. Still, one image burned itself into her memory Alessandro, soaked in blood, a knife dangling from his hand. She trembled visibly, pulling her knees to her chest and backing into the headboard as if hoping it would somehow absorb her into safety.

“No… no… no,” Lily chanted, folding her arms tightly around her legs and pressing her tear-streaked face against her knees. Her platinum curls shook violently side to side as she refused to absorb what she had just seen.

“I think we made a mistake telling her now,” Robert muttered to his wife, watching their daughter crumble before their eyes.

Kimberly’s eyes welled with tears. She knew the truth would destroy Lily. But ever since Lily regained full consciousness, she'd been begging to go back to Alessandro. The couple had two choices either lock her up, which they couldn’t bear to do, or show her the truth and hope fear would keep her from returning.

“I’m so sorry, baby. Everything’s going to be okay,” Kimberly said gently, sliding closer to embrace her. “Mama is here now.”

Mama.

That word echoed inside Lily’s mind like a cruel joke. Memories of the woman she had known as her mother the one she buried years ago flashed in her mind like a reel of lies.

“Lies…” she whispered.

With every memory that passed, she whispered the word again. “Lies.” Her face lifted tear-drenched, snot-covered and she stared directly at Robert. Images of her late father, the man who raised her, twisted into fragments of falsehood.

“Lies,” she spat once more.

A sharp pain pierced through her skull. Clutching her head, she groaned as an unbearable headache set in. Her entire life was collapsing. Every memory she had ever made now felt poisoned.

It was all a lie.

Suddenly, with a burst of hysteria, Lily shoved Kimberly off her. Caught off guard, the First Lady stumbled to the floor. But Lily didn’t care. She leapt from the other side of the bed, ignoring the pain from her untreated bullet wounds.