Mira didn't know what to do when the guards showed up in her cell, pulling a cloth sack over her head and undoing her bindings before yanking her to her feet.
Her entire body shook as her breaths grew shallow. Part of her wanted to scream, beg them to let her go, but she knew it was pointless. There was one way out and she was on it.
She tried her best to steady her breathing, reminding herself that she'd finally get to see her family again. Gosh, she could only imagine how excited her mom would be to see her. Mira imagined running into her mom's arms like she did as a kid, feeling the warmth and comfort that came from the embrace.
Her dad and Adrian would finally be free after living a life in entangled in the mafia's thread. Everyone would be so happy. She'd be so happy.
Even as she told herself how much better it was going to be when it was all said and done, it didn't make the fear go away. No, her heart still hammered against her chest as she struggled to get oxygen in and out of her lungs.
Suddenly, she came to a halt, the sack yanked off her head. She stood on a stage, front and center as a large crowd surrounded her below. Giant screens hung around the auditorium, all playing the same zoomed in feed of her.
She felt her knees buckle beneath her, but the men on either side of her held her up.
"Good evening everyone." Leo's voice sounded over the speakers as he walked acrossed the stage, stopping just before her.
"I've gathered you all here today to witness the execution of traitor, and a murderer. Amira Bonnano, our former leader's innocent daughter, slaughtered him so that she could bear his title, wield his power. And today, she will be paying for those actions." He turned and faced Mira, reaching into the holster at his waist and pulling out his gun. He lifted it and pointed it at her head.
"It's time for you to join your mom and dad." He said, just quiet enough for her to hear.
Her lips quivered as she opened her mouth.
"F-fuck you," She managed, a tear sliding down her cheek.
He snorted, adjusting his grip on the gun when the sound of static suddenly sounded from the speakers, the screens that hung around the stage going black.
Everyone looked around in confusion until the screens suddenly displayed a new image, the static fading.
Mira's eyes went wide as she looked at the screen, the video footage from her and Leo's conversation earlier playing.
"Mira, nothing you say matters anymore, because ultimately, I killed your mother, your father, and now I'm going to kill you, and then there will be absolutely nothing standing in my way. Everything you've done up until this point, was for nothing."
His voice played over the speakers crystal clear.
Leo spun around, grabbing one of his men by the collar.
"What the hell is this? Those security camera's don't have audio, so where is this shit coming from?" He asked angrily. The man shrunk away from Leo, shaking his head.
"I-I don't know, sir."
Suddenly whispers filled the air as people looked back and forth between Mira and Leo. She realized this would be her one and only chance of getting out of this with her life. She had to get everyone onto her side.
"So," Mira looked at the men who were holding her in place. "Are you really going to side with the man who tried to wipe out the entire Bonnano bloodline to claw his way to the top?" She asked.
The two men looked at each other for a moment, clearly conflicted, before slowly releasing Mira's arms.
Leo was almost too busy screaming at people to notice, but when he did, he spun around, aiming his gun right back at her head.
"Just what the hell are you trying to do you little brat," He growled between gritted teeth.
Before Mira could respond, a familiar voice came from behind her.
"I'd watch my mouth Leonardo, because right now, it looks like we were about to kill the wrong Bonnano." Elise has stepped up onto the stage and now had her gun pointed at Leo. Her eyes met Mira's for a moment, and she gave a slight nod before turning her full attention back to Leo.
"You've got to be kidding me," Leo shook his head. "None of that was real."
"Really? At this point its not even my word against yours. It's you against your own." Mira stated. She could feel a shift in the room as people began to shake their heads at Leo.
She could see Leo's panic and frustration grow as he looked around the room, clearly hoping for some sort of support, just to be met with none.
"All of the security footage on the top floor that night had coincidently been tampered with. Either someone had to be incredibly tech savvy to manage something like that or they were familiar with the system. You've spent some time in the security room, haven't you now Leonardo?" It was Carter Erikson, the man she'd met at dinner with her father, who stood at the front of the crowd.
All eyes were on Leo now as he lowered his gun, shaking his head frantically.
"No, no this is all some ridiculous misunderstanding," he said, but the men who had previously dragged Mira on stage now grabbed Leo, his gun falling to the ground.
"Let go of me you bastards!" Leo yelled, trying to yank himself free to no avail. Elise walked over to Mira.
"I knew it wasn't true." She said quietly, shaking her head. She held her gun out to Mira.
"You deserve to do the honors. As far as I'm concerned, everyone's finally seeing through Leo's bluff."
Mira hesitated for a moment before taking it into her palm. She walked over to Leo, her eyes meeting his.
"You planned this, didn't you?" He seethed.
"I don't even know who did it." Mira shrugged. "But that doesn't matter, because everyone knows the truth."
"So, I guess now you finally get to kill me, huh?" Leo said. Mira looked down at the gun in her hand, examining it for a moment.
"No," She stated, "because that's the thing Leo; I'm not like you. I don't find joy in ending peoples lives like you do." She turned her eyes to the men holding him and they gave her a small nod before dragging Leo out of the auditorium, his yells bouncing off the walls and fading into the distance the farther he got.
Mira turned to look back at the crowd, everyone's eyes on her. Some people would've loved such attention, but Mira hated it. She hated that they could turn on her at any minute just as they had with Leo, that they would look for any fault in her words.
"As is tradition," Erikson made his way onto the stage, joining Mira's side. "In the passing of the current boss, the title shall be passed onto the next closest blood relative. In this case, Mira Bonnano, you are now the head of the Bonnano family. From here on out, we all stand with you."
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Beyond What Meets The Eye
أدب المراهقينMira Aldaine seemed to have everything; her father was a millionaire, she was popular, and she was one of the states best soccer players. The reality was a lot different from that though, her mother dead, and her father basically cutting ties with h...
