Veil Of Secrets

Threads of Normalcy

Selene's POV

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Coming home always feels like stepping into another world. I push open the door and call out, "Mamma, I'm home!"

Mamma is in the kitchen, as usual. She turns, a relieved smile on her face. "Oh, Selene, perfect timing! How was school?"

"It was fine, Mamma. Actually, I was thinking of going shopping with Sophia today."

Mamma's eyes light up with approval. "That sounds wonderful, Selene. I have some important stuff to do today anyway, so it's good you'll be out and about."

I head up to my room to drop my backpack and quickly text Sophia. Hey Soph, shopping today? Her reply is almost instant. Hell yes, girl! Meet you in 30?

I smile to myself, feeling a little bit of normalcy amidst all the chaos. Soon, I'm back downstairs and out the door, my personal bodyguard, Rick, trailing behind. As I walk down the street, I spot Sophia waiting by our usual spot.

"Hey, Soph!" I call out, waving.

"Hey, Selene!" she waves back, but then her eyes narrow as she looks at Rick. "What's with the bodyguard?"

"Oh, uh, my relatives are super paranoid about safety," I say, trying to sound casual. "You know how rich people can be."

Sophia raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess. Still seems a bit over the top."

We head to the mall, talking about school, boys, and the latest TikTok trends. As we enter our favorite boutique, Sophia immediately starts picking out dresses.

"Try this one," she says, holding up a glittery blue dress.

"Too much sparkle," I reply, wrinkling my nose.

"Okay, how about this?" She pulls out a red, slinky number.

"Too sexy," I say, shaking my head. "I need something classy."

After what feels like hours of trying on every dress in the store, we finally find the perfect one. "This is it," Sophia declares.

"It's amazing," I agree, not wanting to spoil the surprise by describing it yet.

As we walk back, Sophia turns to me with a curious look. "So, what's the deal with all the fancy cars and security? Are your relatives like, mafia or something?"

I laugh nervously. "Oh, come on, Soph. You've been watching too many movies. They're just really, really paranoid about safety."

Sophia rolls her eyes. "Yeah, right. Anyway, I'm just glad we found that dress."

We part ways, and I head back home, where Papa is waiting for me. "Tesoro, we're having a family dinner tonight. Also always be home by seven; it's not safe out after dark."

"Got it, Papa," I say, giving him a quick hug before heading upstairs to sort out my new purchases. I meticulously hang up my new dress, smoothing out any wrinkles. It's perfect.

Feeling a bit exhausted, I decide to take a nap. I barely close my eyes when a knock on the door wakes me. Rick, the bodyguard, pokes his head in. "Miss Selene, it's 9:30. Your papa is waiting for you downstairs."

I groan, rubbing my eyes. "Shit, the quick nap lasted a bit too long. Thanks, Rick. I'll be down in a minute."

I quickly freshen up and head to the dining room. Papa is already there, sitting at the head of the table in his distinctive chair, looking very much the part of the patriarch. Next to him is none other than Damon Hernandez, the infamous mafia boss I met before.