"My Mafia Roommate"

Chapter two: "New Beginnings and New Fears"

[Author's pov]:

The room was dark, lit only by the flickering fire in the fireplace. Shadows moved on the stone walls. A tall man stood with his back to the door, staring into the flames. His shoulders were tense, and his fists were clenched.

The door creaked open, and a young man walked in. He stopped a few steps away, feeling the anger in the room.

"You wanted to see me, Boss?" The young man asked, his voice nervous.

Without turning around, the leader spoke, his voice cold and firm. "Where is it, Mason?"

Mason gulped. He had been dreading this moment. "We ran into problems. The informant didn't have the item. He said -"

"He *said * ?" The leader, turned around sharply. His eyes were filled with rage. "I don't care about what he said, Mason! I gave you a simple task, and you couldn't do it?"

Mason shrank back but tried to stay calm. "The situation was harder than we thought. That informant tricked us. I had to make a quick decision to keep everyone safe."

The leader took a step closer, his face dark and serious. "And what about the mission? Do you think our lives mean anything if we don't complete it?"

"I did what I thought was right"Mason repiled, trying to sound confident. "We can find another wa-"

"Another way?" leader's voice was harsh. "There is no other way! You've delayed us by days, maybe weeks. And for what? To save a few unworthy lives?"

Mason tried to respond but was interrupted.

"You're either with me or against me, Mason," the leader warned, stepping closer. "Next time, deliver what I need, or I'll make sure you regret it."

Mason lowered his head, feeling the weight of his leader's words. "I -I understand, Boss."

"Good," the leader gave a nod, turning back to the fire, his voice cold and menacing. "Fail me again, and there will be consequences you won't like."

Mason nodded and walked out of the room, his heart pounding loudly. The stone hallway felt even colder after the heat of his leader's anger. He clenched his fists, trying to push away the fear and frustration that weighed on him. The door behind him closed with a soft thud, and he took a deep breath to calm himself.

Mason walked down the hallway, he heard footsteps coming closer. He looked up and saw a man walking toward him. It was Marco Medici, one of the most powerful and respected members of the group.

Mason bowed his head in respect, and Marco gave him a quick nod, noticing the tension in Mason's face but didn't stop to talk and as Mason passed by, Marco paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow before continuing on his way.

Marco pushed open the door to the room without knocking. The creaking door broke the silence. The leader was still standing by the fire, his back to the door, his posture tense with lingering anger.

"Cassio" Marco began, closing the door behind him. "What's going on? I heard people talking. They say the mission didn't go well."

Cassio didn't turn around. His voice was low and controlled, but the edge of his anger was still there. "They failed, Uncle Marco, The informant tricked them and we lost the item."

Marco's lips curved into a small, amused smile. He chuckled softly to himself, a low, amused sound that seemed out of place in the tense room. He shook his head, as if finding the situation oddly amusing.