Seraphina

Chapter 4 - The Dinner

I heard a loud knock on my door at 6:05pm before the door opened to welcome the new housemaid Ella. "Miss your family is expecting you for dinner downstairs right now" she spoke softly with a hesitant smile.

"Thank you Ella, I will be right down" I replied, with a small forced smile towards her, she looked shocked at my kindness before she quickly nodded and closed the door, leaving me to what's left of my peace before i had to face reality once again.

After 5 seconds I rolled out of bed and pulled my door open, making sure to place my phone in my pocket and hiding my bag before going downstairs to the dining room, where I could hear murmurs and whispering. I opened the dining room doors, and everyone became silent, looking at me approach the table and take my seat with a cold demeanour and hardened features in my every actions. I ignored their presence as I sat down and the maids placed our food on the table, where I began to eat.

Nobody had moved from their positions as soon as I had entered the room, all of them looking at me with shock at my coldness towards them. 'What did they expect' my inner voice snarkily commented as she rolled her eyes.

"Uhum" I heard father dearest cough, his eyes glaring into my head when he got no response from me. "Seraphina" he tried again only to be ignored by me once more, and knowing I was testing his patience I internally smirked at his annoyance. "SERAPHINA" he finally shouted, his calm facade fading away as he slammed his fist onto the wooden table, causing a ruckus as usual.

I could feel everybody around me flinch at his anger and shouting, but I remained composed and ignorant, snatching myself a cup of wine from someone else's hand and taking a sip slowly while tapping my nails impatiently on the glass. I turned to meet his glare with a deadly one of my own, causing more shock around the table. Ciro looked proud though, I noted that my sisters did too...strange.

"Yes?" I confidently replied, with a cold voice of my own, cutting through the silence. I could tell by his features that he was angry at my calmness, and my coldness towards him fazed him, he had never seen me like this. Well he had barely seen me at all apart from short words here and there up till now.

"You will be going to live with your uncle in London until you're 18" my mother stated softly to me. Taking my silence as shock she continued "For your protection from our rivals in the business world" she lied, the lie slipping so easily past her tongue and towards me. 'Protection' from the mafia world she meant to say. And not for my benefit, but for theirs.

Everybody held their breath at my reaction towards this news, expecting a tantrum or a screaming match from me. But then again, they didn't know me at all. I was always a calm and calculated person.

I looked up into my mother and father's eyes with a blank face, "Okay" I simply replied, before continuing to eat my food.

"O-okay?! Just okay? What the hell! Why are you so calm?" Rome yelled out. Shocked at my behaviour and calmness along with the others at the table.

"What do you want me to say? That I want to stay here? In this house, with strangers I barely know or speak to?" I swiftly replied, anger in my eyes but hidden from my features and monotone voice.

"Strangers? We are your family Seraphina." My older sister Bella spoke.

I turned to look at her, a deadpan face as I laughed coldly. "I don't have a family" I spoke, looking all of them in the eyes individually, skipping over Ciro. "If this is what family is to you then I don't want it. Ignoring a child since they were 5 years old is family to you? Letting them fend for themselves is family to you?" I scoffed rolling my eyes.

Looking directly at my so called parents now I spoke while looking into their eyes "tell the maids to get me when I need to leave. I expect none of you to contact me anyways when I am gone, but just incase the message wasn't received, your calls will be left unanswered" I spoke coldly in my business voice, cutting the tension in the room as the whole family looked at me with regret and hurt on their faces as I swiftly left the room, with little to no noise.

They may think me to be a petulant little girl with no idea about the outside world, the underground and mafia. But they had no idea how much I had endured in their absence and ignorance to my life. I didn't care if they believed I was throwing a tantrum after this dinner or if I would get over it soon enough as they think. They could think whatever they liked but as long as my experiences remained the same then the fact was clear...I would not forgive and forget. It was not a part of who I am, and they didn't deserve the sentiment either.

When I got to my room I finished packing and preparing myself for what was to come, concealing more weapons on my body. By the time it was 9pm I heard a small knock on my door before I murmured a come in. Ella was on the other side. "Miss, it is time" she softly spoke, sympathy for me in her eyes. She was nice and innocent, I prayed she stayed that way in this house wouldn't ruin her like it did me.

"Ok ella I will be down in a second, before I go, here's a parting gift from me, use it on anything you need" I spoke, handing her 2k in cash. She looked at me shocked, not knowing how to reply and before she could deny it I spoke again "I know you have more then just yourself to look after, you look young to be working at such a job, this money is just for anything you may need short term, but I sent a nice deposit to yours and your little ones bank.

I expect nothing in return Ella, I have more than enough money and hardly know what to do with it, so I might aswell do some good" I softly explained with a small smile on my lips, patting her shoulder softly before leaving my room with the one bag on my shoulder, I left her teary eyed and in shock upstairs, speechless.

I didn't know how to react to her state as I'm not one that's amazing in handling emotions myself, so I thought it better for her to collect herself by herself. I shook my head internally, I really hope her and her child do well in life.

I had done a background check on her after I saw how young and inexperienced she looked to be hired as a maid at the house. It didn't seem normal to me, so when I found out her story I had more than enough money to help her change the way the rest of her future would go. 'So why not?' I thought as I got into the SUV that would take me to the airport, not looking back as we left the gates of the mansion where the rest of the Italian Mafia stayed.

Before leaving I left Ciro a little present of course, a friend to keep him company in my absence. A little Rottweiler puppy.