Mafia Obsession (OBSESSION SERIES #1)

CHAPTER 2

Mafia Obsession - Chapter 2: The Basement Secret

The first few weeks in the Palazzo di Angelo were a blur of activity. Celeste, with her innate diligence and quiet demeanor, quickly proved her worth. She navigated the labyrinthine corridors with ease, her hands deftly dusting the ornate furniture and polishing the gleaming silverware. The other maids, seasoned veterans of the Angelo household, watched her with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.

But Celeste remained focused. She had a job to do, a life to rebuild. She kept her head down, her eyes peeled, absorbing the unspoken rules of this world. She learned to navigate the intricate power dynamics, the hushed whispers and veiled threats, the constant undercurrent of danger that permeated the air.

One evening, after the other maids had left for the night, Celeste found herself alone in the vast, echoing kitchen. The air was heavy with the lingering scent of roasted lamb and rosemary, a stark contrast to the cold, sterile atmosphere of the Palazzo. She was cleaning the last of the dinner dishes, her mind drifting to the events of the day.

A sudden, sharp sound sliced through the silence. It was a muffled thud, coming from the direction of the basement door. Celeste froze, her heart hammering in her chest. She had been warned about the basement, told it was off-limits to the staff. It was a place of shadows and secrets, a forbidden zone.

But curiosity, a dangerous cocktail of fear and fascination, gnawed at her. She tiptoed towards the door, her hand hovering over the heavy oak handle. She could hear it again, a faint groan, followed by a thud.

Celeste took a deep breath, her hand trembling as she turned the handle. The door creaked open, revealing a dark, damp staircase leading down into the depths of the Palazzo.

Hesitantly, she descended the steps, her senses on high alert. The air grew colder, the scent of rosemary replaced by a musty, earthy smell. She reached the bottom of the stairs and found herself in a dimly lit room, its walls lined with shelves stacked with dusty boxes.

A single flickering lightbulb cast long, grotesque shadows across the room, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air. The room was silent, save for the rhythmic drip of water somewhere in the darkness.

Celeste’s eyes adjusted to the gloom, and she saw it then. A body, sprawled on the floor near the far wall.

A gasp escaped her lips, a sound that echoed in the oppressive silence. The body was covered in a thick layer of dust, the face obscured by the shadows. Celeste approached cautiously, her heart pounding in her chest.

As she got closer, she saw the blood. A dark, crimson stain spreading across the dusty floor, a chilling reminder of the violence that had taken place.

She knew she should leave, run away, call for help. But something held her there, a morbid curiosity that compelled her to see the face of the dead man.

With trembling hands, she reached out and gently pulled away the dust-covered cloth.

The face that stared back at her was pale and lifeless, the eyes staring blankly into the darkness. It was a face she knew. It was the face of the Don’s right-hand man, the man she had seen lurking in the shadows, the man who had shown her around the Palazzo on her first day.

The realization hit her like a physical blow. This was no ordinary death. This was a message, a warning.

Celeste stumbled back, her mind reeling. What had she stumbled upon? What secrets lay hidden within the depths of the Palazzo?

She had to get out of there.

She turned and fled, her footsteps echoing in the silence. She ran up the stairs, her heart pounding in her chest, her mind racing.

She had seen something she wasn’t supposed to see. She had become entangled in a web of secrets and danger that she couldn’t possibly comprehend.

She had to tell someone. But who?

The Don? He was the head of the family, the one who had brought her into this world. Could she trust him?

The other maids? They were loyal to the Angelo family, bound by a code of silence. Would they believe her?

Celeste stood in the kitchen, her hands shaking, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. She had stumbled into a world she never wanted to know.

And now, she was trapped.