Evelina

(xxvi)

Evelina

"I'm back!" I called out as the guards opened the doors, the silence of the house feeling heavy. I made my way to the living room, hoping to find everyone there.

"My daughter will not marry your son!" I heard my father shout. It's time he acted like a real father.

"I. Don't. Care. It's in the contract, so she will. You know what happens if you break it, don't you?" a German voice replied, laced with arrogance. "Allerdings wäre es schön zu sehen, dass du mir deine Mafia gibst." The audacity. (However, it would be nice to see you give me your mafia.)

I'd heard enough. I strode into the room, eyes locking with the German leader, Johann. "Es wäre großartig zu sehen, wie Sie Ihre Mafia an uns übergeben würden," I said, smirking. "After all, you broke the contract first." (It would be great to see you hand over your mafia to us.)

He glared at me, a mix of surprise and anger. "Evelina Giannino, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I apologize for the lack of a proper introduction," I replied, keeping my voice cold but steady. "I am Evelina Giannino—Donna of the Italian Mafia, and princess of the American Mafia."

The Germans stood in silence, absorbing the weight of my words.

I let the tension linger before adding, "Ah, and there's one small detail I almost forgot. I was once a part of one of your little projects. Human Bitches, I believe it was called. Care to remember?"

The room fell into a tense silence as my words echoed through the air. I held Johann's gaze, watching the shock ripple across his face as he processed who I was and what I'd just revealed.

"You were... one of those?" Johann stammered, momentarily losing his cold composure. Not even denying his sins.

I smirked, taking a step closer, my voice calm yet laced with ice. "Oh yes. You and your team of twisted minds tried to play god. But, as you can see, I survived. And now I'm here—alive, well, and in a position of power you'll never touch."

My father looked between Johann and me, torn between fury and a sense of vindication he hadn't fully understood until now. "I never wanted my daughter to face monsters like you," he said, his voice taut. "But clearly, you didn't count on her strength."

Johann's eyes narrowed, regaining a sliver of his arrogance. "Strength? That's irrelevant. The contract is clear. Your mafia owes us its loyalty, and your daughter is bound to marry my son. We control you now, or did you think you could avoid it so easily?"

I chuckled darkly, folding my arms. "Oh, but that's where you're mistaken, Johann. You see, I know every dirty secret your organization holds. Every inhuman 'project' you've buried, every deal that could destroy you in an instant. You broke the contract, now you suffer the consequences."

Johann's bravado faltered, his hand clenching at his side. "You think you scare me?"

I tilted my head, feigning innocence. "Not yet. But you will be. We might want to switch rooms for what is coming next."

We all filed into the meeting room, the air thick with anticipation. I sat at the head of the table, my fingers deftly tapping the keyboard as I brought up the file we'd been compiling for weeks. Around me, the others sat silently, their eyes trained on me, waiting. This file held everything—enough information to end the deal once and for all, if I played this right.

The screen flickered to life, displaying rows and rows of clauses, dates, and damning evidence. I leaned back, my gaze sweeping across the table before I spoke. "Now, if I may," I began, my voice icy. "Clause 3, Line 2 of the contract states that if you harm any member of the American Mafia, the contract will be void. There will be no serious action taken, but the contract itself is done."

I paused, letting my words settle. "Let's recap, shall we?" I raised an eyebrow at Johann and Klaus, who sat across from me and dad, feigning nonchalance. "You kidnapped me, threw me into that degrading 'human bitches' program of yours, and if that's not convincing enough, let's not forget the bounty you've placed on my head."

Johann scoffed, dismissing my words with a wave of his hand, as if they were mere inconveniences. "Oh, please," he drawled, "I have a bounty on the Italian Donna's head as well. Simple fix—get rid of that idiot Antonio and marry my son. The bounty disappears, just like that." He completed by snapping his fingers.

A cold laugh escaped my lips. This was almost too good. "Idiot?!" I said, my voice laced with barely contained rage. "My Antonio is no idiot. If anyone here qualifies as such, it's you." I leaned in, my tone sharp as a blade, switching to German with a taunting smile. "Sie kamen in dieses Haus, ohne wirklich zu prüfen, wer die Braut sein würde. And that... that's going to be your biggest mistake." (You came into this house without even verifying who the bride would be.)

I gestured back to the screen. "Clause 1, Line 2. It states clearly that if any of the conditions aren't met, you voluntarily become enemies of our family." I paused, locking eyes with him. "Und du bist gerade in die Höhle des Löwen gegangen." (And you have just walked into the lion's den.)

But Johann merely smirked, leaning back in his chair, unfazed. "Ich glaube, ich bin der Löwe," he sneered. (I believe I am the lion.)

I stared at him, my mind reeling for a split second. Was he truly that arrogant, that clueless? Did he really believe he held the power here?

"Hol sie dir," he commanded, his voice booming, giving the signal to his men. (Get her.)

My mouth curved into a slow, cold smile. Wrong move, Mr. Dumm. (Stupid.)