Escaping The Mafia Boss

Chapter 8

Arosio De Luca

Beautiful.

When Katerina stepped into the breakfast room in our family mansion, I felt my cold heart begin to beat rhythmically for the first time in many years. Today is a sad day for my family as it is the day we lost my younger sister, Alana, who died three years ago due to complications after giving birth to Elijah. It is also my mothers 54th birthday but we have not celebrated in three years.

Every year, my tight-knit family would become like strangers on this day. My mother always locked herself up in hers and my fathers bedroom for the whole day while refusing to talk to anyone. I expected the same things to happen today as well but seeing Katerina walk in, dressed in Alana's old mint green dress that my parents had gifted her for her last birthday spent with us, my heart swelled with happiness.

I could feel my father and brothers looking at Katerina in surprise as well. She held the same innocent and sweet angelic aura as our family's princess, making us all look at her in awe. My father even held a ghost of a smile on his usually cold expressionless face. Being the former Italian Mafia boss, my father taught me everything that I know. Killing without a trace of hesitation and being heartless are things that I inherited from him after all.

Katerina stared at us in confusion before taking her seat beside Elijah on my side. My gaze inadvertently drifted to her beautiful fiery hair that she had braided into two and kept hidden behind her. I felt like reaching out and setting her hair free but refrained from doing so.

"Let's begin," Father stated as everyone began to eat. Katerina's eyes lingered on the empty seat beside her and I could see questions forming in her cerulean blue eyes. But I didn't want her to bring it up so I asked her a question to distract her.

"Where did you get that dress, cucciola?" I questioned while my family looked towards her as well.

"Erhm...the things you bought were too expensive...so I asked Helena to help me find something else to wear... you can return those other things, I do not need them," she explained in her soft, timid voice while averting my darkened eyes and continuing to eat her food. My blood began to boil at the thought of her rejecting my gifts but I swallowed down my anger.

'My little bunny is the rebellious type but don't worry, I have been keeping track of everything. Soon, I will punish you in our bed and make you beg for forgiveness, tesoro' I thought to myself as a sinister smile made its way onto my face.

"Vorrei che la mamma potesse vederla indossare l'abito della sorella," Adriano suddenly broke through the silence and his words made father stop eating. (I wish mom could see her wearing sister's dress)

The room seemed to stiffen again as I clenched my jaw and looked away. A few moments of silence passed before Katerina's angelic voice cut through the tension.

"Um Helena had mentioned that uh...mama?...would not be here for breakfast. Is she alright? Is she feeling ill?" she questioned carefully while placing more eggs onto Elijah's plate. He thanked her, making her ruffle his soft black curls and smile at him. I noticed her hesitation when trying to find the right word to address mother by and smirked when she chose mama.

Though, the air seemed to stiffen even more as all four of us fell silent and stopped eating. I could feel Katerina silently cursed herself for making things even more awkward before I reached towards her and gently took her frail hand into my own under the table.

"She is alright. Today is her birthday," I tried to keep my voice strong and was about to continue when she suddenly yanked her hand away from mine and clapped her hands in excitement.

"That's great! We should be celebrating! Oh wait, I don't have a present to give her," she pouted her sweet plump lips before she looked up at the four of us and finally noticed the grief on our faces.