SOLD TO THE MAFIA BROTHERS

LUCIA POV

My heart raced as I listened to my parents' hushed argument downstairs. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but the tension was palpable. I felt a knot in my stomach, a sense of foreboding that something was wrong. I tried to push the feeling aside, telling myself it was just another ordinary argument, but the words 'debts' and 'Rossi brothers' kept echoing in my mind.

As I stood there, frozen in uncertainty, my mind raced with worst-case scenarios. What if we lost our home? What if we had to leave everything behind?

The thought sent a chill down my spine. I felt like my whole world was crumbling around me, and I was powerless to stop it. I thought about my friends, my school, my life as I knew it - would it all be taken away? The fear and anxiety were suffocating me, making it hard to breathe..

The argument finally died down, and the silence was deafening. I heard my parents' footsteps overhead, their doors closing softly. I knew I had to move, to do something, but my legs felt like lead. I forced myself to take a step forward, then another, my heart heavy with dread. I made my way downstairs, the silence like a weight on my shoulders. The kitchen was empty, but I saw a piece of paper on the table, a note scrawled in my father's handwriting.

I picked up the paper, my hands shaking slightly. The words blurred together at first, but then my eyes focused.

"We'll be okay, Lucia," it read. "I promise. Just trust me. -Dad." I felt a lump form in my throat. What did he mean? How could we be okay when everything felt so wrong? I read the note again and again, searching for answers that weren't there.

My father looked up, his eyes red-rimmed and tired. He sighed heavily, as if the weight of the world was crushing him.

"Lucia, I..." He paused, struggling to find the words.

"We're in trouble, okay? Financial trouble. The business is struggling, and we're in debt." He rubbed his temples, looking defeated.

"I know I promised you everything would be okay, but...I don't know if it will be this time."

"'What do you mean, Dad? How bad is it? How much debt are we talking about?" I asked, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. He hesitated, looking around the room nervously.

"It's...complicated, kiddo. Let's just say we owe a lot of money to some people who aren't very patient." He leaned forward, his eyes locked on mine. "But I'm working on a plan, okay? I promise I'll figure something out."

"What people, Dad? Who are they? Why are they so impatient?" I asked. My father's expression turned grave, and he leaned back in his chair.

"The Rossi brothers, Lucia. They're...not good people. They'll stop at nothing to get what they want." He paused, his eyes darting around the room as if he feared being overheard.

"I didn't want to worry you, but...we're in over our heads."

"What do the Rossi brothers have to do with the business, Dad? How did you get mixed up with them?"I asked, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. My father sighed heavily, rubbing his temples.

"I made a mistake, kiddo. I borrowed money from them to keep the business afloat, but...it was a mistake. They're demanding payment now, and I don't have it."

"What are you going to do, Dad? How are you going to pay them back?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. My father's eyes locked onto mine, a determined look in his eyes.

"I'm working on a plan, Lucia. I'll figure something out. I promise. But I need your trust and support right now." He paused, his voice filled with conviction. "We'll get through this, together."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, hoping that my father's plan would work. I wanted to believe that everything would be okay, that we would get through this together. I nodded, trying to smile, and my father's face lit up with determination.

"We'll get through this, Lucia," he said again, And in that moment, I believed him."

I woke up the next day which was a Saturday, thankfully no classes to today. I left my house and headed downstairs to the kitchen to make myself a coffee. I met my parents in the living room already.

"Dad,mom, morning" I greeted them not noticing the sad look ok their faces.

"Hope you slept well my dear?" My mum asked,her voice strained and it made me wonder why but I waved it away.

"Yes mum"

The doorbell suddenly rang. My dad hesitated, looking nervous.

"I'll get it," he said, his voice trembling. I followed him to the door, and my heart sank as I saw three men standing on our porch. Their black suits and cold eyes made them look like undertakers, come to collect a debt.

"Gentlemen," my father said, his voice weak. "Please, come in." They entered our home, their presence filling the room with an unspeakable darkness. And in that moment, I knew our lives would never be the same."

"Who are they, Dad?" I aske. 'What do they want?' My father's eyes darted to them, then back to me.

"They're...business associates," he said, his voice strained.

"They've come to discuss...a deal." Leonardo's gaze locked onto mine, his eyes cold and calculating.

"A deal that will benefit all of us," he said.I felt a chill run down my spine as they moved closer , trapping me in a circle of intimidation.

And then realisation hit me,they are the Rossi brothers- the one my father is in debt to.

I tried to step back, but my feet felt heavy, as if rooted to the spot.

"I...I need some air," I stammered, trying to escape the suffocating tension. But Leonardo's hand shot out, grasping my arm like a vice.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled. My parents didn't move, didn't speak, didn't even blink. He just stood there, a silent accomplice to my fate. I knew then that I was in grave danger, trapped in a web of deceit and betrayal.

I tried to yank my arm free, but Leonardo's grasp only tightened.

"Let me go!" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. Vincent and Matteo moved closer, forming a semi-circle around me. I felt trapped, surrounded by their menacing presence.

My parents still didn't move, didn't speak. I was on my own. With a surge of adrenaline, I twisted my arm, trying to break free. Leonardo's eyes narrowed, but he didn't relent. Suddenly, Vincent's hand clamped over my mouth, silencing my struggles.

"You've been sold, girl," Matteo said, his voice devoid of emotion.

"You're now property of the Rossi brothers. Your father's debt is paid, but yours is just beginning." Vincent's hand tightened over my mouth, stifling my scream. Leonardo's grip on my arm dug deeper, as if branding me with his ownership. I felt my world crumbling, my freedom slipping away. I was a prisoner, a pawn in their game of power and greed.

"Father, no! Please, you can't do this!" I muffled against Vincent's hand. My eyes locked onto my father's, begging him to see the horror of what he'd done. But his gaze was avoidant, his eyes sliding away like a coward he is.

"It's too late, Lucia," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "The deal is done. You're theirs now."

I felt a wave of despair wash over me, my heart shattering into a million pieces. I was nothing more than a commodity, a piece of property to be used and discarded. I knew then that I was truly alone, that my father had abandoned me to a fate worse than death.

I slumped against Vincent's grip, my body limp with defeat. My father's words echoed in my mind, a harsh reminder of my new reality. I was a prisoner, a slave to the Rossi brothers' whims. My life was no longer mine to control. I felt a numbness spread through me, a sense of detachment from my own fate.

I was a mere object, a pawn in their game of power and greed. And in that moment, I knew I had to adapt, to survive. I would bide my time, wait for an opportunity to escape, or perhaps find a way to manipulate my captors. But for now, I was trapped, a slave to the Rossi brothers' mercy.

The darkness closed in around me like a shroud, suffocating me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The words echoed in my mind like a death sentence: "You are now property of the Rossi brothers."

My father's betrayal stung like a fresh wound. He had sold me, his own daughter, to the ruthless Mafia brothers. Leonardo, Vincent, and Matteo Rossi were notorious for their cruelty and cunning. I knew I was doomed.

The black car stopped, and the door opened. A hand grabbed for me, like a claw. I tried to pull away, but it was too late. I was pulled out of the car and into the darkness, sold to the Rossi brothers.My fate was sealed. I belonged to them now.