Emiliano's Mafia princess

Giuliana's POV

I knew I was unshakable.  

‘Steel,’ I would tell myself whenever I saw something that other girls my age would run from.  

I had seen strong men cry for their lives, before being eaten by my father's dogs. I had seen severed human parts scattered at Papa's gory house. I had even stepped on a fresh rotten skull, but I never flinched. Death was served as dinner in Morano's mansion. A side of torture, every hour.  

But this?  

This made my blood run cold.  

I hadn't meant to see him push his tongue down her throat like he was searching for something he personally kept there…but I couldn't just will myself to move.  

My hand clenched on the steel pillar as I watched them scavenge each other's bodies.  

“Emiliano,” she moaned as he grabbed her boobs, his hands kneading them with reckless desperation. In return, she held onto his neck, strongly for balance.  

Bianca Conti, a woman of status, cried in pleasure like a common wh*re for an ordinary man.  

“You're going to kill me,” she moaned into his mouth, her hands struggling to unfasten his belt.  

I continued to watch, disgust seeping in, but strangely… I couldn’t tear my eyes away. The scene twisted something in me, pulling up memories I didn't want to face.

I felt my chest tighten, as the memory slammed into me with full force.  

I was just a little girl then. My mother was always so graceful, so full of elegance. I had always seen her as the perfect woman — a queen beside my father.  

But that evening, everything changed.  

I had stumbled into the hallway, clutching a drawing I had made for her birthday, only to freeze at the sight of her. She was standing close to a man, someone I had never seen before. His hands were on her waist, his face dangerously close to hers.  

The sight was wrong. My heart thudded in my chest. I could feel the anger rising even then, hot and burning. How could she? How could she betray Papa?  

I remembered how the man smiled, how my mother’s eyes darted nervously, trying to pull away from him. But it was too late. I had already seen everything. I had witnessed my mother, the woman I had always revered, in an intimate embrace with another man.  

I hated that man. I hated him for making my mother cheat on my father, the man who loved her with his whole heart. And just like that, my world seemed to shatter.  

As I stood there frozen, a sickening realization took hold of me. My mother, the woman I thought was beyond reproach, was capable of hurting Papa, of destroying everything we had built. And it was all because of that man.  

Now, as I stood in the shadows, watching Emiliano do the same thing, that same fury burned through me again. He had made Bianca cheat on her husband — just like the man had made my mother betray my father.  

I could feel the anger bubbling inside me, the same hatred I had buried for years now surging to the surface. I clenched my fist around the steel pillar, as I watched them—my blood boiling.  

“Emiliano,” she moaned again, pulling me back to the present moment, as he roughly pulled her closer.  

My eyes flicked over to him, the man who was now at the center of my rage. He had done it. He had taken a woman and made her forget loyalty, just like the man from my past had done to my mother.  

“You’re going to kill me,” Bianca moaned, lost in her lustful haze, while Emiliano’s smirk grew.  

My eyes narrowed as I felt my body tense.  

I hated him.  

Just as I turned to leave, wishing to rid myself of the anger and disgust, his eyes locked onto mine. A smirk spread across his lips.  

“Enjoying the show, Principessa?” he taunted.  

My stomach dropped. I would rather not face the woman who had just been cheating on a mafia lord with an ordinary made man. Neither did I want to be confronted by the said man.  

“Giuliana…” my thoughts were cut short when I heard her call my name. She stared at me with guilt-stricken eyes. “Wh-what are you doing here?” Her voice was so soft, I barely heard her.  

“Fresh air,” I replied without much thought, my voice clipped as I tried to avoid looking at Emiliano.  

“You don’t have to explain it to me... It's none of my business,” I added, trying to mask the rage churning inside me.  

She quickly adjusted herself before walking out onto the balcony, not sparing Emiliano or I another glance.  

I watched her leave, her hips swaying seductively, as I felt a strange mixture of bitterness and jealousy coil inside me. She was beautiful, in the way only someone who had been adored and worshiped could be.  

“Looks like someone’s ready to spill blood,” Emiliano’s voice broke through my thoughts.  

I turned back to him, my gaze as cold as ice.  

"Only you would know when someone's ready to spill blood... after all, you've probably cut through more human skin than you have through steaks," I retorted, the bitterness in my tone clear.  

“Your father wouldn’t like it if I told you the amount of ‘proditore’ I kill every day,” he mocked, leaning in slightly, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement.  

I glared at him, the mention of my father striking a nerve.  

I turned to leave.  

“You looked like you were jealous earlier,” he said, his voice smooth. “Or were you just enjoying the performance?”  

I froze, but didn’t turn around.  

I turned back to face him, ready to fire back, only to realize he had moved closer. Our bodies were now mere inches apart.  

I didn’t step back. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing how much his proximity affected me.  

“I’ve seen a better performance from a dying, bloodied man choking on his own blood... yours doesn’t even come close,” I seethed.  

“And yet, you stood there, watching me f*ck her with my digits, your mouth almost drooling with saliva,” he taunted, his smirk turning into something much darker.  

My body trembled with anger. I didn’t understand how this man, this insufferable bastard, could make me so furious. So… flustered.  

“I don’t give a flying f*ck about what you do... you’re no more than a slave to me and my father, got it?” I growled, my eyes blazing.  

His expression remained unchanged, but the amusement in his eyes only deepened.  

“I’m not playing these dirty games with you. Go to Hell!” I snapped, turning sharply on

my heel.  

But just before I walked away, I felt his gaze searing into my back.  

F**king bastard.

****

The party was almost over, and I let out a sigh of relief.

Just then, I heard someone clink their glass, drawing everyone's attention.

Papa stood at the front of the state, his face holding no emotion as usual.

"I welcome you all to my annual ball," he started. "Today is not just for me but for someone very special to my heart...the second woman who holds the biggest space in my heart," he said, his voice sounding softer than they usually do. His eyes found mine at the back of the room.

“Bambina,” he called, smiling at me.

I smiled back at him, though I was still shocked as to why he had said he was also celebrating with me, but I still went up to him.

"Papa," I greeted softly, my eyes holding his adoringly.

"Bambina, you know how much I adore you and how your mother would want the best for you. She had always hoped you would find a man who would love and protect you the way you deserved." He touched my face softly.

"Papa, what are you talking about?" I asked as my heart beat wildly against my chest.

I prayed it wasn't what I thought.

“Your engagement has been arranged” he smiled.

My stomach twisted painfully. “I'm not ready, Papa," I whispered. "It's too early," I whispered softly, not wanting anyone else to hear me.

“It's time," he sighed. "You'll have to get married eventually,” he said softly, his eyes staring intently at mine.

This was too soon. It hadn't crossed my mind that papa would start looking for my suitor this early.

I shook my head. “Papa, you can't_”

“I can and I will. The wedding is set to happen in two weeks”.

“What?” my eyes widened, looking around at everyone in the hall. But they were all oblivious to what was happening between my father and I.

Papa held his hand up, signaling for someone to be brought.

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal the man that I would never have imagined being standing with me and my father in such a situation.

Emiliano…in all his glory.

"Papa, you can't do__you can't do this."

“Giuliana, meet your fiancé, Emiliano Giovanni,” Papa announced. “My manager.”

The room spun. My jaw hung loosely around my mouth.

“No...you can't be serious!” I cried out.

“Don't be rude, Bambina, and you'll marry him,” he scolded me, staring at the audience that now held curious faces. “He'll protect you, he's my most trusted man.” He spoke in a very quiet tone.

“Over my f*cking dead body...I'm not marrying this man,” I seethed, my voice incredibly low.

I knew we were causing a scene, but I didn't care. I won't let papa hand me over to a man-whore like Emiliano.

“You don't dare defy me. You do what I say, or you face the consequences!” Papa said, his face much closer to mine.

“And what will you do?" I scoffed. "Throw me in the gory house and skin me alive?” I briefly glanced at Emiliano before I turned my back to my dad. "Trust me, I'd rather be buried alive than take this man as my husband. No, papa!”

"Leave!" He turned to Emiliano.

Emiliano gave me a look...was he concerned? I wasn't sure.

But he left when papa glared at him, telling him not to push his boundaries.

Papa grabbed my hand, turning me to face the guests that now looked at us weirdly. I couldn't blame them. It isn't everyday you see Don Donatello almost losing his wit to his princess.

But this was my life.

"Smile," he sneered. And I did. I faked a smile, pretending this was just a normal conversation, and I was happy about my impromptu engagement.

“Your death won't be that easy, Bambina,"he breathed into my ear. "You know what I do with my traitors, right?” He said into my ear, conspicuously.

I knew well what he did with those who betrayed him, but he still went on.

“I cut off their tongues so they don't tell lies anymore."

“I broke every single bone present when they sold their souls to my enemies. You know all this,” he glared at me. “But I promise, I won't even make it that easy for you.”

“I'll destroy and spread your body, so everyone sees what happens when you defy Don Morano.”

He smiled, raising his glass up to celebrate my bee engagement. And I did the same.