'Be careful who you trust because even the devil was once an angel' ~ Ziad K. Abdelnour Aria's P.O.V. "Mama, do you know where Jordan is? Mable wants us to cut the cake and do the first dance but I can't find him anywhere" "Oh, I don't know, honey, I haven't seen him in a while" My mama said sounding confused as she looked around the wedding hall for my missing husband. I had just married the love of my life, Jordan Castillo and our wedding party was officially in full swing but my new husband was nowhere in sight and according to some of our guests, he hasn't been seen or heard from since the speeches which was quite some time ago. "Give me a minute, Ari, I'll find him" "Ok" My mama walked away with determination in her step while I walked in the opposite direction because I didn't want to just wait around and rely on her to find Jordan, so I went looking for him as well. It didn't take me long to find my beloved husband in one of the side rooms surrounded by not only our fathers and our brothers but also the rest of the mafia men as well who were drinking whiskey, smoking cigars and laughing as if a whole wedding, Jordan's wedding wasn't going on in the next room. I was about to enter the room when I was suddenly halted in my steps by their chatter and what they said left me feeling devastated and brokenhearted. "So Jordan, how does it feel to finally be tied down and be a married man to the beautiful Aria?" Jordan's best friend Marco asked as he puffed on his cigar. Jesus Christ. They're all gonna stink later on. I'm not judging anyone who smokes, in fact, I think it's $exy sometimes when I see my husband smoking a cigar because he looks so dangerous when he does which is a massive turn on for me, it's just that I don't like the smell of it, that's all. "How do you think I feel, Marco? I'm married to my beautiful, sweet reina, I'm on top of the fking world" Jordan says and I smile as my heart skipped a beat but this feeling didn't last for too long when I heard Marco's next words which my husband didn't dispute or deny, if anything, he agreed with him and so did my family. "Not to mention, she's naïve and submissive, right?" "Aren't all of our women like that, Marc?" Jordan asked with a smug expression on his handsome face as he cockily took a puff of his cigar. "Haven't all of our women been trained to be naïve and submissive to their men? to do as we say and accept whatever we decide for them?" Jordan asks and my breath hitches slightly. Did he seriously just say that?. Who is this man?. Where's my sweet Jordan gone?. I thought to myself sadly. "Marco, my daughter knows her role in this world, not only as the Don's wife but also as the Donna of the Castillo famiglia, not to mention she knows what's expected of her and the repercussions of her actions if she chooses to act out and disobeys not only her new husband but also the rules of the famiglia as well" My dad said and I felt tears pricking my eyes, not just from what he said but also from how he said it as well. I've always known my father had a cold and rough side to him as the Underboss of the mafia but he was never this way with my siblings and I and he very rarely used his cold voice in front of us, so hearing it now and hearing him speaking about me in this kind of way is heartbreaking but it's not even half as heartbreaking as what I heard next. Marco and Jordan's next words forced my tears to drop and their words felt like they had ripped out my heart and put it in a wood chipper, that's how much their words hurt me. "So, little sweet Aria knows that she's not the only woman in your life who has been and will be warming your bed and the poor girl also knows that she'll not only have to accept your mistresses as the third wheels in your relationship but she'll also have to welcome and entertain them as part of the famiglia as well?" Say what now?. Did he just say that Jordan has been cheating on me and that he'll have mistresses who I as the godаm WIFE will have to accept and entertain? did I hear that correctly?. This has got to be a joke, right?. "To be honest with you, Marco, I don't care if my wife knows about my other women or not because it's none of her business what or who I do or don't do behind closed doors because my business is my business and she as my wife is just there to take care of my home, be my peace and give me an heir, that's all" Oh. So, not only am I a doormat for his hoes to continuously trample on but I'm also a broodmare and a maid for him as well. That's good to know. "But do you actually love my sister, Jordan?" My brother Giovanni asked my husband and I subconsciously held my breath as I waited for his answer. If you had asked me an hour ago, does Jordan love you, Ari? then I would've happily said that he loves me wholeheartedly but now, I'm not so sure. "Of course I love her, Gio, I love her more than anything, she's the love of my fking of life for fks sake" Jordan roared angrily making me flinch. "But love isn't enough and men, especially men like us in the positions that we're in, we need more than that, we've got needs that can only be met by our other women who we can treat like the dirty wh0res that they are so that we can let out all of our stress and aggression on them before going home to our beautiful and loving wives" That's my husband, ya'll, aren't I the lucky one?. I thought to myself sarcastically whilst rolling my eyes.. "Jordan's right, our wives are our home, they're our loves and they're our peace, they're the perfect mothers to our children and something pretty on our arms for events such as this but most importantly, they're the ones we go home to every single night after a long day and night's work, whereas our mistresses are just a hole to fill so that we can satisfy our desire, nothing more, nothing less" And that's my papa. God, I've never felt so freaking ashamed of these men than I do right now. "And our women? what happens to them if they find out about our mistresses?" Giovanni asks nonchalantly like this is the most normal thing in the world, like it's normal for his mother and his sisters to be treated this way. "It's simple, son, if they find out, then they've got two choices, they either accept them and embrace them as a member of the famiglia...or they die" Oh my god. I had to suppress a gasp at my father's cold and evil words which felt like a heavy punch to my stomach. This man is so cruel. "Anyway, we'd better head back before one of the ladies comes and looks for us" "Yeah, I think it's time for you and Aria to have your first dance, Jordan" My dad and Giovanni said sounding cheerful whilst I felt like throwing up. "Yeah...let's go and cut loose, guys, you only get married once, right?" Jordan asked sounding arrogant as he fixed his cufflinks whilst I g*****d. Yeah and you've managed to beat Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears for the shortest wedding and fastest divorce in history, аs hole. At least Kim lasted three whole months, I couldn't even last three whole hours. Anyway, I quickly hid behind one of the huge, white pillars in the hallway when I heard the group of drunk, obnoxious and narcissistic di'ckheаds pile out of the room. My anger then rose when Marco being the i***t that he is started singing Love Me Like You Do which is the song Jordan and I had picked out for our first dance in a condescending kind of way. What an аs hole. I g*****d to myself as I glared at the group of men, specifically Marco. I never liked Marco but I always put up with him for Jordan and Giovanni's sakes, not to mention my sister Serena, who loves him for some reason known only to her and her maker. When I knew the guys were gone and I knew it was safe for me to come out of my hiding spot, I briskly walked over to one of the balcony areas to get some fresh air so that I could think and figure out what I was gonna do next. As I looked out at the beautiful Sicilian skyline and watched as night fell on what was supposed to be my dream day, I couldn't help but to think about how I was raised in this crazy and unusual world. Growing up as a mafia princess, I always knew that my life had been planned out for me right down to the last perfect detail from the moment I was conceived to this moment right here. I knew that I couldn't have dreams and aspirations like other girls my age because as a princess of the Castillo famiglia, we were only allowed to be smart enough but not too smart, we could never voice our opinions and we couldn't disagree with what the men in our lives have decided for us because as a mafia princess/queen, we were to be seen but not heard. It was also drilled into us from a very young age that the man's word was law, it was final and it couldn't be argued or disputed against. From a young age, we were trained to know how to cook and clean, how to look after our men and do whatever they wanted, not to mention we were also taught how to care for babies as well. You know when your mama bought you a toy baby for your birthday or for Christmas and it was just a simple gift for you, well, for us mafia girlies, it was a training device like the ones given to girls in high school to put them off having kids at a young age and it was to teach us how to love and care for the baby, as well as to nurture, feed, change, burp and dress it. The reason why they do this is so that when we turn eighteen and we get married, we'll already know everything there is to know to be the perfect wife and mother because we were already prepared for it by our mothers and if you think this is bad, then check this out. A mafia princess or queen always has to look a certain way, not just with her hair, make-up, nails, clothes or jewellery but also with her body as well. We aren't allowed to gain any weight or have a certain body type, you know like the Beyonce's or Kim K's of the world because that would deem us as licentious and trying to tempt other men who don't belong to us which is honestly ridiculous if you ask me because us women can't control or help it if men or even women for that matter are looking at us. I mean, if we could then we would, am I right?. We also couldn't date anyone or be in a relationship and if any of us dared to lose our virginities before marriage then that was it, we were ostracised and disowned from the famiglia because we were no longer pure and 'intact' and we were no longer 'profitable' for our future husband who had been handpicked for us and is the one who was supposed to have all of our firsts. The hypocritical thing about this is that even though us women HAD to remain vi'rgins, the men didn't have to follow this rule and they could happily sleep with whoever they wanted whenever they wanted from as young as fourteen. I know it's crazy, right?. It's giving toxic, it's giving sexist and it's definitely giving misogynistic. I always thought Jordan and I were an exception to this rule because we've been dating for the past two years ever since I turned sixteen but now that I think about it, my dad and Jordan's dad Don Romano Castillo must've already arranged for us to get married which is probably why they didn't bat an eyelid when Jordan asked my father for permission to date me or when we became serious as a couple. It's because they already knew. They knew we were gonna get married and become the new Don and Donna of the Castillo famiglia and us dating perfectly fit in with their plans. "Aria...there you are girl, what are you doing out here on your own?" The voice of my adopted sister and best friend Serena flitted to my ears forcing me to quickly wipe away the tears from my face. "Hey, are you ok?" She asked whilst gently touching my shoulder. I looked up at my sister and her cheery face immediately dropped and changed to a concerned and worried expression when she saw my red and puffy eyes. "Oh my god, what's wrong, Aria? why are you crying?" Serena asks me and I shake my head. "I can't do this anymore, Serena" I said with a whimper and my sister looked at me confused. "What do you mean? what can't you do, sweetie?" She asks me causing more tears to fall down my cheeks. "I can't be here anymore, I can't stay married to Jordan, I can't be his wife or his Donna" "Wait, what?...why not? I thought you loved Jordan, sorella" (Sister) Serena asks sounding shocked. "I do" I said with an angry scoff. "I love that man more than anything or anyone and I'd do absolutely anything for him, Ser but...but I..I can't...not now, not with what I know about him now" I whispered the last part as Serena quickly but gently grabbed me by my b**e shoulders and forced me to look back at her. "Aria, what's going on? what's happened? you were literally on cloud nine before and now you're out here alone and crying...tell me, what's going on? please" Serena pleads with me and I take a deep inhale and slowly release it to calm myself down before telling her everything from me going to look for Jordan to what I had overheard the men talking about when I eventually found him. When I was finished telling her what I had overheard, Serena stumbled backwards like she had been shot as she placed one of her hands on her chest in shock. "I can't believe this, I can't believe daddy, Gio, Jordan and Marc..o...I truly can't believe they think all of this is ok" Serena said as she stuttered out the name of her boyfriend and the man she, our father, Jordan and Don Romano have been fighting so hard for so that they can be together and get married. The rules of the mafia only apply to biological members of the famiglia and since Serena was adopted by my parents and wasn't directly born into it then that means the rules don't apply to her which means that she's had to fight for her right to marry Marco unlike myself and Jordan who were automatically given the rights as firstborn son and daughter of the reigning Don and Underboss. I used to think this was unfair because Serena is one of us, she's a Moliano through and through, it doesn't matter if she's biologically ours or not but now I'm glad that she won't have to live this deplorable life and suffer with having a cheating bаst3rd for a husband like the rest of us do. "I may not like Marco, in fact, I can't stand him but I knew you loved him, Ser, which is why I put up with him because I loved you and Jordan more than I hated him" I say before stopping to take a quick breather. "I also used to think how unfair it was that you guys had to fight to get married because in the eyes of the mafia, you're not one of us but you are...no matter what anyone else thinks, you're a Moliano, Serena" I tell my sister who smiles sadly at me but this smile didn't last for too long. "But now I'm glad you guys can't get married because you and I deserve better than what this life is offering us, sorella...we all do" I whispered the last part as Serena looked at me with her light brown eyes filled with tears but not one single one dropped which I'm pretty sure is something she's trained herself to do because I haven't seen this girl shed a single tear since her parents and younger brother were killed many years ago in a car crash. "Come here, Aria" Serena said as she opened her arms to give me a hug which I happily accepted. "Don't worry, sorella, we'll get you out of this, I promise you" "How?" I asked as Serena rubbed my back in a comforting way. "I don't know but we'll find a way" Serena said before pulling away from me and cupping my face as she looked at me with a smile. "You trust me, right?" "More than anything" I say and her smile brightens. "Then trust me when I say I'm gonna get you out of this, Ari, I promise you"

'You're the light, you're the night, you're the colour of my blood, you're the cure, you're the pain, you're the only thing I wanna t***h, never knew that it could mean so much, so much, you're the fear, I don't care cause I've never been so high, follow me through the dark, let me take you past the satellites, you can see the world you brought to life, to life' ~ Ellie Goulding Aria's P.O.V. Smile Aria. Stand with a straight back, Aria. Don't slouch, Aria. Be polite, Aria. Show everyone how happy you are when really your heart is breaking on the inside, Aria. These lines have been repeating like a mantra in my mind ever since I returned back to the grand hall with Serena and I had to act my little @ss off so that nobody would suspect a thing while on the inside I was breaking into millions of little pieces at my famiglia's betrayal and harshness. I was also riddled with anxiety because all I wanted was to leave and get away from this toxic world but I couldn't because I had to be careful and I had to be smart and discreet about this because if I don't and I act up then not only will my life be put on the line but so will my sister's as well. That's why I'm walking around my wedding party acting like the perfect bride, the perfect future Donna to the Castillo famiglia and the perfect wife to my husband. Even as I watched him chat up and dare I say get flirty with some of our female guests, my smile never wavered and neither did my perfect Aria act which almost slipped a few times when I saw one of the women whom Jordan seems to have favoured. There's this one girl in particular who he's been giving most, if not all of his attention to and she's a beautiful girl with golden tanned skin just like me, she's got shoulder-length, caramel blonde hair and her body looks fake from head to toe. It looks like when she went to see her plastic surgeon and he asked her what work do you want done? she just said yes, that's how fake she is, she's got fake hair, fake nose, fake buubs, fake @ss, fake everything. I don't normally judge anyone who gets work done because you do you, you hear me? especially if it makes you feel confident and gives your self-esteem a boost but this girl right here is the literal definition of the word overkill. "Sorella, oh my god, you look so beautiful" My fifteen-year-old sister Leah says excitedly and I smile at her. "Thank you, sorrellina, you look beautiful too" (Little sister) "Thanks but I'm not half as beautiful as you are, Ari, Jordan's really lucky to have you, sorella" She says and my heart hurts from her words but I still continued to smile. "You're a Moliano Leah, you're just as beautiful as I am, as Serena is and as mama is" "You think so?" She asks sounding hopeful and I nod my head as I fix a few stray hairs on Leah's head. "I know so, kiddo" "Thanks, Ari" Leah hugged me and I hugged her back. "You're welcome, honey" Leah then ran off to be with her friends and I was left standing all alone for about a minute or so before I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my w***t and felt a wet k**s on my n**k. Normally, I'd welcome this kind of affection with open arms but now I just feel disgusted and dirty as numerous thoughts and questions ran through my mind. Questions such as who else has he done this with? how many women has he kissed like this? how many women has he flirted with behind my back? how many women has he fked behind my back? has he slept with any of them today or during our wedding? you know the normal stuff. "There's my beautiful, wifey, where have you been hiding, il mio mondo?" (My world) Jordan asked me and I had to suppress a scoff whilst stopping myself from rolling my eyes at his term of endearment for me. "I've been here socialising with our guests, Jordan" I said with a smile which instantly froze and I felt dread wash over me when I realised that I had just called him by his name which caused Jordan's body to stiffen as the k**s he was placing on my n**k halted. Jordan then looked up at me with a confused and angry expression on his face which made my heart skip a beat because I knew the exact reason why he was looking at me like this. "Jordan? since when did you start calling me by my name, gattino?" He asked through gritted teeth and I gulped. Jordan has never hurt me and as much as I hate to say this, I think he loves me way too much to ever hurt me, at least physically anyway since we all know he's currently causing me mental and emotional pain but he does tend to get angry with me, especially when I call him by his actual name instead of one of the affectionate pet names that he prefers which aren't anything special just your generic babe, baby or love. "Sorry babe, I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed and tired right now, it's been a long day after all" "It's ok, love" Jordan said with a smile as he kissed my temple before his l**s drifted down to my ear and the bile I was holding down from calling him babe was threatening to come back up again when he said what he said next in my ear. "I hope you're not too tired, my little gattino because I've waited two whole years to pop your ripe little cherry and I plan on doing so tonight and mа'king love to you all night long" He whispered the last part before kissing just below my ear. Urgh!!. "Don Castillo, Donna Castillo, congratulations on your wedding" A sickly sweet voice says and I almost gagged on my champagne when I realised who the voice belonged to. "Thank you, Ria...sweetheart" Jordan urged me when he realised I wasn't answering his potential wh0re. "Yeah, thanks" "It's a beautiful wedding, Mrs Castillo, you're one lucky woman" Ria says with a smirk whilst saying Mrs in a mocking kind of way. This bltch thinks I'm some wallflower but I'm not. I've always been the rebellious one out of the Moliano kids. I mean, I've never done anything too extreme obviously because of who I belong to but I'm still known to push the line and I've got a mouth on me when I'm around my sisters and my friends. I'm also known to be a subtle bltch as well when I'm around the men and this bltch was about to discover that I'm not the one to be messed with. "You're right, Rachel..." "Ria" She says through gritted teeth and I smile at her. "Oops sorry, my mistake" I say with a smirk and she sneers at me. "Anyway, like I was saying Ria you're right, I am the luckiest woman in the world, I've got a handsome husband who LOVES me more than anything or anyone, I'm the future Donna of the biggest mafia famiglia in the world, the only way is up for me...what about you?" I ask sounding sweet but I was anything but. I know the one thing a mistress hates more than anything is the fact that she'll always come second to her lover's wife and she'll never enjoy any of the perks that come from being his main girl. Now, I don't know for sure if she's Jordan's mistress because I don't have any hardcore proof but I'm around ninety-nine percent sure that she is and seeing the venom and jealousy in her eyes is enough to give me some kind of satisfaction tonight. "You..." "That's all, Ria, move along" Jordan said sternly as he glared at Ria who didn't look happy, if anything, she looked pissed and annoyed but she soon stomped away like the child she is but not before sending one last glare my way. Aww, how cute. I thought to myself smugly. "What was that about, Aria?" Jordan asked sounding annoyed when his little hoe was out of earshot. "What was what about, love?" I asked as I looked up at him with the best naïve/innocent look I could muster. "You know what, Aria Castillo?" Jordan said through gritted teeth whilst glaring at me as I shuddered with disgust at the use of my married name. As much as I wanted to glare back at him and tell him to go and f'k- himself with a rusty rod, I didn't, instead, I remained calm and kept my composure as I looked up at him with a sweet and innocent expression. "I'm so sorry, baby, she said I was the luckiest woman in the world and I just pointed out all of the ways that I am...I'm sorry, I'll keep my mouth shut next time" I said whilst meekly dropping my head. Jordan then sighed as he gently gripped my chin and forced me to look back at him as he rested his forehead against mine. "Don't be sorry, gattino, in fact, I'm the one who should be sorry, I overreacted and I didn't mean to" He whispered huskily against my l**s before leaning in to k**s me but before he could, the sound of metal clinking against glass fortunately broke us apart and our gazes narrowed towards the dance floor where my father and mother-in-law were standing looking proud and poised. "Ladies and gentlemen, we want to thank you all for joining us here tonight to celebrate the joyous union of your future Don and Donna, my son Jordan Castillo and his beautiful wife Aria" Don Romano said with a smile which made me wanna puke as everyone around us clapped. "My wife and I can't even begin to describe how unbelievably happy and proud we are of you two kids, we love you both so much and we can't wait to watch you both start your married life together and take the Castillo empire to new heights, oh and maybe a grandkid or two would be nice too" He says and everyone laughs as I smile the fakest smile I've ever had to fake in my life, especially when my husband whispered something in my ear, words that at one point in time would've had butterflies and chimps dancing around in my stomach but now they just make me feel sick and empty. "I can't wait to see your belly round with our babies, Ari" Jordan said as his hands rested on my flat stomach. His words were beautiful but then just as Frank and Nancy Sinatra once said he had to go and spoil it all by saying something stubid, except his next words weren't I love you. "Just the thought of cvmming inside of you and getting you pregnant, Aria, is making my /cok so fking hard, my little gattino" And he's not lying. I can literally feel his very large appendage rubbing up against my @ss as we speak. "I can't wait for us to be a mama and papa to our kids, Ari...are you excited, baby?" Nope. I used to be excited but then you stole all of that excitement away from me when you revealed you're nothing but a misogynistic, advlterous p***k. These are the words that I wished I could say to him but I couldn't for obvious reasons. "Ari..." "Of course, I'm excited, babe" "Good girl" Don't throw up, Ari, do NOT throw up. "Now, we'd like to welcome our son and daughter to the dance floor for their first dance" Don Romano announced and everyone clapped as Jordan, ever the perfect fking gentleman grabbed hold of my hand and placed a k**s on the back of it before leading us towards where the dance floor is. His actions earned us many awws and coos from our guests, as well as several comments, some nice and some not so nice from our female guests. "They're such a beautiful couple" "They sure are, Donna Aria is so lucky, her husband is a handsome young man" "He's so $exy and muscular" "Yes, he is and he's hung as well, I heard from my sister Loretta that he's appeso come uno stallone" (Hung like a stallion) What the fk?. Loretta? as in my fking cousin Loretta?. "Really? I wonder if he'll f'k- me as well, I'd happily be his mistress if it meant I could get a taste of his $exy @ss" "No, he won't jailbait, you're only fifteen for fks sake" I heard two kids say and I almost lost it. "Are you ok, gattino?" "I'm fine" I said as Jordan and I started our first dance and I had to take several deep inhales and exhales to stop myself from crying as I felt my heart rip into millions of more little pieces, if that's even possible just from hearing the words to the song. I picked this song because I thought it was a strong and powerful love song, not to mention a beautiful one but now each word sounds like it's mocking me, especially when it got to the chorus and Jordan had to make it sexual. "I can't wait to t***h you later on, baby, I can't wait to t***h, l**k, k**s and suk on every square inch of your beautiful delectable body" "Is that all you care about, Jordan? I'm starting to think you only married me for sx" I say feeling fed up. "Once again with the Jordan, Ari" He says and I glare at him. "It's your name, for god's sake, what do you want me to do? only call you babe, baby, love or darling for the rest of our lives?" I ask him and he smirks at me. I was then startled when he briefly kissed me before guiding his l**s to my ear. "I love it when you get feisty with me, Aria it's a massive turn on" Urgh!!. "But you need to remember who the fk I am and keep that shift behind closed doors, do you understand me? I can't have the famiglia thinking I can't control my own wife because she's misbehaving in public" Whatever you say, Don. I thought to myself whilst mentally rolling my eyes. "Yes, love" "Good girl" Jordan said with a smirk as he buried his face in my n**k. "Where's Serena? she should be here so that she can dance with Marco after Jordan and Aria" "I don't know, honey" I heard my mama and papa's hushed whispers as I subtly looked around the room for my sister. I was starting to worry when I didn't see Serena anywhere but then I spotted her walking back into the room whilst running a hand through her hair as she looked me in the eyes which was the signal we had come up with to say we're good to go without actually saying it. All I needed to do now was to find the perfect moment to get away without anyone noticing or suspecting something was up. "There you are, Serena, where were you, mi figlia? (My daughter) "Sorry mama, I needed the bathroom and I couldn't wait" "You pick your moments, my dear Serena" My papa g*****d and I smiled as Serena winked at me. After our first dance was finished, I made an excuse to Jordan that I needed the toilet so that he would let me go without suspecting me. He said ok and kissed me before releasing me from his grip. I then headed up to the suite which was supposed to be mine and Jordan's for the night and the first thing I noticed when I looked around the room was how beautiful it was and the second thing I noticed was a black holdall bag with a note on it hidden by my side of the bed. I walked over to it and knelt down picking up the note as I did and it said 'Sorella, inside of this bag is a change of clothes, a wig, a ballcap and some glasses, as well as a burner phone, get ready and text me when you're done and we'll go from there doll, don't worry about any clothes or shift like that, I've got you sorted, babe, love S X'. My eyes filled with tears but I didn't let any of them drop because now wasn't the time for tears or emotions, now was the time for me to woman up and get my @ss out of this hellhole even if it meant leaving behind so many people who I loved and adored in the process. I let out a breath as I stood up and attempted to unzip my dress but it wouldn't budge, the goddаmed thing was stuck. Oh God, please don't fail me now, not when I need you the most, Lord. I tugged several more times on the zipper before my actions came to a screeching halt when I heard a familiar, husky voice coming from behind me. "Need some help with that, babe?" Oh no.

'You promised the world and I fell for it, I put you first and you adored it, set fires to my forest and you let it burn, sang off-key in my chorus cause it wasn't yours, I saw the signs and I ignored it, rose-coloured glasses all distorted, set fire to my purpose and I let it burn, you got off on the hurting, when it wasn't yours' ~ Selena Gomez Aria's P.O.V. "Need some help with that, babe?" Oh no. Oh God no, please. I slowly turned around and my heart rate accelerated when I saw my husband standing in the doorway of our room with his hands in his pants pocket and a stern expression on his handsome face. "Jordan...what are you doing here?" I asked him and his jaw ticked from me calling him by his name again. "I could ask you the same question, gattino, what are you doing up here?" Jordan asks calmly as he closes our bedroom door and locks it. shift. "I erm...I..I..." "Do I make you nervous, gattino?" Jordan asks as he steps closer to me and my heart continued to pound hard against my chest as the space between us got smaller and smaller. "N..no, of course not, wh..why would you make me nervous?" "Well because it's our wedding night, sweetheart and I know you've been feeling anxious about tonight...about losing your virginity and I want you to know that you don't have to feel this way because I've got you, gattino and I'll take care of you" "I know but that's not until later on, right? we've still got our guests to attend to" I said hoping to deter any plans he's got going on in his head because I could see the desire and the hunger in his beautiful brown eyes, especially when they would linger on my rapidly rising chest but unfortunately, I failed. "Actually, principessa" Jordan said as he closed the last little bit of space between us so that our chests were touching before gently stroking the backs of his fingers up and down my arm sending shivers throughout my body. "I was thinking you know, when in Rome...do what the Romans do" Huh. "But we're not in Rome, Jordan, we're in Sicily" I say and he chuckles. I don't know what's so funny, it's not a good thing if you're forgetting what city you're in at the age of twenty-one. "Just let me go and use the bathroom and we can head back downstairs, ok" I say and go to head over to the bathroom when I was suddenly stopped by Jordan who grabbed hold of my arm pulling me closer to him so that I would fall against his chest which I did and he quickly wrapped one of his arms around my w***t to trap me as his free hand rested on the back of my n**k. "You don't understand, gattino" His husky voice said as his hand on my n**k slowly started to move down my back to the zipper on my dress. "Jordan..." "Call me Don, gattino" Jordan whispered huskily against my l**s and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why should I? I'm your wife" I say feeling offended and also kind of disgusted. The reason why I was offended is because the wife of a Don doesn't have to refer to her husband by his title because we're basically his equal. Yes, we're not as powerful or as strong as him and we don't get to be involved in any of the mafia work or make any decisions but we're still their equal and we shouldn't call them Don anymore than they should call us Donna. It also disgusted me because of the tone of his voice, he sounded turned on when he asked me to call him it and it made me wonder how many other women he's asked to call him Don when they're alone. I wanted to believe that I was overthinking things because my trust in Jordan was now next to nothing but his next words proved that I had every reason not to trust him. "Exactly, you're my wife and it turns me on when you call me it" Oh god, hand me a bucket. "I wanna mа'ke love to you, gattino...I wanna mа'ke love to my wife" Jordan said and I panicked when I felt him pull down the zipper on my dress as he backed me up towards the bed. "Jordan, wait..." Oh shift. I gasped when Jordan pushed me onto the bed and h*****d over me caging me in with his arms like the kitten that he loves to call me. "Knock it off with the Jordan shift, Aria, you're getting on my last nerve with it now" He growled at me which I knew he instantly regretted after I closed my eyes and flinched away from him. "shift baby, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" "I'm not scared of you, I just don't like it when you get angry or shout at me, that's all" This is actually very true. I hate it when any man gets angry and starts shouting but in particular, I hate it when Jordan, my dad or Giovanni get angry because their anger is like next level if you know what I mean. "I know, baby, I'm sorry" He says before letting out a breath. "Can you look at me, please?" He pleaded with me and I shook my head. "Please, gattino" Jordan once again pleads with me as he rests his forehead against my temple. I was hesitant at first but then I turned my head and opened my eyes looking my husband in his beautiful, golden brown eyes that I love so much which I stupidly believed held so much love for me at one point but now I don't. Jordan's eyes intently looked me in my light green eyes as his hand cupped my face and gently caressed my cheek with his thumb. "You know I love you, right? because I do, I love you more than anything, Aria" "I know you do, babe" I lied straight to his face for probably the first time in our lives and he smiled at me with relief. "Good...then let me show you just how much I love you, baby" Jordan said as he kissed me. He then stripped us of our clothes and with one powerful thrvst, he took my virginity from me before mа'king love to me like he actually did love me which made me feel so good even though my heart was irrevocably broken on the inside at this point. I know you're all probably thinking to yourselves why did you let him t***h you, Ari? why did you let him take your virginity? why did you let him mа'ke love to you over and over again? and the answer, as stubid and as pathetic as it sounds is because I love him. This man is the love of my life, he's my first love and someone who I thought was my best friend, he's also the man who I've experienced all of my firsts with and I know this is gonna sound crazy because I know that he doesn't love me as much as he claims he does but even despite that, he's the one who I also wanted to lose my virginity too as well. The reason for this is because most women hope to lose their virginities to a man who they love unconditionally and that's how I feel about Jordan. One day my love for him will diminish but it will never completely go away because of how much I love him, not to mention that I don't think I'll ever feel this way about another man again which is yet another reason why I let him mа'ke love to me. Afterwards, I fell asleep in his arms which was another stubid decision, yes, I know but I couldn't help myself because I was so exhausted. I don't know how long I was asleep for but it couldn't have been for long because I was suddenly woken up by the sound of my husband's hushed voice on the phone which made me feel sick to my stomach. "Of course, I didn't forget about you, Ria, I mean, how could I? you're my number one girl, right?" Number one, girl?. I fking knew it. I knew he was having fun with Barbies ugly step-sister. "Don't be silly, Ria, I just had to pacify my wife, that's all" Jordan said with a chuckle. "Is the party still going strong downstairs?...good, meet me in our room and I'll be there in a few...ok bye...bye" Jordan said with glee in his tone as I lay on the bed pretending to sleep while my breathing worked overtime to stay steady. After a couple of minutes, I felt someone h******g over me before feeling a familiar pair of l**s on my forehead. "Our lives our gonna change forever after tonight, gattino, I promise you" Jordan once again kissed my forehead before leaving the room and when he did, the first tear I was holding back finally rolled down my cheek. How did my Jordan, the man who loved me unconditionally, cared about me more than anyone and would've done absolutely anything for me turn into this cold-hearted, evil monster?. This question repeatedly flowed through my mind as I almost robotically prepared myself to leave my husband and this toxic life for good. The first thing I did was I washed up before getting dressed and putting on the wig taking extra care to make sure it looked natural. I really wanted to have a shower but I didn't have the time, so I settled for just a quick wash which will have to do until I'm somewhere safe. I then grabbed the bag from the bed and texted my sister who was pissed with me for not texting her sooner but she quickly calmed down, well, for a brief second she did when I told her why I couldn't text her straight away. Serena understood that I couldn't get away with Jordan in the room with me but she was pissed that I would give a gift as unique and as sacred as my virginity to him. I quickly shut her up by saying she'd do the same thing with Marco and she didn't disagree with me. PING!!. 'My friend Marcello is outside of your door right now, do everything he says and follow him to wherever he goes, do you understand me? he'll make sure that you safely get out of the country and to the safe house, sweetie, S X' 'Can I trust him, Serena? he's one of Jordan's men, after all, A X' 'You can trust him, ok, I promise you, Ari, Marcello has wanted out of the mafia for the longest time now because he can't stand how the ladies get treated here, S X' 'Ok, I love you, Serena, A X' 'I love you too, doll, S X' A stray tear fell down my cheek as I let out a shaky breath. You can do this, Ari, you HAVE to do this. I thought to myself as I wiped my tears away and walked over to the door with my backpack in hand. "Hey there, toots, are you ready to go?" Marcello asked after I opened the door and I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you wearing?" I ask Marcello and he smirks at me as my eyes rake over the ugly @ss coat he's wearing. "It's a reflective coat, toots, don't worry, I got you one too" He says as he hands me the coat in his hand which I was hesitant to take and Marcello knew it, he also knew that I wouldn't take it until I knew what was going on. "A reflective coat is a creation of mine which helps people to sneak in and out of places without being detected" "What? like an invisibility cloak?" I ask as I take the coat from him and quickly scan it before putting it on. "Kind of" Marcello says with a chuckle. "This coat was designed to mess with any camera system that we walk through" "How?" "Put your hood up and take a look for yourself" Marcello says with a cheeky smile as he holds up his phone with the selfie camera on it and I was instantly blown away when I saw what looked like rainbow static covering the entire screen. "How is this poss..." I asked sounding gobsmacked only to be cut off by Marcello. "You can ask me any question you want later on, toots but right now, we need to go before someone comes up here and catches us...you know that man of yours won't leave his reina alone for too long" shift, he's right. "Ok, let's go" Marcello and I leave the room and take all of the back hallways and exits in this place to avoid being spotted by anyone in the famiglia. The Castillo famiglia is the biggest mafia family in not just Italy but the entire world and today was an event which would've had not only the media but also civilians and other mafia families wanting to be a part of it, so we had to be extra careful and put security all over the building to ensure no uninvited or unwanted guests got in. Luckily for us, there were some exits which weren't being manned and Marcello seemed to know every single one of them. We then headed out of the back of the building and got into a black SUV which was waiting for us and it looked like it had been heavily tinted out as well. "Take us to the old Petrillo air strip ASAP" Marcello commands the driver who immediately started up the car and took us to an old air strip which used to be one of the largest airports in Italy but now it's only ever used for illegal purposes and sneaky getaways such as this. A part of me was worried when Marcello mentioned this place but then I remembered that the systems are wiped and refreshed every six hours, so we should be good. When we arrived at the airport which was now a virtual ghost town, Marcello told me to go and rest on the jet while he got everything sorted out and underway which I happily did. I sat down in one of the chairs and took off my wig whilst letting out a breath that I didn't realise I was holding as I felt the weight of the day press down on me. It's crazy to think that this morning I woke up like every other blushing bride who was excited to marry the love of her life as her heart filled with so much love and excitement and now here I am ending it all alone with a broken heart. Dam you Jordan, Dam you and all of those other bastards all the way to hll. I thought to myself as I felt someone sit down in the chair opposite me. "We'll be ready for take off in five minutes...here, take a look at that" Marcello says as he hands me a brown folder. "What is it?" "It's your new life and your new identity, you're officially Miss Aria Rivera, my sister, in name only, of course" He says with a chuckle and I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Rivera?. "I thought your surname was Vega" "It is, my surname is hyphenated but I prefer to use Vega over Rivera, that's all" "Oh" I said as I looked back down at the file and thought about what would happen when we landed wherever we're gonna land. Can I work? can I go to college? is any of this possible for me?. I thought to myself and I think Marcello could hear my thoughts as well because what he said next made me feel like he could hear my unspoken hopes and dreams. "You can do anything you want and be anything you want, just name it and I'll make it happen for you, Aria" "Why? what's in it for you?" I ask Marcello who lets out a sigh as he sits back in his chair. "My mama was a mafia princesa too...she was arranged to marry an Italian Don when she was just your age and he treated her like cra'ap, he cheated on her, abused her, flaunted his mistresses in front of her and then one day he killed her right in front of my eyes" He tells me and I gasp. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry" "Don't be, it was twenty-plus years ago" Marcello says as he reaches over and places his tattooed hand on top of mine giving it a gentle squeeze as he did. "I've always hated how the mafia treats their women, women who they claim to love and care for, women like my mama...I made a vow to my mama when she died that I would do anything I could to protect the mafia princesas and future reinas which is why I'm here helping you" "They'll kill you when they find out you helped me to escape" I say barely above a whisper and he smirks. "They'd have to catch me first" He says with a wink and I smile. "So, where are we going?" "The one place where the Castillo famiglia wouldn't think to look for you" He said and I chuckled slightly knowing exactly where he was referring to. The land of opportunity.

Set Eight Years Later... Aria's P.O.V. It's honestly amazing what one can do with their life when they're given the opportunity to do it. It's also truly incredible how much that same life can change in just eight years, especially for someone like me who was forced to flee Italy with nothing but pain and determination inside of my broken and shattered heart which grew and got stronger when I learned that I was pregnant. The day that I found out I was pregnant was the happiest yet scariest and saddest day of my life and I remember feeling so many different emotions which left me a crying wreck in Marcello's arms for most of the day as he tried to reassure me that everything was gonna be ok and that I wasn't alone but I couldn't help feeling how I felt. I was a scared eighteen year old kid with no money, no home of my own, no real education and no life experience, I also had nobody except for Marcello to help me or guide me, so it's no great surprise that I'd feel scared to bring another life into this world when I felt this alone. My life back in Italy wasn't perfect or normal, I should say but at least there, I had a support system both familial and financial around me. I always had my mama, my papa, my siblings, my friends, Jordan and his family around me but now I had nobody except for Marcello whom I appreciate more than anything but having him around wasn't the same as having my famiglia around me. I don't know if other women out there can relate with me but when you're pregnant, having your husband/partner and your famiglia around you feels like a security blanket which makes you feel safe and protected but I had none of that and at the time, I didn't trust Marcello like I do now but thankfully, all of that changed as my pregnancy progressed. Marcello has been by my side and has been my rock ever since I left Italy and came to California, he was there for every moment of my pregnancy except for my birth and he made sure to learn everything he could about babies and raising them so that he could help me raise my babies when they were born. He's done everything a father normally does for their kids including things like late night feeds, changing their diapers, teaching them how to walk and talk and he was a very proud uncle the day both Gino and Giana said their first words and walked for the first time. Marcello was also the first one out of the two of us who noticed how smart the twins really are and we took advantage of their brains to teach them how to speak in both Spanish and Italian which they're both fluent in now, amongst a couple of other languages as well. He's played a massive role in my kids lives and the twins see him as their uncle but also as a father figure as well but they've never actually called him dad because A) the twins believe that we're siblings so naturally they think he's their uncle which Marcello is anyway even without being blood related to us and B) there's no way either of us would ever allow my kids to call him dad because he's not their dad. Whether I like it or not, Gino and Giana's biological father is Jordan Castillo and that's something I could never and would never change but this fact doesn't diminish Marcello's role in their lives either or mine for that matter. This man has been the biggest light in my life these past eight years and I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart that he's been the biggest blessing in my life after my children of course because lord knows where the hll I'd be now if it wasn't for him. I owe everything I am and everything I have now to Marcello because not only did he put his life on the line to save me from an extremely toxic situation when he didn't have to but he also gave me a once in a lifetime opportunity for a woman like me to do anything I want and be anything I want to be without any restrictions which I took full advantage of. Thanks to Marcello, I was able to go to college where I was able to get a business degree and we also opened up our own business around a year before I graduated which quickly became one of the fastest-growing businesses in America. It also earned us both quite a lot of money as well, at least eight figures in the first year alone and with that money I've been able to give my kids a great but not overly spoiled or privileged life. I mean, you wouldn't think I had billions in the bank considering I live in a pretty normal home which is in a gated community but it's a house that the average Joe could live in. It's not some big mansion with an unnecessary amount of bedrooms and bathrooms in it like my family home back in Italy. Besides, I wanted Gino and Giana to grow up completely different from how I did and I didn't want them to become dependent on maids and servants or live extravagantly because I've got some money in the bank. I mean, they've got their nanny Mary-Kate and their tutors, oh and they've got bodyguards as well but that's solely on Marcello who is so over-protective of us that he demanded all three of us have a whole squad of bodyguards wherever we go, especially if he's not with us, that's how over-protective he is of our little famiglia. Anyway, life is going good for all of us and I'm honestly happier now than I ever have been in my entire life because I've got my babies, my career and most importantly my freedom. "GINO GABRIELE RIVERA!!, GET YOUR CUTE LITTLE b*tt DOWN HERE, RIGHT NOW!!" "ONE SECOND, MAMA!!, I'M ALMOST DONE!!" "YOU SAID ONE SECOND FIVE MINUTES AGO, SON!!, DO YOU WANT YOUR CEREAL TO GET ALL SOGGY AND MUSHY?" "URGH!!, NO!!" Gino g****s. "THEN GET DOWN HERE, NOW!!" "OK!!" Gino says with a sigh and I smile. "That's my good boy" That boy is growing more and more like his аs hole father as the days go by and I'm not sure how I feel about that. "Mommy, I think you should make Gino another bowl of cereal because his has gone all mushy now" Great. I g*****d as I grabbed hold of the untouched bowl of cereal and chucked it before making my son a fresh bowl. My children are beautiful, amazing and incredibly smart creatures who I love to freaking death but despite how perfect they are, there's this one thing about them this one trait which drives me up the freaking wall and this trait is how an'al they are about things. It doesn't matter how big or small the issue is, they're always very meticulous and make sure it's done to their satisfaction and strangely enough, they're like this in two totally different ways. With Gino, he likes things to be a certain way and if they're not done the way he wants them to be done then all hll will break loose. For example, his cereal can't be mushy at all and it's still gotta be crunchy, if he has a soda which is rare but if he does then it has to be a certain temperature with a straw and a coaster, his tie for school has to be perfectly straight and he can't have any scuff marks on his shoes and this is just to name a few. As for Giana, it's all about the details. If there's ever a change to her schedule, her daily itinerary or if I'm planning an event which my little mini me can't resist getting involved in, she always likes to make sure that she's checked over every last little detail at least twice to make sure it's all how it should be and it's registered in her brain so that she won't forget it and she knows it's perfect. I know this may sound crazy and unbelievable because my twins are only seven but it's actually really normal for them because they're both incredibly smart, they've both got a high I.Q. and they've also graded a 4.0 GPA in their school which only a handful of students in their school has achieved, that's how smart they are. My kids aren't special or gifted in any way shape or form, they're just smart which is something they've inherited from me and their dad but more so the latter because Jordan was always the smartest person in the room, he always knew everything about everything, he aced every single test he took with flying colours and he always finished first in all of his classes in high school and college. To put it simply, if Jordan was here and was a part of our family, then I'd officially be the dumbest one out of us all, that's how smart they are. "Mama, don't forget Mrs Kim wants to talk to you before school today" Ah shift. I forgot about that. "Are you sure it's today, Gia?" "Mmm-hmm" Giana mumbled whilst nodding her head and chewing her food as I g*****d in annoyance. It's very rare that my babies teachers want to see me and I can always tell just by their name alone if it's a good or a bad thing. For example, their teacher Mrs Dean is always giddy like she's high on life or too much coffee and she always speaks highly of Gino and Giana like they're her own children she's bragging about, so it's always a good thing when it's her but Mrs Kim is the complete opposite. Mrs Kim is a stuck up bltch who loves to act like she's better than everyone around her and she loves to let it be known that she doesn't like me because I'm a single mom who takes personal pleasure in talking back to her and putting her in her place and she despises the fact that I don't bow down at her feet like she's a fking queen like all of the other mothers do. There was also this one time she called me into the school because of an incident involving Gino and she was all smug as she explained to me about him being suspended for 'bullying' one of his classmates and for hitting the kid who's got a track record for bullying and harassing Giana. You could tell from the smirk on her face that she was getting so much pleasure from suspending one of the schools star pupils but I quickly wiped the smug look off her face albeit not in the way that I wanted to when I asked her if the other kid was getting suspended as well for bullying an innocent little girl because it's not fair or ethical for Gino to be punished for defending his sister while her bully gets off scott free. It's safe to say that Gino wasn't suspended that day but the other kid was when proof was given to the principal showing that my son wasn't at fault but Giana's bully was, they also weren't happy when I threatened to pull my funding from the school if the real bully wasn't punished so they had no choice but to suspend the little fker. I also told the other kid's mom and Mrs Kim that they should look up the definition of bullying because there's a massive difference between a kid being picked on for nothing and a kid who is standing up for his famiglia. This obviously left Mrs Kim red faced and I was satisfied to get one over on her but the witch has held an even bigger grudge against me ever since and she always tries to find a way to try and shame me but she always fails, so I wonder what she's got up her sleeve this time?. "Mama, don't forget our teacher wants to see you before school today" Gino says in his familiar commanding tone as he walks into the kitchen with his backpack in one hand and his blazer folded perfectly over his other arm. "Yes, I know Gino, here...eat your cereal" I say with a sigh as I place a fresh bowl of cereal in front of my son before picking up my cup of coffee and taking a sip of it. "So, do either of you know why Mrs Kim wants to see me today?" I asked them but before they could answer me, the sound of my front door opening and shutting as well as a set of keys jangling and someone singing beautifully in Spanish was heard and we all knew exactly who it was as we narrowed our eyes towards the kitchen door and awaited for the main man in our lives to make his grand entrance. "Uncle Cello" Gino and Giana excitedly greeted their uncle when he walked into the kitchen dressed all suave and handsome and he's got a shift eating grin on his face as well. Oh god. I can only imagine what or who has got him smiling like that. "Sobrino, sobrina" (Niece and nephew) Marcello greets my kids with a hug and a k**s on the cheek before coming over to me and kissing my cheek as well. "Hey there, mami" "Don't you hey mami me, Marcello Rivera, where the hll were you last night?" "What do you mean?" He asks looking confused but the amusement in his eyes and the light cheeky smirk tugging on his l**s deceived him and showed me just how unconfused he really was. "You know exactly what I mean, Marc, you promised the kids and me that you'd be here last night for pizza and you bailed on us" "Oh yeah, sorry about that, hermana" (Sister) Marcello says with a smile as he scratches the back of his n**k. "So, where were you? or is it best that I don't know?" I ask whilst eyeing him up as I take a sip of my coffee. "Well..." Marcello says as he briefly looks over at the twins who were happily eating their breakfasts as they played on their iPads before looking back at me sheepishly. "Do you really want me to answer that question in front of the impressionables, mami?" Oh good god. I thought to myself whilst rolling my eyes. "You're disgusting" I say and he chuckles. "Hey, a fish has gotta swim, right?" "Yeah but not as much as you do, Marc" "You love me really, hermana" Marcello says and I smile. "You're lucky I do, fratello or lord knows where you'd be without me" (Brother) "Oh, I don't know, maybe I'd be on a yacht somewhere hot like in the Bahamas surrounded by beautiful, h********d women and living the life" He says all dreamily as he closes his eyes and rests his head back whilst leaning his body against the kitchen island next to me. "Dаmit Marc, watch your mouth around my impressionables" I said while slapping his stomach and he g*****d in pain as he looked over at the twins with a smile on his stupidly handsome face. "Sorry, mis bebes" (My babies) He says and the twins chuckle as I smile and shake my head. This man is a fking i***t. "Anyway, gang" Marcello says whilst clapping his hands together before looking down at his watch. "It's time for us to get our b***s to work and school, so go and get your stuff ready" Marcello said and the kids immediately jumped up to get their things together as I cleared away all of the dirty dishes. I then went to get myself ready before leaving my home with my kids and Marcello who had got in his own car as the twins and I got in my Jeep. We then headed off towards school and work and I couldn't help but to sigh in frustration and annoyance as I thought about this meeting with Mrs Kim. I really hope there's a legitimate reason why she's pulling me into school because I'm not in the mood for any of her bullsh*t nonsense today. I was barely out of my driveway when my phone suddenly started ringing and I was confused when I saw it was Marcello. "Hello" "Why does Mrs Kim want to see you at school today, Aria?" Marcello's angry voice growled down the phone at me causing me to close my eyes and g***n. Urgh!!, great. This is just what I need, an angry Marcello to make my morning perfect.