Chained By the Italian Mafioso

I never asked for this life.

Sometimes, I wonder how it all spiraled out of control. One moment, we were a family. My mother, my father, and me. The next, she was gone, and it was just him and I-drifting in the undertow of his addictions, of his mistakes.

I was never supposed to be the one to hold everything together, but when your father sinks to the depths, you learn to carry the weight of his failures. I never expected to drown with him.

I stare at the cracked mirror in the cramped apartment we've been living in for what feels like an eternity. My reflection seems almost foreign to me. A shadow of the girl I once was, a girl who had dreams of escaping this hellhole, dreams that now feel so distant. A girl who believed that one day, maybe, I could have a life outside of this chaos.

But life doesn't care about dreams. It never does.

I adjust the black dress that clings to my body, a reminder of the last pieces of my mother I have left-her taste in clothes. I've been trying to keep it together, trying to look like I belong in this world where nothing makes sense anymore. But it's harder each day.

The door creaks open, and my father stumbles in, his body swaying. His eyes are bloodshot, his face pale. I can smell the alcohol on his breath even before he speaks.

-"Did you hear from him?"- His voice is thick, slurred. He's not asking for comfort, not asking for answers. He's just... talking. It's the only thing he does anymore.

I don't reply. I just nod. His gambling debts are far too high to be ignored now.

His eyes flicker to the floor, where the pile of bills and threats from loan sharks is scattered like confetti. He doesn't seem to care anymore.

-"I fucked up,"- he mutters, more to himself than to me.

I know you did.

I've known for a long time that we were already living on borrowed time. But I never imagined it would come to this-the deal my father struck with the devil.

The door slams shut again, but it's not my father. I jump slightly, my breath catching in my throat.

A tall figure stands in the doorway. His shadow falls over me like a dark cloud, and my pulse skips a beat. I know who it is before I even see his face.

Máximo.

The Capo di Tutti Capi. The man my father sold me to.

-"You didn't think I'd forget, did you?"- His voice is smooth, calculated, like the hiss of a snake preparing to strike.

My stomach twists. I stand up, my legs unsteady beneath me.

-"I'm not going anywhere with you."-

He smirks, stepping further into the room.

-"I'm not asking, Suzete."- His eyes are cold, merciless. He looks at me like I'm nothing more than a pawn in his game.

I take a step back, but he's already closing the distance between us.

-"You don't have a choice. Your father made sure of that."-

My heart pounds in my chest. I feel the walls of the room closing in on me, the suffocating reality of my situation settling in like a heavy weight. There's no escape.

-"You'll marry me,"- Máximo continues, his voice low and dangerous. -"It's the only way you'll survive. You can't fight it. You can't run."-

I want to scream. I want to fight back, to claw my way out of this nightmare. But I know I can't. I've seen what happens to people who cross him, who defy him. They disappear.

-"Why?"- I ask, my voice trembling. -"Why me?"-

He steps closer, his breath brushing my cheek.

-"Because your father owes me. And now you owe me, too."-

I want to hate him. I want to spit in his face and tell him to go to hell. But there's something in his eyes-something cold and calculating-that makes me freeze. I know better than to challenge him.

-"You'll be my wife,"- he says, his tone final. -"Whether you like it or not."-

I want to run. I want to scream and claw my way out of this. But I don't. I stay silent, my body frozen in place, as the man who owns my fate walks toward the door.

-"Get ready,"- he says over his shoulder. -"The wedding will be soon."-

As he leaves, the air in the room feels heavy. I can't breathe. I can't think.

My life is no longer mine. It belongs to him.

I allow myself a deep breath when the door closes behind Máximo. The sound of his heavy footsteps echoes in the hallway, and the emptiness he leaves in his wake seems to consume the air around me. The silence that follows is almost worse than his presence. My father doesn't say anything, as if he knows there are no more words left to change what has already been done.

My fingers tremble as I lean against the table. The world seems to spin around me, but I can't afford to break. Not now. I have to... what? Run? Where could I go? Máximo controls everything. Everyone.

- "Suzete..." - My father's voice scrapes the air like broken glass. I turn slowly to face him, trying not to show how much his words cut into me.

- "Don't say anything, please." - I almost don't recognize him anymore. He's no longer the man I once knew. He's a hollow shell, a man who traded his dignity for promises of easy money and an escape from what haunts him.

He shakes his head, visibly defeated. - "I had no choice... You... you don't have a choice, daughter." - His voice falters. He won't look me in the eyes. He knows he can't. Not after everything he's done. Not after selling me to Máximo.

I look at him with a mix of rage and fear, but I don't say anything. He has nothing left to offer. And what he's telling me is no longer a surprise. I knew this day would come. Since the moment I first met Máximo, I knew my life was going to become a shadow of what I once dreamed it could be.

- "He... he's going to... use me, isn't he?" - My voice trembles, but I manage to hold back the tears. I won't cry. Not anymore.

My father closes his eyes, trying to hide the pain he feels, but it's useless. Regret will never be enough to redeem him. To save me.

- "Yes... Yes, he will. But... you... you have no idea what you're facing, Suzete." - His voice becomes a whisper.

I look at him, angry but empty. - "I know what I'm facing. I know what you did. You don't have to remind me."

He's silent, his head hanging, as though the weight of his actions has finally broken him. But I'm beyond caring about his guilt. I'm beyond hoping for his help. He can't save me. He never could.

Another knock at the door interrupts my thoughts. Three sharp raps, rhythmic, almost like a warning. The next part of this nightmare is about to begin.

I slowly move toward the door, hesitating. My body reacts with fear, but my mind already knows what I have to do. There is no turning back. I'm not Suzete Manhiça anymore. I'm just property. And he's coming to claim me.

When I open the door, I see two men in black suits standing in the hallway, their faces impassive, like they're just doing their job. There's no kindness in them, only the coldness of those who are used to doing whatever is necessary to maintain power. They don't look at me like I'm a person. I'm just a pawn in their game.

- "Are you ready?" - The taller one asks, his voice harsh as steel.

I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. I just nod. My stomach is a tight knot. There is no choice. Not anymore.

- "He's waiting for you." - The other man's voice is softer, but the tone is still an order. They won't give me a choice. Not now.

I step out of the apartment, and the two men follow closely behind. The sensation of being watched, controlled, intensifies with every step. I feel like an animal being led to slaughter, but without the ability to fight back.

When we reach the car, they push me inside. There is no compassion in their actions, only the execution of a command. The vehicle starts moving without a word, and as the streets of the Italian city fly by, the weight of reality settles in my chest.

I am going to marry a man I don't know, a man who doesn't want me, but will possess me regardless. I'm no longer a daughter. I'm no longer a woman. I am property.

During the ride, my hands begin to sweat. What am I doing? How did I get here? But the answers will never come. All I know now is that what lies ahead is worse than anything I've ever lived through.

The city fades behind us as the car heads toward darkness. And I... I am just a piece on Máximo's chessboard.

When the car finally stops, they push me out, and I find myself standing before a massive iron gate, like I'm entering a castle. A castle I would never have chosen to inhabit. The gate opens slowly, and as it closes behind me, the sound is so loud it feels like my soul is being shut in, too.

- "Welcome to your new life." - The voice of the guard at the door is cold, emotionless. But in my mind, it sounds like a warning.

And deep down, I know there is no turning back anymore.

The moment the iron gates closed behind me, a heavy sense of finality settled in. I wasn't just stepping into a new place; I was stepping into a life I couldn't escape. Máximo's mansion loomed ahead, cold and imposing, like a monument to power, its walls built on manipulation, fear, and death. The guard led me inside, his footsteps echoing in the vast, empty hallways.

I couldn't breathe.

My heart thudded loudly in my chest, and every step felt like it weighed a ton. The grand foyer was opulent-too grand, too perfect-its marble floors gleaming under the soft, golden light. The chandeliers overhead sparkled, their beauty only enhancing the feeling that I was standing in a place where even the air was suffocating.

- "This way," - the guard said, his voice devoid of any emotion. He didn't wait for me to respond before he turned and walked toward a set of grand stairs.

I followed, my feet dragging with each step. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the luxury surrounding me. The mansion was beautiful, but it felt hollow. Like everything here was just a façade, a mask to hide the rot beneath. I had no idea how Máximo could live in such a place, pretending that this life-this gilded cage-was something worth having.

When we reached the top of the stairs, the guard stopped in front of a large double door. He knocked once, firmly, and then opened the door without waiting for permission.

- "Enter."

The voice that spoke from the other side of the room was calm, authoritative. Máximo. I didn't have to see him to know.

I walked inside, my heart racing, my body trembling as I crossed the threshold. The room was dark, the only light coming from a fireplace that burned softly on the far side of the room. The furniture was elegant, but sparse. Minimalism, but in a way that made everything look even colder.

And there he was. Máximo. Sitting in a chair by the fire, his back to me. He didn't even turn when I entered, as if he were the master of his domain, and I was nothing more than an inconvenience to him.

- "Come in, Suzete." - His voice, low and dangerous, was all command, no invitation.

I took a step forward, but my feet felt like they were glued to the floor. The weight of the situation pressed down on me, and the fear that had been simmering inside me since the moment I first saw him exploded into full force. My stomach churned, and I had to fight not to vomit.

- "I told you before, didn't I?" - He said without turning around. - "You don't have a choice. This life... it's not a choice. It's your reality now."

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. I didn't know what to say. What could I say? He was right. My life was no longer mine. I had no say in it. Not anymore.

- "Come closer." - His voice was like ice, but there was a thread of something else there. A calm malice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I hesitated for a moment longer, then slowly moved toward him, my body betraying me with every step I took. When I was just a few feet away, he finally turned to face me. His eyes locked onto mine, cold and calculating, but there was something else too. Something predatory.

- "Do you understand why you're here, Suzete?" - He asked, his gaze never leaving mine.

I couldn't meet his eyes. I looked at the floor, feeling like a child once again, trapped in a corner.

- "Yes," - I whispered. - "I understand."

- "Good." - He leaned forward in his chair, the firelight casting shadows over his sharp features. - "Because now you belong to me. Your life is mine. Your body is mine. And soon enough, your soul will be too."

The weight of his words hit me like a punch to the stomach. I felt the air leave my lungs. His voice, his presence-it was like being suffocated by the darkness inside him.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't his. I wasn't anyone's. But the reality was, I wasn't in a position to fight back. Not anymore.

- "You'll marry me," - he continued, his tone almost... casual, like he was discussing a trivial matter. - "You'll bear my children. You'll stand beside me. And in return, I'll give you everything you could ever want."

His words were smooth, like honey, but there was no sweetness in them. There was only the coldness of power, the kind that crushed everything in its path.

I forced myself to speak, even though the words felt foreign in my mouth. - "I'll never love you."

He chuckled, the sound low and cruel. - "Love is a weakness, Suzete. You'll learn that soon enough."

I couldn't look at him anymore. I stared at the floor, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. This was my reality now. A gilded cage, a life built on the power of men like him. There was no escape.

- "You'll learn to obey, Suzete." - His voice softened, as if he were speaking to a child. - "You have no other choice."

I nodded, though I felt nothing but anger and despair. But the anger... the anger was something I could hold on to.

For now.

...

I couldn't breathe.

Máximo's words hung in the air like smoke, thickening around me until I could no longer escape them. I wanted to scream, to fight, but the reality of the situation crushed me into silence. Every part of me trembled, not just from fear, but from disgust-disgust for him, for myself, for the life I was now forced to live.

His gaze never wavered as I stood there, a broken shell of the woman I used to be. His eyes bored into mine, predatory, calculating. He knew. He knew that I was desperate, that I was trapped, and he relished in it.

- "You think you have a choice, don't you?" - His voice was smooth, almost mocking. - "But you don't. You never did."

I wanted to shout at him, to tell him I was still a person, not some object for him to manipulate. But I couldn't. My throat tightened, the words stuck in my chest, and I could barely force out a whisper.

- "What do you want from me?"

Máximo stood up, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator closing in on its prey. He walked toward me, the click of his shoes against the marble floor echoing in the room. I felt my pulse quicken, my body instinctively taking a step back. But there was nowhere to run. Not here. Not from him.

- "What I want, Suzete, is simple," - he said, his voice low and venomous. - "I want you to learn your place. To understand that you belong to me. You'll learn to obey, to serve me, and in return, I'll give you everything you could ever want. You'll be my queen."

The words should have been comforting, should have promised me something better. But instead, they felt like chains, heavy and unbreakable.

- "Your life is mine now," - he continued, his hand reaching out to stroke my cheek, his touch cold, calculating. - "Every moment, every breath you take, it's all mine to control."

I flinched, pulling away instinctively, but his grip was quick, like a vice, holding me in place. His fingers dug into my skin, sending a shiver of fear down my spine.

- "You'll get used to this, Suzete." - He whispered, leaning in closer, his lips brushing against my ear. - "In time, you'll come to understand that resistance is futile. You'll beg for my touch, beg for my approval."

I wanted to lash out, to claw at him, but I couldn't. I was nothing. I was less than nothing. And he knew it.

- "I won't ever beg for you," - I spat, the words barely escaping my lips, but there was fire in them. I had to hold on to something. I had to fight, even if it was just for a moment.

He laughed, the sound rich with amusement, but it was cruel. - "You will, Suzete. In time, you'll beg for me. For my attention. For my touch. Because without me, you're nothing."

He released me, taking a step back, his eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction. He was enjoying this. Enjoying seeing me squirm, seeing me try to hold on to the last bit of resistance I had left.

- "Take her to her room," - he ordered, his tone final, dismissing me like I was nothing more than an inconvenience.

The guard from earlier stepped forward, his expression unreadable as he motioned for me to follow him. I didn't resist. I couldn't. I was too exhausted, too drained from the emotional and physical assault that had just taken place.

The hallway stretched endlessly before me, every step I took feeling heavier than the last. I was trapped in a maze of gold and marble, a prisoner in a gilded cage.

I finally reached the room he'd assigned to me. It was massive, like everything else in this mansion, but it was cold and impersonal, as if no one had ever truly lived in it. The walls were adorned with expensive art, but none of it had meaning. The bed was large, a sea of white silk and plush pillows that seemed out of place, considering the nightmare I was now living.

The guard didn't say a word. He just stood in the doorway, watching me as if waiting for something. But I didn't care anymore. I walked past him without a glance, collapsing onto the bed, burying my face in the soft pillows.

The tears came then. Silent at first, like a trickle, but soon they were pouring out of me, hot and uncontrollable. I felt like a fool, like a coward, crying in a place that wasn't even mine. I should've been stronger. I should've fought harder. But now it was too late.

The life I knew was gone. It had been taken from me in a matter of hours. And the worst part? I knew it was only going to get worse.

I curled up on the bed, trying to block out the world, trying to pretend that none of this was real. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. Máximo. The man who now owned me, body and soul.

There was no escape.

The days blurred together, a monotonous, unending cycle of luxury that felt more like imprisonment with each passing moment. I woke up in the same cold, sterile room every day, the same oppressive silence weighing down on me. I had no purpose here, no reason to exist other than as Máximo's property.

I hated myself for not finding a way out. I hated the helplessness that had already consumed me. Every day I told myself it would be different, that I would fight back, but nothing ever changed.

Máximo never allowed me to forget who I was, or rather, who he had made me. His possession. His to control.

I was nothing more than an object for him to mold, to bend into whatever shape he wanted. And he enjoyed it. The way he watched me with that cold, calculating gaze made my skin crawl. Every look, every touch, was a reminder of how utterly powerless I was. But that wasn't even the worst part.

The worst part was that, deep down, a part of me was beginning to accept it. To accept that there was no escape. That this was my life now.

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts that all seemed to spiral into one inescapable truth: I was never going to be free. Not from him. Not from this life.

The door to my room opened with a soft creak, and I didn't need to look to know who it was. I knew his presence without needing to see him. Máximo.

- "Time to get up," - his voice broke the silence, and I stiffened, my heart hammering in my chest. The power in his words never ceased to terrify me.

I didn't move.

- "I said, get up," - he repeated, his tone colder now, more commanding.

Slowly, I sat up, my body betraying me, as always. My limbs were stiff, my muscles aching from the weight of the reality I had been forced to accept. I pulled myself out of bed, standing on shaky legs.

Máximo entered the room, his dark suit a sharp contrast against the light of the day. His eyes immediately went to me, taking in my every movement with a cruel amusement.

- "Look at you," - he said, his voice dripping with disdain. - "A woman broken by her own weakness. Do you know how pathetic that is?"

I didn't answer. There was nothing left to say. I knew exactly how pathetic I was. I was nothing more than a shell, a hollow version of the woman I used to be.

- "You're mine now," - he continued, stepping closer, his shadow falling over me. - "And I'm going to make sure you understand just how little power you have. How much control I have over you."

His hand reached out, brushing my cheek with the backs of his fingers. His touch was cold, like ice, but there was something else there. Something possessive. He wasn't just touching me; he was claiming me, marking me as his own.

- "You'll learn to obey, Suzete." - He leaned in closer, his lips brushing my ear as he spoke, his voice low and dangerous. - "And when you do, when you've finally accepted your place, I'll reward you. I'll make you feel things you never thought you could."

I could feel my pulse quicken, my body reacting to his words against my will. I wanted to push him away, to scream, but I couldn't. My body had already betrayed me.

- "No..." - I whispered, but my voice was weak, almost inaudible.

He chuckled darkly, the sound sending a chill down my spine. - "You will, Suzete. You will. It's just a matter of time."

With one final, lingering touch on my cheek, he stepped back, leaving me breathless and frozen in place.

- "Come downstairs when you're ready," - he ordered, turning and walking out of the room without another word.

I stood there for a long moment, my body trembling, my mind racing. I felt disgusting. Revolted. I wanted to scrub his touch off me, but there was no escape. There was no way out of this.

I forced myself to move, heading toward the bathroom. The mirror reflected the woman I had become-a shadow, pale and lifeless, the fire inside me slowly being extinguished.

I took a long, hot shower, trying to wash away the feeling of Máximo's presence, but it didn't work. It never worked. No matter how hard I scrubbed, I couldn't erase the fact that I was here. That I was his.

When I finally made my way downstairs, the house seemed even emptier than usual. The halls were silent, the air thick with tension. I could feel it-his eyes on me, watching my every move, waiting for me to fail. Waiting for me to break.

I found him sitting at the large dining table, a glass of wine in his hand. His eyes flicked up to meet mine as I entered the room.

- "Come here," - he ordered, and I obeyed without thinking.

I sat down at the table, the coldness of the chair seeping into my bones. I hated this. I hated him. But what could I do? I was stuck.

- "I know what you're thinking," - he said, his voice smooth, as if he could read my mind. - "You think you can fight this. You think you can fight me. But you can't, Suzete. You never could."

I looked at him, my eyes narrowed, but I didn't say anything. There was no point in arguing. No point in trying to resist.

- "You'll learn to be patient," - he continued, swirling the wine in his glass. - "In time, you'll beg for my touch. Beg for my approval."

His words cut through me like a knife, and the realization hit me like a slap. This wasn't just about control. It wasn't just about power. This was about breaking me down until I had nothing left. Until I was nothing more than his plaything, his possession.

And deep down, a part of me knew he was right. I would beg. I would submit. Because that was the price of survival.

...

The silence in the room felt suffocating. Máximo didn't speak as he swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes never leaving me. I could feel his gaze, like a heavy weight pressing down on me, forcing me to shrink back. His presence was overwhelming, and I hated how it affected me. My body betrayed me every time he came near, as if it had already accepted the truth that he was the one in control.

- "Do you like it here, Suzete?" - he finally asked, his voice calm, deceptively soft.

I swallowed, the question catching me off guard.

- "Like it?" - I whispered, my throat tight. - "You mean... in this prison?"

His lips curled into a smile, but there was no warmth in it, just a cruel amusement. - "Call it what you will, but this is your new life now. You'll learn to enjoy it. In time."

I wanted to argue. I wanted to scream at him, tell him how much I hated everything about this place, about him. But the words wouldn't come. Not now. Not when I knew how pointless it was.

- "You're mine, Suzete," - he continued, his voice lower now, more dangerous. - "Everything about you is mine. Your body. Your thoughts. Your future. And when you learn to accept that, I'll show you just how rewarding it can be."

The way he said those words, as if they were promises, made my stomach churn. But there was nothing I could do to escape it. Not anymore.

I had to endure this. I had to survive it.

- "I won't ever enjoy being your property." - My voice was barely a whisper, but I couldn't let him think I was completely broken. Not yet. Not entirely.

He leaned back in his chair, looking at me with a mixture of amusement and something darker. His eyes glinted with a predatory hunger, like a wolf watching its prey.

- "You will." - He said it with such certainty that it made my blood run cold. - "You'll beg for it. And when that time comes, you'll know that it was worth everything you had to sacrifice."

I felt a lump rise in my throat, but I refused to cry. Not now. Not when I knew he was watching me, savoring my pain.

Instead, I did what I could to shield myself. I crossed my arms over my chest, as if that small movement would protect me from his words, from his touch.

- "You'll see, Suzete," - he said softly, standing up and walking toward me. - "I'm not the monster you think I am. I can give you things you never even imagined. But first, you have to trust me."

Trust him.

The very thought made me want to laugh bitterly. How could I trust him? How could I trust someone who saw me as nothing more than a possession? A tool to be used and discarded at will?

But I said nothing. I couldn't. The fear, the anger-it all felt like a storm brewing inside me, but I knew if I unleashed it, I'd only make things worse. I had to survive. I had to play his game, even if I hated every moment of it.

He reached out then, his hand sliding gently under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His touch was soft, almost gentle, but there was no warmth in it. No tenderness. Just control. Just dominance.

- "You belong to me, Suzete." - His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it held a dark promise that made my skin crawl. - "And I'll make sure you remember that every second of every day."

I pulled away from his touch, the act of defiance small but necessary. I wasn't going to let him take everything from me. Not yet.

- "I'll never belong to you." - My voice was barely audible, but it was steady. There was a small spark left in me. A tiny flame that refused to die.

His expression darkened, and for a moment, I saw something dangerous flash in his eyes. Something that made my heart race with fear.

- "You'll learn, Suzete." - He said, his voice colder now. - "You'll learn that resistance only makes it worse. I can break you. I can make you forget everything you think you know. And when that happens, you'll see that you were always meant to be mine."

I felt a chill run down my spine at his words, but I held my ground. He was right. I couldn't resist forever. But I wasn't going to make it easy for him. Not yet. Not while there was still something left of me that was untamed.

Máximo took a step back, his eyes never leaving me. He was studying me, as if waiting for me to crack. But I didn't. I wouldn't.

- "Enjoy the rest of your day, Suzete." - He said, his tone suddenly casual, as if nothing had just transpired. - "I'll see you later."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I sat there for a long time, my mind racing, my heart pounding in my chest. I had to keep fighting. I had to hold on to whatever little bit of myself that was left.

But the longer I stayed in this house, under his control, the harder it became. The lines between resistance and submission were beginning to blur.

And I was afraid that one day, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.