Desired by the Mafia Kings

L A N A

I always thought my engagement party would be the best night of my life. Maybe not the full glass-slipper thing, but at least something that feels special. Magical. You know? One of those nights where everything clicks. Champagne, laughter, a white dress that's just dramatic enough...

Instead, I get Diane.

"Darling, did no one tell you roses are overdone?" Her voice is soft, but every word sticks with me. She stands near the fireplace, swirling her wine like she's judging it. "They scream desperation. I would've gone with lilies. But..." she shrugs, "maybe that's just me."

I smile like a well-trained pageant queen and say, "I like roses."

That shuts her up for a second as she takes another sip, then scans the room like she owns it. Diane is my stepmother. She's been in my life since I was eight, and after my dad died. She stuck around mostly to make sure I didn't ruin the family name, or maybe just to control the parts of me she couldn't mould. She has always loved Tyler, my fiancé, maybe even more than me. Or perhaps she's just excited about me marrying someone with power and influence. Tyler has money; he works in finance, makes six figures, wears designer suits without trying too hard. So, of course, he was someone Diane would approve of. She stands across from me, glass in hand, perfectly dressed in a navy silk gown that probably costs more than the venue rental, playing supportive... playing mother. I tune her out and glance around the room.

The party is in full swing, soft lights glow from chandeliers, jazz floats through the speakers, and people are mingling like a scene from a wedding magazine. I hear someone laugh too loudly, someone else clink a glass. It's lovely, and it's everything I ever wanted.

I'm dressed in a soft cream dress, one that accentuates each and every curve on my body. I'd consider myself fit, but also on the more curvaceous side, having taken my workout and kickboxing classes a lot more seriously this year. My hair is dark, almost pitch black and falls just under my jaw in bouncy waves and my skin is slightly tanned.

"Lana!"

Elizabeth appears out of nowhere, arms wide, red dress hugging her body like it was sewn on. Her light blonde hair's done in loose waves, her lipstick a perfect red. She always knows how to make an entrance.

"There you are," I say, hugging her as soon as she reaches me. "You look incredible."

"Please," she grins. "You look like a bridal goddess. I'm just here to orbit your glow."

She grabs a glass of champagne off a tray and downs half of it in one gulp, making me raise a brow.

"Nerves?" I ask.

"Pfft. What do I have to be nervous about? This is your show babe." She smiles, but there's something tight behind it. Something is... off.

I brush it aside. She's probably just overwhelmed. Everyone is.

Elizabeth has been my ride-or-die since freshman year. We've done everything together: bad breakups, worse hangovers, nights crying over textbooks and nights getting blackout drunk to celebrate literally nothing. She's the one who told me to give Tyler a chance. Said a guy like that doesn't come around twice. She's even the one who helped me pick out this dress, said Tyler wouldn't even be able to keep his hands off me.

And yet, tonight, her energy is weird. She keeps looking over her shoulder, checking her phone, tapping her fingers against the stem of her glass... And I can't figure out why.

"You sure you're okay?" I ask.

"Totally, just a little buzzed. This whole night feels kind of surreal, right?" She chuckles lightly, but I know Elizabeth. She doesn't get nervous easily, but tonight she is.

"Yeah," I say. "Surreal's a good word for it."

She leans in. "You should go find Tyler. Isn't the groom-to-be supposed to be glued to your side?" She laughs again.

"He was just here. I think he stepped out to talk to someone."

Elizabeth squeezes my hand, but her eyes glance over my shoulder, past me, and I know why even before I turn around.

Tyler.

His light blue eyes meet mine, his soft brown hair effortlessly falling on his forehead. Butterflies fill my stomach as he makes his way over to me, and everything else seems to stop. Nothing else matters but him. He walks toward us, fresh drink in hand, smiling that smile that makes my stomach flutter even now. His suit fits like it was tailored just for tonight, because it was, and his hair is still perfectly in place even after a few hours of party chaos. He moves confidently, in a way that used to make me feel so lucky. Still does.

"There's my fiancée," he says, sliding an arm around my waist and kissing my cheek. "You holding up okay?"

"Of course. You?" I answer him, feeling myself loosen up as soon as he holds me.

"Getting there," he says, and turns to Elizabeth. "You look incredible, Liz."

It's a casual compliment, but it makes my heart drop sharply. I turn to Elizabeth, and watch her eyes light up like he just proposed to her.

She laughs, tossing her hair back. "You're not so bad yourself, future husband of my best friend."

But the way she says it doesn't sound teasing. It sounds like something layered, as if she's reminding herself. Or maybe warning me...

Tyler chuckles and raises his glass. "You two are the most dangerous pair in this room."

I watch them, his easy charm, her too-bright smile, and something immediately pinches in my chest. Not jealousy, exactly. Just... unease.

Elizabeth has always liked Tyler; that's never been a secret. She was the one who convinced me to go on a second date when I almost ghosted him.

I used to think it was just appreciation, a harmless one. Just a best friend hyping up my guy.

But tonight... she's looking at him too long, laughing a little too hard. And he's not exactly pulling away.

Still, I push the feeling down. I don't want to be that girl; jealous, insecure, imagining things where there's nothing.

Tyler kisses my temple and whispers, "Be right back," before slipping off again, something about checking with the DJ.

Elizabeth watches him go, her smile lingering a little too long.

Then she turns to me. "You really are the luckiest woman alive."

And for a moment, I believe her.

Even though I shouldn't...

. . . .

It's evening already, and the air is filled with the scent of roses, perfume, cologne and major anxiety, mostly from me. Simply because, despite how lovely this all is... Tyler is missing, again.

Initially, I dismissed it, assuming he was caught up in conversations or attending to last-minute details. But as minutes turned into an hour, unease settled deep within me. I need to find him.

Passing by the staircase, I nod absent-mindedly to guests who offer congratulations, their faces a blur. My mind races with possibilities, each more unsettling than the last. Is he unwell? Did something urgent come up? Or is there another reason for his disappearance?

I decide to check the more secluded areas of the mansion. The study is empty, save for the faint aroma of cigars and brandy. The library, usually a refuge, offers no solace tonight. As I approach the guest rooms, a muffled sound catches my attention. It's a soft giggle, followed by a hushed whisper...

My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears and I follow the sound to a door slightly ajar, causing warm light to spill into the dim hallway. And with a trembling hand, I push it open...

L A N A

I am frozen, my body turning to complete cement as my eyes lock onto what is in front of me.

It's Tyler... and Elizabeth. They're... sleeping together...

He has her pinned against the wall, standing between her legs, his lips pressed against hers as he thrusts into her relentlessly. She grips onto his shoulders desperately, attempting to suppress the vile sounds coming out of her mouth.

I still haven't moved. Not until my mind finally registered what is going on in front of me. I stumble backwards and finally, they take notice of me, both their heads snapping towards me as their eyes widen in shock.

"Lana," Tyler starts, his voice laced with panic as he immediately drops Elizabeth to her feet, grunting as he stumbles away from her and scrambles to get his pants back on.

"This isn't what it looks like..." He says, and hearing his voice makes my heart race even faster.

I still haven't said a word... I don't even know what to say.

Elizabeth stares at me with a flushed face. She quickly tugs at her dress, pulling it back down her legs and steps away from the wall, her eyes glancing between me and Tyler. But she doesn't say a word either...

The room is spinning, and I step back until I feel the doorframe beside me, immediately using it to steady myself. My legs suddenly feel too weak to keep me standing. The air feels toxic, and I feel myself suffocating, like the room is closing down on me from all sides. I'm drowning, each breath harder to take than the last, and finally, after what felt like so long... I am finally able to get a word out.

"How long?" The words barely escape my lips, a whisper drowned out by the roaring in my ears. Part of me is heartbroken, betrayed, and furious that he would do this to me, at our engagement party of all days... But another part of me knew that this would happen, knew that they were doing this behind my back, and now this is all the confirmation I needed.

Tyler attempts to regain his composure and make his way over to me, and I immediately feel the disgust appear on my face.

"Lana, please, let's talk about this privately..." He tries to reason with me, but at this point, I can't even stand his voice. More tears well in my eyes despite my efforts to blink them away, and I stumble backwards as soon as he tries to reach for me.

My eyes travel back to Elizabeth, and see that her nervousness has suddenly disappeared, and is somehow replaced by pure irritation, not a hint of remorse on her face. I turn back to Tyler, who is standing across from me, waiting for me to say something, and that's when my sadness immediately shifts to anger.

Before I know it, my hand swings forward and I slap him across the face, his head snapping to the side as he grunts sharply before exhaling deeply and slowly turning back to look at me, as if he was expecting me to do that.

"How long have you been fucking my best friend, Tyler?" I let out, my voice now rising. "How could you betray me like this? How could you destroy everything we've built?!" I question him, my voice echoing through the halls behind me. He doesn't answer, and instead, he tries to take another step towards me.

The walls seem to close in, the room shrinking with each passing second. I can't be here. I can't breathe, and I need to get out of here.

Without another word, I turn around and walk away, my heels violently clicking against the marble floor beneath me as Tyler's protests fade behind me. Tears cloud my vision as I struggle to focus on where I'm going.

I come back to the main hall, finding the party still in full swing. Guests laugh and dance around me, all of them oblivious to what has just happened. I need to get out, to escape the suffocating facade. How long has he been doing this for? Had he been playing me for a fool this whole time? They both were... the man I loved the most and my best friend...

"Lana?" A familiar voice snaps me out of the chaos in my mind. It's Diane. She walks over to me slowly, confusion and a deep frown written on her face, eyeing me from head to toe.

"What is going on with you?" She asks, and I can't tell if it's genuine concern or irritation.

I shake my head, unable to form words as I feel more tears well in my eyes. The betrayal replays in my mind, over and over again, the memory pressing down on me, threatening to crush me.

Before I can respond, Tyler's voice rings out from behind me.

"Lana."

I freeze, every muscle tensing once again. The room quiets down as eyes turn toward us. The music in the background slowly dies down, and the air falls dead silent...

Everyone can now see how much of a mess I am, how much I'm crying, and that's when murmurs and whispers begin circulating through the room. I glance around nervously, before I refocus my gaze on Tyler, watching as he strides forward, his expression a mask of concern.

"Tyler?" A voice speaks out, and I turn to see Tyler's mother, Margaret, beside Tyler's father, the two of them glancing between us with confusion.

"What is going on?" She speaks out, her voice echoing through the silent room.

Tyler finally stands at the centre of the room, glancing around at all who have their eyes on him.

"Everyone, I need to address something..." He begins to say, just as the murmurs quiet down, everyone eager to hear what he has to say.

Tyler takes a deep breath, his gaze locking onto mine. "I didn't want to do this here, but I feel I have no choice..."

I remain silent, bracing myself for what he is about to say, how him telling everyone he's been cheating on me will impact all of us, how our family and friends will take this, how we will have to call the entire wedding off-...

"Lana has been unfaithful to me."

My thoughts are immediately interrupted by the words that leave his lips.

My heart drops to my feet, and for a second time tonight, I feel myself lose feeling in my legs, making it difficult to keep myself standing. Gasps echo throughout the hall, and the room spins as his words sink in.

He's telling everyone... that I'm the unfaithful one?

L A N A

I am completely stunned, staring back at him in disbelief as a deep frown settles on my brows. My eyes search the room, analysing the reactions of the people around me. Everyone seems confused, their clamouring growing louder and louder until their gazes finally land on me, eyeing me with nothing but pure judgment. As my eyes search the crowd, that's when I finally take notice of someone... of her...

Elizabeth...

She is staring at me with her arms crossed, hidden in the crowd. Her face is blank for a moment... but soon transforms into something devious, something so evil it makes my blood run cold. She smiles, like she's enjoying every second of this... like she's been waiting for my downfall, and it finally seems to be happening.

My eyes snap back to Tyler, finding him staring down at the floor with fake sadness. He can't even look me in the eye.

"You're lying, Tyler... tell them the truth..." I let out, trying my best to keep my voice from breaking as tears stream down my face. I glance around the room again, and the more I do, the more I find people staring back at me with pure judgment. They don't really believe him... do they?

"It's not true!" I suddenly blurt out, my voice shaking once I see how they're feeding into his lies. "You're the one who-..."

Before I can even get another word out, Elizabeth steps forward and speaks, fake sadness and disappointment written on her face. "Lana, I saw the messages. I didn't want to believe it, but there were too many to ignore... You don't have to hide it any more..."

My heart drops again, and pure rage fills my body as I turn to face Elizabeth.

Betrayal upon betrayal. My closest friend, now turning against me.

"Elizabeth... how you could do this to me?" I say quietly, shaking my head at her, staring at her with disgust. Before I can get another word out, someone enters my line of vision...Tyler's mother.

Margaret approaches, her face a mask of disappointment and fury. She blocks my path and stares back at me with rage clear as day on her features.

"You little whore..." She seethes, and I stare at her in shock.

"Mrs Woods, please...-" I try to reason with her, but she refuses to let me speak.

"We took you in, treated you like family, and this is how you repay us?" She continues, and I struggle to find the words to say. I'm too overwhelmed. Finding Tyler cheating with my best friend, and now having him lie to everyone to save his own skin, is too much for my mind to process all at once.

"You have to believe me, I never cheated on him, he's the one who-..." I plead, my voice breaking, but once again, she doesn't even let me finish. Instead, her hand swings fast, and before I know it, the sharp crack of her palm hitting my cheek echoes through the room. Gasps ring out and my head snaps to the side. My face burns, not just from the slap, but from the humiliation. My ears buzz. I'm dizzy, stunned. How is this happening to me right now...?

"You manipulative little bitch," Margaret seethes, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at me. "You grew up with nothing and tried to crawl your way into our world like a parasite. Tyler gave you everything, and this is how you repay him? And now you want to spin the story?!"

I try to speak, but my voice is caught somewhere between my chest and throat. Everyone's watching, wide-eyed and whispering. No one moves to help. No one says a word in my defence.... They all believe Tyler's lies.

"That's not true..." I finally manage, my voice small. "He's lying. He's the one who cheated. I walked in on him and Elizabeth... I saw it..."

"Desperate," Elizabeth cuts in sharply, her tone suddenly cold. "You always were, weren't you? You latched onto Tyler. After all, he was safe, because he could give you the life you never had. You never loved him. You used him... And that wasn't enough for you..." Elizabeth shakes her head. My eyes narrow at her, filled with venom as I stand up straight.

"Used him?" I laugh bitterly, even as my tears spill. "You're the one in his bed, Elizabeth. Don't act like this was some noble act. You lied to me. You both did..."

"She's clearly having some kind of mental breakdown," Tyler says smoothly, turning to the crowd with practised grief in his voice. "And I don't want to shame her any more than necessary, but I found texts. Pictures. Videos. Messages from someone she's been seeing behind my back. I didn't want to believe it either. I loved her..."

He turns to me now, eyes glassy, expression perfectly controlled. "But I can't marry someone who doesn't respect me or herself."

And the crowd eats it up.

I hear someone mutter, "Typical social climber."

Another says, "Wow, I never trusted her vibe."

A third: "Poor Tyler. He deserves better."

It's all crashing down.

Diane stands a few feet away, stunned. I meet her eyes, pleading with her, hoping she'll say something, that she'll do something. But she doesn't. She simply shakes her head and looks away. My throat aches. My hands shake. I look around the room, at people I've laughed with, danced with, built relationships with, and realise none of them ever really saw me. They saw what Tyler let them see. What Margaret allowed...

And now, they see what they want to believe: the poor orphan girl who conned her way into their world and got caught.

"No one's going to say anything?" I whisper. "None of you? You all believe him...?"

Silence.

Margaret crosses her arms. "You need to leave. You're no longer welcome here."

Something in me breaks completely. My tears continue to fall, but I don't say a word. Instead, I begin backing away from them, from all of them, giving Tyler and Elizabeth one last look before I spin around and run out of the room, through the open double doors, out into the night air that bites at my skin. My heels clack against the stone steps, but I don't stop... All I know is that I need to get away from here...

I hear someone call my name behind me, but I don't turn. They won't believe me. Not tonight. Maybe not ever, and Tyler knows that.

He's won this round.

But he doesn't know what losing me really means yet.