Married to the ruthless Mafia lord

If the sun refused to shine, I would still love you.

When mountains crumble into the sea, you and I will still be together.

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A black van pulled up outside Marino Food Store, causing panic among the other vendors at the market. Two burly men dressed in black suits, armed with guns, emerged from the vehicle.

"Where is Mr. Marino?" one of the men demanded of a young woman behind the store counter. She is a striking beauty with an enigmatic air about her. Her long, raven-black hair frames her porcelain-like complexion and doe-like hazel eyes. Her lips are a striking shade of red, like the blooming petals of a rose. Her figure is slender and elegant, She's a beauty goddess.

"That's my father, but he's not here. Who are you?" Marino Isabella, Bella for short, asked, her voice trembling. She doesn't know who the men are but their cold gaze sent fear and terror running down her spine.

"You're his daughter, right?" One of the men asked coldly.

"Yes, I am. How can I...we...help you?" Bella stammered, but before she could say anything else, a black sack was thrown over her head and she was forcibly carried away by one of the men.

"Let go of me, you asshole!" Bella yelled, struggling to break free from the man's grip.

"When her father returns, tell him that his daughter has been taken to settle his debt," the man instructed an elderly woman who owned a neighboring store.The woman had a wrinkled face, white hair, and a few missing teeth.

"Please release her, she's just a child," the old woman pleaded weakly. Beside, who are you people?"

"Tell Mr. Marino that Master Bernardi Lorenzo is the one who gave the order, and he better not show up at his mansion," the man warned with a cold tone.

The name Bernardi Lorenzo struck fear into the hearts of everyone at the market, including Bella, who was frozen in disbelief.

Bernardi Lorenzo is a devil in human form - vicious, cunning, merciless, tyrannical, and brutal. Going to his house was like stepping into a lion's den, a place where blood was shed without remorse. And that was who , her father has borrowed money from him.

Bella , being a young women, knew her life is over the moment she heard that the men were from Lorenzo. She knew there's no way her father would be able to pay his debt so therefore going to Bernardi Lorenzo mansion was already a death sentence for her.

"Let go of me, please," Bella continued to struggle as the man carried her, but he held her tightly, paying no attention to her pleas. Eventually, he dumped her into the back of the van.

No one at the market dared to intervene. No one wanted to cross paths with the ruthless Mafia lord. They all stood in silence, watching as Bella was taken away in the van till it was out of sight.

___

The van finally arrived at a grand mansion, painted in pristine white. Two more hefty men armed with guns opened the gates, allowing the van to enter. The van finally took a stop at the mansion entrance and the two burly men stepped out once again.

Bella was carried out of the van by one of the men into the mansion. Her face is still covered by the black sack, her hands bound with rope.

She knew they had arrived at the house of the Mafia lord. The thought of what awaited her sent shivers down her spine, causing her to tremble uncontrollably. She realized they were inside the mansion when the man carrying her abruptly stopped walking and stood still.

"Is she the one?" an old lady in her fifties, dressed in a black and white striped gown, with long white hair, asked as she descended from an inner room, accompanied by two young women. One had short red hair, wore a black corset gown, and had a small scarf on her head. The other had long black hair, also wore a black corset gown, and a scarf on her head.

"Yes, Old Lady Amato," one of the burly men replied.

"Remove the sack," Old Lady Amato ordered sternly. The men quickly obeyed by dropping Bella on the titled floor and removing the sack from her face now revealing her angry expression.

The interior of the mansion exuded opulence and luxury, with white walls and extravagant gold furnishings but Bella wasn't interested in that rather she was concerned about how to break free from the two men who still held on to her arms tightly.

"Let go of me, you asshole!" Bella shouted, attempting to free herself from the grip of the two men but her words fell on deaf ears.

"She's not bad, but what's that smell? Is that oil?" Old Lady Amato remarked, moving closer to Bella. She reached out to touch Bella's clothes but quickly recoiled.

"You may leave now. I will take it from here," Old Lady Amato instructed the burly men, who promptly departed.

"Let's go," Old Lady Amato commanded the two maids behind her who quickly moved towards Bella and grabbed her by her arms and followed closely behind old lady Amato as they walked down the tiled hallway, eventually reaching a wooden door on the east side of the mansion.

Old Lady Amato brought out a key from her gown pocket and unlocked the door. Bella was shoved inside, her face nearly scraping the ground, and the door was locked from the outside.

The room was dim and stuffy, with only a faint ray of sunlight filtering through a small window.

Bella stood up and began pounding on the door, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Please, let me go. I'm begging you. I don't want to stay here," Bella pleaded, but her cries fell on deaf ears as no one came to open the door.

Despite her dire situation, Bella's thoughts were consumed by her father, an elderly man in his late seventies who could barely stand without the aid of a walking stick.

Bella was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Marino, who had her in their old age.

Mr. Marino had approached Bernardi Lorenzo on that fateful day, seeking a loan to pay for Mrs. Marino's hospital bills. He was well aware of Lorenzo's viciousness and brutality, but he had no other choice. He couldn't bear to watch his beloved wife, who was suffering from cancer, wither away.

After Mrs. Marino's eventual passing, Mr. Marino found himself unable to repay Lorenzo's money, having exhausted his funds on medical expenses. All he had left was 2,000 Italy Lira.

In a desperate attempt to make a profit and repay Lorenzo's money before the six-month deadline, Mr. Marino opened the food store. However, things did not go as planned. Instead of turning a profit, he faced losses. Some of the food got spoiled and had to be discarded.

On that fateful day, Bella had volunteered to stay at the store so her father could rest from the stress he had been enduring. Little did she know that misfortune would strike on her very first day.

Now, she found herself a captive of the ruthless Mafia Lord.

After countless attempts to open the door, Bella finally gave up and sat on the floor, her arms wrapped around her body and her face buried between her legs, weeping.

Despite the exhaustion from her tears, Bella continued to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The sound of keys jingling soon made her jump up, thinking that she would finally be released from the room. However, instead of freedom, a guard appeared with a gun in his hand, causing her to retreat, knowing that resisting would only bring harm. A tray of food was pushed through the door, and it was immediately locked again.

This only fueled her determination to escape. She pounded on the door with all her strength, but there was no response, no one to open it.

Defeated, she slumped back onto the floor and angrily threw the plate of food against the wall.

All she wanted was to be free from this room, to see her father and throw herself into his embrace, and food was the last thing on her mind.

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her body felt weak. She couldn't muster the energy to move any longer, so she lay on the cold floor and fell into a deep sleep.

She awoke to the sound of keys jingling again. Her body immediately tensed as she waited for the door to open. The hallway light spilled into the room as the door swung open, revealing old lady Amato and two maids behind her.

The maids approached her and pulled her up, dragging her off the cold floor with them out of the room to god knows where.

"I demand to know where you're taking me to, let go of me this instant," Bella yelled angrily, trying to free herself from the tight grip of the two maids who paid no attention to her.

After walking for some minutes, Old lady Amato finally stopped Infront of a wooden door and swung it opened after which she entered with the two maids who dragged Bella in with them.

The scent of strawberries soon filled Bella's nostrils, promting her to raise up her head as she looked around, taking in her new surroundings.

A bath filled with steaming water and decorated with rose flower petals awaited her, and a young lady stood beside the bath, dressed in a white long fluffy gown and a black apron. Her hair was tied into a bond and her lips was curved into a beautiful smile.

A pink, fluffy gown also hung on a wooden stand just beside the bath, and lotions of different kinds and beautiful jewelries were placed on a table just beside the bath.

Bella does not need to be told that she was here for a bath.

"Undress!" commanded the old lady, her gaze unwavering. Bella hesitated, feeling the weight of their stares. She couldn't bring herself to remove her own clothes.

"Why should I undress? I never said I needed a bath," Bella managed to utter, even though she knew this would make the old lady standing in front of her get more angry.

Growing impatient, old lady Amato made eye contact with the other maids, who understood and moved closer to Bella and began ripping off Bella's clothes. She fought against their grip, yelling for them to let go, but a sharp slap soon silenced her.

"You will do as you're told. I make the rules here, so you must follow my rules," old lady Amato said with a hateful glare.

Bella stood frozen, her hand pressed against her stinging cheek, desperately holding back tears. She could swear that she saw stars the moment Old lady Amato hand landed on her left cheek.

The maids continued stripping her until she was completely naked. She tried to cover herself with her hands, feeling exposed and vulnerable.

'Let go of me, you'll surely pay for this," Bella cried bitterly as the tears which she had been struggling so hard to hold back, started falling down freely down her cheeks.

The maids guided her into the bath, the hot water scalding her skin. The lady by the bath scrubbed her soft white skin gently after which she began washing her long raven black hair.

After an hour of bathing, Bella was assisted out of the bath by the two maids.

They dressed her in a fluffy gown and a corset that accentuated her figure. Her hair was styled and adorned with beautiful accessories. Finally, her makeup was applied.

Bella was led to a large mirror and seated in front of it. She couldn't deny her own beauty, but it meant nothing in her current situation. Her life had been shattered the moment she entered this mansion.

The maids pulled her up and followed old lady Amato out of the bathroom now into a grand room. The aroma of food made Bella's stomach growl. She looked up to see a lavish spread of dishes on a golden table, surrounded by golden chairs.

They pulled out a chair for her and she sat down, and old lady Amato commanding her to eat. Bella was no doubt starving, so she obediently began devouring the food, unable to resist, telling herself that she would need the food to have strength in as much as she wants to escape from the prison-like mansion.

When she had eaten her fill, the maids cleared the table. They led her out of the dining hall, with the old lady Amato leading the way.

They soon stopped in front of a massive golden door, which old lady Amato unlocked and Bella was pushed inside while the door was locked from behind.

The room was opulent, filled with gold furniture, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and a luxurious queen-sized bed with a white bedspread. The dressing table was adorned with lotions, jewelries and different shades of makeup.

"Father! I miss you father," Bella cried bitterly as she walked towards the queen sized bed and took a seat on it.

Tired and weak, Bella couldn't resist the allure of the neatly made bed. She lay down, facing the ceiling, and closed her eyes, succumbing to sleep.

Bella awoke to the sound of heavy rainfall and loud thunderstorms. The wind caused the raindrops to sway, splashing water on her as they moved. She realized it was already late and couldn't believe she had slept for so long.

Quickly, she got out of bed and attempted to close the windows. However, her actions were halted when she noticed her father, Mr. Marino, arguing with two burly men armed with guns outside the mansion's main entrance.

"Father!" Bella called out, waving her hands in the air with a smile on her face, hoping he would see her. He was the only person she wanted to see at that moment, as she had been thinking about him.

Her joy quickly turned to sorrow as she witnessed one of the burly men kick her father, causing him to fall to the wet floor. The other man began hitting him with a stick.

"Father!" Bella screamed, her face filled with sorrow and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Let go of him, please!" she pleaded, but soon realized her voice was drowned out by the heavy rainfall and thunderstorm.

Desperate to save her father, Bella rushed to her bedroom door and started banging on it, hoping that Old Lady Amato or anyone passing by would open the door and let her out.

"Please, open the door! My father needs help," she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Go back, young lady. Old Lady Amato instructed us not to allow you to leave the room without her permission," one of the burly men guarding her room responded.

"Then bring her here, please. I need to talk to her," Bella said, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"We advise you to stop causing any more disturbance and go back to sleep," one of the men sternly cautioned.

"Just a moment, please. Let me speak to my father. I'm begging you," Bella continued to plead, sitting on the floor with her head against the door, tears rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably.

The burly men guarding her room door further paid no attention to her, which only made Bella even sadder. Her heart ached as she ran back to the window, seeing her father wincing in pain on the cold, wet floor.

The men outside continued to assault Mr. Marino and eventually forced him out of the mansion.

"I'll surely get revenge on those lowlifes," Bella swore bitterly, but she couldn't get the thought of her father out of her mind.

Her father had just been mercilessly beaten and thrown out of the mansion, covered in bruises, and all she could do was stay there without taking any action.

"No! I can't just sit and watch like this. I have to see if father is okay. I have to escape from this prison of a room," Bella muttered in sadness and despair.

She scanned the room, searching for a rope or anything that could help her climb down the window, but there was nothing in sight.

It seemed Old Lady Amato had ordered the maids to remove anything dangerous or potentially useful for her escape.

Bella's eyes soon landed on the big wardrobe beside the giant mirror. She approached it, hoping to find something helpful. She opened it and found different colors of beautiful, expensive gowns made of fluffy materials.

Without a second thought or appreciation for their value, Bella began taking the gowns down and sat on the floor, tying them together into a tight knot.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally finished, creating a long rope by tying together clothes of different colors and textures. She secured one end to the queen-sized bed leg and threw the excess out the window.

Carefully, she started climbing down the rope, taking each step with caution as a slip could be fatal.

Eventually, she reached the end of the rope and found herself outside the room.

The heavy rain continued to pour, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.

The mansion was filled with guards, making her mission of escaping even more challenging. However, Bella refused to give up and did her best to hide whenever she spotted a guard.

Her long black hair and gown were drenched, weighing heavily on her body.

She moved slowly under the rain, trying to avoid being noticed by the guards until her feet took her to the back of the mansion, where there were no guards in sight.

Knowing she couldn't pass through the gate, she realized climbing the fence was her only option. She searched for a ladder but found none.

"How am I supposed to climb this tall fence?" she thought, looking up at it with a sad and frustrated expression.

"Do you need any help?" a cold voice from behind asked. Bella turned to see a figure standing there, but it was too dark to see his face as the back of the mansion had no bulb.

"I'm trapped," she muttered to herself, gripping her gown tightly until her knuckles turned white.

"I asked if you need help," the voice repeated. Bella felt fear and remained silent, contemplating how she could escape from the stranger blocking her path.

"Grab her!" the voice ordered. Two more burly men stepped forward in an instant and seized Bella by her arms.

It became apparent that the stranger wasn't alone, as two other guards were waiting behind him. Their immediate compliance indicated that he must be a significant figure.

"Let go of me!" Bella yelled as the guards pulled her. The stranger walked ahead of them as they entered the mansion.

Everywhere in the mansion was illuminated by light bulbs, allowing faces to be recognized, except for the man who stood with his back facing Bella.

"My lord, we've been searching for her all over the house," Old Lady Amato said, rushing from an inner room with the two maids following behind her. They stopped before the man, bowing their heads.

"Get her some clothes to change into and bring her to my room when she's done," the man ordered before promptly leaving, leaving Bella, Old Lady Amato, and the two guards in the living room.

"Who is he? Why is everyone obeying him?" Bella wondered, but her thoughts were interrupted by a hard slap on her right ear from Old Lady Amato.

"How dare you?" yelled Old Lady Amato, her gaze filled with hatred.

"I...you..." Bella stuttered, as she held back her tears and swallowed hard.

"Grab her," ordered Old Lady Amato sternly. The two maids complied and seized Bella by her arm and forcefully dragged her with them to a nearby room.

In the room, Bella's wet clothes were replaced with a beautiful red gown, her hair blow-dried and decorated with different hair accessories, and the maids applied light makeup to her face.

Bella's heart ached as she realized her mission to see her father had failed, and she was now trapped in this prison-like room once again.

After Bella had been dolled up once again, the maids proceeded by dragging her by her arm, following Old Lady Amato out of the room. They soon stopped in front of another golden door which was opened by Old Lady Amato, and Bella was pushed in after which the door was locked from behind.

The room was decorated with golden furniture. Every corner of the room screamed luxury as Bella scanned around until her eyes fell on two men.

One of the men dressed in a black suit stood beside a big table while the other also dressed in an armless vest and black trousers stood beside him, armed with a gun. The man in a suit had a cigar in his hand, puffing out smoke from it. He had a striking appearance. His dark hair was slicked back with meticulous precision. His body was a work of art in itself, sculpted from years of rigorous training and discipline. He stood tall and proud, with broad shoulders that spoke of strength, and toned muscles that rippled beneath his tailored suits. Tattoos snaked up his arms and across his chest, each one a testament to his past and the battles he had fought and won. His dark, piercing eyes spoke of intelligence and cunning, while his smirk held a hint of danger.

'How can someone be this handsome?' Bella thought to herself as her gaze remained fixed on the man face.

"Why did you try to escape?" The man suddenly asked cutting Bella off her train of thoughts. He continued to puff smoke out of his cigar. His voice, whom Bella recognized instantly, was the man who captured her back into the mansion.

"And who are you?" Bella asked now with a serious expression.

"I'm Bernardi Lorenzo."