The Mafia King's Obsession

Janelle's POV

"Ella!" I heard a voice that sent shivers down my spine.

I stood frozen in shock, my eyes fixed on the shattered remains of the exquisite vase that had been in the hallway for years. My mind raced as I heard footsteps come closer and closer. I felt my heart in my throat. I hadn't been careful enough while cleaning it, and it had slipped from my hand and broken into pieces. My eyes watered as I knew what this meant.

Before I could even process what had happened, I felt a stinging sensation across my cheek. I turned to face my stepsister, Xena, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, her eyes blazing with anger. She was two years older than me, with short, wavy brunette hair and brown eyes that were anything but warm. She was the daughter of my stepmother, Maria, who had married my wealthy dad a few years after my mom died.

Dad was the best thing that ever happened to me. He raised me after Mom died giving birth. Our lives were perfect until I turned eight and Dad married Maria, who already had a daughter, Xena, from her previous marriage.

Dad loved Maria, and I was happy for him, but Maria and Xena were demons. They pretended to love me when Dad was around, but behind his back, they made me suffer. I endured it all until I turned ten and couldn't anymore.

Dad was always traveling and had no idea what was going on. I cried to him, and he was furious when he learned what had happened. He threw them out of the house. They were in the middle of the divorce process when Dad was suddenly involved in an accident and died.

My world came crashing down at that moment, and I cried for days. Since Maria was legally Dad's wife, she became my guardian, and I turned into her full-time servant. Dad was very wealthy, and I knew that was why Maria married him. She had all the wealth now, but not for long. During the divorce process, Dad had willed all his properties to me, which I could only access when I turned eighteen. So, I became a servant in my father's house, crying every day and counting down to my eighteenth birthday when I could throw them both out and make them pay for everything they put me through.

"You clumsy fool, Janelle!" Xena's voice snapped me back to reality, laced with venom as she glared at me. "That vase was an heirloom passed down from my great-grandmother! It's irreplaceable, and you've ruined it!"

I stumbled backward, my hand instinctively rising to my burning cheek. "Xena, I-I'm so sorry! It was an accident!" I bit my tongue. If Maria found out what I had done, I would be in trouble.

Xena's expression darkened. "An accident? You're always so careless, Janelle! You have no idea of the value of things. That vase was worth a small fortune, and now it's gone, thanks to your recklessness!"

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as Xena's words cut deep. I knew she was right; I had always been a bit more accident-prone than my sister. But I never meant to cause harm.

"Please, Xena, don't tell Lady Maria," I begged, my voice shaking. "She'll be so upset. I promise to make it up to her somehow. I'll replace it; she'll never know."

Xena scoffed. "Replace it? You could never afford to replace it. There's only one in the world, and you think you can replace it?"

Her words widened my eyes in fright.

Xena's expression softened slightly, but her eyes gleamed with calculating intensity. "I might keep quiet, Janelle... but only if you agree to my terms."

My heart raced as I hesitated, sensing that Xena's condition would come at a steep price. But I had no choice; I had to keep Maria from finding out.

"What do you want, Xena?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Xena's smirk grew wider, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, I'll tell you what I want, Janelle. And you'll have to agree if you want me to keep your secret safe."

And I stupidly nodded, unaware that this would change my life forever.

A few hours later

"Good, you're dressed like the slut you are," Xena said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

I stood there in her short strapless dress and black heels, feeling very uncomfortable. My black hair had been curled and looked shiny. Although I had natural red hair like my mother, Xena was jealous and insisted I dye it black, claiming my red hair outshone hers.

She applied light makeup and painted my lips red.

"Xena, I don't think this is a good idea," I mumbled nervously, and she hit me harshly across the face, frowning with irritation.

"I am being a good sister by taking the blame for you. You should be grateful. I'll be grounded for months. Now we'll go to the hotel. I've spoken to a friend, Mr. Jones; you'll please him for the night and bring the money to me so I can get the new iPhone! Tiffany will be so jealous," Xena squealed, and I flinched in horror.

"P... Please him?" I repeated, and she glared at me.

"What? Don't act all innocent; it's just a one-night stand. Don't worry, I've asked him to use protection. You're welcome," she waved nonchalantly, and I shook my head at the thought.

Xena was nineteen and more wild and outgoing. She had had a couple of boyfriends over the years and had probably been intimate with them. It was no big deal for her, but I, on the other hand, was as shy as a baby and had never had a boyfriend.

I was scared and didn't want my first time to be with a stranger, but I felt trapped and had no choice. If Maria ever found out, I wasn't sure I would even live to experience my first time.

"Let's go! Mom is out for the night, and she mustn't hear a word of this. If you spill, I will kill you," she threatened, and I nodded mutely. She pushed me into the car and drove off. Of course, she had a car; she and Maria had been spending Dad's money-my money-on lavish things while leaving scraps for me.

But all of that was going to end soon. I had just turned seventeen a month ago; I had less than a year left to live with these people before I would be free. We pulled up to a five-star hotel, and not surprisingly, Xena knew the manager.

"Room 313; he's there, waiting for you," Xena said coldly. "Be back home before Mom returns." With that, she left. My eyes widened; how was I supposed to go home? I didn't have any money on me, and I was supposed to give her all the money from tonight.

I walked toward the elevator, searching for room 313.

Janelle's POV

I read the room number for the second time. It was Hotel Suite 303. I took a deep breath before opening the door that had been given to me. The room was unexpectedly dark. I shut the door behind me, making it pitch black. It was cold, and the little dress I wore didn't help.

I felt a presence behind me; I couldn't see him, but I could tell he was much taller than me. He held my shoulder, making me shudder. He tore my light gown off my body like it was nothing, making me gasp.

He stripped me of all my clothes and pushed me to the bed. Gentle, this man was unexpectedly gentle. And he smelled nice too. His hair was curly and very soft. I felt his lips gently around mine. He kissed me, stealing my first kiss.

Suddenly, he bent and captured my lips. I froze, confused and still. "Relax," he said, hotly against my mouth. His voice was the deepest and sexiest voice I had ever heard. He tasted faintly of alcohol; he must be tipsy.

He gently pushed me to the bed, and I felt him inside me. It hurt, it hurt so much. I wanted it to end; I couldn't stop him. For the rest of the night, I could only make muffled noises.

I didn't know how much time I spent sobbing on the bed, but when I woke up, it was morning. The room was empty, and, as I expected, it was large and beautiful. I hadn't seen it last night due to the darkness. The bed was large and felt very comfortable; I hadn't been on a bed this soft and comfortable since my dad died.

I tried to move but felt sore between my legs. I looked down to see dried, red, sticky stuff staining my inner thigh. I knew what it meant; I was no longer a virgin. Then I noticed something that made my eyes widen. There were bundles of money lying on the bed. He must have left it there for me to take; at least something good came out of this nightmare.

I stood up with the help of the wall, limping. I wore my clothes, packed the money inside my small purse, and walked painfully out of the suite.

I couldn't believe I was no longer a virgin, and it was all because of Xena. I cried silently inside the cab on my way home; I hated my life so much.

_THREE MONTHS LATER_

I fell tiredly onto my small bed and suddenly felt nauseous. I held my stomach and ran to my small bathroom with one hand covering my mouth to throw up. I washed my face and came out, only to meet my stepmom, Maria, and her daughter, Xena, staring at me like I was some sort of disease.

"So, you're pregnant," Maria snarled, throwing my pregnancy test at me. I stood there, frozen in shock. It felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had been thrown at me instead of paper.

I gulped nervously and squeezed the paper in my palm. Where did she get it from? I thought I had hidden it well. I looked at Xena, who had an evil smirk on her face. This must have been her doing; she must have been snooping around and found it. Oh God, I was going to die.

"Who's the father?" Maria spat, glaring daggers at me.

"She's probably slept with thousands of men and doesn't even know who the father of the bastard in her wretched womb is," Xena mocked, and I bowed my head in shame.

She was right; I didn't even know the father of my unborn baby. I was angry I had let Xena manipulate me into having a one-night stand with an unknown man. If I had known this would happen, I would have taken the blame for the vase I broke. I was barely surviving in this world, and now I was going to bring a baby into it.

Before I could say another word, Maria landed a heavy slap on my face, making me stagger and fall back onto the floor.

"You bitch," Maria snarled. "After your useless father died, I took care of you, fed you, clothed you, and even sent you to school, and this is how you repay me?"

"You know, when your mother was alive, she was a slut, a whore who sold her body cheaply, and you are no different," Maria threw harshly at me. "I will only allow you to stay in this house for the sake of your late father, but I am not feeding that thing." She pointed at my stomach. "Since you are now big enough to spread your legs for men, you're big enough to start working. I give you a week to find a job, and all your salary goes to me" Maria thundered and stormed out of the room.

"I guess it runs in the family, Whore" Xena added and turned to leave but I held her, tears falling from my eyes.

"Xena, you set me up, you knew this would happen" I bit my lips. She had arranged for this, and I watched her smirk widen.

"I was only being a good sister; who knew you would go ahead and get yourself pregnant in the process? How could you be so dumb?" She snickered, laughing at my helpless state and I felt my heart break even more.

"w. Would you at least tell me who the man was? " I asked, my lips trembling. I never got to see him, I never got to know his name and I knew since Xena had planned it all, she probably knew who he was.

Maybe he could help me.

"what do you plan to do huh? Run to him and tell him you're having a child. And then what? He marries you and you live happily ever after. Come back to reality, little sister," She snapped at me, yanking her clothes from my hand.

"He is a married and successful man with children. Do you think he would accept a child from a slut like you and let you ruin his marriage? I'll tell you what he'll do; he'll order your silent execution so his wife and kids never find out, so I'll do you a favor by never telling you. You're welcome again," She said cockily and walked out of the room, leaving me in tears.

Tears rolled down my cheeks uncontrollably.

EIGHT MONTHS LATER

Janelle's POV

I ran with my two-month-old baby, Reid, in my arms. He was screaming and crying, and I couldn't get him to stop. My heart was racing as I tried to calm him down while trying to escape.

I had given birth to my beautiful baby boy, Reid, two months ago. The first time I saw him open his big blue eyes, I knew it was worth it – everything I went through, all the suffering I endured over the last few months. It was worth it all.

He had strawberry blonde hair and light blue eyes, none of which he got from me. He must look like his father.

After discovering I was pregnant, Maria threw me out onto the streets to find a job. I ended up as a waitress at a little restaurant run by a sweet old couple and a girl my age. They were kind and never judged me. The couple knew what I was going through with Maria and her daughter and would give me extra money to save and extra food when they starved me.

I went into labor at the restaurant and was rushed to the hospital, where I had my beautiful baby. The couple also took care of my bills, and I was grateful.

I returned home two days later, and Maria hit me, asking where I had been for the last two days. I explained that I had gone into labor and just had my baby, Reid. When she saw him, she looked shocked and then commented on how ugly he was, telling me to keep him away from her.

The couple and their daughter, Valerie, helped me with Reid. When I told them about Maria and Xena spending what rightfully belonged to me, the couple prepared lawyers to fight for my right to my dad's property as soon as I turned eighteen, which I looked forward to.

However, a day before my 18th birthday, I overheard Xena and Maria planning to kill me and Reid to have Dad's property all to themselves. I was terrified and immediately packed my things to escape and meet Valerie and her parents, where I knew I would be safe until I got what belonged to me.

I ran faster; I knew they were after me. They must have caught me on the security cameras; I couldn't let them get Reid. I needed to drop him off with the old couple, but they were getting closer.

I turned into a very dark street; it was a night with the moon almost completely invisible. I wrapped Reid, who wouldn't stop crying, and placed him carefully beside a large bin where he wouldn't be noticed.

"I promise I'll be back for you," I kissed him and wore the necklace I made for him with little cheap beads that spelled Reid. I kissed his head one last time before running away.

I heard footsteps behind me, but I wasn't fast enough. The three guards sent after me circled me with smirks on their ugly faces.

"You're pretty, Janelle; it's bad you have to die," and with that, he shot me. I didn't react fast enough; I couldn't react fast enough. Before I could blink, he had released the trigger, and I saw the little bullet flying toward me.

It hit me hard in the chest with such force that sent me flying. That was it; I fell to the ground as darkness surrounded me. At least my baby will be safe; Reid would be safe.

........

A tall man strolled down the dark alley with his hands in his pockets and his hoodie covering his face. He looked like a normal 20-year-old; no one would have guessed he was the most powerful and richest mafia king in America.

He passed a bin and heard the cry of a baby. At first, he thought he was imagining things, but the cry became louder. Curious, he went closer and was shocked to find a baby wrapped at the back of the bin like it was hiding.

Who in their right senses would put a baby at the back of a bin? His cries became louder, and he was forced to pick him up. He immediately stopped crying the moment the man picked him up.

He was wearing a huge, beautiful beaded necklace that spelled the name Reid.

"Reid," he mumbled, his deep voice making the baby look up; his blue eyes mirroring the man's eyes. The man used his pinky finger to clean his tears, and surprisingly, the little blonde boy wrapped his small hand around his pinky and giggled, making him smile.

Such a cute child; why would anyone drop him there? The man thought and noticed a drop of water fall on his face, making the boy sneeze. It was drizzling, and it was cold. The boy was barely covered; he needed to get him out of there.

The man quickly walked to his sleek black car with little Reid in his arms and raced to his hospital; he wasn't a doctor, but he was a doctor, but he was a young, successful CEO who owned a hospital. He had fallen in love with this baby and knew he was keeping him.

He held the child in his arms and drove off with one hand, passing a car with a sweet middle-aged couple driving in it.

Kate sat next to her husband, David, as he drove happily. They had been married for almost twenty years and were never blessed with a child.

David suddenly stopped the car and ran out, startling Kate.

"David, wait up!" she yelled, running after him, only to see him kneeling in front of a black-haired girl. She looked so young and beautiful. Kate gasped; she was bleeding badly, with a hole in her stomach.

"How did she end up there like this?" Kate wondered.

"Come on, Kate; we need to get her to the hospital," David said, lifting her while Kate assisted him to the car. They quickly drove to the nearest hospital and were assisted by a nurse who came with a stretcher.

"Who is she to you?" the doctor asked Kate, holding a file.

"Our daughter," she answered quickly, and David gave her a confused look, wondering why she gave such an answer.

"Well, I don't know how she got shot, but she hit her head badly, and she won't be able to remember anything," the doctor explained. Kate gasped in horror.

"She's been shot, but by whom? Such a young girl, could she be involved in the dirty business?" Kate thought.

"Is she going to be okay?" David asked.

"Yes, she will be fine in a few weeks, but you need to fill out the form. What's her name?" the doctor asked.

"Janelle, Janelle," Kate answered. She had always wanted to name her daughter Janelle.

"Alright, I assure you, your daughter is in safe hands," the doctor said and left.

David pulled his wife to the side, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes, I agreed to save her, but you can't just lie to the doctor like that. We know nothing about that girl or where she's from," David said to Kate.

Kate sighed.

"We don't have a child, David. This might as well be a gift to us after all these years. Since she has amnesia and probably won't remember anything after she wakes up, why don't we just adopt her?" Kate suggested.

Just then, a man holding a baby ran past them, and all the nurses quickly ran to him.

Xavier parked roughly at the parking lot and carried little Reid into the hospital. He hurriedly walked past the middle-aged couple to his private office; the woman was staring at him weirdly until he got to his office and shut the door.

The office was like an apartment itself. He dropped little Reid on the queen-sized bed in his office and dialed his doctor's number, Thomas.

"Tom, come to my office now," Xavier ordered coldly and impatiently.

In less than a minute, the old bald doctor was there, looking from Xavier to the baby on the bed weirdly.

"Check him and make sure he's fine," Xavier said coldly, not bothering to give any explanation to the visibly confused doctor.

"Sir...may I ask...who...who is he?" Doctor Thomas stammered.

"He's my son," Xavier snapped, surprising both himself and the doctor. He didn't know where that came from, but he found himself liking it. It wasn't like he could abandon the child now.

"Just check him and get clean clothes for him," Xavier glared at the doctor and walked out.

_A Few Days Later_

Xavier held Reid's little hand as he slept quietly in the new baby crib he had ordered. Reid was in new, expensive clothes and still wore that huge necklace that said Reid.

Xavier stared at the baby, wondering if Reid was his actual name.

"Reid," he mumbled to himself. He liked the name.

Just then, someone knocked gently on the door.

"Enter," Xavier ordered coldly.

Doctor Thomas entered, adjusting his glasses with a file in his hand.

"Sir, I think you need to see this," he said, giving Xavier the file.

"What's that?" Xavier asked with his hands in his pocket.

"It's...it's...a DNA test. I ran a DNA test on your son, and it's positive," he said.

"What?" Xavier asked.

"Yeah, his DNA matches yours. He is your son," the doctor said, leaving Xavier gobsmacked.