The Mafia's Seduction

When Sofia Russo arrived at the DropDead Casino, it was already 9:00 p.m.

At a time like this, it was not safe for a fragile lady to be here alone and to add to the fact that this was Italy, a country controlled by gangsters, but she had no other choice as she had to make deliveries.

If she had it her way then she wouldn't have shown up. However, there was no other option. Life was not easy, she needed money for her daughter's needs. She had to admit it was not easy being a single mother, but it was better than being stuck with a man.

She pulled her skirt trying to cover her flesh perfectly before grabbing the delivery box and making her way inside.

DropDead Casino was a famous hangout space for filthy men who come to squander money and also meet with little chicks, it was owned by the greatest mafia lord in the country.

The place was furnished lavishly, and even the elevators were lined with gold and silver. Sophia simply held the box and did not let her eyes wander.

The elevator stopped on the second floor with a 'ding'. She walked out and quickly noticed this hall was not the same as the one downstairs which was filled with drunk men scattering money over seeds.

Here, it was calm and had closed rooms. She did not expect less from a Casino as such, it was made for naughty and dirty men so a room for their dirty activities was needed.

Even before she could come back to her senses, there were already licentious and fevered moans of men and women coming from each of the rooms. She curled her lips up in disgust as she retracted her phone to dial her client's number as there was no way she was going any further.

Before she could dial the number, she heard footsteps from behind her and quickly turned.

"You are late." The man stood tall and had a disgusting smile. Two seconds later, she replied hesitantly.

"Tony"

Sophia was startled as she never expected to meet him ever again, not after she sent him to jail for harassment.

The man standing there was tall, with short hair. He wore a white shirt and black jeans, and under the glow of the corridor light, his face was filled with hatred and lust.

Sophia's face instantly went cold when she finally understood what was happening, Tony had used an anonymous number to order from their company and he specifically ordered for her to deliver the product.

"How dare you!" Sophia said and clenched her fist tightly.

"Is this the way to say hello to your husband?" he sneered "Ex-husband" Sophia corrected.

"You look even hotter when angry, and guess what? I get aroused real fast" Every word he uttered made Sophia feel like vomiting, but she had to escape from this situation first.

"Jail didn't teach you any lesson" She turned to leave when Tony pulled her back and then pushed her to the wall, she felt an excruciating pain well up to her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You thought you already got rid of me? I told you this wasn't over" he crouched and held her neck tightly, she found it hard to breathe and kept pushing him away but didn't succeed. "Leave...me" She struggled and said few words but Tony's eyes were filled with lust and hatred. This was the same look he had whenever he attempted to flog the hell out of her, those painful memories came rushing to her.

"You, me, and my daughter will be together again. You hear me?" he asked and she shook her head in denial as she struggled to speak "I do..rather die"

Tony got angry and slapped her hard across the face, Sophia felt her head spin as her vision became blurred, there was no one to help her, and she was no match for Tony.

Unexpectedly, as she was about to lose hope, her sight was met with a pair of deep and dangerous eyes. They belonged to a man in a dark suit. He had a tall and straight figure, rough short hair, and eyes as deep as a bottomless sea of stars.

In the back of her mind, she thought he looked familiar.

"I need space" his cold voice echoed from behind as the corridor was blocked by them, Tony turned to see the owner of the voice but instead he trembled to see the man, they were two men.

One was Luca Greco, the rude mafia lord who returned to the country yesterday with his three sisters. He was feared by everyone because of his merciless attitude and also the fact that he had the law by his side.

The other man standing a few inches behind him was Marco Santoro, he was known as the 'Spin man'. He was Luca's, trusted man.

Tony nodded and used his legs to push Sophia out of the way, he bowed his head slightly and waited for Luca to pass. But instead, Luca's gaze landed on the fragile lady.

He took a proper look at her and glared at Marco who understood what he wanted.

"I will take it from here," Marco said to Tony who didn't understand his words, Luca was known as someone who never puts his nose where it doesn't belong. So why will his man suddenly want to interfere?

"But..."

"Do you have a problem with that, Mr. Moretti?" Marco butted in and Tony knew better than to go against Luca.

He took a final glance at Sophia who looked miserable on the floor, with a dejected look he finally left.

Luca didn't stay for long, he clenched his fist and hurried away. Seeing that young lady brought back the memories he had buried deep in his mind.

He could recognize her everywhere.

Sophia gathered her strength and stood up quickly "What do you need in return? I will pay back" she blurted, she had learned never to trust men as they never do anything for free.

Marco shook his head in amusement, his boss had everything ranging from money to women. Just because he helped this lady, doesn't mean he wants her.

"You are ungrateful," Marco said before following Luca, Sophia watched them leave and her mind was a mess, what if Tony was waiting for her downstairs? She was too weak to bump into him again so there was no way she will take that risk.

With that thought in mind, she rushed down the corridor and found the lady's restroom, she walked in and closed it from inside before retracting her phone to dial her friend's number.

She thought of calling her best friend Laura but it was not right for her to call a lady to come to her rescue as she might endanger herself by walking into this casino, so she called her brother, Carlo, but he didn't pick.

Sophia was at a loss of what to do, then there was a knock on the door "Miss Russo, two guards are here to take you home" the lady from outside said, Sophia was confused, how did they know her name and why will anyone send guards to take her home?

Sophia lingered at the door for a few minutes, wondering if Tony had sent the guards to bring her. She had to be cautious.

"Miss, please come out quickly. They are men sent by Mr. Santoro," the lady said, and Sophia hesitated for a moment. Tony's last name was Moretti, so who was this Mr. Santoro? She had to leave this place somehow, so she decided to trust her instincts and finally walked out.

A hostess stood there with an elegant smile, and behind her were two security men. Their uniform had the logo 'DD', which signified that they were workers there.

"They will take you home safely. No need to worry," the hostess assured her, and Sophia nodded, having decided to trust her instincts. There was no turning back.

---

Luca arrived at the hotel room where he planned to have some fun, but he was no longer in the mood after he crossed paths with the lady from the corridor.

"Leave," he ordered the half-naked woman on his bed, and she got confused but quickly left the room. Marco walked in and saw the frown on Luca's face.

"The guards took her home already," he reported, and Luca glared at him, unsure if he was mistaken about the lady.

"Who was that earlier?" he wanted to make sure that she was the one.

"Do you mean the guy? He is the son of Gideon Moretti, the sixth most powerful gangster family in the country. He just returned from prison a few days ago," Marco Santoro replied quickly.

Luca frowned slightly, "I am talking about the girl."

"Uhm, I will check right away..."

"No need," Luca interrupted him. He thought deeply for a few seconds, before he ran away from this country with his sisters. He had a neighbor who stammered a lot, and he was her only friend because no one wanted to be friends with her because of her way of speaking. She was adorable. His lips hooked up in a smile.

Then, he finally left the casino, along with Marco as he had other things to take care of.

---

Carlo Russo finally got home and found his niece, Isabella, with his sister's best friend Laura. It was late, and he never expected not to find his sister at home.

"She went to deliver some products," Laura explained, and Carlo frowned, wondering why she had to go deliver so late at night.

"Where? I will go pick her up," he said, sounding worried, but then they heard a car park in front of the house.

They hurriedly checked and saw a black, shiny Bentley, and to their surprise, Sophia walked down and waved at the car.

Carlo, being an overprotective brother, hurried outside. "Who is that?"

Sophia knew how short-tempered her brother was, and if she explained what happened tonight, then he might pull a gun on Tony, which might not end well.

"The client sent his driver to drop me off," she lied, and Carlo sighed in relief. "Uhm, where is Bella?" she asked as they both walked in.

"She is sleeping already. It's late," he explained, and now that they were in a well-lit room, he could have a clear look at her face, which had slight bruises.

"You lied to me. Who did this to you?" Carlo clenched his fist angrily, and Laura also noticed the bruises, which made them worried.

"It's nothing. I have work early," Sophia quickened her pace and hurried to her room.

"Where did she go?" Carlo asked Laura, hoping that she might know where his sister got those bruises. "To deliver. I don't know where. And yes, I have to leave now...goodnight," Laura picked up her bag and left.

Sophia walked into the bedroom where she found her daughter, Isabella, sleeping calmly on the bed. With a soft smile, she sat beside her and used her fingers to brush Bella's hair.

She couldn't believe Tony's audacity today. If those men hadn't shown up, then he would have done worse to her. But instead, she acted like a spoiled brat and didn't appreciate the man who helped her.

---

The next morning, Sophia woke up in a haste and got dressed. She had to drop her daughter off at school and also make it early to work.

"Mother, I am ready to leave," Bella was dressed in her school uniform, and she had a cute smile. Sophia had used makeup to cover the bruises on her face because she didn't want to make her daughter sad.

"Let's go then," they both walked out of their small apartment and took a cab. Minutes later, Sophia dropped her daughter off at school before rushing to get a cab.

She was in such a hurry that she didn't pay attention to the two classy ladies who had their eyes glued to her.

"It's Sophia," Valentina Greco said to her sister, who glared at Sophia for a while before nodding in agreement. "She looks different now."

"It's been fifteen years; of course, she had to change... but she will never recognize us," Valentina Greco said, knowing that Sophia was her brother's friend before the tragedy that happened, and they had to leave the country.

Her older sister, Angelina, frowned at her. "You're not supposed to say that out loud. Remember what our brother told us. We don't know anyone here; we must keep our cover."

Valentina nodded and stared at Sophia until she got into the cab, which drove away. "Do you think our brother still likes her?"

Angelina couldn't help but laugh hard. Her brother, who had a stone heart? "Never," she blurted.

Sophia arrived at the office and was about to go in when the security guards stopped her. "You need to make an urgent delivery," the guard said, which confused her. If she had to make a delivery, then the guard was in no position to tell her that.

Was this planned by Tony?

"I don't think so," she replied when the same black car that dropped her off yesterday stopped in front of them.

"Shall we?" the driver asked.

"No... what's going on? Tell Tony to go to hell," Sophia said, scared to her wits. Would her ex-husband never get over her?

"You don't have a choice. Think about your daughter," the driver pulled out a gun, and hearing him mention her daughter, Sophia got in without hesitation when he drove away.

"Where are we going?" Sophia asked, but the driver didn't pay any attention to her. Sophia got to thinking this through. Of course, Tony was from a wealthy family, but he was not rich and couldn't afford such a car, let alone a driver.

If this was not arranged by Tony, then it was arranged by Mr. Santoro, whom she had no idea who he was.

Minutes later, the car stopped in front of a vast and imposing mansion. The paint color was dull, but the mansion was highly secured with armed men, and some men patrolled around with dogs.

This place looked like it belonged to the mafia. Sophia had tried every way possible to never get involved with one of the godfathers in this country, so how did she end up here?

"Come," the driver said as he held his gun tightly. This made her obey him as they ascended the stairs and into the sitting room.

The place was huge indeed, but what caught her attention was the familiar screams. By the window, there were some armed men, and a man was on the chair, badly injured and tied up.

It was her brother, Carlo.

"Carlo!" she couldn't believe the state her brother was in. Did he get involved with a gangster, and he ended up in this situation? "Run, sister, run!" Carlo yelled out in surprise as he saw his sister here.

Sophia was in tears as she was about to run to her brother, but she was stopped by the driver who brought her. "Let him go! How dare you guys do this to my brother?" she struggled to push the man away, but her strength was light.

"Leave my sister," Carlo scolded, his face covered in blood.

Upstairs stood two men who watched the scene for a while before deciding to come downstairs.

"Please have mercy, please...." Carlo pleaded, he knew his fate depended on this man but he never meant to betray him.

"Make him shut up," Marco ordered the men, who nodded before placing a cloth around Carlo's mouth.

Sophia was in a state of shock. These were the two men who helped her yesterday. Why did they hurt her brother and forcefully bring her here?

"Spin," Luca ordered, and Carlo's eyes widened in shock. He was a man, and every man in this country knew what it meant for Luca Greco to say "spin."

Countless tears rolled down his cheek as he stared at his sister. This might be the last time they would see each other again. Marco, known as the spin man, walked forward holding a silver coin, and the guards got their weapons ready.

"What... what are you doing?" Sophia could feel the atmosphere becoming more tense when this man said 'spin.' Was he going to kill her brother?

Marco spun the coin in the air, and it landed softly on his palm. He took a glance at the coin and then at Carlo before he smiled.

"Live or die?" Luca asked. Heads meant live, while tails meant death. This was Luca Greco, the mafia lord who determined the fate of his enemies through a worthless silver coin. He took life like a joke.

"Live," Marco blurted, and Carlo sighed in huge relief. Today was indeed his lucky day.

"Did you just decide my brother's life with a coin?" Sophia asked in disbelief. A human's life was no game.

Luca glared at her for a while. He couldn't sleep last night because all his thoughts were drifting to her. Why did they have to meet again? But now that they had met, he couldn't let her go.

"Walk with me," he ordered, and she sneered. "Release my brother."

Luca stared at his men, and they quickly untied Carlo. He was too weak and couldn't stand up on his own.

Sophia ran towards him and supported him. She glared upstairs and found the prettiest lady she had ever seen standing there. The lady looked fragile and innocent; she watched the scene without batting an eye.

Luca followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at his sister. He had four sisters, but three of them were fighters, while the other was a princess.

"You're a liar," she scolded from upstairs and hurried downstairs towards him.

"Camilla, be calm. We have guests," Luca warned. He didn't want his sister to blurt out all their secrets in front of them.

"Guests?" Sophia sneered as she stood up with her brother. "More like culprits."

Marco and the others were shocked. She sneered at Luca Greco. Even her brother got scared and held her hands tightly, signaling for her to stay quiet.

"Marco, take them home. If she doesn't want to, then kill them," Luca's tone was dangerous and sharp. Sophia didn't object as she was taught never to mess with a gangster, but who was this gangster? She grew up in this country and had never seen him before.

Later, when Sophia left with her brother, Luca turned towards his sister Camilla.

"Brother," Angelina called as she walked in with Valentina. They saw Sophia get into the car and drive away. Did their brother reunite with his old friend again?

"Luca lied to us. He told us we were now different people with different names and identities, and we should forget about anyone we knew in this country. But he just invited his childhood crush over," Camilla scolded in anger.

It had been two days since they arrived in the country, and she had always wanted to go and meet her childhood friend, who happened to be her crush. But it was impossible, as Luca said they should forget about their old friends and feelings as they were here for revenge.

"Brother wouldn't do that," Valentina said. Her brother wanted revenge so badly, so he wouldn't do that.

"Tomorrow night, there will be a ball where every family worth fifteen million dollars and more will be invited, and they must attend. The revenge plan starts tomorrow," Luca explained, turning to leave when Camilla followed him.

"You said love is our weak point, but I saw the way you stared at Sophia earlier. Just admit the fact that you also have a heart."

Luca stopped in his tracks and stared at Camilla, then his other sisters. "I have a heart, and I love just my sisters."

With that said, he left for his room. Angelina, shortly known as Lina, approached Camilla angrily.

"What's wrong with you? Do you want us to forfeit the revenge plan? Don't forget what the monsters in this country did to us, including the family of the man you love so dearly."

"Aren't we monsters as well?" Camilla sneered.

Meanwhile...

Sophia helped her brother sit on the couch as she got a towel to wipe his face. Her face was red from crying.

"Don't cry. Mother and father are watching over us," he said. If not for his parents' blessing, then how was he able to survive the game of toss?

"How did you end up in the home of a gangster? I thought we agreed on this," Sophia said, concerned.

Carlo clenched his fist tightly as he thought about the events of today. "I was tricked. I never knew I would be stealing from him. I thought it was another gangster," he said. This made Sophia confused. She knew her brother was associated with gangsters, and that was how he got his little money. But how was he tricked?

"I will never steal from Luca Greco. The employer didn't tell me I would be stealing from Luca...he tricked me, and this almost cost me my life," he said, furious. Sophia poured a jar of water on him.

"You told me you would never steal again, and look where you ended up on your attempt to steal. And did you just say Luca Greco? You stole from Luca Greco?" Sophia was shocked. That man was Luca. She had fewer details about gangsters and all, but everyone in Italy knew that the underworld was ruled by Luca Greco. He was a man not to mess with, and she never thought that her path would one day cross with his.

"I messed up, sister, but I am sorry...after seeing your bruises yesterday, I needed money so that you would stop working."

"Don't you dare blame this on me. I am your elder sister, and my only wish was for my brother not to end up being a gangster like every man in this country. Why couldn't you be a detective or police officer like our elder brother, Damon?" Sophia scolded, and Carlo chuckled.

"You are too naïve, sister. Police officers don't survive in this country. Damon is hated and targeted by a lot of gangsters...that's not a decent job here in Italy."