THE MAFIA’S HEIR

FRANCESCA’S POV

5 YEARS AGO

“I miss you mom.” I sighed deeply, my hands on the gravestone that had her name boldly encrusted on it. “I miss you so much, even if it’s been so many years already. I feel so alone all the time, hoping someone would finally fill that space.” I sighed hopefully. Maybe one day, I would finally have such a person in my life. That person who would never be okay seeing me shed a tear. That person who would always be there for me, no matter what. That person who would love me unconditionally. Seeing that I was already thinking far off, I sighed and gave an apology. “I’m sorry mom.” I smiled. “I know that today is just supposed to be for us to spend quality time together. Here.” I dropped the chrysanthemums on her gravestone. “I brought your favourite flowers, freshly picked by the florist just this morning. It’s afternoon already, so it is not soooo fresh anymore.” I chuckled at my own words. This felt lonely, but satisfying at the same time. I sighed and sat on the grass around her grave. “I have a lot to tell you today.” I sighed, tears clouding my eyes. “Papa has been so cruel to me. Oh!” I chuckled humourlessly. “It isn’t something you don’t know already.” I gave a shrug. “As you know already, yesterday was my birthday and….” That was how I started a tale of how much I cried on a day that was supposed to be memorable for me. I remained with my mama for hours and when I finally decided to make my way back home, I saw a very familiar face. He was too familiar for me to not know who he was. Manuel Russo.

The first time I had ever seen him was in a picture on the desk in my father’s study. It was a case of instant attraction, and I liked him immediately. It was easier for me to stalk him on the internet because my father had his name written at the back of the picture. I had crushed on him for a couple of years now, but I couldn’t try to reach out to him. He was a Russo man, and Ferraris didn’t associate with the Russos. And that had always made me wonder what father was doing with his picture years back. I was sure as hell that it wasn’t to harm him, if not he still wouldn’t be alive. But then, I was also very sure it was for the purpose of admiring him. So why?

Now, I was finally seeing him in reality for the first time, and my heart lurched at the sight of him. He seemed very disturbed and I could see how red his eyes were. What was the matter with him? My heart called out to him and I hid behind one of the gravestones, expertly tailing him behind until he got to one of the gravestones in the cemetry. I sat down a distance away from him, watching and waiting for him to be done with the conversation he was having with whomever it had been.

Soon, the cloud began to get darker and I knew it was about to rain heavily. It seemed to be his wake up call, because the next minute, he was standing to his feet and jogging out of the cemetery. I followed behind him, of course. Just when we got into our cars, the heavy downpour began. God! I couldn’t even see clearly. Nonetheless, I drove behind him diligently. We had only driven for a while before I heard a loud crash. I had literally heard the crash before even realizing that it happened just before me. Reflexly, I stepped on my brakes and my car came to a halt. I quickly took my face towel from my bag and wiped the fog off my wind shield, hoping to see more clearly. The only thing I had seen, was a familiar figure walking away from Manuel’s wrecked car. I sat still in my car, hoping he didn’t turn back and notice that it was me, and I had seen him. The next minute, he hopped into his car which was just behind the other car that had run into Manuel, before driving off. Fucking hell!

What had just happened? I thought…? I thought Papa had no such plans against Manuel? Why then, was Bernardo here?

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PRESENT DAY

The moment I looked at the pregnancy test kit in my hands, I released a very hot breathe, so much tears clouding my eyes. Someone should just bash my head against the wall already. God no! Not now. My hands shook badly, the test kit falling into the bathroom sink.

“Young lady! Step out of that bathroom now!” At hearing my father’s voice, I felt tears sting my eyes painfully. What was I going to do now?! His hunch was right, and he was going to be so mad.

“Papa…” I called out, trying to rid every trace of worry in my voice. “Give me a minute.”

“It seems to me that you do not realize what it means if you’re pregnant. Step out of that bathroom now!” His voice thundered, and I flinched in my spot. He was quite sure about it then. He only just wanted me to run a test for evidence sake. But how…? Swallowing hard, I pulled open the door and took slow steps out to the room. He was sitting on my bed, looking as angry and disappointed as could be.

“Of course!” He sighed, throwing his hands up in the air. “This was what you were busy doing for the past month, huh?!!” He yelled out in anger. Oh God, please. “You good for nothing!!”

“Papa please!” I choked out, going on my knees immediately. I had already started to regret my actions. How could I have been so stupid and careless with Massimo? God!! “Papa please do not disown me, you’re all I have.” I begged, tears streaming down my face.

“Oh?!! I am all you have??!! Were you thinking about that while you were busy spreading your legs to that Russo bodyguard?!!” At his words, my eyes widened in shock. Oh, how stupid I really was. Did I really think my father would not have his men tail me throughout the weeks I decided to stay away from home? “You had been so comfortable making a huge fool of yourself, not so?” He asked, his face holding nothing but disgust and disappointment. “Do you think I do not know what you have been up to. I gave you weeks to put yourself together, but you only ended up showing me how right I was about you. Just like your mother. An ingrate! A slut!” The next thing I knew, I was falling to the floor as a result of the impact from his slap. The entire left side of my face stung in pain and I squeezed it so hard, hoping it would make the pain go away as more tears poured from my eyes.

“That bodyguard…. a common bodyguard? You stooped that low Francesca?” He chuckled humourlessly. “He is responsible for your pregnancy, not so?” He impatiently tapped his foot against the floor. “Hmmmm…. he is soooo dead.” He smiled widely, a huge contrast to the deathly glare in his eyes. I knew it wasn’t a lame threat. I recognized that look in his eyes. It was…. he was going to make do on his word. Oh God! Massimo. No, not him. I couldn’t let that happen to him. I knew he was strong and tough, but when my father sets his mind to do something, he was going to do it no matter what it took. Not Massimo.

“Massimo?” I muttered, my lips quivering as I braced myself to tell a very great lie.

“That isn’t the name of the bodyguard? Sad.” He chuckled. “I thought that was the name I saw on the file Bernardo gave to me yesterday?” Of course, Bernardo. He was the one who always did my father’s dirty works.

“Massimo is his name.” I sniffled back my tears. “But…. he is not responsible for my pregnancy.” I muttered, gaze to the ground.

“Oh wow!” He groaned loudly. “Sluttier than I imagined. Which other man could you have snuck around with, that Bernardo failed to tell me about?” He placed his hand on his chin, feigning obliviousness. “And who is responsible?” He asked, catching me off guard. I looked up and swallowed hard.

“It’s… it… it’s Manuel.” I let it out, shutting my eyes tightly.

“You dare to tell me a lie?”

“No, it’s not a lie.” I rushed out. “It’s not a lie, Papa. Manuel is the father of my baby.” I cried. “Ma… Massimo and I always used protection.” I rushed out between cries.

“Oh? Then does it mean that your stupid and desperate stunt on Manuel may have come to this? Is this a result of drugging the Russo bastard?” He asked, his face as stoic as ever.

“Yes.” I lied once more. I knew I was doing something so wrong, but I couldn’t let him hurt Massimo. My father was a very dangerous man and when I thought about all the things that I know he had done, it always made me feel horrible. Massimo has been the only reason I found it possible to feel sane these days. I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to him on my account.

“I’m giving you a day to have him accept that child in your belly, and offer for your hand in marriage. Failure to achieve that, then I might make do on my plan that you had spoiled 5 years back.” My heart fell to the pit of my stomach and I watched in silence as he walked away.

“Papa please. Please can we stop all this?!!” I yelled out in a mix of anger, desperation, and frustration. For five years, I walked on edges in my relationship with Manuel, because I was always scared. I was scared that my father would try to kill him again at any given opportunity. I was scared that he would find out about the fact that I knew my father was the one who had tried to kill him 5 years ago. But what was I supposed to do, after seeing Bernardo that fateful day?! Rush back home and leave Manuel to die in his squashed up car?! No, I didn’t have the courage to do that to him.

“Stop what?” He turned back, giving me that oblivious look. It made me feel like going crazy.

“The killings. The Russos have suffered enough loss already. Because of you, their Nonna died, and their Nonno still mourns up until now.”

“It is not enough to pay for the death of your mother!!!! If you weren’t such a useless daughter to me, you would have helped me avenge your mother’s death, not save the man.”

“But none of them are the reason why mama is dead! Even if you want to blame anyone, it should be Dante Russo, and not the other innocent members of his family.”

“I would be the judge of that. And just so you know, if all these comes to me killing Manuel, then you cease to be my child. So whatever you do, make sure he accepts that child in your belly.”

“How can you do this to me? You have continually made my life a living hell!” I stood up from the floor, so much tears pouring from my eyes. “I am your child.” I whispered in disbelief. “You have made me live in pains, fear, humiliation, and heartbreak for the longest time. When is it all going to end? Do you not care about me? I am your daughter!!”

“No.” He shook his head slightly. “You are your mother’s daughter.” He spat in disgust. “I had only taken pity on you, after that last stunt you pulled, trying to kill yourself. I finally agreed to give you and that boy a chance, but what did he do?!!” He laughed at me. “Cheat on you and marry another woman in your stead! You have just one day to make him take responsibility for that child, by offering to marry you.” He sneered.

“But it doesn’t even make any sense. I would never be happy, knowing he would never love me. I would never feel at peace and satisfied.” I tried to reason with him.

“And that is just what you deserve.” He muttered, before walking out of my room and banging the door shut behind him.

Life with Manuel may have been something I had always hoped for and wanted, but lately, I realized I didn’t want it anymore. Instead, I found myself thinking of what life with Massimo would be like. I knew it was never going to work because of my father, and that is why I tried not to let him so close. I tried my best to not connect with him emotionally, no matter how much I felt myself getting vulnerable around him. I thought that having just his body, was more than enough. But now, I realise that I thought wrong. Needing his body so badly has put him in danger. I would have pushed him away. I would have stopped seeing him, but damn my body and the desires that sparked within me whenever I thought about him. It was all messed up, and all I know is that I’m gonna do anything to make sure he is safe. Even if it means lying about his child. I also couldn’t let my father kill Manuel, regardless of where we both stood in each other’s lives now.