A Mafia Queen in Love

The night sky hung darkly over the Alarico building, reflecting Cassie's dark mood. The large hall inside the building was filled with formally dressed guests, the sound of low chatter and the clash of wine glasses crashing against each other in the air. But, to Cassie, all of that was just a backdrop. Everything felt empty.

She stood in the hall's center in an elegant black dress that hugged her slender body, her lengthy hair loose without excessive decoration. Her face seemed expressionless, except for those who were observant enough to catch the weariness in her eyes. Today was the first anniversary of her father's death, Don Matteo Alarico, a legendary leader who was respected and feared.

A large portrait of Matteo hung on the hall wall, looking at the guests below with a piercing gaze. Whenever Cassie looked at the picture, she felt a heavy weight on her chest. He wasn't her father. She never was. But this world forced her to become the leader of a mafia empire built on blood and violence.

Cassie held the wine glass in her hand but did not take a sip. The red liquid reminded her of things she wanted to forget.

“Cassie, you have to behave. They're watching,” Giovanni, her right hand, said.

Cassie turned to the man, her face remaining cold. “They're always watching, Giovanni. That's their job, isn't it?” she replied.

Giovanni looked at her with a meaningful gaze. He was one of the people she trusted the most, but sometimes, his presence reminded her of the shackles that bound her to this world. “We can't show any cracks, even on a night like this,” Giovanni reminded.

Cassie sighed softly, turning her gaze to the crowd. The guests in the hall were a mix of businessmen, politicians, and mafia family loyalists. Everyone made small talk, but Cassie knew what they were thinking. They were judging. They were looking for weaknesses.

“What loopholes are they looking for? I'm already here, playing a role I never wanted to play. Is that not enough?” Cassie muttered more to herself.

As Giovanni moved away to greet the other guests, Cassie felt a chill run down her spine. The memories of the night her father died came back to haunt her. The sound of gunshots. The screams. The blood flowed on the same marble floor where she stood now.

Her father, with his last breath, held Cassie's hand and said, “Protect this family. Don't let them take everything from you.”

Those words were a legacy but also a curse. Cassie had no choice but to step into the shoes that her father left behind. But, tonight, she wondered if her father would be proud or disappointed to see her now.

Amidst the tense atmosphere, Cassie's eyes fell on someone who looked different from the other guests. A man stood in the corner of the room, dressed in a simple suit, with slightly messy hair and a camera hanging around his neck. He was different from the person who usually attended events like this.

Cassie observed the man with a raised eyebrow. He seemed engrossed in taking photos without being bothered by the heavy atmosphere in the room. That man was an anomaly. He didn't look tense, not full of pretense.

“Who is he?” Cassie asked Giovanni, who happened to return to her side.

“The photographer we hired for the documentation of this event. His name is Rafael Santoro,” Giovanni replied in a casual tone. “Should I tell him to leave?”

Cassie shook her head lightly. “No, you don't. Leave him alone.” But her eyes kept observing the man, feeling both disturbed and curious.

Rafael finally noticed Cassie's gaze and smiled slightly before stepping closer. Standing before Cassie, he spoke casually, which was completely unusual in the room.

“Miss Alarico, this evening is truly magnificent,” he said, his warm smile seemingly contradicting their gloomy atmosphere.

Cassie looked at him coldly, trying to judge his intentions. “Do you know who I am?” she asked.

“Of course. You're the leader of this family, aren't you? But to be honest, tonight you look more like the perfect photo subject,” Rafael replied as he raised his camera slightly.

Cassie raised an eyebrow, half confused, half surprised. It had been long since anyone had spoken to her like this without fear or preamble.

“And you think it's a compliment?” asked Cassie.

“Let's just say that it was. But maybe I'm bad at giving compliments too,” said Rafael with a sincere little laugh.

Before Cassie could respond, Giovanni approached again, this time with a severe expression. “Cassie, something is going on in the back room. We need to go there now.”

Cassie stiffened for a moment, then nodded wordlessly. She looked again at Rafael before turning around and following Giovanni out of the hall.

The hallway leading to the back room was narrow and dark, contrasting with the large hall full of light. When Cassie entered, she saw two men with their hands tied, sitting on the floor with pale faces. Several of Cassie's men were standing around them, waiting for orders.

“They were caught trying to steal documents from the safe,” Giovanni explained.

Cassie folded her arms across her chest, staring intently at the two men. They trembled under her gaze, but Cassie knew they feared the Alarico family name more than herself.

“Who sent you?” Cassie asked.

One of the men started to cry. “We had no choice! We just needed the money!”

Cassie looked at them for a few seconds before gazing at Giovanni. “Make sure they understand the consequences of what they're doing. But no one should die tonight.”

Giovanni nodded. “I'll take care of it.”

Cassie left the room without looking back. She didn't want to see any violence happening. Even though she was the leader of the mafia world, her heart was still not entirely immune to blood.

When Cassie returned to the hall, the atmosphere remained as before, full of empty conversations shrouded in pretense. But her mind was no longer here.

Her gaze returned to search for Rafael's figure in the corner of the room, but the man had already left. For the first time that night, Cassie felt like something was missing. She didn't know what it was or why she felt that way.

She stood before her father's portrait again, looking at it questioningly. Her father left this family crown to her, but for what? To maintain power that only made her lose herself more and more?

Cassie closed her eyes momentarily, letting the exhaustion wash over her. She knew one thing for sure: her life would never be hers. But deep down, she saw a small thing in Rafael that made her feel alive.

The morning sunlight slipped through the curtains of Cassie's bedroom window, highlighting the spacious room but leaving it feeling cold and empty. There was no warmth or comfort in what should have been the matriarch of the Alarico family's personal space.

Cassie sat on the edge of the bed, massaging her temples with her eyes closed. Her mind replayed the previous night- the faces of the men begging for mercy in the back room, Giovanni's ever-sharpening gaze, and, strangest of all, her brief conversation with Rafael.

She barely knew the man, but somehow, she felt like that simple conversation had scratched the thick glass protecting her. Something about Rafael intrigued her, even though she knew better than to get involved.

A knock on the door made her cringe. “Come in,” he said.

Giovanni walked in, his eyes too strained to just carry a stack of documents in his hands. “Good morning, Cassie. We need to talk.”

Cassie nodded and gestured for Giovanni to sit in the chair by the table. “What's going on?”

“Last night, the people we caught weren't just thieves,” Giovanni began. “They were working for the Mancini family.”

Cassie straightened up, her eyes narrowed. The name was enough to make the pent-up anger rise inside her. “They started playing it straight?”

“It seems so. This is a provocative move, wanting to see how far we'll go in response,” Giovanni replied succinctly and quickly.

Cassie paused momentarily, her fingers tapping lightly on the side of the bed. She knew the Mancini family had been waiting for a moment of weakness since her father's death. She just hoped they would take action later.

“What are they after?” Cassie asked.

Giovanni handed her a document. “They're trying to steal information about our shipment to Europe next week. If they succeed, it will be a big blow to us.”

Cassie read the document carefully, then nodded. “Make sure the security at the port is increased. I don't want any more loopholes for them.”

Giovanni nodded but didn't leave immediately. He seemed hesitant, something that was rarely seen from him.

“Anything else?” asked Cassie, looking at him sharply.

“Yes. That man, Rafael. I'm not sure his presence last night was entirely coincidental. I want to investigate him further.”

Cassie frowned. “He's just a photographer. Do you think he has something to do with Mancini?”

“We can't take any chances,” Giovanni answered briefly.

Cassie thought for a moment. Although she wanted to argue, her instincts knew Giovanni was right. In a world like this, anyone could be a threat.

“Okay. Do your investigation, but don't overdo it. I don't want to scare her,” Cassie said finally.

In the afternoon, Cassie decided to leave the main building to get some fresh air at a small cafe that people from her world rarely visited. This place was her little escape—a space where she could be herself, at least for a while.

She chose a table in the corner, ordered a sugarless coffee, and let her thoughts drift. But before she could enjoy that quiet moment, a familiar voice made her turn her head.

“Looks like we meet again, Ms. Alarico.”

Cassie looked up and saw Rafael carrying a cup of coffee with his trademark smile. He looked more relaxed outside of the formal environment of the night before, wearing a leather jacket and jeans.

“Coincidence,” Cassie replied briefly.

“May I sit down?” asked Rafael, pointing to the empty chair before him.

Cassie hesitated for a moment but finally nodded. She wanted to know more about this man not because of Giovanni's suspicions but because of her curiosity.

“Do you come here often?” asked Rafael as he stirred his coffee.

“Sometimes,” Cassie replied, trying to keep her distance.

Rafael smiled as if he understood Cassie wasn't the type to share. “I guess you don't really like events like last night.”

Cassie looked up, giving him a sharp look. “Why would you think that?”

“You look... uncomfortable. As if you were in the wrong place.”

Cassie was speechless. No one had ever said that to her before, even though she knew it was true. “Sometimes we have no choice,” she said finally.

Rafael looked at her, trying to understand her words. “Maybe. But I believe there's always a choice.”

Cassie wanted to laugh but only smiled slightly. She knew Rafael would never understand the complexities of her life.

“And what about you?” Cassie asked, trying to change the subject. “What made you accept a job as a photographer at a mafia family event?”

Rafael smiled widely. “I didn't know it was a mafia family event until I got there. I was just a freelance photographer who needed money.”

Cassie listened carefully, trying to look for signs of a lie. But Rafael's gaze remained honest, without any trace of manipulation.

“Aren't you afraid?” she asked.

Rafael chuckled. “Should I be afraid? You look more like an ice queen than a mob boss.”

Cassie was surprised by Rafael's boldness. No one had ever spoken to her like that. But instead of being angry, she was amused.

“Maybe I'm more dangerous than you think,” she said, half-joking.

Rafael looked at her with a softening smile. “I don't doubt it.”

Their conversation was interrupted when Cassie noticed two men sitting at the opposite table, watching her with too much interest. She recognized them as members of the Mancini family.

Cassie immediately turned her gaze to Rafael. “You should leave now.”

Rafael looked confused. “Why? What's going on?”

“You're not safe here. Trust me.”

Rafael wanted to argue, but Cassie's serious look made him obey. He stood up, paid for his coffee, and left without another word.

After Rafael left, Cassie stood up and walked towards the two men. They quickly got up, but not before Cassie could whisper something:

“Tell Mancini I'm not afraid. And I won't back down.”

As Cassie returned to her car, her mind was filled with Mancini's threats and Rafael's figure, which was attracting more and more attention. She knew she couldn't let her guard down in such a deceitful world. But for the first time in a long time, Cassie felt that there was something beyond the mafia world that she wanted to pursue.