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Chapter 2: Blood Will Be Shed

Ana

The pounding on my apartment door echoed like gunshots. I stood up from the couch, my heart racing.

I wasn't expecting anyone.

I cautiously opened the door. Dante stood on the other side, his imposing figure filling the doorway.

"Good morning, Ana," he said in a deep voice. "Time to go."

His gaze was piercing, as if he could read my thoughts. I assumed I didn't look my best, and I think he noticed.

"I'm not ready," I murmured, feeling a wave of panic wash over me.

“I think you can find something nice in your closet”

“I mean I'm not ready for the meeting, Dante.”

"You don't have a choice," he replied sternly. "The meeting starts in an hour."

I nodded, unsure of what else to say. I guess it's better to get this over with. I hurried to change and put on the most formal clothes I could find. I mean, is there a dress code for the mafia?

Dante escorted me to his car, a black armored vehicle that made me feel even more trapped. The ride to the mansion was silent. The tension could be cut with a knife.

When we arrived, Dante led me to the library, where several grim-looking men were already gathered.

My uncle Marco stood at the front of the room, a serious expression on his face.

"Ana, these are the key members of the organization," my uncle said, gesturing to the men. "They are the ones who will help you lead."

The men looked at me in silence, their eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"Uncle, I don't..." I started to say, but he interrupted me.

"Ana, it's time for you to take your place as the heiress. Your father trusted that you would be the only one who could maintain order and unity."

“And we trusted your father” spoke one of the men at the table. “If he believed you had what it takes to lead us, then I know you do. You have my support, Miss Salvatore.”

“And ours” spoke three other people at the same time.

“And our support as well”

“And I think it goes without saying that you have mine, you are my favorite niece”

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump in my throat. I wasn't ready for this.

"I... will do my best," I wished my voice hadn't sounded so shaky.

My uncle smiled at me, a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"I know you will, Ana, you are your father's daughter."

He turned to the men.

"Listen carefully," he spoke with an authoritative voice. "Ana Salvatore is the new leader of the organization. From this moment on, you owe her obedience and respect."

The men bowed before me, whispering words of submission.

I felt dizzy, like I was about to faint. Dante, who had remained on the sidelines, approached me and whispered in my ear.

"Don't worry, you can handle them."

I looked into his eyes and found a strength that gave me courage. It wouldn't be easy, but I wouldn't give up.

I would be the leader my father needed, the woman the mafia feared and respected.

Once that meeting was over, I went to a part of the mansion where I thought I could be alone. A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I got up and opened it, finding Valeria, who smiled at me shyly.

"Ana!" she exclaimed, hugging me tightly. "I'm so glad to see you."

We went into the living room and sat down on the couch. Valeria looked at me with her eyes full of concern.

"I know what you're going through and I understand it must not be easy. It's a lot to take in."

I told her everything that had happened since my father's death, the mafia, the responsibility of being the heiress. Valeria listened attentively, without interrupting me, without judging me.

"You don't have to do this alone," she said when I finished speaking. "I'm here for you, no matter what."

I smiled at her, grateful for her support. At that moment, Dante entered the room. His gaze fell on me and his eyes lit up.

"Good morning, Ana."

Valeria looked at him with suspicion, as if Dante's presence was the worst thing in the world.

"I was having a private conversation with my friend, who the hell are you?" she asked coldly.

"I'm Ana's bodyguard," Dante replied calmly. "I have been ordered to accompany her to her new home."

"New home?" I asked in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

Dante looked at me with a serious expression. "By order of the mafia, this is now your home."

I looked at Valeria, confusion visible on both of our faces.

"I don't understand, Dante."

"You must leave your apartment and live here, with the rest of the family."

I felt like the world was collapsing around me. I didn't want to give up my life, my freedom.

"I can't do that, I have my own life. Besides, you can't call a group of mobsters a family."

"Ana, you have no choice."

“I'm tired of hearing the same phrase, everyone here knows they have to obey me, but it seems like I'm the one at their mercy.”

“It's for your safety."

I was silent, waiting for him to say something more, which he didn't. Valeria took my hand and looked at me with complicity.

"Don't worry, Ana," she whispered. "We'll find a way out of this, let me make a call and I'll be right back."

I smiled in gratitude and when Valeria left, Dante looked at me again, this time with a softer expression.

"I know this is hard for you, but I will do everything I can to make you feel comfortable here."

There was an awkward silence, until Dante broke it with a smile.

"Would you like some coffee? I make the best coffee in the city."

I looked at him in surprise. A mobster who makes coffee?

"You're not going to poison me, are you?"

“My job is to protect your life, not endanger it.”

“Okay, I could use a coffee."

Dante went to the kitchen and started making coffee. Valeria looked at me with a mischievous smile when she returned.

"So, what do you think of your new bodyguard?" she asked with a wink.

"He's not bad," I admitted. "He's handsome, strong, and he seems to know what he's doing."

"Be careful, Ana," Valeria said with a warning tone. "Don't be fooled by appearances. This world is dangerous."

"I know, but I'm not going to let them control me. I'm going to find a way to escape this."

Dante returned with two cups of steaming coffee.

"Here you go," he handed me the cup.

I took a sip of the coffee and smiled.

"It's delicious."

Dante smiled with satisfaction.

"I'm glad you like it."

He handed the other cup to Valeria and left, or maybe that's what he made us believe. We sat at the table and chatted for a while.

For a moment, I forgot about my situation, about the mafia, about the responsibility that weighed on my shoulders. I felt like I was with my friend, someone I could trust, on any given day.

However, I knew that reality was different. As much as I wished Valeria couldn't stay with me forever, she had to leave at nightfall. I was walking through the garden when I ran into my uncle. Our conversation turned into an argument. He insisted that this was my duty and I told him that I was tired of following in my father's footsteps.

"Ana, listen to me," I thought I heard my uncle's voice more serious. "I know this is hard for you, but you must follow my advice. It's the only way to become the leader your father wanted."

I looked at him fiercely.

"Uncle Marco, you know I don't agree with any of this. I don't want to be part of the mafia."

"Ana, sometimes we can't choose our destiny," he replied with resignation. "But we can control it."

“I doubt I can control mine, they practically have me here against my will.”

He was silent for a moment, as if searching for the right words.

"Your father prepared you for this," he continued. "He taught you everything you need to know to lead."

"He didn't teach me to be a monster," I said bitterly.

"No, Ana, he taught you to be strong, to be smart, to make tough decisions. Those are the qualities you need to be a good leader."

I clenched my fists, feeling a wave of anger run through my body.

"I don't want to be a good leader for the mafia," I said vehemently. "I want to be free."

My uncle looked at me with an intensity that took my breath away.

"Ana, there are things you need to know, things that will change your life." He stepped closer to me and whispered in my ear: "I know who killed your father."

I was petrified. My uncle's words resonated in my head like thunder.

"What?", I asked in a barely audible voice.

"I know who killed your father," my uncle repeated in a firm voice. "And I will tell you, but first you must promise me that you will follow my advice and become the leader he wanted."

I stared at him, unsure of what to say. Anger, sadness, confusion all mixed together in a whirlwind of emotions.

"Promise me, Ana," my uncle insisted.

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump in my throat.

"I promise."

“Think about the person who hates the Salvatore family the most. It was not an accident, this was intentional, they wanted to kill the mafia leader”

“Only one person comes to mind” I clenched my jaw “Paolo Di marco, that bastard did it, didn't he?”

“And the worst part is that he's coming here, ready to take your father's place”

“Not while I'm alive”

My uncle came closer to hug me, as if that was all he wanted to hear.

“Sometimes it is necessary to get your hands bloody, but you will avenge your father, kill Paolo and then you will be free”

If blood is what this war requires, then blood is what there will be.

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