MARKED BY THE MAFIA

THE BELLANTI'S ESTATE, SICILY*

Tomorrow was the day.

The Bellanti estate buzzed with calculated chaos with servants moving like shadows, silverware polished to a deadly shine, flowers arranged with cold precision. The wedding of the century, uniting two of Sicily’s most feared Mafia families, was hours away.

But for Aurora Bellanti, the weight of it all pressed down like a noose tightening around her neck.

She rose from the heavy velvet chair in her room, pushing the book aside. She could hear the distant sound of voices and orders echoing through the stone halls. She needed air.

Quietly, Aurora stepped into the corridor. The scent of rich tobacco and leather seeped from the grand study nearby, where her father sat... a man carved from stone, cold and merciless.

From behind a half-open door, muffled screams and the wet slap of flesh met her ears.

Her father was torturing a traitor.

The estate’s heartbeat was dark and raw.

As she made her way to the kitchen, she could hear her mother and sister, locked in conversation.

"I want everything perfect" Valentina’s voice trilled softly. "Tomorrow, Matteo will see what he’s gaining"

Aurora paused just beyond the doorframe, clutching the cool handle of a cabinet. The wedding was supposed to be a symbol of peace, but all she felt was the cold edge of a blade pressed against her throat.

She swallowed hard, forcing down the surge of unease.

In this house, loyalty was survival. And tomorrow, everything would change.

Aurora walked away from the kitchen, her footsteps echoing softly as she made her way to her secret refuge. An old gym beneath the estate where she could escape the world.

It smelled of leather and iron. Heavy punching bags swayed lightly in the stale air. Mirrors lined one wall, cracked and scarred from years of strikes. This was where Aurora trained, sharpened herself not just to survive, but to be dangerous.

She wasn’t expecting company.

"Late as always" came a smooth voice from the far corner.

Her driver, Enzo, leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed. He was just a year older, with dark eyes that seemed to see through her carefully built walls.

"You’re early" Aurora replied, dropping her bag by the bench. She allowed herself a small smile.

Enzo shrugged, stepping forward. "Had to make sure everything was in place for tomorrow. You know how your family is"

Aurora’s gaze hardened. "Tomorrow... it feels like a death sentence dressed in silk"

Enzo’s eyes flickered toward the ornate weapons case in the corner.

"That’s family for you"

A pause hung between them, charged and unspoken.

"You still like him" Enzo said softly, nodding toward the door that led upstairs.

Aurora’s breath hitched. "How do you know?"

He smirked. "You’re terrible at hiding it. Besides, I’ve been around the family longer than you think"

She looked away, heart pounding. "It’s impossible"

"Nothing’s impossible with the Bellantis" Enzo stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Just be careful. Matteo’s no one to fall for... especially if you want to keep your head"

Aurora met his gaze, a storm raging behind her calm exterior.

"I don’t want to just survive, Enzo"

"Then don’t"

She turned without another word, walking to the wall of weapons. Her hand hovered briefly before curling around the hilt of her favorite. The dagger with the blackened steel blade, engraved with the Bellanti crest. A gift from her uncle on her sixteenth birthday.

She unsheathed it, letting the blade gleam under the single flickering bulb above them. It wasn’t just for show... it had tasted blood before, and it would again.

Aurora stepped on the mat, rolling her shoulders as she fell into stance.

Enzo watched her, admiration dancing in his eyes, but he didn’t speak.

She slashed, turned, kicked. Struck the padded dummy with the handle of the blade, flipped it, jabbed the point into the side with merciless precision.

Each movement bled frustration.

Frustration at being invisible.

At being in love with a man who would never see her.

At being the spare daughter.

She panted, chest heaving, eyes blazing as she paused and looked at herself in the mirror. The calm, fragile girl her family saw wasn’t here anymore.

"I could kill him, you know" she murmured suddenly.

Enzo blinked. "Matteo?"

Aurora gave a twisted smile. "No. My father. Just once. If he looked at me like I mattered"

Enzo stepped on the mat, closing the distance between them. “You matter. You just don’t need their permission to prove it"

She didn’t answer. She just handed him a second blade from the wall.

"Fight me"

He arched a brow. "You sure?"

Aurora’s eyes narrowed, the Bellanti fire lighting up inside her.

"Don’t hold back, Enzo. I need to feel something real"

He twirled the blade in his palm, smirked, and lunged.

Steel met steel.

Aurora’s blade sliced through the air, sharp as a serpent’s strike. Enzo met her attack effortlessly, parrying with a practiced grace that made her heart skip... half admiration, half frustration.

Steel clanged against steel in a harsh rhythm that echoed through the underground gym, a violent symphony only they understood.

Enzo pressed forward, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You’ve been holding back"

"Maybe I wanted you to think that"

She pivoted on her heel, kicking out sharply to sweep his legs. Enzo jumped back, barely avoiding the strike. His dark eyes flickered with challenge.

"You’re faster than I expected"

She feinted left, then spun right, aiming a slash toward his side. Enzo blocked it, then countered with a jab to her ribs. The breath whooshed out of her, but she twisted away, rolling backward to regain distance.

They circled, predators sizing each other up. Sweat gleamed on her brow as adrenaline sharpened every nerve.

Enzo lunged suddenly, and Aurora barely had time to raise her blade in defense. Their weapons collided with a ringing clash. She felt the vibration surge up her arm.

"Not bad, Feather" Enzo whispered, close enough to smell the faint leather and gunpowder on his skin.

Aurora’s pulse thundered as she launched a flurry of strikes, each faster and harder than the last. Enzo stumbled, barely keeping his footing. A final swift kick sent him crashing against the wall, breath knocked out of him.

She lowered her dagger, chest heaving. "Enough"

Enzo grinned, wiping a smear of blood from his lip. "You win today. But don’t get too comfortable"

Aurora smiled. "I’m not here to play games"

She barely had time to catch her breath from the combat when the gym’s door creaked open again.

An housemaid stepped in.

"Miss Aurora…" she began, voice quivering slightly. "Your mother requests your presence. Immediately"

Aurora exchanged a look with Enzo, who gave the faintest nod. No words were needed when her mother summoned, it meant business.

She followed the maid back through the cold stone corridors, as they ascended into the heart of the estate.

Her mother, Elena Bellanti, stood in front of the grand mirror, adjusting the gold brooch on her silk robe. Valentina lounged nearby, painting her nails blood red, barely sparing Aurora a glance.

"You sent for me" Aurora said.

Her mother turned.

"Yes. I have a task for you. One that requires... subtlety"

Aurora stiffened slightly.

Elena walked over to the oak cabinet by the window and unlocked a hidden compartment. From it, she retrieved a sealed black envelope... thick, embossed, and unmarked except for a blood-red crest.

The Moretti family crest.

"I need you to deliver this" her mother said, placing it in Aurora’s hand.

"To whom?"

"To Don Salvatore Moretti" Elena replied smoothly, pouring herself a drink. "Unless you think I meant a street urchin, yes, Matteo’s father"

Aurora’s eyes widened for a second. "You want me to go to the Moretti compound?"

Her mother met her gaze sharply. "It’s not a request. You’re the only one who can go. They won’t open the gates for just anyone. And they certainly don’t let people walk out if they’re not expected"

A chill rippled down Aurora’s spine.

The Moretti empire wasn’t a house. It was a fortress. A place soaked in secrets, deals, and blood. Whispers said that even birds avoided flying over their compound.

Her fingers curled tighter around the envelope.

"What’s in this?" she asked.

Elena sipped her drink slowly. "Something that needs to reach the Don… untouched"

Valentina let out a dramatic sigh from the couch. "Try not to get killed before the wedding, sister"

Aurora turned toward the door.

"I’ll leave immediately"

"Good," her mother said. "Enzo will drive you. And Aurora…"

She paused at the threshold.

"Keep your eyes open. The Morettis may be allies but never forget, they’re still wolves"

"Whatever" she exited with a defiant slam.