The price of disobedience

Book:The Mafia's Mistress Published:2024-12-16

Aurora’s heart was racing as she stood up from the sitting room, unable to endure the cold atmosphere any longer. She shot one last glare at Lina, who was now sitting smugly next to Damian’s father, her face a mask of confidence. Without a word, Aurora turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, her footsteps echoing in the silence of the mansion.
She rushed down the long hallway, her mind spinning with confusion and frustration. How could this be happening? She had hoped that things between her and Damian would grow better, but now it seemed like everything was slipping further from her grasp. Lina’s presence in the mansion was like a shadow that darkened everything, and she couldn’t stand it.
Without thinking, she made her way straight to her room. The door slammed shut behind her as she threw herself onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow. The familiar scent of lavender and fresh linen filled her senses, but it did nothing to calm her troubled mind.
Outside the door, there was a light knock, and then the sound of maids whispering. Aurora didn’t want to talk to anyone, least of all Lina, but she knew they were here for a reason. She just wanted to be left alone.
Meanwhile, back in the sitting room, Damian had sat in silence, trying to process everything that had just happened. His father’s glare was still fresh in his mind, and his heart felt heavy with the weight of the situation. Lina had been so confident, so sure of herself, and now she was going to stay here in the mansion until their marriage was finalized. Damian couldn’t understand how things had gone so far.
“Father, I don’t want to marry Lina,” Damian finally said, breaking the silence.
His father, sitting across from him, didn’t even blink. Instead, he slowly looked at Damian with a cold, calculating stare. “You don’t want to marry her?” he repeated, his voice low and filled with contempt. “And why is that?”
Damian’s fists clenched. “I don’t love her. I don’t even know her. You’re forcing me into this.”
A dark laugh escaped his father’s lips, a sound that sent a chill down Damian’s spine. “You’re not like your brothers,” his father sneered. “They know what it means to respect the family. To do what’s necessary. You, Damian, you’re weak. You think love matters in this world? This is business, not romance.”
Damian’s jaw tightened as his father’s words hit him like a slap. “I don’t care about the business. I care about my own choices. I care about what’s right for me.”
His father’s face darkened, and before Damian could even react, his father’s hand struck him across the face with a sharp, stinging slap.
“Don’t you dare talk back to me,” his father growled, his voice thick with anger. “You think you can be like your brothers? You’re nothing like them. If you refuse to marry Lina, there will be consequences.”
Damian rubbed his cheek, the sting still fresh, but his anger flared. “I don’t care about the consequences.”
“You will,” his father warned, his eyes narrowing. “You see, you’re not just defying me. You’re defying everything that we’ve worked for, everything that’s been built. And if you think you can just walk away from this, you’re wrong. I will make sure Aurora suffers for it. She will pay the price for your stupidity.”
The words hit Damian like a punch to the gut. His eyes widened in disbelief. “You’ll hurt her?”
“I’ll make sure she understands the consequences of your foolishness,” his father said coldly, standing up from his seat. “If you can’t respect yourself, then I’ll make sure she does. You can’t just decide to walk away from your duties. And if you refuse to do what needs to be done, you’ll drag her down with you.”
Damian felt his blood boil, but there was something else too, something deeper. Fear. Fear for Aurora. He couldn’t let his father do anything to her. He couldn’t let this go on.
His father stepped closer, looming over him with an air of finality. “Don’t think I won’t follow through. You know I can. You’re not a child anymore, Damian. You’re a man, and it’s time you started acting like one. Take responsibility, or there will be no future for either of you.”
Damian’s thoughts raced. Was this really his only option? Was he really going to allow his father to control everything, including his future and Aurora’s?
His heart felt heavy as the weight of the situation sank in. He was trapped. But for the first time, he didn’t know how to get out. There were too many forces working against him, too many people involved, and if he didn’t play his part, Aurora would suffer.
But he couldn’t let her suffer. He wouldn’t. He had to find a way out of this mess, a way to protect her, even if it meant going against everything he had been taught.
He took a deep breath, standing up to face his father. “I’ll marry Lina,” he said quietly, his voice filled with reluctance and resignation. “But only because I have no choice.”
His father’s expression softened just slightly, as if he had won. But Damian knew he hadn’t won. Not yet.