THE MAFIA'S CONTRACT: 3I DAYS WITH THE MAFIA DADDY

TAKEN BY THE NIGHT

"Stop overthinking, Giulia. Enzo's fine, probably off on one of his weird solo trips again," Alessia stated while she sat down and patted her baby girl Sofia, who was already beginning to snore softly on her chest. Her voice was soft yet strong.

Giulia stood stiffly at the couch's edge with her arms crossed and eyes glued to her mobile.

"He hasn't called in four days. He always texts, even when he's busy."

Alessia was silent and shook her head. "This should reveal something to you. When was the last time he treated you like a girlfriend and not an option?"

Giulia stayed quiet.

"Exactly. You need to dump that clown. You caught him cheating twice, and you're still trying to call it love?"

"He's not that bad," Giulia said. Her voice barely came out.

Alessia looked at her feet and stood up, moving Sofia with her. "Girl, you're trying so hard to defend a man who ghosted you for nearly a week. That's wild."

"We have experienced many challenges together ..."

"You've been through trash together. There's a difference."

Giulia didn't respond. She was annoyed by how accurate Alessia always sounded.

"Anyway, I'm putting Sofia down and making us something to eat. Don't cry over that fool."

"I won't," Giulia whispered in her mind, although her chest was heavy.

Once Alessia left the room, Giulia quickly picked up her phone again. Her hands began to shake while she dialled Enzo's phone number. The call went straight to voicemail.

Her gaze remained fixed on the screen, her mind frantically processing the situation. What are you doing, Enzo?

The apartment she lived in was tiny but cozy, and it was an hour's walk from the school. Alessia purchased everything she needed, saying it was time that Giulia got a room for herself. With the last day of her final year of college, her time was free to reflect and worry.

She was an avid reader. The words made more sense than what people thought. She envisioned becoming an editor and maybe even creating her own novel one day. However, none of it felt crucial at this point.

The woman sighed and opened the door to her front. When she entered the hallway, the light flashed.

Weird.

Her keys slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor.

She sat down and picked the pieces up.

The smell of a strong odor filled her nostrils--something strong and bitter.

The body became weak immediately.

One of the last things she noticed was the ceiling in her hallway turning until everything went black.

Pain. The pain was not sharp, but rather dull and steady in the back of her head.

Her eyes blinked open. Darkness. The floor is cold. The rope was firmly gripping her wrists. She felt the tape press against her lips.

A tide of panic hit her as if it were a wave. The breath sank into her throat. She found it hard to move her body, even for a small, slow crawl. Where am I?

She slowly rolled towards the dim light that was slipping under the door that was locked.

Voices. Two voices.

"Luca's dead when he shows up for his girl."

"He better not. I'm not sharing this one. She's fine as hell. Bet she got some work done."

"Nah, she's all real. I could tell just looking at her. Had to control myself, man."

The stomach of Giulia turned. Her body stopped moving.

"Think the boss will get her first?"

"Probably. Haven't seen him take interest in anyone since Mariella."

"That was years ago. She's gone. He needs to move on."

"Have you ever seen Vincenzo lose control? Never. Vincenzo exudes a chilly demeanor.

Giulia's heart paused momentarily.

Vincenzo?

Her head shook again. This time, it was due to fear. Vincenzo of the Black Cross Mafia?

She shook her body when she realized how awful it had gotten.

What was it that the man wanted from her?