I had nightmares about Hector Cassano for a week. His stupid blue eyes and cold expression continued to follow me everywhere. I had dreams where he came for me and killed me.

You must wonder why I suddenly had nightmares of him.

Well, that's because August decided to tell me after I got mouthy with Hector that the Cassano's owned the mafia. The fucking mafia. I thought that was just a hoax, not real. I thought it was just fucking book trope.

It's not. It's apparently very real. And Hector Cassano was the Don, which means big boss.

I was terrified that he would come for me and torture me for being rude to him.

"He's not going to come for a little girl that was rude to him. I'm sure he has more thrilling things to do than threaten a high schooler." August had told me today during lunch when I expressed my concerns.

He was terribly wrong.

I was laying in bed, listening to ASMR to fall asleep. Usually it knocks me out almost immediately but lately it wasn't working. I was too scared to go asleep. That's when I heard my mom scream.

Goosebumps travelled down my body and I held my breath. That scream was filled with pure terror. I was a big scaredy cat. I couldn't watch horror movies without sobbing my eyes out from fear. But this was my mom. If she needed my help, I'd do anything.

So I sneaked out of bed. I picked up my phone to call 911 but then the screams got louder and more frequent. In pure panic, I picked up a baseball bat and stormed downstairs.

My mom was in the living room with a man holding her down. He was ridiculously muscular and tall. But that didn't stop me from swinging the bat against his head. I'd hoped to have done some damage, but he didn't even budge. He turned to looked at me with an annoyed look.

What the fuck?

I tried to swing again but he grabbed the bat and threw it away.

"Charlotte, run!" My moms screamed at me.

Tears were streaming down her face. She had a head injury, I saw the blood. How can she ask me to just run? What about her? What will I do without her?

I didn't get much more time to think because out of nowhere someone laid his arms around my waist and lifted me up. I panicked and screamed loudly. I used my legs to kick as hard as I could but it didn't work. The man that was holding me didn't even grunt. Instead he hushed me softly.

"Calm down, tesoro, I won't hurt you."

That's what all killers say.

"Let me go!", I screamed.

He didn't. He kept a tight grip on me while I clawed at his arms. I squirmed and tried to twist my way out but he was so strong. This really wasn't one of my smart moments. I shouldn't have stormed downstairs like a chicken without a head. Now my mom and I were both in deep shit.

Especially when I lifted my head and saw fucking Hector Cassano seated on our sofa as if he owned the place.

This little bitch.

"Language." He scolded me.

Apparently I said that out loud. Who was he even to scold me? He intruded my house!

"I'm sorry that I was rude to you, okay! I'm sorry! Let my mom go! She did nothing wrong!" I cried out.

My mom was sobbing on the floor. She had an even weaker heart than me. She couldn't take this and it was all my fault.

"Calm down first." He spoke.

How could I calm down in this situation?

"I already called 911!" I lied.

He gazed at me before rolling his eyes.

"You didn't and even if you did, that wouldn't help you much." He commented.

"Because you're own the mafia?" I blurted.

Finally, I got a reaction out of him. It only lasted a millisecond but I could see the shock on his face. He sat up straighter and crossed his legs.

"You should calm down, Elena. Only then will I explain to you what's happening."

Elena? Was this man such a big asshole that he forgot my name?

"My name's Charlotte." I reminded him.

That made him roll his eyes again. My mom was whimpering on the ground and my stomach just dropped. I just had to go and anger a mafia boss.

"If I agree to talk to you, will you leave my mom alone?"

The man that was holding my mom down scoffed loudly. His dark eyes glared at me and he wore a dumb grin on his face. He was quite handsome with his rough features but the scar on his face terrified me. It was on his left temple and looked old.

"This woman isn't your mom, little girl. Stop trying to defend her."

I exploded.

"You fucking asshole, leave my mom alone before I cut your dick off!"

I'm not a violent type of person but this guy made me want to kill. The way he pressed my mom to the ground like she was an animal pissed me off. And then he dared to tell me that she wasn't my mom?

The audacity of this bitch.

"I'm going to wash that fucking mouth of yours with soap, brat!" He spat at me.

"You're cursing yourself!" I pointed out.

"I'm an adult. You're a child." He shrugged.

I groaned and tried to run to him but the man held me tightly.

"Stop provoking her, Silas." He told the asshole.

Silas just shrugged and pushed my mom harder to the ground. I squirmed harder but I still couldn't get free.

"I'll let your mom go." Hector spoke up.

Silas cursed but Hector raised his hand to shut him up. It was effective. I stared at him, trying to control my raising heart.

"I'll let her tell you the truth." He told me.

Then he turned to my mom.

"Time to confess, Diana."

He spat her name out as if it was dirt. I watched how Silas hoisted her up and sat her down on the sofa in front of Hector. I was tense. I had no idea what truth he was talking about but at least Silas wasn't pressing my mom to the floor anymore.

The man that was carrying me suddenly brought me closer to Hector which freaked me out. I didn't want to go near that criminal! I kicked harder and finally managed to kick him. The man grunted and let go of me to tend to his shin.

When I looked at him, I recognised him. He was at the piano competition comforting Amelia! He was that blond man!

I wanted to bolt away but Hector snatched my wrist and yanked me towards him. I fell right next to him and he tightened his arm around me.

We were sitting so close that I could feel his chest move up and down. I could smell his cologne, which was frustratingly very nice. I was absolutely terrified. What was he going to do with me? What if he did something dirty to me?

What if-

"Start talking." He commanded my mom.

Blood was dripping down her face and I was fighting tears.

"She's bleeding." It came out weak.

All of this was my stupid fault and I hated myself.

"She's still capable of talking." Silas commented.

The blond man stepped forward with a handkerchief and held it up to my mom's wound. He gave me a soft and kind smile.

"That'll have to do for now."

It wasn't enough! What if she had a concussion or worse? We had to go to the hospital!

"She doesn't deserve that, Theo." Silas muttered while glaring at my mom.

"It's upsetting the baby." Theo argued.

"I'm not a baby!" I blurted out.

He smiled at me as if I was the cutest thing on earth. It made me feel weird.

"Diana." Hector spoke.

My mom whimpered and slowly looked up at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Hector wasn't satisfied with that answer.

"Let me enlighten you then. Why don't you start by telling Elena that you're not her mother?"

My mom hurriedly shook her head and started to deny his accusation.

"My name is Charlotte!" I punched my elbow in his side.

This was his own fault for forcing me to sit so close to him.

He wasn't fazed by it, though. What is it with these men and their incapability to feel? Was it a mafia thingy or was I just embarrassingly weak.

If you say both, I'll have to agree.

"I'm not saying anything!" My mom suddenly snapped.

She looked confident now. That was a sudden switch but you go, girl.

"Dimitri will be here any second now and he'll kill you!"

I didn't know who Dimitri was, but I had a strong feeling that it was my dad. Mom told me that he was nearby.

"Dad?" I asked hopefully.

The possibility that my dad was coming to save us brought tears to my eyes.

"Yes, he's coming. Don't listen to what they try to tell-"

Silas cut her off by slapping her hard against the cheek. She tumbled to the ground whilst a sob escaped my throat.

"Stop trying to manipulate her, you fucking psycho!" He screamed at her.

"STOP HURTING MY MOM!"

I was full on sobbing. I could see her groaning on the floor. I started to move out of Hector's grip but he laid his hands on my shoulders and turned me to him. I avoided his eyes and kept gazing at my mom. Her condition was worsening. She was in pain. I had to-

"Listen to me right now." He cupped my face between his large face.

His blue eyes were so intense that it made me cry more. He sighed deeply and tried wiping my tears away with his thumb but it was a whole ass waterfall by now.

"That's not your mom." He stated.

He kept saying that and it got me so angry.

"Who are you to tell me that?!" I demanded whilst screaming at him.

"I'm your older brother." He informed me calmly.

I was a mess of emotions while he continued to stay calm. Nothing seemed to bother him. I stared at him in shock before I started to shake my head.

"I don't have siblings. My mom-"

"Listen, tesoro, that woman is not your mother. She's a criminal." Theo told me slowly.

"You're in the mafia!"

He sighed and patted my hair.

"Her name is Diana Maria Maxwell, she's a sister of our mother."

My mom's name was Diana Maria Jones. She told me that was her maiden name because she never got married to dad. It was too dangerous. Now he was telling me that her surname was Maxwell.

"She stole you from the hospital and paid the hospital to lie to our parents that you had died." He continued.

How do you even react to a story like this? It seemed like complete bullshit. But then what if it wasn't?

"But there are pictures of my mom in the hospital holding me after giving birth." I muttered confused.

There was this one picture that I really liked. My mom was laying in the hospital bed holding me close to her chest. She looked exhausted after going through labour but she looked so happy. It was love at first sight. It was mother and daughter. She was my mother, they're lying to me.

They had to be.

"She did give birth, but not to you. She was pregnant as the same time as your mom, but she didn't want to keep the baby. So our parents took the baby in." Theo explained.

"Amelia?" I gasped.

He nodded.

This had to be joke. Please, I'm begging you, let this be a joke!

"Why would she steal me if she didn't even want to have a child?"

That didn't make any sense.

"She didn't take you because she wanted you. She took you to prepare and raise you for something else." This time Hector spoke up.

It sent shivers down my spine. I frowned confused and wanted to ask what he was talking about but my mom yelled.

"Dont you dare!"

She nearly climbed over the coffee table if it wasn't for Silas dragging her back by her hair. I reached forward to held but Theodore and Hector held me back.

"You're my baby, Charlotte. You know how m-m-much I l-love you."

Either she was under too much pain or something messed up was happening. My mom's eyes were shaking and she had an uneasy smile on her face. She looked like she was...lying.

"Mom?" I cried.

"Charlotte, just wait for your dad to arrive-"

"Dimitri is not going to come, Diana." Hector told her.

"He is!" She screamed upset.

"He won't walk into a fight he knows he's going to loose."

That's when she started to sob and create a mess. She picked up things from the coffee table and threw them around. She was having a tantrum, a meltdown. I didn't recognise her in that moment but how could I judge given this situation.

Silas held her down again and I felt a whole rollercoaster of emotions.

"Prepare me for what?" I came back on what Hector said earlier before my mom interrupted.

"Arranged marriage."

What. The. Actual. Holy. Fuck.

"Stop fucking with me." I demanded.

My whole world was crumbling down so fast that I was using up all my defence mechanisms. This one was denial and I think the next one will be suppression.

"I'm gonna wash that mouth with fucking Dove." Silas muttered.

I ignored him.

"You were planned to get married off to Dimitri's son, Ronan, at sixteen."

My first reaction was:

"That's illegal!"

Sixteen is still a minor. I don't think that you can't get married at sixteen. Even if you can, that's fucked up.

"It was their plan."

"So Dimitri's not my dad?"

My dad was the last thing I was clinging onto. He was always such a big figure in my life without even being present. If he also fell down the drain, I don't know what will become of me.

"No. He's dating Diana and they planned to steal you from birth to raise you to be the perfect bride for his son."

Boom. Crash. World exploded.

My breathing came in faster and I felt myself hyperventilate. This couldn't be true.

"Hey, tesoro, calm down your breathing-" I cut Theo off.

"What about those pictures? What does he do with those pictures?!" I panicked.

Some creepy random man had pictures of me since birth! I was freaking the hell out. I'd consented to it because I thought he was my father. Not some weird creep that wanted to groom me to be his son's perfect little wife.

"You-" I cut Theodore off again.

"We take pictures on my birthday every year to send it to him. He has all those pictures. H-h..."

Theo pulled me against him for a hug. He was surprisingly soft and warm. He felt like a cuddly and squishy cloud. He softly caressed my hair and whispered nice words in my ear. I don't know how he did it but he calmed me down. By the end I was clinging onto him.

"Don't you worry. We'll take care of everything." He stated firmly.

"How? Why?" I cried.

"You're our baby sister." He cupped my face.

That made me sob harder.

I'm a fucking Cassano.