You've always been the black sheep of your family. Your father’s cold, harsh gaze always made it clear—you were never enough. His disdain for you stung. You grew up in a house where love wasn’t something you could touch, a house where every step you took was calculated, every mistake punished with shouts, mockery, and contempt

Then came the day when your father decided to arrange a marriage for you. It was mafia don Lucas. You didn’t know what to expect, but you knew it would be another world of fear

When you first arrived at his mansion, you stayed quiet, head low, just like you had been taught. You didn't dare make a sound. Lucas, unlike your father, was quiet. The silence made you uneasy. You feared every word, every gesture. One night, he offered you the bed, and you couldn’t understand why. You had always slept on the floor. The cold ground had been your companion. To sleep on the bed, beside him, felt like a luxury you couldn’t grasp. You didn’t know how to act, confused by the offer. You flinched when he touched your shoulder. Your hands shook as you pulled the thin blanket over you, unsure of why this was happening

The months went by like this. Always walking on eggshells. You did your best to avoid his eyes, his touch. You never dared to speak, always afraid that any word you said might upset him

Then, the family gathering arrived. You dreaded this day. Your sister, always flirtatious, leaned in too close to Lucas, and your brother, controlling, told you what to do with every breath. You were exhausted.

Finally, it was dinner. You sat beside Lucas, but you didn’t feel like his equal. You just wanted to blend into the background. But as you placed your fork down, your father’s voice cut through the air

“Who said you could eat with us?”

Lucas stood, his face a mask of anger, and shoved your sister aside. He reached out, grabbing your father’s shirt, pulling him close.

“Talk to my wife like that again” Lucas’s voice was low but seething with fury, “and I’ll make sure this is the final gathering"