Nothing Burns Like You | 18+ Mafia Romance

5 Here Comes The Bride

CLARA ROSSI

I was confused, but relieved when Volkov sent me home.

After my failed attempt to poison him, I expected him to lash out and punish me. I expected him to be cruel and unforgiving.

Instead, he wanted me to fight harder.

No one had ever welcomed my aggressiveness with open arms before. In fact, my whole life, whenever I inconvenienced people, I was met with criticism and told to not be difficult.

When the tinted car pulled in front of my parents' house, I threw myself outside.

My mom was waiting by the door, wiping her tears with a tissue. But she wasn't alone. A bunch of her friends—also crying—stood around her.

"Oh, my baby!" She hugged me, wailing in my ear. "Oh, my heart was hurting so much. I was suffering so much. Dear God...why did you do this to me? My baby..."

"Where's dad?" I pulled back. I needed to talk to him after what happened on the yacht.

She sniffled. "He had to leave for work. Oh, that poor man, He was so worried about you—"

Work. I wasn't sure what that meant for him anymore. "Was there an emergency?"

"I don't know—"

"He knew that I was coming back—"

"Shh, shh. Let's go inside. My poor baby!" She wrapped her arm around me like I was a stray animal she rescued.

Like I was an excuse for her to perform in front of her friends. The poor, broken mother...

Inside, she was having a tea party.

"Do you want some tea? Drink tea with us—"

"Mom, I was abducted. Enough with the theatrics. I don't want to have tea!" Desperation laced my tone. Her shocked expression only frustrated me further. "You know what I want? I want someone to fight for me, when it feels like my world is falling apart."

She bristled, glancing left and right at her friends. "What do you want? Tell me."

"I want dad to come home. Volkov wants to marry me in two weeks. Now is not the time for dad to be away for work. I need him—"

She gasped in terrified shock. Finally, a normal reaction—

"We can't plan a wedding in two weeks! That's not enough time." She straightened her spine as her friends nodded their agreements. "Tell Volkov that it's impossible. You are Rossi's daughter. Your wedding has to be perfect."

This was leading me nowhere. I was tired. Tired of fighting and arguing and reasoning. My body ached to lay in bed and dissolve.

"Where's Nana?" I asked hopelessly, looking around the big house. It really looked like a museum compared to the townhouse.

Nana was the woman who raised me. She had been more of a mother to me, than my own blood. Right now, I really needed her comfort.

"I sent her home. What was I supposed to do? You weren't here..." My mom trailed off when I pivoted to go upstairs. "I'll call her right now and tell her to come back! Go rest, sweetheart. Go rest. Let me know if you need anything!"

I thought being home would feel better. But it only made me feel more alone. Mom continued to hang out with her friends. Ironic. Volkov had sent food to my room three times a day. A feast, actually. But my mom didn't bother to send a glass of water.

I heard him yesterday...with another woman. Not that I cared. This marriage was political, and I was a pawn in the war between him and my dad.

A part of me actually felt thankful that he openly showed me how much he didn't like me. I could use a bit of honesty in my life.