My Crown

Chapter 5

"What are you up to?" I'm really getting tired of Gianni's voice. Luciano has been gone almost a month and he has been a pain in the ass the entire time.

I turn around to face him,
"What ever do you mean?" I feign ignorance. The expression on his face makes my day though. About two weeks ago I turned to annoying him as my greatest source of amusement.

"Shut it." He snaps at me. You asked me a question dumbass. How is this guy the second in command?

"Luciano might buy the nice girl routine but I know a snake when I see one." I roll my eyes at that. How am I the snake here? Oh, right.

"Dear Gianni. You have far too much time on your hands. Maybe you're lonely." He goes from annoyed to enraged in a second. The vein in his forehead is about to pop.
"Some company could do you good." I continue then watch him stomp out of the room.

I can no longer contain my laughter after he slams my door shut. That was fun. Reminds me of the good old days.

Truth is Gianni is far too invested in my activity. One might even call him obsessed. However, I cannot let him deter my plans. Word in the halls is Luciano has taken a liking to some American girl. He's even extended his stay there indefinitely.

Meanwhile Susanna has been making her play. I've been playing the simpleton, carefully observing her during our meetings. Three weeks ago, Malorie was in a car accident. An 'accident' intended for me. She was in a coma for a week and is still in hospital.

Susanna's been much more careful since then. She's supposedly been helping me plan the wedding, but I think she's gathering intel. Smart woman. Playing the excited mother-in-law role to perfection.

"Are you alright?" I look to see Emilio entering the dining room. "I'll live." I answer him. Emilio and I have somewhat of an understanding of each other. Under different circumstances we may even have been friends.

"Mrs. Morelli is an hour away." He reports then promptly exits.

Kill me now. Playing the sweet little plain Liza is excruciating. Especially under her watchful eye. I quickly finish up dinner then retire for the night. She'll be tommorow's problem.

¤

"Wake up, the she-devil is here." Melly barges into my room. Is she trying to get killed? Someone could hear her.

I'm already dressed for the day in another hideous grandma dress Malorie bought me with clunky heeled shoes. My hair has grown a bit in the last month and is now shoulder length. Isa evened it out a while back.

"Are you ready for today?" She asks dropping my breakfast tray.
"As ready as I'll ever be." She leaves me alone with my thoughts, and my breakfast. I wonder what's in store for me today.

It turns out my day consists of wedding cake tasting as well as selecting the menu. I could not be more thrilled. That is, until I realise the servers are girls I don't trust. I may have gotten a lot of traction the past month but some of the workers still see Susanna as the queen of the house.

"You've hardly had a bite." Susanna points out towards the end of our day. She's right of course, I didn't even have a bite. "I trust your taste." I smile back at her.

"This is your wedding, honey." Since when? I'm not buying it. "I'm actually on a diet." I say as bashfully as I can,

"I want to look good on my wedding day."

"Yes, you should do that." She eyes my figure disapprovingly, "One bite won't hurt." The snake said to Eve.

"A moment on your lips, a lifetime on your hips." She eyes me suspiciously.

"Well how about some wine?" She smiles.

"Maybe another time." I reply with a small smile, "I have not been feeling well lately. I should go rest." I do not wait for a reply and walk out of there. I can't believe I missed target practice for this.

I find myself in my room binging Modern Family. Alex is so underrated. Melly comes in my room a few minutes later with a bottle of pills and some water. I'm more interested in the paper under the water,

The wine. RIP Ashley.

Susanna will be upset to hear one of her most trusted servants died by her own poison. Fortunately for me, this will convince more girls to come over to my side. I take the pills and go back to my show.

¤

"You're getting good at that." Emilio smiles at me after practice. He was right. It's been just over a month now and not only can I dismantle and put together a gun in a minute, I'm also a decent shot.

"Let's hope I never have to test out how good."
He raises an eyebrow at me and I mirror the gesture. Emilio is one of the best generals for a reason. He's an observant SOB. He can probably tell I'm interested in a bit more than self-defence but he doesn't say anything. It's not his place.

I make my way back to the mansion in bright spirits. Luciano had been gone a month and a half and things had been going great. I still wasn't allowed off the property but I had the servants' allegiance and the soldiers were starting to fear me. As they should.

"My my. Is that a smile I see?" Regina came up to me, "I'd almost forgotten you could smile." I roll my eyes at her antics.

"Your mama would be proud." The soft look in her eyes reminds me of darker times. After mama died Gigi and I became close. She must've felt sorry for me.

"That I'm marrying a Morelli?" Mama despised the family more than I do.
"That you're making a difference." She replied.

The soldiers have been on their best behaviour recently and life in the mansion was almost peaceful. If nothing else, then I could at least be proud of that.

"It won't last forever." I sigh. It never does. She laughs. She sometimes does that for no reason and I will never understand why.

"You worry too much, Mimi. Enjoy it while you can." I wince at that old nickname and shoot her a look. She is lucky we are alone. She knows she can't call me that in front of anyone.

Days like this I miss mama. She always knew when I was feeling down. She'd sit me down and sing for me. Her voice was angelic. Then she'd try to rap which always cheered me up. Mama was a diamond among rocks.

Sometimes I wonder how she managed to love me. Since my ascension I've had more time to look at myself. The real me, without makeup or contacts. There was no doubt she knew who my father was. I must have inherited his eyes. They were an unusually dark shade of green that was really hard to miss. Or forget. Is that why she made me wear the coloured contacts?

Truth be told, I look nothing like her. She had a doll face with beautiful honey eyes, beautiful skin and luscious lips. I was beautiful in my own way but she was bright and dainty, where I am dark and strong. My features are more defined and prominent. I must take after my father.

How could she love me if I look so much like a man who hurt her?

She was so much stronger than I could ever hope to be.

The woman had a heart of gold.

"I see why you've taken such a shining to Isabella." I almost forgot Gigi was here.
I follow her eyes to see Isabella smiling and chatting with Romeo. I feel my chest warm at the sight.

"Why?"

Gigi laughs again. "Young hard-working Latina girl forced to be here with a big heart and bigger smile? It's like deja vu."

What is she... Oh shit! Mama. "You couldn't protect your mama, but maybe you can protect her." She smiles softly at me then ups and leaves.

How did I not see it before? They are so alike. Not physically but their stories are the same. And so are their attitudes. Isabella is a ray of sunshine in this gloomy place. I can't let them do to her what they did to mama. I can't let them break her too.

____________________________

A mother's love is a powerful thing