A true Italian

ALINA

I slowly opened my eyes which felt like they weighed the size of a dumbbell.

For a split second, I forgot what had transpired through out these couple of days and expected to see myself all cuddled up in Dante's duvets.

But slowly it dawned on me that I wasn't dreaming, I was living a freaking nightmare.

The hot rays of the sunlight filled the entire rooom making me realise that I had definitely spent the night in here.

I blinked my eyes repeatedly in a fit of panic trying to make out where I was but I ended up letting out a shriek as I accidentally fell to the floor.

I howled in pain and caressed my elbows, slowly sitting up straight.

I pivoted to check what I fell from. I had fallen from a wooden red couch.

I began looking around this somehow distinct room I was laid in, taking in the surroundings.

The room seemed so distinct, like I had been here before or seen it before. The walls were painted brown.

I looked forward and spotted a huge wooden table and also a swerving office chair which had its back turned against me.

A head poked from the top, feeling me up with curiosity.

"Who is here with me?" I spoke up trying to sound as intimidating as I could.

As a reply to my question, the chair swerved revealing who was sitting on it.

My jaws fell to the floor and I became doe eyed like I had seen a phantom.

My father!

"You are still as clumsy as ever. You fell out of the chair" he chuckled in his deep Russian accent.

I was stunned, stuperfied and robbed of my speech. He was the one who sent that strange taxi driver to kidnap me?

How the fuck did he know that I would escape?

My eyes momentarily gazed around the room before locking back to my father's stare.

No wonder this place seemed so farmilair. This is my father's study room. He just repainted it.

That means I'm in our home, the same place my marraige alliance was fixed whilst I was controlled like a puppet.

"Father...you were the one who sent that weird ass driver to bring me here?"I questioned to which he nodded.

I pressed in my lips tightly and downcasted my face.

Now face to face and looking at this man, I felt nothing but hatred and rage towards him.

He fixed up my marraige to Dante without my consent and when I was finally enjoying my marraige, he crashed it with a single phone call.

Even still, when Dante threatened on killing me, he didn't say shit. Instead he went mute and didn't bother to reach out to me.

"You are so incompetent Alina. I sent you there...." He began, making me raise my bewildered eyes up.

Nikolia stood up swiftly and walked out from his spot whilst straightening his suit. "I sent you to fucking get information about Dante's mafia yet you went there to fall inlove with that Italian fool!" Nikolia boomed.

I had had it up to my throat. Now I won't tolerate all these anymore.

"What sort of a father are you!?" I yelled back suprised by my tone.

Nikolia stood transfixed in his tracks and gazed at me. "What did you say?"

I stood and marched up to him, challenging his authority on me.

"You heard me right" I gritted.

"What sort of a father are you? You got me forcefully married to Dante and I concurred for the sake of our family. Yet you never bothered for once to check up on the daughter you pushed away. Later on, when I was beginning to enjoy my union with Dante, you fucking ruined it all!

You went mute when Dante threatened on killing me. And you stand before me sprewing out trash?! Really?"

"Alina!" Nikolia yelled, connecting his hand to my cheek in a painful slap.

"How dare you speak to me in such tone? You must really be insane. After all I've done for you? You dare talk to me in this manner? Ungrateful bastard" Nikolia scowled.

I staggered back and let out a pained smile.

He just called me a bastard. I stared at this man with my mouth at agape and wondered if this man was truly my blood.

At this point I can't call him my father any more. If he was really my father, he would have some sense and dignity.

"So you are now hitting me too right? You are so fucking selfish. You only care about yourself and yourself alone. Your daughters feelings don't matter to you.

Your quest to be the most powerful Don will kill you and I'll be more than happy to watch you die and rot away.

Dante hates me now because he believes I'm in on your fucking plan but I still love him Nikolia. Yes he wanted me dead but I still love this man so much and I will pick him over you anytime and any day.

I am for the Italians.

You abadoned and forsook your forsook your own daughter all for your selfish interest. You disgust me...."

I wasn't allowed to complete my sentence when my father sharply interrupted me.

"You are not my blood daughter!" He thundered, his eyes burning and hot.

I was robbed of my speech and stared at him in blank amazement.

I wasn't his blood daughter?

I don't understand what is going on here anymore.

Suddenly the door pushed open, welcoming in Leila and Vanessa as they walked in.

I didn't even know if I should be happy or sad on seeing them.

They flashed me cunning smiles and went to stand by Nikolia.

This man here just told me I'm not his blood daughter so I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.

Were Leila and Vanessa his blood daughters?

Did they know I wasn't?

If I wasn't his blood daughter, who then is my real father?

Where did Nikolia get me from?

I was more than confused by this sudden revelation.

"W-what? I'm not your blood daughter?" my voice was a whisper but loud enough for them to hear.

"Father you've told her already. That's nice. Let her know where she stands in our family" Leila seized my profile with a baleful glare whilst Vanessa chortled.

So they knew about it too. And by their tone, they were definitely in on all these.

"Alina you are not my daughter. And you will never be my daughter. Only Leila and Vanessa are my daughters. You are not even fit to be a Fedorov. Filthy low life. You are not a part of this family. My wife just happened to pick you up from the streets of Italy. You were just a little child roaming the streets of Italy, you were lost and your parents were nowhere to be found. Out of pity, she took you in. We thought we could raise you in as a Fedorov but once an Italian is always an Italian"

Somehow, Nikolia's spiteful words broke my heart.

I mean I grew up calling him father only for me to actually find out the real truth.

I struggled not to cry but traitorous tears slipped past my eyelids.

I have no family.

Am I an orphan? Could my parents still be alive somewhere?

Were they searching for me tirelessly?

This explains it all. This explains why Nikolia never treated me with warmth and empathy, only mother did.

I'll still address her as mother because she was one to me.

She loved me dearly and was never harsh on me unlike her selfish husband.

This also explains why Vanessa and Leila always sought to fight me for every little thing.

They never considered me as their sister for one day. Nobody considered me as a family only mother.

This honestly broke my heart. I've stayed with these people for more than twenty years of my life. I grew to see each and every one of them as my blood irregardless of how they treated me.

I'm deeply wounded and I don't want to break down infront of these people.

But still another revelation excited me. I am an Italian not Russian. I'm my husband's nationality.

Now I feel so relieved knowing that I never gave into Nikolai's awful demands to divulge secrets about Dante's mafia.

We Italians stick together.

"Is that a tear I see?" Vanessa mocked.

"Even your real family hated you. They abandoned you right from birth. You are not wanted anywhere. Your real family abandoned you, your foster family doesn't want you and husband wants to kill you. Wow. So refreshing" Leila added with a dark smile.

I ignored them both and cleaned my tears swiftly.

I won't let what Leila says get into my head. I know my real parents love me and they haven't forgotten their lost child and I also know that deep down, Dante still cares for me.

He loves me.

This people want to see me break down but I won't give them that satisfaction of watching me crumble.

"The truth was bound to come out sooner or later. Your name is not even Alina. When my wife asked you what your name was, you said Arianna. She gave you a Russian name instead for your safety in the Russian mafia and took you in" Nikolia confessed further.

"That was why you sent me to Dante?" I questioned.

Nikolia gave me a malicious look. "Of course. Dante is murderous. You can't deny that fact. And I know fully well that throughout your stay in that house probably in the initial period, Dante must have mistreated you one way or the other. I can't let my beautiful daughters pass through that. So you were the best option"

His reply only got me fueled up with rage.

"You all are so fucking selfish! You needed someone to do your dirty work and you pinned it on me. You couldn't risk your daughters getting killed by Dante but because I'm not your blood you decided to experiment with my life. How low can you all go!?" I yelled.

Leila at once punched me in the face, making me fall to the ground. "Control your tongue you bitch!"

I howled in pain, clutching on tight to my stomach.

Coming towards me, she attempted to kick me when her father's gruff voice stopped her.

"We need her alive Leila" He told her.

"Are you scared...that Dante will burn down this house if you kill me?" I taunted them still wincing in pain.

Nikolia marched towards me and crouched down. Gripping on to my chin roughly, he stared me dead in the eye.

"My only goal is to get to Dante. And inorder to get him, I need you. I had my men always lurking around Dante's vicinity. They were scattered all around his gated community. The most difficult plan was on how to get into his damn house but you came out in a platter of gold"

"Dante will kill you all I swear. Coward" I spat.

"How dare you!" Nikolia slapped me at once and I fell back.

"You have no idea who you are messing with Arianna" he growled, his nostrils flaring.

"And you have no idea whose wife you are messing with. I am a Morelli, the wife of the Capo dei Capi of the Italian mafia. I have seen Dante kill and believe me, it is more gory than you can imagine. That man faces death like he has a second life. He killed all your assassins and cohorts that were sent to harm us in Mexico. Dante is blood thirsty and once he finds me, he will kill you all" I taunted them amidst my pain.

"We shall see who dies and who lives"

Nikolia gritted before walking out. Vanessa and Leila followed behind him.

Once they were gone, the tears I had been struggling to keep streamed down in an instant and my pain clouded my thought.

Dante please come save me.