Chapter 4 Unravelling Family Ties

• "Mrs. De Angelis."
• I turned towards the door when I heard a knock and someone calling me. I still wasn't used to being addressed as Mrs. De Angelis. To me, it still felt like a dream that I was married to someone like Leandro.
• Leandro David De Angelis is someone so hard to reach, it almost felt surreal that I had married him.
• I got up to answer the door, knowing it was the woman Leandro had introduced earlier, Nicola. Unlike earlier when my outfit had been a bit wrinkled due to Leandro's actions, I was dressed neatly now.
• Remembering that moment made my cheeks burn.
• I wasn't mistaken. When I opened the door, Nicola was standing there. She greeted me politely.
• "Sir Leandro asked me to help you with everything you need to know now that you're married to him. Let's go to the study room, Mrs. De Angelis—"
• "Please, just call me Bella." I really wasn't used to what they were calling me.
• She gave a restrained smile. "Let's go to the study room, Ma'am Bella."
• It seemed that no matter what I said or how I insisted on being called Bella, they would still address me with respect, so I didn't push it.
• The two of us headed to the study room, even though I didn't know what we would do there. Did I need to study just to get to know what kind of person Leandro was and what kind of family the De Angelis were?
• I saw some files on a desk. Nicola motioned for me to sit in her office chair, so I obliged.
• "All the documents you see on your desk are related to the De Angelis family and those close to them. You need to know everything as you're now married to Sir Leandro," Nicola explained.
• My jaw nearly dropped as I saw how thick the documents Nicola was referring to were.
• "If you're more comfortable reading them using electronic devices, you can use the laptop and iPad. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
• I forced a smile at Nicola when she finished speaking. I turned my attention to the documents and read the file names.
• De Angelis Mafia Organization.
• Mafia?
• My mind paused momentarily, contemplating the word 'mafia.' Mafia, as in the criminal organization?
• I looked at Nicola, who was patiently waiting for my questions.
• I took a deep breath, about to open my mouth, but I restrained myself.
• "Leandro is part of a mafia organization? He's a member?" I was shocked by what I had just learned, but I didn't go into hysterics. Even before Leandro, you could sense something dark about him.
• "Yes, Ma'am," Nicola replied.
• My heart raced even faster at her response. Swallowing became difficult as the knowledge of Leandro's membership in such an organization lodged in my throat.
• "Take note, he's not just a member, Ma'am; he's the current boss of the organization."
• If I was stunned by what I had learned earlier, I was even more so now.
• What had I gotten myself into? It was already strange to marry Leandro because I didn't really know him, and now I was finding out these things about my now-husband?
• Despite my nervousness, I didn't show it to Nicola. I simply nodded as if I had readily accepted everything, even though my insides were tied in knots.
• Leandro is a mafia boss, and I am his wife!
• "I'll leave you for now, Ma'am. If you need anything, you can call me or Fabio."
• Nicola left me alone, and I lowered my gaze back to the thick documents. I hadn't even started, and I was already feeling overwhelmed.
• The history of their organization was there. I read it painstakingly, even though my head was throbbing from the sheer number of names I was encountering. Did I need to memorize all of them?
• It was only when I saw the name of Leandro's father, Filippo De Angelis, that I perked up. So, it had been their family leading this for generations? Three generations, and they were always in charge. I wondered why there was a slight deviation with Leandro's father because before he took over, one of his cousins, Mr. Renato De Angelis, had held the position. I wondered what had transpired.
• I shrugged it off and turned to the next pages. I now saw Leandro's generation. Nicola had been right; Leandro was the boss. In a way, he was at the top of the food chain.
• I identified his associates who helped run the organization. Diego De Angelis served as his consigliere. I had seen him at our wedding; he was Leandro's best man. Like Leandro, he seemed emotionally detached. His second in command was Emilio De Angelis, and there were two more underbosses, Emanuele and Lorenzo De Angelis.
• "I'm confused," I whispered to myself.
• I then moved on to other members referred to as caporegimes. They were high-ranking members of the crime family in charge of lower-ranking members. I spotted Fabio's name as one of Leandro's caporegimes, and right beneath his name was Nicola's. I no longer wondered why they had entrusted me to them.
• Unable to contain my thoughts, I stood up and left a marker where I had stopped reading. There were also background details on other families who seemed to be friends of the De Angelis family, and I needed to know and understand those as well.
• I still couldn't believe that Leandro came from a family like this. Often, I only saw such things in movies, and I must say, they are not good people.
• I was on my way to the kitchen to get a drink when I remembered what my father used to do to me whenever I left the room where he confined me. Even fetching water would anger him.
• I instinctively gripped the door handle and closed my eyes, trying to bury the ugly memories of abuse.
• "Ma'am?"
• I flinched and stepped back, almost about to plead not to be hurt, thinking the person who touched me was my father.
• The household help who called out to me looked surprised. She probably didn't expect my reaction.
• I composed myself. I needed to remind myself that I wasn't at our home, and my father wasn't here. He couldn't harm me while I was here.
• "Are you okay?" She asked.
• I forced a smile, concealing the fear that had surged with the thoughts and memories. "I'm okay. I'm sorry, I just get startled easily." I glanced at the fridge and pointed. "I was just going to get some water. Is it okay?"
• She seemed momentarily stunned by my words before nodding slowly.
• "Yes, Ma'am. You own this house, you don't need to ask for permission. You could have just called and asked us to bring it to the study room so you wouldn't be inconvenienced." She smiled at me and fetched a glass of water.
• I sat on the high chair by the island counter. The helper placed the glass of water in front of me.
• "Sir Leandro gave instructions before he left earlier, that if you need or want anything, we should attend to it. So please don't hesitate to approach us, Ma'am. You're the mistress of this house. I'm sorry if I startled you earlier."
• I held the glass. I could feel the chill of the water.
• I'm the mistress? Does that mean no one will tell me I'm not allowed to eat because I've messed up in life? That I can't leave my room because I never do anything right when I step out? No one will verbally and physically abuse me here, right?
• I smiled to myself. The people in this house were different from those in our old home. Leandro was different from my father. I needed to remember that.
• "Thank you," I said, raising my gaze to her. "What's your name?"
• "My name is Luisa, Ma'am."
• I smiled again at her, and she returned it. She asked if I needed anything else, but I shook my head.
• As night fell, I felt a bit of excitement. Dinner was ready, and I was seated near the head of the table.
• I was excited because I rarely ate with someone before. I never dined with Papa at the dining table because when he wasn't around, I had to eat alone. When they were present, I was usually confined to my room. I considered myself fortunate if I could eat with Izzy and Aunt Lorena.
• I shook my head. I didn't want to dwell on those thoughts. I shouldn't bring that mindset here. I might not be entirely free since I was still tied to Leandro, but I was free from my father. In this house, he couldn't harm me.
• "Where's Leandro?" I asked Fabio, who was sitting beside me.
• "He's still in the office, Ma'am."
• My joy disappeared at hearing this. Leandro was still in the office? Wasn't he coming home yet?
• "What time is Leandro coming home? I'll wait for him before eating."
• I wanted to experience eating together with my husband, hoping that it might help us have a better relationship if we made it a habit.
• "I'll call Sir to check, Ma'am."
• I smiled at Fabio, even though he didn't respond in kind. I thought it would be a good idea to be friendly with the people here, especially since I would be interacting with them frequently.
• I waited for Fabio to return. Even though I was afraid of Leandro, he hadn't done anything to make me more fearful of him.
• Fabio came back, and I eagerly awaited his news. "Sir Leandro won't be able to come home yet, Ma'am. You should go ahead and eat."
• I felt a sudden emptiness in my stomach. My appetite vanished.
• "Will he be home late? I can wait—"
• "He asked that you start eating first, Ma'am."
• I slumped in my chair. Did I have to eat alone even here?
• I remained silent and sat there, observing the food. I had lost my appetite.
• After a few hours, I got up. Some looked surprised, while Nicola and Fabio watched me closely, observing my actions.
• "Ma'am—"
• "I'm going to rest. I'm not hungry."
• I didn't wait for them to speak further. I left immediately and went to the second floor to enter our bedroom.
• I closed my eyes and leaned against the door. Did I still feel alone even here? Maybe I was wrong in thinking that this house was different from Papa's. Maybe wherever I went, I would always feel alone.
• I prepared for sleep, cleaning myself up and changing my clothes. I lay down in bed and pulled the duvet over me. I closed my eyes, even though I had no plans to sleep.