The Mafia's Queen

|Ch 11| The Mafia's Queen

The Shadow of Death and Her Thorns

That night after Melanie shoved both her sons out of the room leaving Stephanie to talk to her father without Estephano's penetrating gaze on her tense back was like a relief to Stephanie who after Estephano was gone was more relieved to hear her father was indeed safe.

However, like a rattlesnakes venom she felt guilt creeping through her veins after the way she had treated Estephano but the venom of guilt was quickly flushed away when she remembers her father's words before hanging up the phone assuring her he was going to get her out of there...

"Papa why didn't you call me all week? I-I was worried something happened to you," Stephanie had softly asked her father. Her voice had a tremble to it which made Eduardo's heart fall to the pit of his stomach in guilt.

Emily who was now sat beside Stephanie on the edge of the bed had stayed with her and was rubbing Stephanie's back in a soothing gesture only to have a small grateful smile directed here way from Stephanie who was glad Emily was beside her during this hard time.

"Oh my Principessa I am so sorry, I have been far too busy trying to bring the Bandoni's into prison that I lost track of time, forgive me my little girl," Eduardo had sighed feeling responsible for what happened to his daughter.

"Papa it's not your fault I understand. It's just I-I really thought they did something to you." She had told him with a croaky voice, a shiver passing through her as she remembers how frightened she was when she heard nothing from her father for almost a week!

"Who are the Bandoni's papa?" She finally addresses the big elephant in the room which instantly knocks the wind out of Eduardo who was secretly hoping she wouldn't ask him about the Bandoni's.

In the corner of the room where Melanie was in her own turmoil regarding what her husband has done perks upon hearing her families last name coming from the beautiful young women on the phone.

Sighing in frustration Eduardo knows he needs to tell his daughter who the men keeping her hostage are so they don't try brainwashing her into believing they are the good guys because they most definitely are not!!

"I never wanted it to come to this, I made it my job to make sure you were hidden from the truth of what went on out in the world but my little rose you are no longer little and I realize that keeping you in the dark was a mistake of mine. Roses only blossom strong and beautiful if given sunlight and I have been taking that from you." Her father exclaims tiredly.

Hi odd choice of words causes Stephanie to scrunch her face in confusion wondering what her father's whimsical phrases were implying.

'What rose?' She thinks to herself while nibbling on her nails nervously waiting for his answer.

"Papa I'm confused what is going on?" She pleads her voice hinting of deep distress.

She hears as her father exhales deeply almost in frustration and she can picture him running his long fingers through his aging brown hair, "Stephanie the world is not full of good people like you may think..." He starts only for Stephanie to silently scoff having already realized exactly that after the car crash and being in Leonardo's presence.

That man caused pure terror like no other upon her and she did not like being in his presence what so ever.

However she doesn't say anything and just lets her father speak, "-and the Bandoni's are just a handful of those bad souls walking on earth. They are not to be trusted, do not let them get into your brain." Eduardo pleads with his daughter strictly, hoping she could hear the threat they pose to her and others.