My First, My Last, My Everything

Chapter 2

Gabriella

My family's been running the most royal mafia for centuries, like way back before anyone even knew what a mafia was. It's not something I go bragging about to just anyone. This truth remains a secret, known only to those working for us or with business ties.

But you might have seen the name 'The Royal Mafia' pop up in news headlines and articles. They try to speculate about our location and next moves, but they always come up empty-handed.

Why, you ask?

Because we aren't your run-of-the-mill mafia crew. Nope, we're the top-notch, take-no-prisoners, rule-the-roost kind.

Let's talk about my folks, Lucy and Zayn Antonio. Their history in the mafia game goes way back. Mom repped the Torriteli name, while Dad rocked the Antonio surname. Now, let me tell you, those two names were like oil and water - they just weren't supposed to mix.

So, how did these two lovebirds, who were supposed to stay apart, end up ruling the roost as the most powerful mafia duo on the planet? Well, that's a tale for another time. Right now, I'm giving you a sneak peek into the world of my family and, of course, moi.

In case you're curious, I'm not flying solo here. I wish I were sometimes, you know, just enjoying the perks of being the only offspring of Lucy and Zayn Antonio. But nope, thanks to my head-over-heels parents, I've got not one but two twin knuckleheads to deal with.

Still, I'm the eldest, so let's just focus on that, shall we?

Noah and Marco Antonio, aka the Evil Twins Extraordinaire. They're 22, still college-bound (yep, we're in college too, incognito, of course), and still cozying up under Mom and Dad's roof. They can't function separately to save their lives. They love me, I tolerate them. Period.

And that's the lowdown on the fam. Not exactly the picture of danger, right? Well, don't let my easygoing tone trick you. I could narrate the family saga with the innocent charm of a 5-year-old, and you'd never guess that the same crew I'm talking about could take you out in your sleep.

But honestly, despite being the big shots of the world's most fearsome mafia, at home, we're your textbook regular family. Sure, we face our fair share of life-or-death challenges, mostly in the form of rival mafia families and gangs trying to snatch our title. They've tried, but the 'powerful and dangerous' label wasn't just slapped on us for show. We know how to hold our own, no matter what comes our way.

When the mafia reins were handed over to me, it was a freakin' highlight. I finally had the big gig I'd been groomed for since forever, the thing I'd dreamt about since I was knee-high. I know it's not the usual dream for a girl my age; most would be gunning for a dream house or reminiscing about their middle school crush finally noticing them. But hey, we're not all cut from the same cloth.

Right now, I've got it all. I snap my fingers, and things move. I say the word, and it's done. It's all under my control.

But rewind four years, and my power was zip. I enrolled at UCLA, incognito to shield my real identity from the nosy Nancy's of the world. Back then, I had just one friend I could trust, someone in the know about my family's secrets. Getting to this point was a bumpy ride, to put it mildly. But every bit of that struggle was worth it.

Except for one aspect. More like, one person who I swore I'd never mention again, never let cross my thoughts. But since we're here, might as well address it.

He was the ray of sunshine in a storm of crap. Everything about him drew me in, like he had this magnetic pull. We got tight, super tight, almost like we'd fallen for each other. Almost.

Thing is, he only let me see what he wanted me to see. I was no different, projecting an image I wanted him to see. But, deep down, we both had secrets. Things we were afraid to reveal because letting those cats out of the bag meant breaking the spell that had us entwined.

Eventually, those secrets did come out. And let's just say that day is still a thorn in my side. He wasn't who I thought he was, and I wasn't the girl he hoped for either.

Anyway, that's a lifetime ago. Whatever went down between me and him is ancient history. Frankly, I'm not even sure he's still breathing, but I'm leaning towards the negative on that.

It's all in the past, and I've moved on. Probably, he has too. What was, is just a memory, locked in the vault of the past, where we both swore it would stay.