Kicked Out of the Family, I Rose As the True Mafia Princess

I was the daughter of a mafia Don. The day I met Ethan, he fell for me at first sight. When I found a receipt from a luxury boutique in his pocket, he said, "It's a gift for another capo's wife. These things have to be done right." I believed him. The second time, I found an earring in his car that wasn't mine. His friend told me it belonged to his girlfriend and that I shouldn't read too much into it. Then came a third time, and a fourth. Every time I found something, someone had an explanation ready. By the tenth time, I pulled a box of condoms from under the bed and waved it at him. "Whose are these? We've never used this brand." Ethan paused halfway through knotting his tie. With a weary sigh, he made a call. "Miller, did you take a box of condoms the last time you stayed over?" On the other end, my brother answered right away. "Yeah, I was wondering where those went. Sorry about that. Is my sister suspicious of you again?" Then my sister-in-law, who was also my best friend, started lecturing me. "Michelle, trust is the foundation of any relationship. You can't keep doubting Ethan." "If you can't manage that, then don't get married. Don't take Ethan's love for granted." After the call ended, Ethan spread his hands. "Michelle, are we done here? This is the tenth time. Like your sister-in-law said, if you can't trust me, then don't—" I nodded. "Exactly. Let's not get married." Ethan never could have guessed that the condoms weren't anyone else's. I had bought them myself and planted them there on purpose. That single box of condoms exposed the ugly truth behind our so-called love. Chapter 1 "I've canceled our appointment with the wedding photographer. No need to buy the ring, either." The moment I finished speaking, Ethan yanked at his tie, visibly annoyed. "Michelle, are you ever going to let this go? Your brother already vouched for me. What more do you want?" He sat on the other end of the bed, his back to me. "If you're sick, go see a doctor. But please stop being so suspicious all the time. It's hurting our relationship." "One day, your constant suspicion will wear away every bit of love I have for you." "Michelle, I'm being completely serious. A marriage can't last without trust." Before I could respond, his phone buzzed with a message. The irritation drained from his eyes the second he read it, replaced by something soft. When he looked back at me, the coldness returned. "I'll be busy today. Find something to do. Keep yourself occupied so you won't have time to doubt me." He straightened his tie and walked out the door without so much as a glance at me. I was certain Ethan was hiding something. Instead of driving my own car, I hailed a cab and followed him. Forty minutes later, the cab stopped outside a villa in the suburbs. Through the window, I saw the living room filled with food and wine. Seated around the table were people I knew all too well. The woman sitting beside Ethan, cradling a baby in her arms, was wearing the very earring I had found in his car. The designer gown she wore was the same one listed on the receipt I had found in Ethan's pocket. And her face. I would never forget it. This woman had stolen nearly everything from me. A year ago, my father, the Don, found his long-lost daughter Ivy. That was when I learned I wasn't his biological child. After that day, the Family shut me out and stripped away every privilege I had. They treated Ivy as the Stasia Family's princess. I was the intruder who had been occupying her rightful place. I couldn't accept it. During a confrontation, Ivy's bodyguards beat me badly, and my father threw me out. Now, the brother who had always protected me was fussing over Ivy, cutting up her steak for her. The best friend who had promised to always stand by me was cooing over the baby in Ivy's arms. And Ethan, the man who had just angrily demanded to know why I didn't trust him, was pulling Ivy into his arms as everyone around them cheered. The scene before me made my head spin. After I was thrown out, Ethan had sworn he would take care of me forever. Yet they all knew I had nowhere to go, and still they banded together to deceive me! My eyes stung, but I forced the tears back. So this was what it felt like to be betrayed by the people closest to you. I was nothing but a fool, strung along by their lies. Then my phone screen lit up, and the text message rekindled a spark of hope. "We've found your biological parents. We'll pick you up in three days." Good. Soon, I would have a real family of my own. Just three more days, and I would leave these liars behind. Leave Ethan behind. I turned to leave. I couldn't stand looking at their fake smiles a second longer. But a voice stopped me. "Michelle? Are you here for my baby's first birthday party too?" Chapter 2 I stopped. Ivy walked toward me, all smiles. "Little sis, I thought you were still upset with me over what Father did. Looks like it hasn't gotten to you after all." "Oh, this is my brother's new wife, Lily. You haven't met her, have you? After all, you'd already left the house by the time they got married." My best friend and sister-in-law Lily smirked and gave me a polite nod. "Hello... nice to meet you." She acted courteous yet distant, as if she truly didn't know me. Miller stood among the crowd, watching me with a mix of emotions in his eyes, but said nothing. Ivy didn't seem to notice Lily's slip. Beaming, she pulled Ethan over and pressed herself against him. "This is my husband. His name is—" "Ethan." I smiled and cut her off. "His name is Ethan, and he's the owner of this villa." Ivy froze for a moment, glancing between Ethan and me. "How do you know his name? Do you know him?" Ethan's face went rigid, his eyes flashing a warning at me. I ignored him and nodded with a smile. "Of course I do. He's my fiance. We've been together for five years and were about to get married." "He bought this villa for me. The renovations and decor were all done to my taste. Didn't you know?" I gasped and covered my mouth in mock surprise. "I only mentioned once that the air out here was nice, and Ethan went ahead and bought me this whole villa." "I just prefer our place in the city, so I don't come here often." That was what I said, but I knew perfectly well that I hadn't been staying away by choice. Ethan had always told me the commute was too long and rarely brought me here. Now I understood. It was just another lie he had spun to keep me from finding out. "Michelle! I know you hate me, but you can't just make things up!" "Ethan and I got married the year Father took me back. How could he possibly be your fiance!" Her eyes reddened as she turned to Ethan. "What is going on? Say something, Ethan!" Ethan tossed his cigar aside in a panic. "Ivy, calm down and let me explain..." Watching him scramble like that, all I felt was ice spreading through my chest. I was the one who had been deceived. Yet he was the one explaining himself to Ivy. Something inside me snapped. A raw, furious scream tore from my throat. "Take a good look! That's my fiance standing right next to you!" "He has tattoos on his back and chest. That gun he's carrying, I gave it to him for our first dating anniversary!" I pointed at the gun, and Ethan immediately covered his waistband. "My name is engraved on it. I did it myself." Then I pulled down my collar to reveal the scar on my shoulder. "This scar? He was in danger during a job, and I took a bullet for him." "He sleeps next to me every night. We have breakfast together every morning. This suit he's wearing, I picked it out for him!" "So, dear sister, you're the other woman. You're the dirty little secret he's been keeping from me!" "Michelle, shut up!" The moment Ivy burst into tears, all three of them jumped in to silence me. Ethan's gaze was filled with cold fury. Miller and Lily looked like they wanted to rush over and clamp a hand over my mouth. I laughed. "Did I say something wrong? Don't tell me you didn't know any of this. How much longer are you going to keep lying!" Ethan pulled Ivy tight against him. When he spoke to me, his voice was cold as ice. "Michelle, who gave you the right to talk to Ivy like that? She doesn't know anything. None of this is her fault." Lily dropped every pretense of warmth, her tone vicious. "Don't you get it? If he loves her, then you're the one who's in the way. The Don himself approved of them. Everyone supports them. They're the ones who are truly in love!" Miller stepped in front of Ivy too, as if afraid I might hurt her. "We didn't tell you because we were trying to spare you the humiliation. Ivy is Father's biological daughter. Only a marriage between her and Ethan would ever get Father's blessing. Just step aside." I looked at Miller, whom I had called my brother for so many years, my best friend, the fiance who had sworn he loved only me, and Ivy, tears still wet on her cheeks yet triumph gleaming in her eyes. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart. "Is that why you pushed Father into throwing me out, leaving me homeless and letting other people bully me?" All the hurt came crashing down at once, and tears poured down my face. "No matter how you spin it, she's still the other woman, and you all conspired to lie to me. Every last one of you is a liar!" Before the words had left my mouth, Ethan slapped me across the face. My head snapped to the side, my ears ringing. "Michelle, I gave you a chance and you threw it away. I told you, don't ever talk about Ivy like that. Don't test me!" Chapter 3 Before I could recover, Lily grabbed my arm and dragged me into one of the villa's rooms. The room was flooded with sunlight. Through the window, I could see a farm in the distance and the villa's garden just below. This was the room Ethan had handpicked for me. He said I deserved the best. But when Lily pushed the door open, the decor was nothing like what I would have chosen. Pink wallpaper, a canopy bed draped in sheer fabric, the cloying scent of perfume. On the wall hung Ethan and Ivy's wedding photo. Below it was a row of smaller photos: pictures of their child, along with a family portrait of the three of them. Not a single trace of me remained. "Michelle, just face reality, okay? Ethan and Ivy are drawn to each other. They're in love. They're meant to be." "He only stayed with you out of gratitude because you saved his life." I shook my head. "No. I don't believe that!" Lily patted my shoulder with a pitying look. "You think Ivy only reunited with the Don a year ago?" "Ethan has been with her for three years. He's the one who helped her find her biological father. After that, everyone accepted their relationship." She looked me in the eye and delivered the cruelest blow. "Miller and I both agree that they're the perfect match. And getting you thrown out? That was Ethan's idea." "You had to be driven out for good so no one could threaten Ivy's position in the Family." I stared at Lily as if she were a stranger. I couldn't fathom how my best friend, my own sister-in-law, could do this to me. When she and Miller decided to get married, she had hugged me, laughing and crying at the same time. She said she was so happy we would finally be real family, together forever. She had even warned Ethan, as my sister-in-law, that she would skin him alive if he ever treated me badly. And now she herself was helping another woman take Ethan from me, telling me to my face that I was the one who didn't belong. I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They slid down my cheeks. My heart felt like it had been sliced open. This hurt more than the bullet ever did. I heard footsteps behind me. Ethan and Ivy had just walked in. I wiped my tears, took a deep breath, and said, "If you two are in love, then I'll step aside." "Michelle..." "Calm down. Don't say things you don't mean." They both spoke at once, clearly not expecting me to let them off so easily. I simply smiled and glanced at Ivy. "In this game, I was out before it even started. I wish you both happiness." I turned and walked away. Ethan reached for my hand, but I sidestepped him. Every betrayal, every lie. I committed them all to memory. I would never forgive. And I would never forget. Chapter 4 I was packing my bags when Ethan suddenly appeared at our apartment. The moment he saw the suitcase, he exploded. "Michelle, what are you doing? You're moving out? Leaving me?" I had no idea how he had the nerve to say that. "Shut up!" I glared at him and slapped him hard across the face. "Ethan, get this straight. You left me. You abandoned me. If I don't leave now, what am I supposed to do, wait until you throw me out?" His cheek flushed red. He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek but didn't lose his temper. Instead, he opened his arms and pulled me into an embrace. "There, sweetheart. I messed up. You can hit me, yell at me, whatever you need. Feel any better now?" "We've been together five years. We have something real. Can you really just walk away from that?" "You nearly died saving me. I'll never forget what you did for me. I would never abandon you." It suddenly hit me that I had never truly known Ethan at all. When had he become this shameless, this two-faced? I shoved him away and put distance between us. But Ethan just grinned and came toward me again with his arms open. "Ivy is the Stasia Family's princess. Marrying her gives me more power. You don't even know who your real father is. How would you survive without me?" Ethan looked at me with all the tenderness in the world, as if he genuinely had my best interests at heart. "Ivy and I already have a child. My position in the Family is more secure than ever. Just stay with me. I can give you everything, except the title of wife." I wanted to throw up. Every word out of his mouth made me sick. When I didn't respond, Ethan took my silence as agreement. He smiled and stroked my hair. "To make it up to you, let's go shopping. Anything you want, it's yours." Before I could respond, Miller and Lily burst through the open door. Miller charged straight at me and knocked me to the floor with a slap. Lily grabbed me by the collar and snarled, "Michelle! Where did you hide Ivy's baby?" Ivy came running in, sobbing, shaking my shoulders over and over. "Michelle, you hid my baby, didn't you? Tell me where he is! He's only one year old. He'll die without me!" "I'll give Ethan back to you. I'll give up my position. Whatever you want, just name it. Please give me my child back!" Ethan's smile vanished. He stepped forward tensely. "What do you mean the baby is missing?" Lily nodded. "He disappeared during naptime. He can barely walk on his own. Someone must have taken him!" Ethan let out a roar, drew his gun, and pressed the muzzle straight against my forehead. "No wonder you were packing to leave. You were trying to run because you knew you were guilty!" "Talk! Where did you hide him?" The cold muzzle against my skin made my blood run cold. Years ago, when we were outnumbered in that firefight, I hadn't been afraid. When I took that bullet for Ethan, I hadn't been afraid. But now I was terrified. Not of dying. I was afraid I wouldn't live long enough to see these people brought to their knees. "I didn't do anything. I've never even seen the child..." Ivy collapsed to the floor, sobbing so hard she was on the verge of passing out. "If you have a grudge, take it out on me. The baby is innocent!" "If anything happens to him, I won't survive it!" With every word she said, Ethan's grip tightened. Click. He chambered a round. One more second, and the bullet would tear through my skull. "I really... don't know..." How could I confess to something I never did? Miller stood by, his face blank and cold. "I can't cover for you just because you're my sister. Besides, you're not even my sister anymore." He turned to Ethan. "Michelle won't crack on her own. She needs some convincing, or she'll never talk." Ethan nodded and lowered the gun, his eyes terrifyingly cold. "Then beat it out of her." The words had barely left his mouth when Miller stepped forward and drove his fist into my stomach. I doubled over in pain, but before I could catch my breath, Lily struck me across the face. Then Miller slammed me against the wall. A moment later, something warm and wet began to run down my inner thigh. Everyone froze. "Michelle, you..." Just then, Ivy's phone rang. It was the housekeeper. "Ma'am, the baby's been found. One of the maids took him to the store to buy formula." Relief washed over every face in the room. Only Ethan hesitated, glancing at me, but in the end, he chose to go with Ivy to check on the baby. I lay on the floor, and no one spared me a second glance. I felt the life inside me slipping away as my consciousness slowly faded. Just as I was about to pass out, I heard a familiar voice. I managed a small nod before the darkness swallowed me. Ethan, I hope you still think Ivy is so precious after you see what I've prepared for you. As for you, Miller and Lily, neither of you is getting away. Get ready for what's coming.