Amidst the Rain in New York

Marcolo, a reckless playboy from a mafia family noticed I had been left alone and immediately leaned in close. He pressed himself to my side and inhaled deeply.

“You smell good, Miss Lena. See? I told you Victor wouldn’t give you the brooch. I’ve been telling you for a long time to stop clinging to him and please me instead, but you never listened. So, how does it feel now? Embarrassing, isn’t it? Victor told me to keep you company so you wouldn’t get bullied. Come on, have a drink with me.”

I snapped my head toward him, staring at the short, plump man in front of me. Panic rose in my chest. Victor knew exactly what kind of intentions this man had toward me, yet he still sent him over.

My fingers clenched tightly around the fabric of my dress. Whatever remaining hope I had for Victor twisted further into disgust.

Seeing that I refused to even look at him, Marcolo placed his rough, hairy hand on my shoulder.

“Lena, if it weren’t for that pretty face of yours, I would’ve done whatever I wanted with an illegitimate daughter like you. You think Victor can protect you forever?”

Before his hand could move any further, Victor returned and slapped him away.

“Marcolo, didn’t I warn you? Don’t touch my woman.”

Marcolo scoffed. “Haven’t you chosen that little girl over there? What, now you want Lena too?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Marcolo spat on the floor and muttered a curse before walking away.

Victor turned me around sharply so I was facing him.

“He touched you. Why didn’t you move away?”

I felt a chill run down my spine as I rebutted, “Didn’t you allow this to happen?”

His expression darkened. “Listen carefully. On a night like this, I can protect you, but that doesn’t mean I have to stay glued to your side every second.”

“But you know exactly what this lily brooch meant–”

Emily interrupted again, stepping in with a bright, flawless smile. “Victor, I’d like a drink. Is that okay?”

One of us was filled with indignation, while the other was beaming with joy. The answer to who Victor would pick was obvious.

“Of course,” Victor said. “Tonight is your night. You can do whatever you want. Lena, if anything comes up, I’ll see you at your place tomorrow.”

Tomorrow?

I let out a cold, quiet laugh. Tomorrow, he’d only be able to see me in Chicago.

After Victor left to attend to other guests, Emily returned, holding a glass of wine. The timid look on her face was gone. In its place was something more composed, almost like the future lady of the Colonnetti family.

“You already have everything. Do you really need to steal even this little spotlight from me, Lena? It’s my birthday. I only wanted Victor with me for one night. Is that really too much to ask?”

I shook my head. “But I’m not much better than you, am I, Emily?”

My mother died young, so I was taken back into the Moretti family when I was still a child. Madam Moretti looked at me like she wished I had never been brought into the house, but my father, the Don of the Moretti family, had countless lovers. Naturally, he never cared whether the illegitimate daughter he brought home lived or died.

From a young age, I learned how to read people and to survive. Without this face of mine, I wouldn’t have made it this far at all. I survived in the cracks of that family, and eventually, I went to my uncle, begging him to train and protect me.