MARKED BY THE MAFIA
Marked By The Mafia – Episode 59&60
[…BOUND BY DUTY…]
GENRE: Dark Romance
TAGS: MAFIAS, OBSESSION, POSSESSIVE, LOVE, STEAMY, LOVE TRIANGLE, EMPIRE, BETRAYAL, CRIME, VIOLENCE, DEATHS AND MANY MORE…
✧༺✰༻✧
✮{…THE SECRET DOOR…}✮
MATTEO AND AURORA’S SUITE*
Steam curled from the half-open bathroom door, carrying the faint scent of lavender and iron.
Aurora stepped out slowly, droplets tracing the curve of her shoulders before vanishing into the silk robe clinging to her damp skin. Her hair was slicked back, her expression unreadable.
The quiet broke when the door clicked open.
Matteo stood there and the first thing she noticed wasn’t the weariness in his eyes, it was the color of his hair.
Once black but now vivid red.
Aurora simply walked past him toward the vanity, her indifference louder than any accusation.
“Aurora, please… listen to me”
She paused only to tighten the robe’s belt, then lifted her gaze to the mirror.
“I don’t have to listen to anything”
“By the way, she’s dead. I ended her life” she added nonchalantly.
Matteo froze. The words struck like bullets, yet behind the shock, something dangerous sparked in his eyes. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled. A quiet, proud smile.
“I’m proud of you” he murmured.
Aurora turned, meeting his gaze for the first time since he walked in.
“Get me something to eat. Now”
“Aurora…”
Her tone sliced through the room.
“Matteo”
“Can you just—”
“If you want to earn my forgiveness, then do as I say!”
Her voice cracked like thunder, the emotion finally breaking through her composure.
“It’s not going to be easy to forget what you did. I saw you” she swallowed hard, fury and grief tangled together.
“And that image will be engraved in my brain forever”
Silence.
Only the dripping of water from her hair to the marble floor.
Matteo stood motionless, the weight of her words sinking deeper than any wound he’d ever taken. He wanted to reach for her, but even he knew better than to touch fire while it was still burning.
Matteo’s jaw tightened. “I really can’t cook” he muttered, almost to himself.
Aurora didn’t even blink. “I don’t care”
The finality in her tone was ice-cold.
With a low sigh, he turned and walked toward the suite’s kitchen.
Inside the kitchen, Matteo leaned his hands on the counter, exhaling slowly as if trying to gather the pieces of a man who once had control.
He opened the fridge, stared at its contents for a moment, then pulled out a few random items — eggs, bread, a pack of bacon.
He hesitated, frowning. He had no idea what to do with them.
“Great” he muttered under his breath. “I can dismantle a rifle blindfolded, but I can’t make breakfast”
Grabbing his phone, he opened YouTube and typed ‘simple breakfast for beginners’. The soft sound of a cheerful cooking tutorial filled the kitchen, a ridiculous contrast to the tension hanging in the suite.
As he tried to follow the instructions… Aurora’s voice drifted faintly from the bedroom.
“Hurry up. I’m starving”
Matteo clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to respond.
“Just a few minutes” he muttered quietly, flipping the bacon like it had personally offended him.
Somewhere deep inside, he wondered if this was what repentance was supposed to feel like — humbling, humiliating, but weirdly grounding. Because even as the smoke alarm beeped and the eggs looked like a crime scene, he couldn’t help the ghost of a smile that tugged at his lips.
At least she was talking to him again.
Smoke curled lazily from the pan. Matteo frowned, poking at the mess that was supposed to be scrambled eggs. Half of it stuck stubbornly to the pan, the rest looked suspiciously raw. The bacon was too crisp, and the bread? Charcoal.
He stared at the disaster. “You’ve got to be kidding me”
The kitchen door swung open.
Aurora stood there, arms folded, one brow arched in cool amusement. She took one look at the counter, flour dusted everywhere, eggshells scattered like debris and then at him.
“You can’t cook to save a life, huh?” she said flatly, stepping closer.
Matteo turned, trying not to look embarrassed. “I was following the tutorial”
“From who? A clown?” she shot back, crossing her arms tighter.
He exhaled through his nose, rubbing a hand through his newly dyed red hair, which only made him look more out of place.
Aurora tilted her head, her tone calm but firm. “Start all over again”
Matteo blinked. “What?”
“You heard me,” she said, pointing to the mess. “Clean this up and start again. This time, make something edible. I’m not eating that”
He stared at her for a long second, jaw tightening. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Her lips curved into a faint smirk. “Maybe. Consider it part of your punishment”
Matteo let out a short, dry laugh and picked up the burnt pan. “You’re unbelievable”
“And you’re terrible at this,” she replied, already turning toward the door. “Now get to work”
The door closed behind her, leaving Matteo alone again, surrounded by smoke and failure.
He sighed, grabbed a cloth, and muttered to himself, “I survived gunfire and gang wars, but breakfast might actually kill me”
The second attempt ended up worse than the first. The eggs were too runny, and the toast fell apart when he tried to flip it. Matteo groaned, dragging a hand down his face, but he didn’t stop.
On his third try, he finally managed something that looked decent. Not perfect, but edible. The eggs were golden, the toast crisp, and the bacon no longer resembled charcoal. He exhaled in relief, plating the food carefully before wiping his hands on a towel.
Carrying the tray, he walked back to the bedroom. Aurora was on the bed, scrolling through her phone, her legs crossed neatly, expression unreadable.
He placed the tray on the bedside table and straightened up. “Here. It’s not much, but it’s food”
She barely glanced at it. “I lost my appetite”
Matteo froze. “Aurora, seriously?”
Her tone didn’t change. “I said I lost my appetite”
He let out a short, frustrated breath. “Do you have any idea what I went through just to make that? I burned two pans, almost set the smoke alarm off, and watched three YouTube tutorials that made no sense! I’ve never even cracked an egg before!”
Aurora’s eyes finally met his, cold and sharp. “It’s not up to what you did to me, Matteo! Stick that to your mother fucking brain!” she screamed, her voice trembling with anger and hurt.
Matteo stared at her, chest rising and falling. The fury in her tone didn’t scare him, it broke him.
He nodded slowly, his voice low. “Seems I have a long way to go before you forgive me”
Aurora said nothing. She turned her gaze away, staring blankly at the wall. But for a brief second, her fingers tightened around the phone, as if holding herself together was all she could do.
Matteo picked up the tray quietly, his expression unreadable, and walked back toward the kitchen. The only sound left behind was the faint click of the door closing.
A few minutes passed before Matteo re-entered the bedroom. Aurora was sitting at the edge of the bed, calmly brushing her damp hair as if nothing had happened.
He opened his mouth to speak, but she did first.
“I’m going to continue from where Bianca stopped,” she said, her tone calm but cold. “I’m visiting the Deluca’s today”
Matteo froze. “Wait, what? Someone else can do that. Vixen or even Rosa”
Aurora turned slowly, meeting his eyes with a look that could cut through steel. “And I said I’m doing it. Have a problem with that?”
“Yes, I do!” His voice rose before he could stop it. “He gets to touch you and I don’t want that!”
Her expression didn’t waver. “But you did more than touch Bianca. May her soul rest in perfect pieces, amen”
The mocking emphasis in her tone stung like acid.
“Aurora, it wasn’t intentional” he said quietly, guilt bleeding into his voice.
“Enough, Matteo!” she snapped, standing abruptly. Her brush clattered to the floor. “Now pick out an outfit for me. I have a meeting with Nicholas”
Matteo’s jaw tightened, anger and frustration warring inside him.
He turned toward the closet silently, every movement stiff, restrained.
Matteo finally spoke, voice low. “You really want to walk into that estate knowing what it’ll do to me?”
Aurora’s lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. “Good. Then maybe you’ll know how it feels”
He pulled out a very long gown midnight black, high slit at the side, fabric that would flow like water when she moved. He held it up against Aurora’s frame as she watched, expression unreadable.
“Don’t forget to fill me with anything you find unusual” he said.
“I’m aware. Don’t teach me my work” she replied, cold and controlled, taking the dress from him and letting the fabric fall across her fingers.
Matteo hesitated, then asked, “Aurora, what’s up with you?”
“You know what, so stop asking,” she snapped, eyes flashing. She met his gaze steadily. “I hope you haven’t killed Enzo. That bastard deserves to be killed by only me”
“Yeah. I kept him alive because of you”
“Good” she said simply, already stepping behind the screen to dress. Her voice had a clipped finality to it as she smoothed the fabric along her hips.
Matteo reached out, then pulled back, the conflict visible on his face. “Don’t let him touch you too much, please. I might die”
Aurora’s hand paused at the zipper.
“Let’s see how it goes”
She stepped into her heels, slung her purse over her shoulder, and walked out of the suite without another glance at Matteo. The soft click of the door closing behind her left the room steeped in silence.
Matteo exhaled heavily, dragging a hand through his hair before heading to the living room. He slumped on the sofa, elbows resting on his knees, mind spinning with everything Aurora had said.
Just then, the doorbell rang. His phone buzzed at the same moment.
Maya: Open the door, brother.
He rolled his eyes, already sensing the trouble that came with her tone.
A moment later, the door swung open and Maya strolled in, all black leather and attitude.
“Is that really Aurora?” she asked, whistling low. “She changed, damn! I’m glad that fool is gone though”
Matteo shot her a flat look. “What are you doing here?”
“Chill, okay? I just want to talk to you” she said, throwing herself on the couch opposite him.
“Start talking”
“Well…” she began, stretching the word lazily. “Axel is in Paris”
“So?”
“He wants to team up”
“We don’t need him”
“Are you serious right now?” she said, her eyes narrowing. “He’s our brother! That’s Axel we’re talking about!”
Matteo leaned back, his patience fraying. “Can you just leave now? I need some quiet time alone”
“No, I won’t,” Maya shot back, already standing. “What’s available? I’m starving”
She sauntered into the kitchen, and Matteo groaned quietly. A minute later, she returned with a plate of food in one hand and a disgusted look on her face.
“First of all, that kitchen is a mess. Secondly, I tasted the food, and it tasted horribly. You have never tried cooking, and I know Aurora’s food doesn’t taste that way”
“Don’t mock me. I tried, okay?” Matteo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
“You cooked?” Maya laughed, clutching her stomach. “Holy ball! What happened?”
“Okay,” Matteo admitted with a sheepish smirk. “I think I messed up”
“Spill” she demanded, grinning now, leaning forward like she was ready for a story.
Matteo ran a hand over his face, the memory still burning hot in his mind.
“Look… I—there was this drug… some shit that got into my system, an harmless glass of water i drank. I was… I don’t know… completely out of control. I didn’t even realize what I was doing”
Maya’s eyes went wide, a mix of disbelief and shock flashing across her face. “Wait… are you saying…”
“I ended up… with Bianca, because I thought she was Aurora!”
Maya blinked, trying to process the confession. “Oh wow! You… you don’t even know your wife’s scent?”
Matteo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She had the same scent… and that night… Aurora… I wasn’t even thinking! My brain was completely gone. It wasn’t… it wasn’t intentional, I swear!”
Maya leaned back, hands on her knees, letting out a slow whistle. “Damn… I get why she’s furious. That’s… insane”
Matteo’s jaw clenched. “Insane doesn’t even cover it. And now… now she won’t even talk to me”
Maya tilted her head, smirking slightly despite the tension. “Well… you deserve it, bro. But it’s fixable… if you survive her wrath”
Matteo let out a humorless laugh, sinking back into the couch. “Yeah… surviving Aurora’s wrath is a whole different level of hell”
Maya shook her head, chuckling. “Man, you are so dead… literally and figuratively”
Matteo groaned again, burying his face in his hands. “Don’t remind me… I already know”
Maya snorted, shaking her head. “So you cooked for her to placate her?”
“No,” he said quickly, frowning. “She told me to cook for her. I told her I can’t cook, but she didn’t even give a damn. I watched some YouTube tutorials, tried to follow them, but I still ended up… doing rubbish. And she… she didn’t even eat it after all the stress”
Maya burst out laughing, slapping her knee. “Why would she? This is nonsense, I can’t even eat it myself!”
Matteo groaned, sinking deeper into the couch. “You don’t understand, Maya… I put blood, sweat, and tears into that food!”
“Yeah, and she still hates your guts,” Maya said, smirking. “Classic Aurora”
He rubbed his face, muttering, “I’m doomed… absolutely doomed”
Maya leaned back, still chuckling. “Welcome to being married to a mafia queen, bro”
After a moment, Maya spoke again, her voice careful, almost tentative.
“Matteo… can you allow one of your mobsters to be in a relationship with any of your family?”
He froze, looking up from his phone. “Where’s this question coming from?”
Maya shrugged lightly, pretending nonchalance. “I’m just curious… so, will you?”
Matteo’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing slightly. “No”
“Why… no?” she pressed, leaning a little closer.
“Just… no. Now stop being a curious cat” he said firmly.
Maya smiled awkwardly, exhaling a small sigh as she turned her gaze toward the window, pretending to study the city below, her heart quietly racing.
•••
DELUCA’S ESTATE*
Aurora stepped into the DeLuca mansion. Nicholas appeared almost immediately, dark suit crisp, his presence calm yet magnetic.
“I’m so glad you came back,” he said, sincerity threading through his tone. “I just couldn’t stop thinking about you”
Aurora offered a faint, controlled smile. “Me too,” she replied, hiding the surge of adrenaline racing through her chest.
Antonio appeared from the side, his aura overwhelming, eyes sharp and unblinking. Aurora’s posture remained perfect, though her pulse quickened.
“Welcome, my… daughter-in-law,” he said smoothly and commanding. “Like i said, the wedding will be scheduled next week, on Saturday”
Aurora nodded politely, allowing a measured smile to mask the calculation behind her eyes.
Nicholas guided her toward the dining hall. Antonio followed, silent but every step echoing authority. The long table gleamed under the crystal chandelier, silverware polished, wine poured, servants attentive yet invisible in the background.
Antonio’s gaze finally fell on her. “Aurora, what is your full name?” he asked.
“Aurora Rizzo” she replied evenly.
“And your parents?”
“They are dead” she said simply, her tone neutral.
Antonio’s eyes flicked toward Nicholas, a silent exchange passing between them. “Oh… so sorry about them” he said, voice calm, almost polite.
Aurora inclined her head slightly. The comment had been brief, but it allowed her a small window. Without hesitation, she spoke again. “The way to your restroom, please” she asked suddenly, her tone casual yet urgent.
Antonio and Nicholas exchanged a quick glance, then Antonio turned to indicate the direction. Aurora moved through the grand hall toward the restroom, the soft rustle of her gown loud in the heavy silence.
The bathroom door gleamed at the end of the hallway, and she pushed it open, finishing her business quickly.
As she stepped out, something at the far end of the hall caught her eye: a heavy, metallic door, the surface unadorned except for a faintly blinking keypad. Her curiosity pulled her closer, fingers brushing the cold metal.
Suddenly, a shadow fell behind her.
“You seem lost, the dining room is this way, Aurora” Came Antonio’s voice, underlined with unmistakable menace.
Aurora froze for a fraction of a second, forcing an awkward laugh. “Yes, I… I totally lost my way. This house is enormous” she said, stepping back and moving off, careful to mask her tension.
Antonio remained, eyes dark and unblinking, watching her retreat down the hall.
Aurora’s hand lingered at the keypad for a heartbeat longer before she walked away, heart hammering, mind racing.
‘This house is big, more dangerous than I imagined… and that door, i want to know whatever it leads to’ Aurora thought as she went back to the dinning room.
Antonio’s eyes followed her, shadowed, calculating, his look heavy with the threat of discovery.
•
•
TBC😈
