Sette

"You're new here, angel?" The mysterious man asked, stepping in front of Victoria, looking curiously. His appearance was not pleasant, just like a malicious smile that seemed to form on his face as soon as his eyes landed on the young woman.

"Who are you?" she retorted without filtering her words. "I mean, I haven't met you yet. What's your name?"

She couldn't waste her chances; anyone there could provide some clue about her parents.

"I'm Alfredo. It's a pleasure, bella." He bowed to kiss her hand, and the rough beard brushing against her skin caused an unfamiliar discomfort.

"I'm Victoria, and yes, I'm new here," she replied before noticing Damiano approaching both of them.

"Alfredo, long time no see! I see you've already met Victoria." He passed his arm around Victoria's waist, pulling her close.

She was confused, but too apprehensive to act. His arm pressed tightly, almost painful, easily encircling her waist.

"How foolish of me, I should have guessed." He sounded disappointed. "You always pick the best ones, Damiano." The man replied with the cigar in the corner of his mouth, smiling maliciously at the younger one.

"It's the advantage I have for choosing." Damiano smiled, and Victoria couldn't hide her confused expression that arose the moment she heard his words.

"Choose? Choose what?" She wondered in her mind.

Damiano guided her to a more secluded place, being alone with the redhead. As soon as she had the opportunity, Victoria moved away, removing Damiano's hands from her waist.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, indignant.

"I'm keeping you away from trouble, ungrateful." He replied, pulling her hair back.

"What kind of trouble? What kind of party is this, and why am I here?" Victoria was impatient; she needed answers.

"How many questions, Vic. Aren't you enjoying your stay?" he retorted, with a sly smile on his face.

"Are you messing with my head?" Victoria shouted, and before she could attract the attention of the guests, Damiano covered her mouth by immobilizing her body.

"I don't know if you understood who you're dealing with, but after tonight, you'll be aware. Just a warning, if you don't behave, consequences will come. So I think it's better to stop being rude and be a good girl. Alright?" He held her face firmly, and the redhead's eyes were red from the force he applied to her neck.

With difficulty, she nodded her head, and he let her go slowly.

Frightened, Victoria remained silent, while he kept his eyes on her.

"If you hate me so much, why didn't you let that disgusting old man take me away?" she asked quietly.

"Don't you think you've asked too many questions?" he whispered close to her face.

As he approached, she saw her shrink, afraid that he would hurt her.

"Let's agree like this: you stay quiet for the rest of the night, no more questions. And, especially, stay away from Alfredo. You wouldn't want him to take you, believe me." Damiano extended his hand to Victoria, as if they were about to make a deal. "If you behave, there might be rewards."

She stared at the extended arm in front of her, and many questions arose in her mind. She was absurdly confused. Damiano hated her, made it explicit since she arrived. Except for the episode where the security guard tried to rape her, and he intervened immediately. However, it didn't mean much, just that he wasn't a complete monster.

However, she was sure that he despised her, especially by the way he looked at her.

But tonight, he helped her again. So his intentions were completely confusing, and what Victoria could conclude is that he's probably an unstable and unreliable person.

Considering maintaining a relationship of interests, she extended her arm, then shook Damiano's hand, which seemed twice the size of hers.

The rings on his fingers pinched her hand delicately, and Victoria felt an uncomfortable sting when the jewels collided with her skin.

She clenched her jaw and smiled, unsure of how to act, and Damiano abruptly released her hand, moving away quickly. Slowly, she returned to the midst of the people arranged in the hall, trying to remain discreet, even though her dress made it difficult to go unnoticed among the guests.

After a few hours, she was more relaxed. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but she knew it would be less risky to be attacked in the midst of so many outsiders. However, the repulsive Alfredo continued to devour her with his eyes. Although he kept a healthy distance, she could swear that the man's static gaze on her body sent shivers down her spine.

Distracted, she saw a screen descend over the hall, at the same time the lights gradually dimmed. Everyone sat in the chairs around as Damiano emerged prominently with a microphone in his hands.

"Good evening! The Mazzini family thanks everyone for being here today. It's a special night, as you already know. Every year, we announce our projects, and in the year 2021, we will have the honor of presenting one of the greatest projects ever created. Please pay close attention to the following presentation, and we can discuss more details after the video. Again, thank you all!" He stepped back, and a video began playing on the screen, showing data and details about the mentioned project.

"Mazzini family," Victoria whispered to herself, still not paying attention to the video that had started. Even without any interest, she tried to focus on capturing information that could be useful to assist in her parents' case.

The presentation showed a highly elaborated project, about an entertainment house that would be opened in Sicily, with the aim of expanding throughout Italy, especially targeted at Dominique's "associates." Without explicitly explaining, everything was nothing more than a front for illegal activities such as prostitution, gambling, and drug trafficking.

The project was so well-presented in the video that it truly sounded amazing. At that moment, Victoria was sure that everyone there was directly involved with the criminal intentions of the Mazzini family.

During the presentation, Victoria learned about the scheme that might have been responsible for her current situation, as well as her parents'. For many years, the resident families of the cities had to pay a fee that protected them from possible attacks. This fee was a way to ensure the protection of businesses. However, what they didn't know was that those responsible for providing protection were the same ones causing chaos for those who didn't pay for security.

At that moment, she concluded that her parents possibly couldn't pay the 'protection' debt, often an exorbitant amount. They had to resort to laundering money for the Mafia to compensate for the debt. While Victoria was in college, they used all the “borrowed” money and hoped to return it in time to settle the amount.

At least, that was the theory Victoria found most credible, and she hoped to get more answers soon. Still, she couldn't understand why she was there, with all those people involved in this large scheme.

At the end of the video, the redhead noticed a logo appearing, and she finally got the answer she wanted so much. They were the Mazzini family, the former founders of the Capital Mafia. One of the oldest and largest Italian mafias.

Before she could process all the information, Catarina approached at one point and introduced her to a circle of businessmen and potential investors for the new project. The blonde said that Victoria was a special guest, and before taking her away, she made it clear that if she attempted any kind of escape, her parents would be killed instantly.

Finally, she understood that she was being exposed, presented as merchandise. Damiano's phrase made sense, and she feared her fate.

When she saw them gathered with some businessmen, the redhead strategically hid behind one of the bookshelves, trying to hear any information that could help her save herself. She positioned herself silently leaning against one of them, and she heard Dominique's voice stand out above the others.

"What do you think of her? Do you think she's worth the investment?" Dominique asked one of the men, who stared at him intently.

"It depends on how obedient she is. Has she been trouble since she arrived?" The man asked, analyzing some photos in his hand.

"She is irritatingly passive. Hasn't tried to escape even once, looks perfect. Victoria is the perfect way to win over investors." Damiano spoke disdainfully, taking a sip of the champagne in his hand.

Victoria felt something boiling inside her; she couldn't accept such cruel behavior. Her desire was to fly at him and punch his face as hard as she could. She tried to calm herself, telling herself that everything she had done so far was thinking of her parents.

She couldn't risk putting them in danger. Living with regret would be too painful.

She knew at that moment that her integrity was at risk, and she needed to act as soon as possible.