Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ziyana

My father taught me that wealth is the highest power I could acquire for myself. It's the biggest flex of all time. Being able to get what you want no matter where it is or how it is gotten. It not only shows how connected you are but specifically, it shows that you are powerful.

Only that he was wrong.

I'm Ziyana Casimiro, daughter of the mighty and fearless Dario Casimiro, a Mafia Lord in Sicily. My life itself is one that could be regarded as the life of a Princess. I had everything a girl could want; expensive dresses and bags from well known designers, jewelry that cost a fortune, not to mention parties and holidays all over the world. Our home was built on a wide area of land, heavily guarded by the best security facility in Italy. The mere mention of my father's name sends fear down the spines of his enemies.

I had all of my whims catered for, I only had to ask and it would be brought to me. All I did was laze around the house. I never went out for anything, everything I needed had to be done by my lines of maids waiting for my instructions. Even my education has to be done inside of my father's palace by the best professors all over the world. It was safe to say that I know nothing but the happiness and sweetness of the universe.

And then one fateful night, everything crumbled. All that he had ever built fell and never rose again.

What happened?

Death.

The news of my father's demise arrived late that night. It has been difficult to sleep. I could feel that something terrible was about to happen, especially with the weather being windy. The doors and window of our castle rattled against its frame, waking me from my short sleep.

I had padded to my father's office, hoping to meet him bent on piles of papers as always. I opened the door only to see that he hadn't returned. He had left saying that he'd be back before sun sets.

Only that he didn't. He returned in a black casket with a hole in his head. I couldn't forget the gory image as he lay lifeless in the casket as if he'd stand up anytime soon.

None of his loyal men came back with him that evening, only his lifeless body returned. In a blink of an eye, Dario Casimiro, who used to be the most feared, lay in his own blood helplessly.

One after the other,his close friends and associates whose laughter and jokes usually filled the halls with our castle disappeared. None of them wanted to be associated with a fallen hero.

You are probably wondering what happened to me.

I hit rock bottom, crashing hard.

After he was laid to rest, a few of his friends stayed. Some distant relatives, who had come, stayed for days more. In those days, all they did was whispered scornful wordsabout me.

‘She's doomed!’

‘Oh, how she'll suffer!’

‘It's a matter of time before she breaks’

They all tried keeping it low but I heard every single of their comments. I never took it to heart because they were wrong. My father had more than enough, so what was there to be afraid of?

To my utter dismay, my father's lawyer, Luca sat me down one night and broke the news.

“Dario's finance was complex, too complicated for you to understand. He had been dealing with a lot before his demise. He only kept it from you, from everyone”

“What about his cars, companies and jets? What do you mean it's complicated?” I asked but he had said nothing. All he did was shrugged his shoulders. At that point I understood that everything was an illusion. I didn't fully get the details but there was nothing left for me in Sicily. I had to leave.

My great aunt Elena took me with her as she returned to the valleys of Naples. Her entire house issynonymous to a bathroom in the palace that I once lived in. Everything there shouted outdated and I even feared that they might collapse on my head.

Every part of her tiny apartment was cold just like her as opposed to the warm and comfy life I was used to. Aunt Elena is a spinster,she never married because according to her, she couldn't find her missing ribs and so, she lived alone. The only thing that mattered to her was how to get the next cash to cater for her cigarette and alcohol.

I accepted fate and began to live with her, getting used to the new life. And then one day, things came crashing once again.

A horrible looking man alongside his minions knocked angrily on our door. Even though she instructed me to lie low, I managed to see the faces of the men and eavesdropped.

“We are here for her,” the one who seemed like the leader had said to her but my aunt feigned ignorance.

“Her father owned me a lot, if no one is willing to pay, I'll take the little girl with me. She'll work off her ass to pay her father's debt.” He instated.

“That won't happen on my watch. Here, take,” I heard her say and I assumed it to be wads of currency.

“This is nothing old witch. Remember I'll be back and you better be ready for me,”he said and I heard the door banged close.

“I didn't take you in to be threatened by loan sharks!” That was the first thing Elena said as soon as she got in. Her brows were furrowed together and her lips curved by the side. That was her signatory face whenever she's angry

“What?” I asked in shock.

“Yes,I thought something good would come out of taking you in but I see now that I made a grave mistake. Your existence here is a mistake.” She spat

“I'm s__” I started to say but she wasn't going to let me talk.

“Don't you dare finish that statement. I don't want to hear your silly excuses. Just prepare your mind and get ready because the next time those rebels show up here, I might just toss you out to them. I don't want to have anything to do with the daughter of a gambler nor do I want to part with any of my hard earned money.” Her utterances were enough to tell me that I was a great burden to me and she wanted nothing but to get rid of me. She had thought she'd be swimming in money if she took me in but got nothing.

Days after her encounter with the loan sharks,she refused to speak to me. Unless when she muttered curses about ingrates whom I know it's me.

I was sleeping in my tiny room one night when she entered the room without knocking. I sat uprightly in shock wondering what I had done wrong again.

“Get up girl, put this on” she said, tossing a skimpy dress at me. I held the dress in my hand and asked the only thing that mattered.

“Why, where are we going this late?” I queried.

“Job hunting,” she replied and smirked, her lips curving in her usual mischievous way and for the first time since my father's death, I felt anxious and panicked.