Chapter 15 Under watch
Lina’s POV
It had been two weeks since I’d been trapped in this hellhole. Carlino was barely ever home. According to the staff, he was either at the hotel or out of the country. Same routine. Same absence. Bella was the only reason I hadn’t lost my mind yet.
Still, every now and then, that stupid title — the Don’s woman… the Mafia Queen — wrapped around my throat like invisible rope. The maids whispered when I passed. Some of the guards didn’t even bother lowering their voices.
“Just another whore acting expensive.”
I stopped reacting after the first few days.
What was the point?
Hunger finally forced me out of bed. If I was going to survive this cage, I needed strength — even if it came from food bought with blood money.
The moment I opened my door, the two guards stationed outside straightened. They’d been there every single day. Watching. Waiting. Like I was some dangerous animal instead of a prisoner in silk sheets.
Carlino’s rule still stood: punishment for every act of defiance — even if I wore the crown he forced on my head.
I walked past them without a word. Footsteps followed. Of course. I stopped abruptly and turned. They stopped too.
I stared at them.
They stared back.
I rolled my eyes. “You know, you’re allowed to blink. I’m not going to vanish into thin air.”
Silence.
I resumed walking. Their footsteps followed again.
I let out a sharp laugh. “What kind of king cages his own queen? Don’t you people get tired of this parade?”
Nothing.
“Thought so,” I muttered. “Robots.”
By the time I reached the kitchen, my irritation was simmering hot. Bella was already there, flipping something in a pan. The smell of butter and bread filled the room.
She turned and smiled warmly. “Good morning, Donna.”
“Bella,” I groaned, dragging a hand over my face. “How many times have I told you not to call me that?”
She chuckled softly. “Titles exist for a reason.”
“Yeah? Then return mine. I don’t want it.”
Her smile faded just a little, but her voice stayed gentle. “Rules must be followed. Traditions must be honored.”
I glanced behind me at the guards standing five steps away like statues. I jerked my thumb in their direction. “Please tell these soldiers to back off. I’m in the kitchen, not planning a prison break.”
Bella didn’t say a word — she just shifted her gaze slightly toward them.
That was enough.
They stepped back instantly, though they still hovered near the entrance.
I exhaled. “Thank you. Finally, some oxygen.” I sat on the counter.
“You’re welcome, Donna,” she said softly.
I shot her a look. And she just shook her head smiling.
Bella set a plate in front of me, but my appetite was already fading. My thoughts began to feed on my brain.
The mansion was never truly quiet. Even in silence, it felt like it was listening.
I poked at the food. “Do they ever stop talking?”
Bella didn’t play dumb. “No.”
“About me?”
“No.”
A dry laugh slipped out. “Of course.”
She wiped her hands on a cloth, hesitating. “You have to understand… this house doesn’t just belong to Signor Carlino. It belongs to history. Alliances. Enemies pretending to be allies.”
“I didn’t sign up for any of that.”
“No one ever does.”
Before I could reply, I heard the clicking sounds of heels.
Three women walked in, wrapped in elegance that screamed old money and older power. Diamonds rested at their throats. Judgment sat in their eyes.
They didn’t greet me. They evaluated me. One of them smiled — thin and cold. “So this is her.”
Bella straightened. “Good morning, Signoras.”
They ignored her.
Ignored me.
But they looked. At my hair. My clothes. The way I stood.
One circled the kitchen island slowly. “She doesn’t look resilient.”
“I heard she talks back,” another said.
The third finally met my eyes. “That won’t last long.”
Bella shifted closer to me, subtle but protective. It didn’t help. I understood perfectly.
I wasn’t just trapped.
I was on display.
Judged. Waited on — not to succeed, but to fail.
I pushed my plate away and came down. “If you came to stare, at least charge tickets.”
Bella whispered, “Donna—”
Too late.
A brow lifted. “Sharp tongue.”
“Better than a dull brain,” I replied.
Bella’s hand tightened around my wrist — a warning.
The third woman gave a soft, humorless laugh. “She won’t survive winter here.”
I leaned forward slightly. “Good thing I’m not planning to stay till spring.”
Their smiles vanished.
The air shifted — quiet, dangerous. Without another word, they turned and left, heels clicking against marble like a final judgment.
Bella exhaled once the clicking of their heels faded. “You shouldn’t provoke them.”
“They already hate me.”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “But now they’re interested too.”
I didn’t know which was worse. The hatred or — interest
\~~~
By evening, the mansion felt heavier.
The staff moved faster. Guards stood straighter. Whispers slipped through the halls.
“He’s back.”
I felt it before I saw him.
Carlino entered like a storm pretending to be a man — calm on the surface, something violent underneath. His coat was still on when his eyes locked onto me across the foyer.
Two weeks.
And he could still steal the air from my lungs.
I hated that.
He dismissed the men around him with a flick of his fingers and walked toward me. Slow. Controlled. Infuriating.
“You’ve been busy,” he said.
I crossed my arms. “Rotting in a cage counts as busy now?”
His gaze flicked to the guards behind me, then back. “You insulted the Virelli and Contessa families this morning.”
“They insulted me first.”
“You don’t have the luxury of pride.”
“I don’t have the luxury of freedom either, but here we are.”
His jaw tightened. “You are watched because your actions affect more than just yourself.”
“Oh, I know,” I snapped. “I’m your political pet. Your shiny mafia queen trophy.”
His voice dropped. “Lower your tone.”
“Or what? Another punishment? Smaller room? No food? What’s next, Carlino — a leash?”
Silence fell hard between us.
“Careful,” he warned.
“Why?” My voice shook, but I didn’t stop. “You already took my life. My choices. My future. What else is left to take?”
His expression didn’t change. That hurt more than anger would have.
“Everything you are now,” he said evenly, “exists because I allow it.”
The words hit like a slap.
I stepped closer, tears burning but unshed. “And that is why I will always hate you.”
There it was. I couldn't hide it anymore. Couldn't keep it to myself. It was raw. Final.
For a second, it felt as his eyes had softened. Just as fast as I saw it, it disappeared.
His face hardened. “Good,” he said quietly. “Hate is easier to control than love.”
Then he walked past me. Leaving the words behind like a warning… or a promise.