A Lifetime With You by Athrhteera

Alena

I stood tall in my black dress which hugged my figure more than intended. Mama had always prepared healthy meals when I was younger and it became a routine until I grew older, letting the have a small figure. I had received compliments for keeping my figure as 'perfect' as it was. My light brown hair was styled in an elegant curl, framing my face as the strands went down to my waist. I kept my makeup minimal, but I let my lips stand out with a dark red lipstick.

Crystal chandeliers spiraled down from the arching sky-blue celling, illuminating the glimmering golden walls and a floor apolished it looked like an iced-over lake. And it wasn't just the ballroom-the women sparkled like a box of jewels, shades of emerald and ruby and amethyst swirling before me, their low chatter accompanying wafts of rose and hyacinth and jasmine. I walked towards Alexei as he stood near the door, "Bool"

"I

"I could sense you before you decided to surprise me." He turned to look at me, a smile plastered on his face.

"The least you could do was pretend to be surprised."

"Hello, Aleira." He wrapped his arms around my waist after grabbing my hand and kissing the back of it, pulling me close into a tight hug.

The smell of his cologne was starting to suffocate me as he pulled himself away, making me tuck a strand of my hair behind my car. "You missed me that much, Alyosha?"

"You look stunning

"Why, thank you." I did a little twirl, my cheeks reddening as I saw a few people have turned to look. I wasn't wearing anything too glamorous. It was just a black dress which could be said, was made for me. The dress showed my figure beautifully as it ended down to my ankles, showing my hourglass figure for display. "Come," "Alexei grabbed me by the hand as we walked towards our parents.

Mama

"Alena,

and Papa were busy chattering but as soon as they saw me, Mama's eyes widened in surprise. She took her time to eye my dress before pulling me in for a hug

sweetheart. You're breathtaking, dear!" She exclaimed, smiling. "Mama, you don't look a a day over forty."

She laughed, "Oh, silly. Maybe, the Mediterranean sun really did work wonders."

"How was Turkey, Mama?"

"It was wonderful. I bought a lot of things-you should stop by tomorrow. I have a few things I wanted to show you." She continued to hold my hands, "How are you, honey? You look a little bit tired."

1 shook my head. "I'm fine, Mama. Just work, that's all."

"You should

I always have enough rest, sweetheart. Don't be too busy tending others that you forget your own health." She replied, caressing my cheek.

"Yes, Mama. I know."

My eyes glanced up to Papa, who seemed to be standing still beside Mama.

A glass of wine in his hand as he cleared his throat, "It's good to see you, Alena."

a while. Papa

"it's been a

"I heard you're in your final year of residency, Is everything going well?"

I smiled, realizing that he was slowly but surely accepting my line of work. He may seem like he was holding himself back from asking. Then again, he has always cared about me despite the life choices I made. I was still his princess.

"Everything is going as planned. I'll be an attending surgeon sooj,"

"That's great news. I'm very proud of you."

Mama hadn't stopped smiling as she grabbed both of our hands. I didn't have the time to see them, but I was glad I came tonight.

Alexei stood quietly beside us as he took a sip of his drink.

"You two should go and mingle. Your father and I want to go over there and talk to our old friend." Mama said, pointing at someone at the end of the ballroom.

Once they went away. I turned to look at my brother-who seemed to be deep in his thoughts. Alexei gained quite a lot of muscles ever since he became Pakhan. Obviously because the Bratva needed someone strong and respectful. He fit the category perfectly. Since the first time he became Pakhan, a few years ago, he was a great leader.

I glanced down at his knuckles, seeing a few new cuts and bruises.

"You really did beat someone to death." I muttered.

He smirked, taking another sip of his drink.

"He wasn't

wasn't being easy on me..

"He ***ed you off?"

"He wasn't giving me what I needed."

I blinked a few times, trying to read his facial expressions. My brother was always known to keep things to himself. He may be laughing and smiling whenever he was with us, especially in front of Mama but deep down, he was holding something behind. Maybe, just maybe, he was hiding from us.

I could never pry. He had his own life.

ot him to pry into my life.

Just like how I wouldn't want him to pry

"Did ever get severely hurt?" I asked, looking up into his eyes

He you

пe shook his head. "Took a bullet once. It missed any important or***ns, and I made it out alive,"

"You you could've died!"

My eyebrows furrowed before looking away, trying not to make it into a big deal. If I was ever in the mafia, maybe those things were not serious. Being able to make it out alive was a big blessing but as a normal person, being shot was a risk in the * first place. Okay, Dr. Orlov. You don't need to worry. That was almost a year ago." "Almost a year ago?" My eyes widened. "And I heard nothing about it?"

"Neither did Mama, What happens in the Bratva, stays in the Bratva." 20-29 Wed, Oct

"Hell, Alexei. What if you died that slay?"

"I wouldn't be here talking to you." He smirked.

G

I continued to glare at him before deciding to drop the whole conversation. It was no use talking to him about his safety- Alexei became Pakhan to take over Papa. The whole time Papa was Pakhan, he was already endangering his life. The whole time I spent growing up, he was probably out there with a gun on his head.. Now, it was Alexei's turn.

It was a never-ending cycle. Not when the Bratva was built on years and years of hard work. Nobody could simply destroy that. Papa devoted his entire life to the Bratya until he decided to retire. Alexei took his vows to always put the Bratva first

If I didn't become a doctor, I would've known a lot of details about them.

Papa would've made sure I became a socialite. He wouldn't want me to risk my life in the Bratva.

"Your friends are there." Alexei said, interrupting my thoughts.

My eyes wandered to where he pointed, seeing a few familiar faces laughing and mingling. It was years since I last saw them -ever since I got into medical school, I cut off all contacts with them. All they ever talked about was designer brands and the rich men they were seeing. Apparently, there was no escaping them.

They were my friends at some point. I was like them, too.

"Where is Ana, by the way?" I asked, looking around.

"She's running a bit late. I'll let you know when she arrives,"

Okay."

I walked towards my group of old friends, wanting to say a quick hello before I decided to walk away. Their eyes widened as soon as they saw me. "Alena.is that you? You look amazing!" "We heard you went into medical school. How are you?" Diana, my old friend, asked. We were close throughout school -because at the time, we thought we had everything we wanted. Well, at least for me, I thought I had everything I wanted until I decided, I wanted something else. "I've been good." I replied.

I've b

"Oh, this is my fiancé, Nathan." Diana smiled as she placed her hand on Nathan's chest. The man smiled as he glanced down at her-they both seemed to be very much in love. He was wearing an expensive wristwatch and it didn't take me long to realize that she finally got the man of her dreams, a successful and rich businessman. "It's nice to meet you, Alena. You and Diana used to be friends?" He asked.

"Nathan... Alena and I are still friends. We just haven't seen her in years," Diana corrected him. "Oh, I-"

Linter

I interrupted him. "It's nice to meet you again, Diana. I just thought I came to say hello. Congratulations on your* engagement,"

As soon as I took my time to walk away, she slowly grabbed me by the hand. "Wait, Alena. I really meant it when I haven't seen you in years. We should catch up sometime. I lost your old number. Can I please get your new one?" She asked. handling out her phone to me. I typed my number, and she took he

phone back with a smile.

.

20:30 Wed,

I call you." She added

I nodded, walking back to my brother who was nowhere to be find. My eyes wandered around the ballroom, seeing that the bidding was almost starting. I started to follow the guests as they entered a different room, but Papa stopped me. dded,

"Alena, can you follow me, princess?" "Sure, wh what's wrong?"

I walked slowly behind him as we entered a different room, different than the one that the bidding was held. I looked around at Mama, Alexei, and Anastasia as they sat near the long mahogany table while a few unknown men were sitting across from them. "What is going on?" I asked Papa, who had his back facing me.

The men turned to look at me while my own family were avoiding making any eye contacts. Anastasia smiled as she raised her hand to wave, so I decided to make my way towards her, sitting beside her,

"I missed you, Alena." She whispered, smiling.

"I missed you, too." I replied, "Do you know what's going on here?"

She shook her head, looking away.

me.

Papa stood in the middle, whispering to the other men as they nod their heads. My eyebrows furrowed at the situation but before I could grab a hold of Mama's hand to ask her, I was surprised to see a man barging into the door and in an immediate, his eyes landed on He was probably in his forties, but I could never be so sure. The way he walked into the room screamed power and it didn't take me long to realize that he was one of them, he was in the mafia, too. I just couldn't make it out who he was

"Which one is my future wife?" He asked, his eyes staring straight into my own

I turned to look at Marna, wanting to clear this confusion but Papa cut right to it.

"My oldest daughter, Alena... will be your wife." Papa said.

That was it. That was the end of it.

I immediately stood up which surprised them. Alexei stood quietly beside Mama, trying his best to look away-I knew him. too well, he was never a good liar. He knew this was the plan all along. He wasn't going to lose his head if I didn't come to this event. He was going to lose his respect from the other members.

Papa, on the other hand, clenched his jaw.

"Alena.." He said through gritted teeth. "Sit down."

"What is this? You're planning to sell me off?" I asked, taking a few steps back.

distance.. Mama shook her head; her eyes were somehow getting teary as she tried to reach out to me, but I kept my. Anastasia remained oblivious, trying to understand the situation, I didn't waste my time in trying to reach for the door but * there were men blocking me from passing through. You're embarrassing me, Alena." Papa added.

I felt my cheeks heating up. No, not from embarrassment but from anger-I was being treated like an item. A property. I was not being treated like a human being. I was his daughter, his princess but at this moment, I felt like a worthless doll. "Please... gentlemen, my family and I need to have a word with our daughter." Papa said, gesturing for the men to leave the 20:30 Wed,

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I was still standing at the same spot. Frozen even.

My eyes were staring daggers at the floor as my hands were listed. It took me years to finally achieve my dream. I was glad 1 moved out and got to become a doctor. I was very close to finishing my residency but suddenly, Papa had to ruin everything.

"Alena, I want you to marry Viktor." He spoke, breaking the silence.

I scoffed, "What do you think you're doing, Papa?"

"It's time to build a stronger alliance. Power does not come willingly."

1 turned to

I to meet his dark green eyes-for once in my life, I cursed myself for having the same-colored eyes as him. The same eyes that were told to be beautiful, ended up being a curse as every time I looked in the mirror, I see him.

"And by marrying me off to some stranger?"

"Viktor is not a

ger. We've done business together.

"Over my dead body."

"Alena!" He slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone.

et to control I everything, Papal Whertare

et to con

"You don't get to choose what I want. You don't get to decide my life. You don't -you ever going to understand that?" I started to walk closer towards him, challenging him by my stare as I looked up into his

eyes. "I thought you were happy for me. Couldn't you just be happy for how things are?"

"I gave you freedom, princess. It's time for you to do your part. He replied, looking away.

"No. My answer is no.

"Alena Rose Orlov." He said, firmly.

"No!" I shouted. "I will never marry Viktor. I will never be the perfect daughter that you want. I will never have anything to do with the Bratva. You can't force me, Papa." Papa sighed, shaking his head.

"He won't stop you from achieving your dreams. You must marry him, and our family would be stronger-we can't accept threats from anyone."

"You can't expect me to follow your every rule. What happens to Ana, then? You would marry her off, too? I thought you loved us. I thought you saw us as your world."

"I love you girls with all my life but we're talking about responsibility. We are talking about a lifelong alliance for power. You. need to sacrifice a few things in the mafia, Alena!"

I turned to look at Alexei, who kept quiet. Not a single word was uttered.

My brother kept his distance, a hand on Mama's shoulder as he clenched his jaw.

And you you know better. You know this all along and you still decided to trap me into Papa's **id plan?!" I shouted, expecting him to prove me wrong by explaining everything but he didn't say anything. "Mama?" I pleaded, trying to reach for her hand.

Sweetheart. I can't

I took a few steps back, shaking my head.

All this time, I thought my torture was over. My father was in no position of having any control over my life. I felt as if I was being stabbed a million times by my own family-the betrayal was too painful. It was as if I was given temporary freedom for a lifetime in a cage. I glanced one last time at my family before pushing the door open behind me. Their shouts and calls were unheard as I looked around, trying to find something.

Somconc.

It was time for a change. I needed something to put everything into place.

People were starting to stare at me as I ignored my father's calls. I didn't have to turn around to see if Papa or Alexei was running after me, trying to stop me from leaving. It didn't matter anyway, even if I had to run until my last breath, I would.

There

was no way in hell I'd follow up to his terms.

My

I didn't ask to be born into this family. For once in my life, I wanted to be ordinary.

eyes were starting to get teary, and my body was heating up. There was nowhere else for me to go for an escape-I needed a solution. A permanent one.

I was consumed by anger as I walked towards the center of the crowd, my jaw clenched and my hands in fists. The stares I was getting were the least of my worries. My high heels made a danking sound that could be heard across the floor a approached the nearest man I could find.

The man stood tall with his hands in his pocket, and I didn't think twice before I looked up to grab him by the face and kissed his lips.

A pair of

of hands were placed on my waist as the man returned the kiss, drowning me in my own thoughts of how soft his lips felt or how warm his hands were on my body. The stranger smelt divine, a musky smell of rich, s**y, and sensual scent that almost drove me weak

on my knees.

-It was intoxicating.

Gasps. Wh Whispers. I was the highlight of the night.

Papa and Alexei were probably staring. Mama was probably, too. It didn't bother me one bit-I was known to keep my calm, to ensure my family were never embarrassed of me. I never did anything crazy to make them lose their minds.

I had enough of playing the good girl.

I needed to prove to them that I was in control of my life.

When I pulled apart, I was meeting with a pair of light brown eyes-too beautiful to ignore and I realized, it was none other than the Sicilian mafia boss.