Page 2 of The Mafia Princess

“No, and he must not know.”

“Why?”

“That’s between James and me. I’ll let you choose your husband if you can keep your identity a secret. He can’t know you’re a princess. If he finds out, I’ll give you to someone I know you’ll be miserable with.”

Jesus, what kind of father would do this?

“When do I leave?”

Her bastard father looked at the clock on the mantle that had been her mother’s pride and joy because it came down from several generations of women. Aryanna knew her mother was the last woman to possess it because her father had taken it the day after her mother’s death.

She’d only been gone six years, but it seemed like a lifetime.

“In three hours. There’s plenty of time for Lucile to teach you what to do and get you dressed. She already has bags packed for you.”

Aryanna was in shock. Her father had always been a bastard to her, but this was going too far. “And if I refuse?”

Her father smirked. “I think that time spent in the dungeon would make you think twice about obeying me.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You’d put your daughter in a cage in the basement?”

“Yes. And I’d keep you there the same amount of time you’d spend with Remington. So, choose. Be a slave or a prisoner for a year,” Antonio said.

God damn him. As much as she wanted to fight back, she had no power. She never had. Without another word, she turned and walked out.

She heard him sputter because he hadn’t dismissed her, but she didn’t care. At that moment, if she had a knife, she would have killed him. God, when had she become so violent?

The tension in the house grew as time passed after her mother’s murder, and the worse her father had become. She didn’t know if it was because he missed her or that her mother wasn’t there to keep him in check since she was the descendant of the throne, not him. He just married her. He was only a king by marriage. He’d still be in the island’s Army if her mother hadn’t married him.

Aryanna raced up to her room, closed the door, leaned against it, and closed her eyes.

“Oh, Miss Aryanna. I wish I could fix this for you.”

Aryanna looked at her trusted maid Lucile across the room.

“How can he be such a bastard?”

Lucile sighed.

Aryanna looked down. “Did you know if I refused to do this, I’d spend the next year in the dungeon?”

From the shocked look on Lucile’s face, she knew it surprised her, too.

“Oh, my Lord. You need to leave this place. Your father is getting more unreasonable,” Lucile said. “I think this might be a blessing in disguise.”

“How?”

Lucile gripped her hands. “You’ll be in America, Aryanna. Maybe you’ll find a man you fall in love with … or another opportunity. This might be your only chance to get away from here.”

She hadn’t thought of that. But Lucile was right. It was either make a run for it now or end up the wife of whatever disgusting man her father found for her.

“You’re right.”

“We don’t have much time. I need to review some things you’ll need to know and get you dressed.”

“But what am I to do when I get there?”

Lucile rolled her eyes. “I don’t know. But America is the land of the free so anything can happen. Keep your eyes and ears open. Now, we don’t have time. Let’s get you dressed before they come for you.”

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