Chiara
CHIARA
B lack dress, black thigh-high boots and black peacoat.
Black is my go-to war color, and in this case, I need to put my best foot forward for my first day at Mafia University. Marina already gave my outfit a resounding YES when I sent her a picture this morning, so I’m feeling good!
Not like I wanna vomit AT ALL.
Nikolai is quiet as he sits next to me on the ride over, and I can’t bring myself to ask him questions. He’s wearing a black shirt, unbuttoned just enough to show off his collarbones and crowned skull tattoo. A crown pin is fastened to his lapel and he’s leaning with his elbow against the window; his stance relaxed but somehow still commanding.
His boots are polished, like the rest of his outfit, and there’s something about the way he carries himself that says he’s used to being in control.
I would give anything to have an ounce of his confidence right now.
I step out of the armored SUV, my heels crunching on the gravel driveway of Willow Bridge Academy. Before me, the large brownstone rises majestically, its towering structure covered with ivy creeping up the walls.
The manicured lawns stretch out like a lush, green carpet, meticulously trimmed and edged with vibrant flowerbeds. Behind us, a line of expensive cars glisten under the morning sun; showing off the wealth and power amassed by the families who control this place.
I spot Mihai, Marina, Connor and Cat walking over to us, the boys wearing the same smirk as they look at me. It only takes me a few seconds to see why: we’re all dressed in black as if it’s the Crown uniform or some shit.
Mihai has on a black turtleneck, sleek and fitted, paired with tailored trousers. It’s simple but sharp, making him look both sophisticated and like he could tear you apart with just a look.
Marina is wearing black dress as well, clinging to her curves perfectly as her curls kiss her tanned shoulders. She’s so effortlessly beautiful, I want to cry. While Cat is decked out in black trousers, a black corset and killer heels.
Connor, with a cigarette dangling from his fingers, is the most laid-back of the three guys, but there’s nothing casual about his black blazer.
It’s tailored to perfection, the fabric clinging to his frame, and underneath, he’s got a simple black tee. His pants are just as sharp as the others, and he’s got the same polished boots, completing the uniform look they seem to share.
All of them are wearing that pin; the one that separates them from everyone else.
“Welcome to Willow Bridge, darlin’,” Connor drawls, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Here you either bow down or make them kneel.”
“Stay out of trouble, ,” Nikolai says before I can respond and he walks off with Con and Mihai, leaving me with Marina and Cat. Marina loops her arm through mine, her cheerful demeanor a stark contrast to the heaviness I feel in my chest.
“Come on, let’s get your schedule sorted.”
We walk toward the main building, the Mikhailov name already feeling like a burden. Inside the office I receive my schedule and the Crown pin—a small, silver insignia that marks me as one of the elite.
“The Crown pin,” Marina explains as she fixes it to the lapel of my peacoat. “Wear it proudly.”
Pride. Right. As if that’s all it takes to survive here.
Afterward, she guides me through the hallways, her commentary a welcome distraction from my nerves. We’re on our way to my locker, when her cell phone rings and she tells me to go ahead as it’s her father on the line.
I shrug and watch her walk away, feeling people staring at me already. It takes me a few minutes to find my locker, but I can’t even feel relieved because there’s someone leaning against it.
I stop dead in my tracks when I see him leaning against my locker like he owns the damn thing. He’s got that look—dark, brooding, and dangerous. The kind of guy who doesn’t have to say a word to command attention.
His leather jacket clings to him like a second skin, the collar popped just enough to show off the tattoos peeking out from under his shirt. They crawl up his chest, like they’re daring you to ask what they mean.
Sharp jawline, intense eyes, and that hair—slicked back, but just messy enough to look effortless. He’s the kind of guy you know is trouble the moment you lay eyes on him, but that doesn’t stop you from wanting to find out just how much trouble he can be.
And I just know this guy is going to give me all kinds of trouble .
I sigh as I walk toward him, already feeling stressed as hell. Fuck, I am not ready for this.
“Excuse me,” I say, trying to keep my tone civil. “You’re standing in front of my locker.”
He doesn’t move, just looks me up and down with a smirk. “And?”
I bristle. “And you need to move.”
He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused, but then he looks down at his phone again, completely ignoring me.
Fucking prick. “Please move so I can get to my locker.”
“And what if I don’t want to?” he asks and looks up at me again, tilting his head to the side.
I cross my arms over my chest, trying to ignore the way my heart is pounding. “Then I guess we have a problem.”
His gaze travels over me, assessing, before it lands on the Crown pin attached to my lapel. “Who are you? You don’t look familiar,” he states, not a question but a realization.
“None of your business.”
He leans against the locker, completely unfazed. “You’re wearing a pin marking you as an elite, I think it is my fucking business.”
Sighing, I roll my eyes and am about to walk away, when he pulls me back and slams me against the locker. He cages me in with his arms and peers down at me, anger in his hazel eyes.
“Let me go,” I say through gritted teeth and try to push against him, but he stands firm.
He chuckles and I can smell spearmint on his breath. “You’ve got guts, Micetta . But you need to learn your place when talking to me.”
I bristle at the condescending term. “And where exactly is that?”
“Below me. ”
“Even with this pin?” I scoff. “I don’t bow down to anyone, much less a bully.”
His eyes narrow, a dangerous glint appearing. “Who the fuck?—”
Someone calls out a name and he turns his head just as I open my mouth to retort, but then I see it—the skull and crown tattoo on the side of his neck. The same one Nikolai, Mihai, and Connor have. His leather jacket opens slightly and I see the same pin attached to his shirt. My stomach drops…
Oh fuck.
“You’re Giovanni,” I breathe, the realization hitting me like a punch to the gut.
He turns back to me and his smirk widens. “So you do know who I am, that’s a start. Now, who the fuck are you?”
“,” slips out despite the panic rising in me.
“,” he repeats, as if tasting the name. Then his eyes widen slightly. “Shit, you’re Nikolai’s new stepsister, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I reply, lifting my chin. “And I’m not afraid of you.”
He chuckles at this and steps back from me, shaking his head. “You’re not part of our world and yet you have more balls than a Made Man,” he says, crossing his arms.
“At least one of us does,” I retort.
Giovanni’s eyes darken, and for a moment, I wonder if I’ve pushed too far. But then he laughs again, a sound that sends shivers down my spine.
“Bold words,” he replies, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “But you’ve just caught my attention, Micetta , and that’s something you don’t fucking want from someone like me.”
I hold my ground, my heart pounding in my chest. “I’m not here to make enemies, but I won’t be walked over either. Your last name doesn’t mean a fucking thing to me.”
Giovanni seems to study me for a moment longer before he grins and walks away, leaving me standing there with my heart racing and my mind spinning.
Oh fuck, oh fuck. My first day and I already have a target on my back.
Marina comes up beside me soon after, her eyes wide as she watches Giovanni walk down the corridor.
“Wow, ,” she says. “You just stood up to Giovanni. That’s … impressive.”
I swallow hard, trying to steady my breathing. “Not gonna lie, I feel like I’m about to die right now. Give me a minute,” I say, placing a hand to my racing heart.
We exchange a look, and Marina grins. “Five minutes, then we’ll go to the art section. That might take your mind off of Giovanni.”
I offer her a smile and don’t tell her that nothing will take my mind off making myself a target.
As we walk down the hallway, I can’t help but swallow deeply. I’ve made my first enemy at Willow Bridge Academy.
God help me.
T he rest of the morning passes in a blur. I’m alone throughout the day, and I hate the way everyone is looking at me. But I can’t take this damn pin off, either.
During lunch in the outside cafeteria, I sit with Marina and Cat, feeling the curious and hostile stares from all around the cafeteria. News travels fast here, and my encounter with Giovanni has clearly made the rounds.
“You know, not many people would have the guts to do what you did this morning,” Marina leans in and says. “Giovanni’s not used to being challenged. ”
“It wasn’t even a challenge,” I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. “And I didn’t have much of a choice. He was blocking my locker and being an ass about it.”
“Be careful, ,” Cat, who’s been quiet, speaks up. “Giovanni doesn’t let things go easily.”
“I’ll be fine,” I say, more to convince myself than them.
Sometimes I wish I could just shut up and be the quiet person everyone thinks I am. But disrespect and rudeness is something I won’t tolerate, even from a Mafia Prince.
“So, what do you think of Willow Bridge so far?” Marina asks, nibbling on a salad as she tries to change the subject.
“It’s intense,” I admit, poking at my food. “But I guess I expected that. I hope it gets easier once I find my footing?—”
Laughing erupts from across the way, and I see Giovanni sitting with a group of equally intimidating guys all dressed in black. They’re completely at ease, while the rest of the place seems to revolve around them.
He looks up at me, and then the fucker winks.
“You’re staring,” Marina teases, nudging me.
I quickly look away, feeling my cheeks heat up. “Just trying to get a read on the place.”
“Well, Giovanni is definitely someone to watch out for,” she says, her tone more serious. “He’s got a lot of power here, but I’m sure that Nikolai already told you about his arrogance.”
“Yeah, and I intend to ignore him for as long as I can,” I say, taking a deep breath. “I’m not here to make friends with him.”
“Good,” Cat adds quietly. “It’s safer that way.”
Just then, Nikolai, Mihai, and Connor stroll toward our table, their expressions full of amusement when they see us.
“So,” Nikolai says, sliding into the seat next to me. “I hear you had a run-in with Giovanni.”
I nod, keeping my face neutral. “Yeah. He was in my way. ”
Connor laughs, a deep, booming sound. “You’ve got balls the size of his arrogance, lass, I’ll give you that.”
“But you might want to watch your back,” Mihai says, leaning forward. “Giovanni doesn’t take kindly to people telling him what to do, much less women.”
“I’ll manage,” I say with a shrug. “There’s no way I’m bowing to a bully.”
Nikolai smirks, clearly amused by my defiance. “Just don’t get yourself killed. I’d hate to lose my favorite stepsister.”
Marina rolls her eyes. “You only have one stepsister, Nikolai.”
“Exactly,” he says, giving me a wink.
We finish lunch with no more talk of the incident, and I head to my next class, trying to push the morning encounter out of my mind. However, as I walk through the halls, I can’t shake the feeling that Giovanni is watching me, waiting for his next move.
After classes, I head back to my locker, hoping to avoid any more confrontations. But as I round the corner, I see him there again with a lazy grin on his face.
“Back for more?” he asks, his tone mocking.
“This is my locker, in case you forgot, genius.” I stop a few feet away, crossing my arms.
“And what do you know, mine is right next to yours,” he says, rapping his knuckles against the metal locker.
I sigh and open my locker to stuff in the textbooks I won’t need for tomorrow. “I’m just trying to survive in this place, Giovanni. Leave me alone and I’ll promise not to even look your way.”
He steps closer, his eyes boring into mine. “Survival here means knowing your place. You don’t get to challenge me without consequences.”
“Challenge you?” I say, my voice steady despite the fear bubbling inside me. “I asked you nicely to please move so I could get to my locker and you just had to be an ass about it. ”
His gaze rakes over my body, and a shiver runs up my spine when he smirks. Then, without another word, he turns and walks away, leaving me standing there with my heart racing.
This is going to be harder than I thought. But I won’t let him, or anyone else, intimidate me. If I’m going to survive Willow Bridge Academy, I need to be strong. Stronger than I’ve ever been.
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. This is just the beginning. But Connor’s words from this morning come back to me: I’m not here to bow down. I’m here to make them kneel.