A cascade of brown silk hair fanned across the pristine blue floral bedsheets, framing a serene, almost porcelain face. A blue pillow cradled her head, and soft, bright blue socks hugged her feet, warding off the slightest chill beneath the warm, matching sheets. A princess, undoubtedly.
Three maids stood by, poised to usher in the new day. Their first, most daunting task? Waking her. No one dared. Yet, the persistent chime of her alarm, having blared four times already, signaled the urgency of school.
Hesitantly, they exchanged glances, a silent debate over who would brave the formidable task. Beads of sweat dotted their brows, the tension palpable. Just as the silence stretched thin, a collective sigh of relief escaped them. Lucia stirred, her eyes fluttering open before she slowly sat up.
"Yes? What are you waiting for? Go prepare my bath, woman!" Lucia snapped, her voice cutting through the quiet. The designated maid scurried off, not daring to utter a word.
"You," she pointed, and the second maid nearly melted with fear.
"I'm going to be late for school. Pick out something simple for me today, perhaps a blue off-shoulder top and blue jeans," Lucia mused, her face lost in thought as she envisioned the outfit. A quick nod of approval, and the maid dashed into the walk-in closet.
"Do I need to tell you to put on my flip-flops?" she asked the last maid, who swiftly retrieved fluffy blue bunny slippers from beneath the bed. As the maid knelt to assist, her fingers accidentally grazed Lucia's leg, even through the socks. Lucia, ever dramatic, overreacted instantly.
"Oh my God, my foot! Ouch! Are you trying to kill me, you stupid bitch?!" Lucia shrieked, kicking out harshly. Her foot connected with the maid's mouth, sending her head slamming against the nearby wall. Consciousness fled the maid's eyes.
"What a loser. Get her out of here," Lucia scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "And tell her she's fired once she's done with her beauty sleep." The two remaining maids wasted no time, dragging the unconscious woman out of the room.
"Just had to ruin such a beautiful day for me," Lucia muttered with a sneer, before sauntering towards the bathroom for her bath.
Twenty Minutes Later
"DADDY!!!!" Lucia's jubilant shout echoed through the grand staircase as she bounded down. Matteo, already seated at the dining table, chuckled warmly at his daughter's arrival. Their bond was undeniably close and loving. Sebastian, seated beside him, merely scowled.
Lucia rushed to Matteo, planting a quick kiss on his cheek, completely disregarding Sebastian's presence as usual.
"Lucia… manners. You can see someone seated beside me," Matteo said, his tone firm yet gentle. Lucia's eyes flickered to Sebastian, and she rolled them.
"Oh… you're here," she drawled, causing Matteo to chuckle once more. Lucia settled into her seat, digging into her breakfast of eggs and bacon with a cup of tea. Then, an unexpected crunch. She bit down on an eggshell. The sound drew Matteo's attention, his gaze now fixed on Lucia, who was already fuming.
She spat out the offending shell, her chair scraping loudly as she abruptly stood.
"Who prepared this breakfast?!" she bellowed. The maids in the room froze, but no one stepped forward.
"I said, who fucking prepared breakfast?!" Her voice rose, louder this time. Slowly, a maid timidly emerged from the line. Lucia smirked.
"I-it was me, Miss Lucia," the maid stuttered, her voice barely a whisper. With one swift movement, Lucia's hand connected sharply with the maid's face. The woman crumpled to the ground with a soft whimper. Sebastian, fists clenched, watched the scene unfold.
"Are you trying to break my teeth, huh? If you can't cook, then don't fucking step into a fucking kitchen!" Lucia screamed, and the maid began to sob.
"I'm sorry, Miss Lucia," she whimpered. Lucia's smirk widened.
"Sorry? You're sorry? Okay, prove it." All eyes turned to Lucia.
Lucia pointed a manicured finger at the half-chewed eggshell on the floor. "Eat it." The maid's eyes widened in horror, a wave of nausea washing over her.
"You can't?" Lucia questioned, arms crossed, but the maid could only shake her head, tears streaming down her face.
"I'll eat it… I'll eat it," she choked out, beginning to crawl towards the disgusting morsel. Tears splattered onto the polished floor. Matteo, astonishingly, continued to eat his meal as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
"STOP!" A thunderous voice ripped through the room. Everyone turned to see Sebastian on his feet, glaring dangerously at Lucia.
"You can leave," he told the maid, who, without a moment's hesitation, scurried away as if lightning itself was chasing her.
"Seriously? Are you that heartless, telling her to eat something that's been in your mouth?" Sebastian asked, his voice cold and cutting. Lucia scoffed.
"Coming from a guy who killed an entire family," Lucia retorted, her words a deliberate jab at Sebastian's dark past. His fists clenched tighter, eyes closing as he remembered the screams of a six-year-old boy, a memory he'd ended with a bullet to the head. He slowly opened his eyes, leaning closer to Lucia.
"You disgust me," he hissed. Lucia merely smirked, leaning in even closer.
"Read my lips, sugar," she purred. "I don't care." She then turned away, grabbing her school bag, and sauntered out of the room. Sebastian glared at her retreating back before turning to Matteo, who offered only a knowing smirk. Shaking his head, Sebastian stormed out.
Outside, Lucia fumed. She turned to find four bodyguards trailing behind her, fueling her anger even more. All she wanted was freedom – freedom from this house, from constant surveillance. It seemed she had another set of guards to fire.
Poseidon High
Pearl High, a school designed exclusively for the children and grandchildren of the most successful mafia lords. It was a place teeming with danger, especially if you hailed from a lower class. The school operated on a strict grading system:
* Grade A: Children of the Top 5 Most Successful and Dangerous Mafia Lords. Lucia, naturally, belonged to this elite tier.
* Grade C: Children of the Top 30 Most Successful and Dangerous Mafia Lords.
* Grade F:Children of those who worked for the mafia lords. To be in this class was to live a life of ridicule and mockery, with the constant threat of being bullied or, worse, killed. Trust me, death was often preferred over the torment faced by Grade F students.
A sleek black Lamborghini purred to a stop in front of the imposing school gates. A pair of impeccably clean, blue designer sneakers emerged: Lucia Moreno.
"She's here!"
"I heard her father just reached Top 1!"
"She's dangerous. Stay away is the only warning!"
Feared by all due to her father's supreme rank, Lucia walked through the school gates with an elegant stride, her personal guards trailing behind her. Guards she fully intended to dispose of very soon.
"I need to use the toilet," she informed them. To her annoyance, they continued to follow.
"Wait, you don't plan on following me into the toilet, do you? Ever heard of privacy?" Lucia asked, flabbergasted. They remained silent, merely bowing their heads before turning their backs. Lucia rolled her eyes, entering the restroom. Her mission had begun.
She eyed the nearby window, measuring it with her gaze. A perfect fit for an escape, but the height was an issue. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on an empty bucket. She flipped it upside down and stepped on it, still not quite high enough. With a determined leap, she gripped the windowsill, throwing her backpack outside with one hand while holding on with the other. Using her formidable strength, she pulled herself up, then wriggled through the opening.
She landed gracefully on the other side, a smirk of triumph playing on her lips. Brushing off her hands, she moved on to the next phase of her plan. Pulling out her phone, she dialed her father's number. He answered on the first ring.
"Dad… help… I… I don't know where I am! I'm scared, Dad, I don't know what to do!" Lucia cried, her voice laced with feigned panic as she ran away from the school building, seeking a hidden spot before her guards realized she was gone.
"What?! Lucia?! What about the guards?!" Matteo's voice boomed, laced with panic.
"I don't know, Dad! One minute they were beside me, and then I was knocked unconscious! But I was able to escape when I woke up, and now I'm lost!" Lucia embellished her lie. Matteo fumed.
"Don't cut the call!" he commanded, pulling out his other phone to call the guards.
"Where is my daughter?!" he barked into the phone. The head guard responded, "Toilet, sir."
"Toilet?! Check, you *stupido idiota*!" Matteo roared. The head guard signaled two guards to enter the restroom. They found it empty.
"She's gone," they reported, and eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're fired, you worthless pieces of shit!" Matteo screamed, then slammed his phone down. The guards exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what had just transpired.
"Dad, I think I found the road to my school," Lucia said, now standing confidently by the main road.
"Stay there. Sebastian will come pick you up. I'm sorry, sweetie. I fired those guards. I'll get you new, competent ones soon," Matteo said, cutting the call. Lucia did a little victory dance. Then, a honk. A red car pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing Sebastian's face.
"You have five seconds to get in, or I'm driving off," Sebastian deadpanned. Lucia rolled her eyes.
"Cranky much?" she retorted, sliding into the car. Sebastian started the engine, speeding off like a maniac.
"You know, for someone who got lost, you don't look very scared," he observed, clearly seeing through her charade.
"What?! You don't know anything! I'm terrified!" Lucia scoffed, rolling her eyes and resting her head against the window.
"Now don't talk to me. I don't want to catch whatever you poor people get to become slums." Sebastian glared, then abruptly slammed on the brakes. Lucia's head smacked against the window.
"Ouch!" she yelled, glaring at him.
"Sorry, my leg slipped," he said mockingly, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Idiota," Lucia muttered, closing her eyes again as they sped off.
Thirty Minutes Later
"I was terrified, Dad! I thought I was never going to see you again!" Lucia sobbed, her fake tears a masterpiece of manipulation. Sebastian rolled his eyes at her theatrical performance.
"I'm here, sweetie, I'm here," Matteo cooed, his love for his daughter blinding him to her deceit.
Lucia smirked internally before resuming her false cries.
"After receiving your call, I made a decision. This has been going on for too long. All those guards are incompetent and clearly don't know how to do their job, so here's my verdict." Lucia looked at him expectantly, waiting to hear him declare, "You're grown up now and can protect yourself."
"Sebastian will take their place as your bodyguard." Lucia froze. Sebastian froze.
"What?!" Lucia shrieked, recoiling.
"You heard me, sweetie," Matteo repeated. "Sebastian will be your new bodyguard." Lucia's gaze darted to Sebastian, a slow smirk spreading across his face.
"I'd love to," Sebastian said, shocking her even more. His expression was blank, but the look in his eyes screamed "hell."
Little did she know, her life was about to take a dramatic turn. Good? Bad? Only time would tell.