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The Mafioso's Unexpected Family

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The Mafioso's Unexpected Family

Chapter 1 — The Price of Hope

Ekaterina

18 years old

Three months earlier.

I was late.

Again.

I ran down the sidewalk, clutching my bag against my body while the freezing wind cut across my face. The clock on my phone seemed to judge me with every passing second.

But I couldn't leave any earlier.

Not when Lis had finally fallen asleep without crying from the pain.

Sleeping at the hospital every night had become my routine. My sister spent the entire day alone in that white room while I worked, so the nights were ours. Uncomfortable, exhausted—it didn't matter. I stayed with her.

I'd always stay.

I slipped through the back door of the law office, trying not to draw attention. If I could just make it to the supply closet, maybe—

"Well, well. The cleaning queen finally decided to show up."

I closed my eyes for a second.

Ivan.

The owner's son.

And the man who couldn't accept that I'd never gone out with him.

I lifted my chin and forced politeness.

"Good morning. Sorry I'm late."

He smirked, looking me up and down.

"Easy there, Cinderella."

Before I could pull away, he grabbed my arm.

My whole body went rigid.

"I've got a job for you."

I tugged my arm free as subtly as I could.

"I can pick up extra shifts."

His smile changed.

Predatory.

"Actually... it'd just be one night."

My stomach turned instantly.

I understood exactly what he was implying.

I took a step back.

"Then I'm not interested."

I turned to leave.

But Ivan yanked me back too hard.

My shoulders hit the wall.

The shock sent my heart racing.

"Relax," he said, low. "It's not with me."

I stared at him, suspicious.

"You'd just keep a friend of mine company at a bar. Talk to him. Keep him distracted for a few hours."

I frowned.

"Distracted for what?"

He released my hand slowly.

"I just need to get some compromising photos. Nothing major."

My chest tightened.

It felt wrong.

Very wrong.

"You don't have to do anything with the guy if you don't want to," Ivan continued. "Just make sure nobody comes looking for him while it happens."

I should've walked away.

I should've.

But then I thought about Lis.

The expensive medications.

The piling bills.

The surgery.

My heart sank.

"How much?" I asked quietly.

Ivan smiled slowly.

As if he'd already known I would ask.

"Three hundred thousand rubles."

The air seemed to vanish from my lungs.

Three hundred thousand.

Enough to pay for Lis's surgery.

Enough to give my sister a chance to keep living.

Ivan stepped back.

"If you're interested... come find me."

And then he left.

Leaving me alone in that hallway.

Alone—

with desperation squeezing my throat.

And the worst decision of my life already taking root.

But Lisbela was my priority.

I worked the entire day thinking about Ivan's offer.

Every room I cleaned.

Every desk I organized.

Every trash can I emptied.

Everything felt heavier.

Because I couldn't get it out of my head.

Three hundred thousand rubles.

Enough to save Lis.

I'd already tried everything.

Loans.

Asking for help.

Payment plans.

But nobody lends money to an eighteen-year-old girl drowning in debt.

The house where we lived had been mortgaged years ago—by the drunk I was forced to call my father. Alfredo could be called many things, but "Dad" wasn't one of them. He'd surrendered to the bottle after my mother died and never came back from it.

And I was still making payments on the mortgage he'd taken out, just so we wouldn't lose the only roof over our heads.

I had no way out.

None.

At the end of my shift, I took a few deep breaths before I worked up the nerve to go find Ivan.

He was in the hallway, leaning against the wall, chatting with an intern. Or rather—shamelessly hitting on her while his father was out of the office.

The second he saw me, he grinned.

As if he already knew the answer.

"So... thought about it?"

My stomach knotted.

But I nodded.

"I'll do it."

His eyes lit up with satisfaction.

"Good girl."

I ignored the comment.

"But you have to pay me first."

Ivan let out a quiet laugh.

"Suspicious."

"Desperate," I corrected.

He studied me for a few seconds before agreeing.

"I'll pay."

My chest loosened slightly.

Until he added:

"But if you don't show up at that bar tomorrow... I'll kill you."

The threat came with a smile.

As if it were a joke.

But I knew it wasn't.

I stayed silent.

Ivan looked me up and down.

Slowly.

Making me want to disappear.

"And I'm definitely going to need to get you something decent to wear."

I crossed my arms immediately.

"That's not necessary."

"Yes, it is. Tomorrow, Ekaterina. Don't forget."

I nodded just to end the conversation.

He pulled out a check and began filling it in slowly.

When he placed the paper in my hand, my fingers trembled.

Three hundred thousand rubles.

Enough for Lis's surgery.

My eyes burned immediately.

"Tomorrow," Ivan repeated. "If you bail on me, you're done."

"I'll be there."

My voice came out quiet.

Tired.

I tucked the check into my bag and walked out of the office on legs that felt like they might buckle.

As if I'd just sold a piece of my dignity.

The bus ride to the hospital felt longer than ever.

And during the entire ride, I tried to convince myself I was doing this for the right reason.

For Lis.

Always for Lis.

The moment I arrived at the hospital, I went straight to the billing office before I even went to see her.

The woman behind the desk looked surprised when I handed over the check.

And for the first time in months—

I could breathe a little easier.

The surgery was paid for.

Part of the debt from the previous hospital stays remained, but the surgery was secured.

My sister was going to get a chance.

And that made everything feel bearable.

Or almost.

When I walked into the room, Lis smiled the second she saw me.

That small, fragile smile that always destroyed me.

"Kathy!"

She stretched her thin little arms toward me.

And in that moment—

all the weight in the world disappeared for a few seconds.

Because she was still here.

And as long as she was—

I would do anything to see her well.

I took a quick shower in the hospital bathroom and came back to the room, trying to keep every ounce of that day's weight off my face.

She was awake.

Waiting for me.

The moment she saw me walk in, she smiled right away.

"Tell me the Cinderella story?"

I laughed softly.

Always the same one.

Her favorite.

Lis was five years old and still believed in fairy tales, pretty dresses, and charming princes.

She had no idea—

that in real life, there were almost always only frogs.

Still, I sat beside her on the bed and told the story one more time while she listened with wide eyes, clutching the stuffed bunny that was falling apart with age.

Halfway through the story, one of the nurses came in with my dinner.

The nurses on that floor helped me however they could.

Sometimes with food.

Sometimes staying a few minutes with Lis so I could shower.

Sometimes just smiling when they saw I was about to fall apart.

And I was grateful for every small kindness.

So grateful.

After I finished eating, I watched Lis for a few seconds, trying to hold the emotion inside my chest.

But I couldn't.

So I took her tiny hand.

"Lis..."

She looked at me curiously.