Chapter 1 - The Pink Plastic Crown
The grand, luxury mafia office overlooking the bright New York City skyline was a sanctuary of absolute, terrifying power. Heavily armed guards in dark suits lined the walls. But the suffocating tension in the room was entirely focused on the center of the Persian rug.
Standing entirely fearless in front of the most feared mafia boss in the city was Mia.
She was a tiny, three-year-old girl with curly brown hair tied in a pink bow, wearing a frilly floral dress and little pink shoes.
Vincent Castalano, a thirty-eight-year-old apex predator wearing an immaculate black suit and silk tie, was crouched down to her eye level. His sharp, masculine jawline was locked. His dark, lethal eyes stared at the tiny intruder.
Clara, Mia’s thirty-year-old mother, stood completely frozen in the heavy oak doorway. She was a housekeeper, her messy hair pulled into a frantic updo, wearing a crisp black and white maid uniform. Her hands shook violently as she clutched an empty coffee cup. She was absolutely, breathtakingly pale.
"Mia, no!" Clara gasped in a panicked, breathless whisper, terrified that her daughter was about to be hurt.
But Mia didn't listen. She looked directly into Vincent’s terrifying eyes and reached her tiny hand deep into her little plastic purse.
"Why do you always look so grumpy?" Mia asked in a clear, loud, innocent voice.
Vincent’s dark eyes narrowed. "Are you making fun of me, little girl?" he asked, his deep voice dropping into a dangerous, low register.
Mia smiled brightly. She pulled a cheap, sparkly pink plastic crown from her purse. Without an ounce of hesitation, she reached forward and bravely placed the plastic tiara right on top of the mafia boss's perfectly styled dark hair.
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"There," Mia announced proudly, patting his head. "Now you're a princess."
👉 Clara squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the violent end, entirely unaware of the miracle about to happen.
