Dangerous Secrets: My Mafia Stepbrother

She had heard before that the dangers a boy faced as the child of a Mafia boss were entirely different from those a girl faced. Boys were either groomed into killing machines to inherit the family business or killed by enemies. On the other hand, girls either enjoyed a life of luxury as noble Mafia princesses or faced humiliation and death at the hands of enemies. None of this was what she wanted. She hoped her child could experience the typical challenges of growing up but certainly not life-threatening situations.

Thinking about this, Isabella became troubled once again. She wasn’t suited to being alone; when alone, she tended to overthink things. As Isabella descended the stairs, she saw Elisa standing on the side with Tony and the others. Isabella sighed and said to Elisa, “Would you like some afternoon tea?”

“No need. I’m the lady’s guard, only responsible for protecting the lady. I don’t have the qualifications for anything else.”

Elisa had a straightforward personality; she was good to her own but could clearly show her disdain for those she disliked. Her evident dislike now made Isabella realize that Elisa didn’t like her. Isabella felt helpless. When Lilly finished making the afternoon tea snacks, Isabella ate a piece, invited Tony and the others to join, but seeing Elisa unmoving, Isabella looked at her and said, “Tony and the others have eaten. If you don’t eat, do you have any objections to me?”

“Where would I dare?” Elisa walked over, took a piece of tiramisu, and bit into it. The rich taste of milk with a hint of bitterness satisfied her completely. It was delicious, truly delicious. Although she loved eating desserts, she usually maintained a healthy diet due to her high level of physical activity. Occasionally indulging in sweets made her feel like she was flying. However, seeing the way Isabella looked at her, Elisa still frowned and said, “So unappetizing.” Isabella chuckled, “So unappetizing? Then I won’t eat. Help me with two more, please.”

Elisa glared at Isabella. She felt Isabella was doing this intentionally. Knowing she liked it, Isabella made her eat. If Isabella was so good at pretending, then Elisa wouldn’t be polite either. Elisa immediately finished the remaining two pieces of cake. Lilly’s cakes were petite, and Elisa had just enough to satisfy her.

Dessert had a way of diffusing Elisa’s anger. However, she still wasn’t ready to forgive Isabella so easily. Even though Isabella was actively trying to reconcile, Elisa could sense that Isabella was deliberately lowering herself. If Isabella were a bit more sensible, she should take the initiative to forgive her.

Elisa wasn’t planning to forgive Isabella so quickly. She had treated Isabella as a friend, cared for her, and worried about her safety, which was why she encouraged Isabella to learn those self-defense techniques. But Isabella, not only did she not listen, she also used her status to pressure her. This saddened and angered Elisa, feeling as if she had poured her heart into being good to a friend, only to be betrayed when she turned around.

So, Elisa was determined to leave it at this. She wouldn’t bother with Isabella anymore and would focus on doing her job.

“Elisa, can you watch TV with me?”

“Ma’am, my job is just to protect you.”

“Can’t I make other requests of you?” Isabella looked at Elisa.

She felt a bit embarrassed. She couldn’t sincerely apologize to Elisa. Right now, this was the best she could do, hoping Elisa would forgive her this once.

Isabella reached out to pull Elisa, who really wanted to resist but, considering Isabella’s status, held back. Forced to sit beside Isabella, she was even given a pillow to hug comfortably.

“Elisa, I apologize for what I said at lunch. Please forgive me. What movie do you want to watch? Let’s watch it together.”

Seeing Isabella’s remorseful expression, Elisa sighed, “Isabella, I forgive you.” Although she was someone who loved and hated freely, Isabella’s pitiful and pleading look made it hard for her to stay angry.

Isabella immediately hugged Elisa. “Love you so much, Elisa. I promise not to make you angry again.”

Isabella was overjoyed to be forgiven. She feared losing Elisa as a friend, and having so few friends to begin with, falling out with Elisa would have been heartbreaking.

“Now you sound like a man making a solemn pledge, Isabella. Should I believe you or not?”

“Of course, you should believe me.” Isabella hugged Elisa with a beaming smile.

Friendship restored, and it made her so happy. “Okay, Elisa, now you pick a TV show you like. We’ll watch together.”

“Anything goes?”

Isabella nodded.

“I want to watch a horror movie.” Elisa searched for a videotape beside the TV, finally finding her favorite Saw movie.

Seeing the cover, Isabella was startled, “I think we should pick another movie to watch.”

She occasionally watched horror movies before, but now her emotions were tense, worried that enemies might break in at any moment or crawl from under her bed. Therefore, she dared not watch such movies. If she did, she’d probably have nightmares for days.

Seeing Isabella’s frightened face, Elisa reached out and patted her head. “Look at how scared you are, dummy. Of course, I’m just messing with you. I know you’re tense right now. Let’s watch this instead.”

Elisa pulled out Isabella’s favorite variety show. Isabella was surprised and delighted, “Elisa, how did you know I liked this?” She hadn’t told Elisa about it. Whenever she visited Elisa, they either trained or talked about food. Isabella knew Elisa’s preferences and would bring her favorite snacks during training.

But she never mentioned her liking this variety show.

“I asked the boss and Tony. Since I’m here to accompany you, it’s not just about keeping you safe. At least, I want to make you happier than before,” Elisa said with a smile.

Isabella felt a surge of excitement. She was incredibly lucky to have a friend like Elisa. They watched the variety show together, drank tea, and Isabella introduced her favorite male contestants to Elisa.

“He does have a manly charm. I like him,” Elisa said with a radiant smile.Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

“I knew your taste is just like mine.”

They watched for a while, and around dinner time, Lilly went to prepare dinner. Isabella got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen. “Elisa, what would you like to eat? I can cook for you too.”

She wanted to help Lilly with the cooking.

“I don’t have any dietary restrictions. I can eat anything.”