<-I-L-A-<<< "Are you done?" Matteo asked me.

"Yeah," I told him as I nodded my head.

He got up from his seat and grabbed his dishes, "Okay then, follow me."

I got up and grabbed everything I ate with. Before I left to follow him, Marcella told me, "It was nice talking to you. I hope we get to know each other more enough to be friends, connections are important within a mafia."

I smiled at her, unsure of what to say. She grinned back and I looked into her blue eyes. I'm not sure what her intentions might be, but I can see her as a potential friend.

I caught up with Matteo before he could disappear behind the kitchen doors. The kitchen was roomier than the dining room. I couldn't believe that all the food, that was just served, was made in here since it was spotlessly clean. I counted four ovens, six dishwashers, three sinks, and six fridges. It was clear, they were living lavishly.

"After eating, everyone is obligated to bring their dishes to the sink for the maids to wash." He said as he brought me over to one of the sinks.

He held out his hand for my plates and I gave it to him. Matteo placed the dishes inside after rinsing them. He, then, guided me out of the kitchen through a different pair of doors that led us into the living room.

"We don't really have any house rules," Matteo explained to me as we climbed the stairs to our rooms. "There's no curfew or anything. Just live respectfully and don't bother anyone."

We were barely on the second floor and I was slightly winded.

"Do you guys have an elevator?" I asked. A house with four floors should have an elevator.

"We do but it hasn't worked for about two weeks now." Matteo explained, "Adien thought it would be funny to cut the lights of the elevator for a prank but ended up damaging a wire that was needed for it to operate."

We reached my floor and Matteo walked me to my room. Standing in front of my bedroom door, I asked, "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Almost everyone carries a weapon around the house. Try not to sneak up on anyone." He advised.

"Okay," I said, nodding.

"Goodnight, Ila." He said before leaving to the staircase, disappearing up the stairs.

"Night," I called out to him.

I stood out in the hall for a while longer as I thought about my day. The first conscious day being a part of the mafia was rather fun. I got to see upstate New York while driving in my dream car, 2 years of my rent got paid, and I just had the best pesto I've ever tasted. If this was what a mafia member goes through, I don't mind. From what I've seen so far, none of them acted like coldblooded murders.

I smiled as I opened my door, ready to get some sleep. My smile was quick to disappear for a frown to replace it. It looked like a tornado happened in my room. It was a mess. My clothes were everywhere, ripped to shreds. My expensive medical books were torn, pages were spread all over. I walked over to my bed to find my hair products dumped on the sheets. The pillows smelt like my conditioner as the blankets carried the scent of the combinations of all my perfumes. Even my suitcases were destroyed.

I heard the sink running in the bathroom. I rushed to find all my makeup products dumped in the overflowing bowl. I quickly turned off the water and I happened to peer into my tub. I saw my Ipad and Macbook submerged in a bubble bath.

What animal could have done this?

I walked out of my room, angry, and saw Aletta. Her slender body yet curvy figure was leaning against the wall across from where I stood. She was glaring at me with her arms crossed over her torso.

"The guest room does not have locks." She said, mockingly warning me. "You better sleep with one eye open for the rest of your stay."

My mouth dropped slightly at her threat. Aletta peered into my room and smirked, satisfied with her work. Before I could push past my anger and say something, she walked away. I walked quickly after her to the stairs and stopped.

As I watched Aletta walk down the stairs, I remembered seeing Matteo going to the fourth floor. Instead of giving Aletta a piece of my mind, I switched the direction I was heading and decided to find Matteo. Besides, telling Matteo about this situation rather than confront Aletta was the safer option of the two.

I walked up the last set of stairs to the highest floor. I entered a small living room space at the end of the stairs, where all the halls on the floor met and started.

Which door was Matteo behind?

I peered into each hall to find that the doors of the rooms were identical, no marking or signs to indicate ownership. I sighed and walked back to the small living room space by the staircase.

Just as I did, one of the doors opened and Giovanni walked out. He was almost naked, wearing only boxers. He noticed me immediately. Instead of hiding his exposed self and running back into his room, he walked over to me.

"Looking for me?" Giovanni asked as he confidently smirked.

"Why aren't you wearing clothes?" I asked, flustered. I maintain permanent eye contact with him in order to keep my eyes from roaming his very well toned body.

"No, the real question is," he started before taking a pause for dramatic effects, "Why are you, Ila, wearing clothes?"

He reached for the bottom of my shirt. Giovanni lightly and playfully tugged at the hem with his pointer finger and thumb.

Out of nowhere, a hand came flying and swatted Giovanni in the face. He let go of my shirt to cup his cheek.

"She doesn't know your humor." Said Marcella. "You come off too strong!"

Giovanni recovered from her slap and asked, "Who said I was joking?"

Marcella rolled her eyes. She looked away from Giovanni and focused on me.

"What room are you?" She asked me.

I hook my head and explained, "My room is on the third floor. I was looking for Matteo's room."

Marcella raised her eyebrows while Giovanni smirked.

"My man!" He said, nodding his head proudly. He lifted his hand for Marcella to high five. Instead, Marcella purposely missed his hand and palmed him on his forehead.

Realizing how my reason must have sounded to them, I quickly cleared it up, "No. It's not for what you guys are thinking. Something came up and I need to talk to him about it."

Marcella rolled eyes and grabbed my hand, leading me to a door that was in the hall on the other side of us. Giovanni followed behind.

She knocked on the door. We only had to wait about two minutes before the door was opened by Matteo.

>>-M-A-T-T-E-O-> Someone knocking on the door interrupted me from my reading. Before setting my book down, I finished reading the paragraph I was in. I walked to my door and opened it.

I was surprised to see Ila, Giovanni, and Marcella standing behind her.

"Ila?"

She said, "My room is a mess."

"Huh?" I asked, trying to make sense of why she was here.

"Everything I brought back from home is destroyed. My bed is drenched in my shampoo and conditioner. And the floor is wet with all of my perfume. All of my clothes looked like they've been run over by a lawnmower and my makeup products are drowning in the sink. My books are also torn to shreds." Ila described the disaster in her room.

"How did that happen?" Marcella asked, wondering the same thing I was.

"It was all of Aletta's doing," Ila said before telling us about their little interaction.

"I'm sorry, Ila," I told her as I rubbed my forehead. "I'll talk to Aletta."

"I never did anything to her. I barely met her. Why does she have a problem with me?"

"Honey, it's not you." Marcella said, "It's because of Matteo."

"What do you mean?" Ila asked.

Before Giovanni opened his mouth to elaborate on what Marcella meant, I said, "Look, we can get your room clean and you'll be able to sleep in no time."

"No, I'm not sleeping in an unlocked room." She opposed.

"Ila, I can't move you rooms. The house is full."

Ila frowned in worry.

"Don't worry." Marcella said, swinging her arm around Ila's shoulder, "You can sleep in my room."

<-I-L-A-<<< I thought of Marcella's offer. Compared to Aletta, she wasn't crazy. She hasn't done anything but be nice to me. She conversed with me to feel welcomed at dinner, got Giovanni off of me, and helped me find Matteo's room.

"Okay," I agreed.

"Can I join?" Giovanni asked, sexually.

"No," Marcella said sternly.

"It could be fun," he said, trying to convince us, "The three of us in a bed, I could be in the mid-"

Matteo grabbed Giovanni by the hair and pulled him into his room.

"Okay, I'll get someone to clean your room and get a lock on your door tomorrow," Matteo quickly said before shutting the door, "I'll see you in the morning."

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