Above is the pic of Ella's house.
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Ella's POV.

"Yeah!!!! Tomorrow's your birthday! I'm so excited!" That was the fifth time Jessica has screamed in my ear. She and Sara were super excited about it. They have been planning for it for a month.

A whole month has passed since school has started and a lot has happened since then. That new boy who made me feel like I was ill with some kind of undefined disease and tried to talk to me many times, was now acting like a total stranger. Well, he was already a stranger but now, he wouldn't even glance at me. And believe me, I was glad for that.

"It's going to be your sweet sixteen! Yeah!" Sara exclaimed. "Your party is going to be a blast!" She was the most excited one but Jessica wasn't less too.

"You two are much more excited than me. Strange." I chuckled looking at them. It looked like, they were the birthday girls and not me, but what could I say? They were always like that, getting excited and making crazy plans.

"Why won't we? It's our Ella's birthday!" They shrieked and jumped up and down. I shook my head at their childish behaviour. Sometimes, it made me feel that in our group, I might be the most mature one. They were like two kids, always excited and ready to party.

They were both excited and I was too. I had been looking forward to this day, since the time my dad told me about the little freedom, I would have. I had always dreamt of freedom. I always wondered, what it would feel like to be free? What it would feel like to be the master of your own will? Although I was not getting freedom, at least I would be having a little bit of time without being watched, a little bit of time to do whatever I want, to be just me, free from worries. I'd be free from the fear of my dad knowing my every step, my every choice. It might just be for five to six hours but for me, it was my haven. I'd be free from these worries.

Being watched all the time doesn't feel good at all. When you know your every step is being watched and every report of your doing is given to your parents, you feel locked up. To an outsider, I might look like a normal teenager. A girl who's enjoying her teenage life like others, exploring the world, coming across new things and new experiences in her life. To them, I might look a free-willed girl but inside, I was caged.

******

"Your friends are coming?" My mom asked me and I nodded.

It'd be the first time they both will be here. Last year, I hadn't met them at the time of my birthday because the school had just started and I was still a freshman.

My birthday parties were held with a little bit of gathering. Mostly my aunts and uncles from both of my parent's sides would come along with my cousins. I was the eldest in my cousins and didn't have a single cousin of my age so, I was mostly surrounded by kids. There had never been a friend of mine in any of my parties because I never had one. It was going to be the first time I would be having some company of my own, and I was looking forward to it.

"I'm glad you have found friends, I was so worried about you. I am looking forward to meeting them." My mom smiled whilst taking a sip from her cup. I knew she was right. I also lost hope in making a friend, back then, but then I met Sara and Jess, and I would have never thought, in my wildest dreams, we would be becoming great friends.

"Uh, Mom! Can I ask you something? I mean it's more like a request." I was nervous to ask her about it but I really wanted to have her permission. I don't know if my parents would like the whole idea of it or not but I wanted them to agree with it. I had never asked them for anything, never argued with them and always did what they told me to do, but now I wanted something from them on my birthday.

"Of course, princess." My mom smiled at me and asked me to continue.

"Actually... I was just thinking. Umm... Can Sara and Jessica stay a night here? I mean maybe we can have a kind of slumber party," I said, my voice a whisper and my heart beating rapidly. I was nervous. I had never asked or requested anything before.

Mom's eyes widened and my heart accelerated. Did I say something wrong? I shouldn't have asked for permission. I should have known well that this was all for my own good. They could not stay here, I should have known better.

"Mom! I... I am sorry. It's fine. I'll not-"

"No!" My mom cut me off and then, smiled. I stared at her confused. Was she saying no to my permission? Was she going to tell me I did wrong by inviting them? If it was, then I don't know what was wrong in it. I wasn't telling them anything, I wasn't revealing my true identity or my family business to them. I was just asking for a sleepover.

Who was I kidding? That must be normal for other kids, teenagers, and normal people. I didn't belong to any of these categories, so it was not normal for me. I hung my head low, closed my eyes, ready to hear my mom, telling me what I did, was wrong.

"It's totally fine Ella! I see no harm in that." My eyes opened at once, on hearing her words. She continued, "We know you have always been under a lot of pressure, a lot of rules. I know being the daughter of a Mafia's greatest leader isn't easy. I have been through this. You have all the accessories, all the riches but I know you're not happy. I know that you want freedom," she paused and gave me a sweet loving smile. "But listen, Ella! What your dad is doing, it's for your own safety." She sighed for a second then took my hand in her soft warm ones. I looked at her intently, hearing every single word of hers with attention.

"My dear Ella! My dear princess! I know it's hard for you. I know being under protection, under security all this time does feel suffocating, but you know why we are doing this for you. Right?. Your dad doesn't want you to get hurt. He's afraid..." Mom trailed for a second on the word afraid and my eyes widened on hearing my mom accept it.

The fact that the greatest mafia leader, who knew nothing about mercy, was afraid of something too. I was smart enough to get a hint of what was he afraid of, a few times in the past but it'd be the first time hearing it from my mom. It sounded a bit ironic; a merciless killer, a ruthless leader afraid of something. No one would ever believe it and for a second - if I hadn't known better or hadn't been through all high protection throughout my life - I might not have believed it too. It'd feel like a facade, a lie, to me too.

It might felt like a cover used to hide all the bitter truths beneath it, like a cover for those unexplainable things. But during my life spent here, I had learned to distinguish between a lie and a truth. It might be due to the fact that I, myself, lie a lot. I lie almost to everyone, about my true existence, about my happiness, and about the dark secret of mine. I lie almost every day because whether they ask me or not, I knew it deep down that my presence as Ella Andreson was nothing but an ugly lie, the ugliest of all. Even my name itself is a lie. And maybe due to that experience of lying since ever, it had become easy for me, to find the truth or a lie behind a person's words

As if my mom had figured it out what I was thinking, she replied to my unspoken question, "Yes, Ella! He's afraid. Everyone. Each and every person is afraid of something. Whether a ruthless leader or a loving person, he is afraid of one or another thing. Everyone has a weakness, and you," she paused and cupped my cheek in her left hand while her right one still holding my hand. "You, my dear, is your dad's greatest weakness. He's afraid of losing you, afraid that his sins might come back to attack you. He doesn't want you to pay for his sins. That's why Ella! That's why he's so possessive." Mom gently smiled and kissed my head.

"You are my courageous girl, our brave daughter. You are our most precious jewel," she continued.

"Mom! Why are you getting so emotional? Don't make me cry." I furrowed my eyebrows looking at my mom's emerald eyes. They were filled with unshed tears. "Mom! I... I won't ever let you down. I know, everything you both are doing, is for my own safety, for my own good. I am happy for who I am. Please, don't worry mom." I assured her, my eyes getting wet by tears.

I didn't know whether the tears were due to the emotional prep talk or due to the fact that I did lie again. I lied again, so easily, of me being happy for who I was. I guess I was really getting expert in lying, I had master the art of pulling a smile on my face in every kind of situation, whether sad or happy, whether in the grievance or in delight, I had to just smile.

See, so easy to do. The easiest and simplest thing, just smile and show no concerns, no worries on your face. According to what I had been taught from childhood, never show your enemy the emotions you hold, because your greatest weakness is the emotions hidden behind your face. In my world, the most dangerous and life-threatening thing would be nothing but showing them. In the mafia world, everyone should be the best of the best in hiding his feelings. In a normal world, the fittest survives but in the mafia world, in my world, the best actors survive, those who have mastered this act. Although this might be the best way for us to survive, this also proved that the mafia world was all a name of a pretty facade and nothing more. Like others, I had also mastered this talent but no one knows how hard it's to endure.

"Ella?" Mom called my name to bring me back from my deep thoughts. I smiled, replying, "Yes mum?"

"You are fine? I mean are you really happy?" She asked and like other occasions, I just smiled in return. "Yes mom, very much." I smiled and something flashed through her eyes, but that something was so fast that it vanished the other second, not giving me the chance to figure it out.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve a daughter like you. I love you, dear! My precious flower." She kissed me on the bridge of my nose and I closed my eyes.

"Love you too. Thanks, mum!" I hugged her and gave her a kiss on her cheek. I thanked her for letting Sara and Jessica stay over the night. I thanked her for loving me so much, thanked her for understanding me and for making me understand.

******

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Ella! Happy birthday to you!" Everyone wished me by singing the birthday song.

Everyone cheered when I blew the candles and cut the cake. On my right side, my parents were standing while to my left, my two best friends were there. The rest of the guests were all gathered around the big table. They all wished me and handed me my gifts. I smiled and thanked each one of them. I spent my whole party with my two friends. I introduced them to my parents and to some of my little cousins. They both seemed to love kids.

Jessica looked pretty in her light strapless pink-coloured dress that reached just above her knees. Her dress was covered in white-coloured embroidery that wasn't too much nor too less bringing out her hazel eyes and her fair complexion. Her strawberry blonde hair braided to the side. Whilst for Sara, she was wearing a dress that was sleeveless and it was a bit below her knees. The dark blue colour of her dress made her tan complexion stand out more. The dress made of the net giving it a glittering touch while her black hair was tied up in a loose bun. They both were looking pretty and elegant. As for me, I was in a floor-length gown that reached up to my ankles. The dress, light orange in colour with a golden colour belt around my waist. The sleeves of my dress reached up to my elbows and there were cuts at both shoulders that showed a little of my collarbone followed by my shoulders. The dress was covered in glittering white net from below while the upper part had flowers embroidered out of white shining thread. I had my half of the blonde hair tied up in a small bun while the rest were on my shoulders in light curls.

At eleven, the party ended and some guests left while some stayed the night. I took my friends to my room. A smile plastered on my lips this whole time. This was the best birthday party that I had during my entire existence on this earth. We laughed, giggled and talked nonsense during the party, and the most amazing thing was, this was not the end. We were going to have a whole night full of fun and crazy games.

"Wow, Ella! Your room is so beautiful! It's so big. Even double of my room." Jessica gasped and looked through my room with widened eyes.

"Yeah! And your house too. It's so beautiful and huge! Girl! You're one rich princess," Sara said while looking around my room. I simply shrugged.

"I believe even that Hadley won't even stand a chance against this," Jessica said to which Sara agreed.

After I told them about my encounter with Hadley and how I told Hadley her place, Jessica and Sara were both startled as well as proud.

They told me that I did the right thing. For God's sake! Till how much time she had thought of bullying me? I was a Mafia princess after all! I wasn't one of her servants who were at her mercy. She should be thankful because I let her go or she could have been the one begging for mercy. Though sometimes, I would feel a bit bad about thinking about it. Maybe it was because I had never been harsh to anyone before and this was my first experience. I wondered, how my dad manages to tackle all the problems and problematic people without feeling a bit bad or merciful.

"You didn't look like you'd be this wealthy. Like, come on! In school, you are always a simple girl. Unlike Hadley, you had never shown off your money." I smiled at Jessica's comment. I was never a girl to show off my wealth. I liked decency and simple life. No complications, no complexities, no rules and no pressure. But who was I kidding? My life was and never would be close to being simple.

"Yeah! I bet if Hadley would have been here right now, she would have probably just died of jealousy or maybe she would have strangled you by now."

I stared at Sara's word in wonder and disbelief. I let out a nervous chuckle and thought for a moment. If she would have been here now and if she would have tried to strangle me, I wondered how she might have ended up? She had no idea who she was dealing with.

"Well, by the way, Ella! What was Mr. John doing here?" I knew this was coming so, when Sara asked about it, I wasn't a bit surprised.

They had seen him at my party as he was like one of our close family members so, of course, he was invited, and the way he hugged me and kissed my forehead back at the party, Sara and Jessica were surprised to see it.

"Yeah! Actually, he's my uncle," I replied to them with a smile.

"What? You never told us!" They both gasped and stared at me shocked.

"Well! You never asked!" I retorted with a sly smile on my lips. I did never tell them about it, but it was true too. They never asked me so, I couldn't be the one to blame.

"Hmm! A good point!" Sara chuckled while thinking.

We spent an hour or two still talking. We changed into our night suits and laid on my bed. Our backs on the bed and we all staring at the ceiling. The air conditioner in my room making the weather a bit chilly so we pull up the duvet and continued to charter. As my bed was big enough so we decided to share it.

"Oh! It's so soft!" Jessica purred like a cat which made us laugh.

"Well, Ella! I liked your mum. She's so sweet, elegant, and lovely." Sara smiled and looked at my side. Jessica nodded agreeing with Sara. I would admit that I was a bit nervous back then. I was afraid that my parents might not like my best friends and my best friends might not like them. I was more nervous about the thought of them meeting my dad. My dad being a ruthless leader had that aura around him that would make people shudder under their skins. His one look would make your breath hinge in your throat and your face might start to turn pale. Every single person of our empire was afraid of him and that was what made him the leader of our empire. It had always been easy for my mom to get along with others but for dad, it had always been hard. Due to his hard stance and authoritative personality, everyone was scared to even talk to him.

"What about my dad?" I asked, curious about what they think about him.

"Uh! About your dad, I can't say much. I was scared at first because he was giving off a strange vibe, a dangerous one like you know those of a serial killer type. The ones we saw in movies," Sara said. I bit my lower lip. She was a lot right to say those stuff. My dad might not literally be a serial killer but his occupation wasn't a bit less than that.

"But when I saw him smile while you were cutting the cake and then how he hugged you and said 'happy birthday, my sweet little princess' while giving you a kiss on your forehead, I realized, no matter how dangerous a person looks from outside, he does have someone to love, to care and he does have a sweet side," Sara continued. "So to conclude, I like him too." She grinned, looking towards me. Both Jessica and I looked at her confused as well as a bit shocked. I couldn't believe it. She noticed that much and in just a little time. I wondered, if she stayed here for a week, she might know all about our business and our secrets in a short time. Maybe my friend Sara wasn't as simple as I thought she was. She observed things carefully and unravels the mysteries quickly.

"What?" She questioned. We must have been staring at her for a while, I guess.

"Nothing! Nice speech," Jessica commented and I chuckled.

"Well, for me, I like your dad. I kinda like those men having a dark, mysterious aura around 'em. So, I believe that your dad is really cool." Jessica smiled.

"Ella! By the way, what does your father do?" Jessica asked, after a moment, and it took me completely off guard.

I knew deep down that one of them would be asking me this and I was hoping to avoid it as far as possible. I was praying that they wouldn't ask it but they did. I was confused. My heart was hammering in my ribcage and I bit my lower lip. I had no idea what to tell them. What should I say? Should I tell them that they are currently in the house of a Mafia leader? The house of the greatest mafia leader of whole America and their friend is the daughter of the ruthless and merciless devil called Victor Austin? Should I tell them that they were right now with a Mafia's daughter? The daughter whose vein had the same cruel mafia blood.

"Yeah, El! You never told us! Come on girl! You are one heck of a rich girl! What does your father do? Is he a businessman?" Sara joined in, asking the same question. They both turned their face towards me and waited for my reply. Only the problem was... I had no idea what to reply.

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So guys! What do you say?

Should she tell them the truth? Or not?

Don't forget to vote and comment!

;)

Sorry for the mistakes.