A Marriage with the Mafia Prince

A L Y S S A

Desperation makes people do crazy things.

But never did I think I would find myself in this position.

Allow me to take you back to the beginning.

Here I am, sitting in the dark, laptop laid out in front of me, watching the screen flicker back at me as if it's mocking me, being the only light source in my shoebox apartment. The walls feel closer every night, as if reminding me that this is no better than a cage. My neighbours fight through them, laugh through them, live through them, while I just sit here... scrolling through job listings like a machine that's out of batteries.

I've been at this for hours, to the point where my eyes sting. The longer I search for a job, the more every listing feels like the same wall of disappointment. Too high qualifications with degrees and certificates I don't have. I never had the privilege of going to university like I always wanted. The best I could do was online courses in business admin, graphic design, digital media, that sorta thing.

So it's clear to me that in a competitive pool of applicants, I'm not enough...

But unfortunately, I have to be, I have to find something.

Mom's hospital bills are due. Again. They were due last week, actually, but I had to beg them for an extension. One more week, I said. One more chance... And the nurse on the phone... her voice was soft, almost kind, but not enough to hide the edge of finality when she told me they couldn't keep Mom's room forever. How do you respond to that? To someone reminding you that your mother's life is tied to the amount of money you don't have?

Her chronic illness is hard to treat, and we don't have the resources to get her the help she needs to get well again. The local hospitals are doing what they can, and even that is way too expensive...

I huff sharply and shake the thoughts away.

I can't think about it. Not the machines breathing for her. Not the doctors whispering words like "low chance" and "quality of life" when they think I'm not listening. My stomach twists at the thought, and I press my fingers into my temples, like I can stop the panic from clawing its way up my throat. Think, Alyssa. There has to be something. Some miracle job, some open door I just haven't noticed yet...

And then...

Ping.

The sound makes me jump. My inbox lights up with a new message. I glance at it, expecting the usual junk: spam, discounts, someone trying to sell me another streaming service I can't afford. But it's something else entirely, making my eyes freeze on the subject line:

Interview Invitation – Valentino Enterprises.

My first thought: scam.

It has to be.

I never applied to Valentino Enterprises. Didn't even think about applying. People like me don't work for companies like that. They're