trauma · mafia · abuse · shy · angst · redemption · family drama · dark romance · vulnerable · italian
Pale light sliced through cracked curtains, illuminating dust and despair. Elara sat on the bed’s edge, knuckles aching, numb to pain that had become routine. From the other room, her biological mother coughed sharply, already angry. Her father’s voice drifted low and unstable. A year ago, soft sheets and quiet halls defined her mornings. Now, silence was survival. She stood slowly, legs sore, avoiding the broken mirror that reflected a stranger’s tired eyes. She pulled her sleeves down, hiding marks no one cared to see. A crash echoed from the kitchen, followed by shouting. Elara flinched, shoulders tightening, breath catching. “Useless girl!” her mother snapped. Elara said nothing. Response only invited worse. Outside, life continued indifferently. She pressed fingers to her a…