Mr. Mafia's Obsession: His Darkest Desire

“Father, I… I need to confess. I don’t know what to do.”

I pressed my forehead against the cold wood of the confession booth. My hands shook, and my chest felt tight. I wanted to disappear. I wanted to scream. I just wanted someone to tell me it would be okay.

“Take your time, my child,” the priest said. His voice was soft and gentle.

I swallowed and sniffled. Where would I even begin?

A few days earlier…

“I am so proud of you, Elysia,” Liana said, nudging me with her elbow. “Finally taking the steps everyone has been talking about.”

I glanced at her and rolled my eyes. “You say that like you weren’t the one teasing me about it all these years.”

Liana smirked. “Okay, guilty. But I only teased you because I knew you’d make it. You always do, little sister. Don’t get all sappy on me now.”

We sat at the dining table, the smell of roasted chicken filling the room. Dad insisted on having a family dinner tonight. Mom smiled, setting plates down carefully, and Liana kept stealing bites from my plate, as usual.

I had been accepted into the convent, a dream I had held since high school. I was looking forward to a quiet life, a life guided by rules, prayer, and purpose.

And today, at least, my parents were exceptionally kind, beaming at me with a pride I had rarely seen.

Perhaps they were happy because I was finally doing something that aligned perfectly with the life they had envisioned for me—their dream for me, the one that had always seemed just out of reach.

I had always been an introvert, happy to stay in the background. Parties, gossip, social media—none of it was for me.

My parents liked it that way, but I knew deep down that it was also because I was… smaller, quieter, less impressive in their eyes than Liana.

Liana had always been their favorite: confident, outspoken, everything they seemed to admire.

I had often felt like I was merely the shadow behind her light, quietly praised only when I followed the rules, never for who I truly was.

I had never dated anyone, not even once. That was how I wanted it. Liana had her share of admirers, but I preferred books and quiet evenings.

“You’re really doing something amazing, Elysia,” Mom said, her eyes shining. “I’m so happy you’re keeping yourself pure. It makes me proud.”

Liana snickered. “Mom, it’s not about that. Being a virgin doesn’t make her a nun.”

“I know that,” Mom laughed. “But it matters in a way. She is taking a good step, and I am glad. That is all.”

Their words wrapped around me like a warm blanket, but beneath it, I could feel the familiar pang of doubt.

Would they have looked at me this way if I hadn’t chosen the convent?

Would they ever notice me just for being… me, rather than for fulfilling the life they had always dreamed of for me?

Liana rolled her eyes at Mom, then glanced at me. “When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning,” I answered.

“Finally,” Liana muttered. “Don’t get lost in those holy walls, okay?”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “You’re impossible.”

“Elysia, you’ve always been different from the rest,” she said suddenly, her voice full of pride. “I hope you keep your heart strong. Promise me that.”

“I promise,” I murmured, though I already felt it breaking a little.

The pride I had hoped for in my parents’ eyes was there today, but I knew it had always been reserved for Liana first.

And yet, tonight, I could feel a glimmer of recognition for me—small, but real.

Liana nudged me with her shoulder. “See? Even Mom’s worried you’ll cry without her nagging.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” I said, forcing a smile.

***

The next day, I left the house for my new home, the convent.

The mother superior greeted me warmly. “Elysia, tomorrow you will take your vows,” she said. Her voice was soft but firm. I nodded, unsure whether I felt excited or scared.

I had been there for almost two and a half months, and honestly, it had been better than I thought. It was quiet and peaceful, and it felt like a place where I truly belonged.

I pulled out my phone and called the one person who made everything else feel normal.

“Hey, Ethan,” I said.

“Hey, Elysia,” he replied. His voice was calm and comforting.

“How are you?” I asked.

He sighed. “I’m fine. I just… missed my best friend. What about you?”

“Nothing much,” I said. “I met the mother superior. She said I’ll take my vows tomorrow. How are you doing?”

“Good,” he said. “I haven’t seen you since prom night. I’m glad you’re finally doing this. You deserve it.”

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. My parents had no idea I even had a male best friend. If they knew, they would never let him near me.

“Are you back from your trip?” I asked.

“Yeah. I’m in town,” he said.

“I want us to meet before I head back,” he added. “Maybe spend a few hours.”

“That would be nice,” I replied.

I hung up and stared at the ceiling. My mind drifted back to prom night, a memory that felt as close as if it had happened yesterday.

The room was bright with twinkling lights, and soft music floated through the air.

The smell of perfume, cologne, and polished floors mixed together, and the laughter and chatter of students filled every corner.

I felt out of place among all the noise and excitement, but at the same time, I felt alive.

Ethan was leaning against the wall when he saw me. He smiled that easy, careless smile of his, the one that always made me feel calm even when my heart raced. He walked toward me, his eyes lighting up as he reached me.

“You look so beautiful tonight, Elysia,” he said.

His voice was calm and confident, and I could feel the sincerity in it. My stomach tightened, and warmth spread across my cheeks.

I wanted to tell him how I felt. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I could not find the courage.

Best friends did not say things like that, not to each other.

Not in my world.

We danced together, laughing at our clumsy steps. He spun me once, and I nearly stumbled, but he caught my hand and would not let go.

For those few moments, it felt like the whole world had disappeared, and there was only him and me. I thought maybe this was the night everything would change.

Maybe he felt something too.

Then he stopped dancing, and his eyes shifted away from me. He was looking toward the other side of the room, and my heart sank.

“Ava is here,” he murmured, almost to himself.

I turned my head and saw her in the middle of the crowd. She moved confidently, her laughter loud and careless, and every eye seemed drawn to her. She wore a glittering dress that caught the lights with every turn. She was everything I was not.

Ethan let out a quiet sigh, his eyes following her every move. “She’s so beautiful,” he said softly.

My chest tightened, and I felt the color drain from my face.

He ran a hand through his hair, still staring. “I don’t know… something about her just… grabs me,” he said, his voice hesitant.

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Oh,” I whispered, my throat dry.

He leaned closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. “Elysia, do you think I should tell her? Do you think she would even notice me? Or would she reject me?”

Every word felt like a knife in my chest. My hands started to shake, and my stomach twisted painfully.

He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just… I don’t want her to say no. That would be awful. I would be so embarrassed.”

I looked at him, at the way his gaze never left her, at the way he seemed to hold his breath when she laughed. My throat burned, and I felt hollow inside.

He kept talking. “Sometimes I think she notices me. Sometimes I think she doesn’t even know I exist. But… wow… she just… she pulls me in.”

I nodded even though my heart ached. “If you like her… you can tell her,” I said softly.

He smiled at me like I had given him the courage he needed. “You think so?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah. Maybe she’ll say yes.”

Inside, everything hurt. My hands felt cold, and my eyes stung. I blinked fast, trying to hide the tears threatening to fall.

He looked at Ava one more time and then turned back to me. “You’re the best, Elysia. You always know what to say,” he said as he pulled me into a tight hug.

I tried to laugh, but it sounded weak. “Do I?”

“You do,” he said. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

That sentence hurt more than anything he had said that night because I wanted more. I wanted him to see me the way I saw him. But he never would.

We danced again, me smiling when he looked at me, but inside, my chest felt hollow. I wanted to disappear. I wanted to run from that room and cry until the pain left me.

When the night ended, he hugged me long and tight. I held onto him, pretending it was enough, but all I could think was that he would never be mine.

Now, lying in my convent room, that memory wrapped around me like a cold, heavy blanket.

Ava.

The girl who always made me feel small. The girl who laughed at my clothes. The girl who pushed me aside in hallways as if I were invisible. And Ethan… he liked her.

Not me. Never me.

I had hated Ava before, but now I hated her more. I hated myself for feeling jealous.

I hated Ethan for not noticing me the way I wanted. I hated that my heart still ached for him even when he made it clear I could never be enough.

I pressed my palms to my eyes and tried to push the memory away. I knew I could not change the past, and I knew he would never see me the way I wanted him to.

But a part of me… a stubborn, foolish part, refused to let go.

And I knew, deep down, that the hardest part was not just losing him—it was that no matter what I did, he would always have a place in my heart.