In the mafia, the primary role of marriage is to forge new alliances and ensure stability within the criminal underworld. Some women may be fortunate enough to experience true love, but that's not usually the case.

"What am I going to do with this child?" Joseph Castellano asked his counselor and personal secretary, Alessandro Conti.

"Joseph, we know the girl is your daughter. The DNA test has proven it, and unfortunately, her mother died in childbirth leaving her completely alone in the world."

"I can't just show up at my house out of the blue with a newborn baby, Alessandro! How am I supposed to explain this to Stella?" Joseph said nervously, running his hands through his hair.

"Well, it's not like you have to give any explanations. Stella knows you see other women. A child is a risk you take when you have unprotected sex." Alessandro faced Joseph with determination. He knew he was being bold with his boss, but he had to confront the reality.

"I don't usually have sex without a condom, but..." Joseph regretted the occurrence too late.

JOSEPH CASTELLANO

When Galinda arrived at the upscale brothel Red, frequented by many important men from New York, Joseph was completely enchanted by her beauty. There was even an auction, in which only the most prominent American mafia bosses could participate, to determine who would be the first man to sleep with her, and he paid a high price for that privilege. She had shiny long blond hair, the body of a goddess, and eyes of a deep, expressive blue, one of her most notable features.

At that time, Joseph was already married to Olivia and had a two-year-old daughter, Stella. Their wedding had been a mere alliance that bolstered Joseph's illicit business dealings. Initially, Olivia thought she might have a happy marriage with her husband, but soon the infidelities began, and she was forced to endure them.

To those outside the situation or unaware of the reality of a mafia marriage, it was very easy to judge. "She should ask for a divorce" or "I would never accept this." However, like every woman born into powerful mafia families, Olivia was raised to withstand such circumstances, and thus life went on. Joseph wasn't a violent husband, unlike many she knew, and she was treated like a true queen. Nothing was lacking for her or her daughter Stella.

"Whose child is this?" Olivia questioned as soon as her husband arrived home, accompanied by a nanny and a small baby girl in his arms, with pale skin, huge blue eyes, and thin blond hair.

"Her name is Angelina. From today on, she will live in this house and be treated as 'our' daughter." Joseph responded tersely, emphasizing the word "our," and moved away from Olivia toward the dining room.

The disappointment in her eyes was clear, reflecting a mix of sadness, disillusionment, and a hint of resignation. Olivia understood very well what was happening, and the only innocent in that environment was the child.

"Where is her mother, Joseph?" Olivia persisted. She wouldn't let Joseph get away from the situation without any explanation. The father, she knew for a fact, was him, but what about the girl's mother? What kind of person was she to abandon such a small child to a man like Joseph?

"She died in childbirth. The child has no one else, and I brought her here to be raised by us." Joseph sat at the table, waiting for dinner to be served, and didn't look at Olivia again, considering the conversation over.

OLIVIA CASTELLANO

The baby girl smiled at Olivia, who, despite being hurt and offended by the whole situation, fell in love with the girl at that moment. From that day on, Angelina Castellano became the daughter of Joseph and Olivia. Only the household knew the truth about the young girl, that she was the daughter of a prostitute, who died giving birth.

Obviously, such a secret was not so simple to keep hidden. No one had ever seen Olivia pregnant with Angelina, and people gossiped behind her back that the girl didn't resemble anyone in the household. Both Joseph and Olivia were white with dark hair and brown eyes. The child's coloring was completely different, and it drew everyone's attention.

Aware of all this, throughout Angelina's childhood, Olivia explained to her that there were children who were born from their mother's belly and others who were born from the heart.

"Is that why I don't look like you, mommy?" Angelina asked with curious little eyes. The girl was now six years old, and the difference in the color of her hair and eyes was beginning to be noticed by her and other children at school.

"Yes. You and Stella are my daughters even though you were born differently. I love you both equally." Olivia spoke tenderly. Both children were all she had in life, and she devoted her love to them. "When a baby is born from his mommy's belly, he tends to look more physically like her. You were born from my heart and are exactly what I wished for."

"Did you want a little girl with yellow hair?" Angelina asked in her childlike voice.

"And blue eyes," Olivia added with a smile. "And God sent me you, looking like such a beautiful doll."

Listening to all this silently was Stella. The girl had always been raised and treated the same as Angelina but harbored a deep jealousy of her sister. Whenever she got the chance, she would pick on Angelina, who, even two years younger, would fight back.

"I'd rather look like daddy's and mommy's real daughter than be a doll." Stella taunted, glaring at Angelina with anger and spite.

"I like being a doll and mommy loves me. So, I'm happy. Better than looking like a witch!" Angelina exclaimed, referring to the color of Stella's hair, which was almost black.

Hearing this, Stella lifted her hand to hit Angelina, but quickly the nanny Mary stopped her. Despite not liking Angelina, she couldn't allow Stella to hit her in front of Olivia. Mary knew the whole story of where Angelina came from and harbored a hatred toward the girl that not even the most offended in the story, Olivia, felt. Whenever she could, Mary encouraged Stella against Angelina without the mother knowing.

Thus, both girls grew up extremely spoiled by their parents and with a certain rivalry between them, always fueled by the nanny Mary.

At eighteen, Angelina was the center of attention for her stunning beauty. With a striking and distinctive appearance, standing tall at about 5 feet 7 inches, her presence was graceful and ensured she always stood out. Blessed with the same long, wavy blonde hair as her biological mother, Galinda, she resembled an angel, captivating everyone around her. She possessed the power to beguile even a priest with her allure, much like her mother had. Her sparkling blue eyes could leave anyone unsettled when she locked gaze with intensity.

Her harmonious face featured fine and delicate traits. Angelina had slightly pronounced cheekbones and full, reddish lips. Her skin could be described as fair and radiant, adding an extra touch to her beauty. Slender and athletic, she enjoyed sports. Her lithe figure boasted soft, toned curves. Overall, her appearance was not just beautiful, she was considered sophisticated, elegant, and captivating.

ANGELINA CASTELLANO

Nevertheless, her exquisite features paled compared to her personality. Angelina had grown up spoiled and pampered by Olivia and Joseph. The former, having instantly fallen in love with the beautiful baby that Angelina was, fulfilled the girl's every wish so that nobody could say she favored any of her daughters. Joseph, noticing the girl shared her mother's beauty, foresaw a financially advantageous marriage for her.

With Stella being two years Angelina's senior, Joseph was focused on settling Stella's marriage first and then proceeding with his younger daughter's. By the time Angelina turned 15, a Miami mafia boss had shown interest in her, but aiming to increase his daughter's value, Joseph declined his proposal, claiming that the older sister was to marry first.

In truth, Joseph had bigger dreams. He knew Angelina would grow even more beautiful and could attract the attention of men far more powerful than the Miami capo.

"Are all these pieces from the new collection?" Angelina inquired, twisting her mouth to one side as she eyed the Dior dresses displayed before the launch show, for her eyes only.

Dior, located in Midtown Manhattan, was a renowned and iconic French fashion label that epitomized elegance, sophistication, and luxury. Only the exceedingly wealthy could shop there, a place symbolizing timeless enchantment and refined beauty.

"Yes, Miss Angelina, and you are our first client to see all these pieces," the saleswoman responded eagerly, knowing Angelina was a major patron of the brand and her commission was always hefty when she shopped.

"Oh my God!" Exclaimed Tiffany Heard, Angelina's friend. "Look at this dress. You're going to look gorgeous in it."

"Hmm... I'm not sure I like this style," Angelina mused, examining the extremely short black dress. "I have long legs and I'm afraid it might look vulgar."

"You? Vulgar? Never," interjected the store's saleswoman, flattering Angelina.

Some passersby, while strolling down the sidewalk, stopped in front of the store's window, which had been closed just for Angelina, to look inside, suspecting a celebrity might be present.

"Why don't you try this one, Angel?" Tiffany suggested eagerly, looking forward to seeing her friend in that new release. "It's the most beautiful dress I've seen and you'll be perfect in it."

"If you like it so much, you try it on. It'll be my treat," Angelina said, amused when Tiffany's mouth fell open upon hearing that. Nevertheless, such a gesture was not surprising, as Angelina was incredibly kind and generous with those close to her.

"No, Angel," Tiffany responded, feeling embarrassed. "I can't accept it, and the store made this exception for you, not for me."

"Spare me," Angelina retorted, rolling her eyes. "Go try on the dress before I lose my patience."

Two hours later, not only had Angelina purchased the dress Tiffany liked as a gift for her friend, but she also bought a portion of the new collection from the store, spending almost 500 thousand dollars that afternoon alone. Later, they headed to a trendy Manhattan restaurant to meet some friends for dinner.

This was Angelina's current life. With high school over, her father had not allowed her to attend a university, as it was uncommon in mafia circles for women to complete higher education. Angelina had achieved good grades in school and was outraged by this, even though she expected it to be so. Accustomed to being coddled all her life, she had difficulty accepting her father's dictates, but still harbored some hope for university.

However, as the money came from Joseph, and neither her mother nor Stella had attended university, Angelina felt the struggle was not worth it. Thus, her life was now reduced to shopping, gym, aesthetic treatments, dinners, and glamorous parties.

"I can't get home too late today," Angelina mentioned while deciding what to have for dinner.

"But you've already told them you wouldn't be dining with your family," Tiffany responded, having already chosen her meal.

"Father is having some friends over for dinner tonight and luck has it, he didn't insist on my presence, but he asked that I return in time to greet the guests," Angelina explained.

Typically, her father requested her presence at the most important and chic events. He always liked to show off his most beautiful daughter when possible.

"The witch Stella will surely be there. She always wants to be the saint, the perfect daughter," Tiffany joked.

"Don't speak of her that way, Tiffany," Angelina reproached, visibly upset. Indeed, her sister was a witch, and she herself often referred to her as such, but disliked hearing it from others, even from her best friend. "I think it's extremely hard for Stella always trying to please father in everything."

"Angel, come on. She makes your life hell whenever she can. I can't believe you can feel sorry for her," Tiffany looked incredulously at her friend.

"I don't feel sorry, but Tiffany is about to turn 21, and I think father is already settling her marriage," said Angelina with a hint of worry.

"Nonsense... that's nothing new. Stella knows what's in store for her. I hope your father marries her off to some old and ugly man," Tiffany said, laughing.

Tiffany was right, it wasn't surprising for the daughters of powerful mobsters. An arranged marriage was a certainty in their lives. They just hoped not to be forced to marry men much older than them, widowers on their second or third marriage.

It was around nine o'clock at night when Angelina arrived at the sophisticated penthouse near Central Park, where she lived with her parents. To avoid drawing too much attention, she asked her driver to bring all the shopping bags up through the service elevator and tried to enter her home discreetly.

Her father was in the living room with some men, along with her mother and Stella. As soon as Joseph noticed the front door being opened, he saw Angelina and did not let her entrance go unnoticed.

"Angelina, my darling," called Joseph cheerfully. "Come here and greet some of your father's friends."

Taking a deep breath, feeling like a twelve-year-old girl, Angelina approached the living room and took a general look. There were three men, completely unknown to her. One of them appeared to be Joseph's age and the other two were much younger.

"Good evening," Angelina smiled, facing the guests and then approached Olivia to give a kiss to her mother. "Hello, Mom."

"Hi sweetie," Olivia responded, running her hand through Angelina's hair in a tender gesture.

"Joseph! Why didn't this jewel join us for our dinner?" asked the older man, Mario Gotti, prompting Stella to scowl. "I have two sons," he joked with a laugh.

"Angelina had prior engagements, Mario, and she just turned eighteen. I'm not planning on arranging her marriage just yet," Joseph replied, cutting off his friend's suggestion to Angelina's relief, who for a moment tensed at the subject.

"But nothing stops us from introducing her to my boy who's still single," Mario turned toward Angelina. "This is my son, Romeo." He spoke, gesturing toward Romeo who stood up to give Angelina kisses on the cheek.

Romeo was a handsome man, with facial features that were harmonious and pleasing to look at. He had a naturally attractive appearance but didn't exhibit any particular or distinct traits that would stand out in a crowded setting.

"How are you, Angelina?" Romeo inquired kindly, admiring her from head to toe, lingering for a moment at her chest without bothering to be discreet.

"I'm fine, thank you," Angelina responded and didn't return the question, as she disliked the way the young man was ogling her.

"Pietro is my eldest son," Mario interjected, disrupting the uncomfortable exchange of glances between Angelina and Romeo. "We have arranged his marriage with your sister."

"Congratulations." Angelina looked at Stella, not knowing what else to say. She was unsure how her sister felt about the arranged marriage. She would later talk with her and her mother in private. "I'm going to retire. I need a shower. It was quite a tiring day."

"Of course, sweetheart," Olivia spoke to prevent anyone else from asking Angelina to stay with them longer. "Good night."

Angelina and Stella's relationship was quite complicated. At twenty, she wasn't as beautiful as Angelina and always harbored an absurd envy of her sister. Physically very similar to their parents, Stella had black hair and brown eyes, a very common coloring compared to Angelina. Unlike her younger sister, Stella was extremely well-behaved and did everything to be the favorite in her parents' eyes. Whenever she could, she created gossip and malicious comments against her younger sister. All the young men only had eyes for Angelina, making Stella sick with jealousy.

STELLA CASTELLANO

Until then, at that moment, at dinner, she couldn't help but notice the three men's glances toward Angelina, who did everything to avoid attention and leave the environment as quickly as possible.

"Angelina was adopted by our father when she was just a baby," Stella felt compelled to comment, spewing her venom as soon as her sister withdrew. "That must be the reason why Dad didn't insist on her attending the dinner." This was nothing more than an attempt to diminish her sister's shine.

"What a ridiculous comment, daughter," Joseph spoke in a pleasant tone, but his eyes glared at Stella with intensity. "Angelina bears my last name just as you do. I didn't see the need for her to attend this dinner, for it was simply for you and Pietro to get acquainted," Joseph concluded with a smile, to keep the atmosphere from turning unpleasant, but he didn't like when Stella mentioned Angelina's origins, because it might devalue the younger daughter when it came time to arrange her marriage.

"And that's what matters," Olivia added. "Angelina is a Castellano as much as any one of us."

At that moment, the three guests remained silent and didn't express an opinion on the matter, as the physical differences between Angelina and the rest of the family were evident. However, as soon as they left Joseph's penthouse, Pietro and Romeo returned to discuss the Castellano sisters.

"Brother, it looks like you're stuck with the ugly sister," Romeo teased. "Indeed, the rumors about the younger sister's beauty were true. She's as gorgeous in person as she is online. I was excited just looking into those blue eyes and that angelic face of hers."

"I had seen pictures of Angelina on social media, but nowadays everything is so fake and edited I thought all that beauty could only exist virtually," Pietro responded thoughtfully. Obviously, he would prefer to marry the more beautiful sister, but that was not the agreement reached, and either of the Castellanos would suffice to strengthen the alliance between their families.

"Of course, Joseph aims for a highly lucrative marriage for his younger daughter," Mario interjected, cutting off his sons' conversation. "The young woman is incredibly beautiful, but there are many rumors surrounding her that could jeopardize that."

"What do you mean?" Romeo asked curiously.

"I did my research on the young ladies before this dinner," Mario explained. "Angelina, besides being rebellious and spoiled, had a reputation as a flirt in school and the rumors say her father can't guarantee her virginity."

"Then the angel is unfit for marriage," Romeo stated with interest, licking his lips. "We can both enjoy the blonde and then dispose of her, brother."

"Don't be reckless and touch the girl!" Mario exclaimed irritably in response to that comment. "We must maintain good relations with Joseph, and feeding these rumors about his youngest daughter won't aid that."

"Father speaks the truth," Pietro agreed. "But nothing prevents me from having some fun with Angelina after marrying Stella, you too, of course."

The brothers smiled at each other, and Romeo already imagined Angelina undressed beneath him.