Twisted Minds

Are you happy? It’s a simple question, but it digs deep. I used to believe I was, living my small-town life in Ohio, just me and my mom against the world. But happiness, I’ve come to understand, is a delicate thing. It can shatter in a heartbeat, like a fragile glass hitting a hard floor.

Growing up without a dad wasn’t out of the ordinary. Lots of kids turn out just fine with one parent. And my mom, she’s a powerhouse. As the owner of Duval’s Cakes, she’s the kind of woman who can create a whirlwind of flour and sugar and turn it into something magical. I spent my summer after high school graduation helping her out, learning the trade, and finding comfort in the rhythm of our little shop.

Today was supposed to be special. My eighteenth birthday. The big one-eight. The day I officially became an adult. But I hadn’t given it much thought, too wrapped up in the everyday tasks of icing cakes and serving customers. That is until the lights in the shop flickered and died, plunging my world into darkness.

“Mom?” My voice wavered, a blend of confusion and a tiny spike of fear. The backroom door creaked, and there they were, my mom and Kira, my ride-or-die best friend, their faces glowing in the soft candlelight. They sang “Happy Birthday,” and I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension melting away.

“Make a wish, Elaina,” Kira urged, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I closed my eyes, the flickering candles casting dancing shadows behind my lids. I didn’t need to wish for anything. I had everything I wanted right here. My mom, Kira, the shop. I blew out the candles, and when I opened my eyes, I was met with their smiling faces.

“Shall we cut the cake?” I suggested, eager to taste the sweetness my mom had crafted just for me.

Kira’s next words sent a jolt of excitement through me. “I’m trying to get us tickets to that Pitbull concert in New York,” she said, her face a mix of hope and disappointment.

My heart raced at the thought, but my mom’s voice cut through the excitement like a knife. “No. You’re not leaving Ohio, Elaina.”

I stared at her, stunned. “What? Mom, I’m eighteen now. I can make my own decisions.”

Her eyes met mine, and there was something there I couldn’t quite place. Fear? Desperation? “I’m telling you, you’re not leaving this state. Ever.”

The words hung heavy in the air, a sentence I couldn’t escape. I had dreams, plans to leave Ohio, to explore and live. But my mom’s declaration felt like chains wrapping around my ankles, dragging me down.

Kira slipped away, sensing the tension, leaving me to face my mom alone. “Why, Mom? Why can’t I go?”

She wouldn’t look at me, her gaze fixed on some distant point. “It’s for your own good, Elaina. Trust me.”

But how could I trust her when she was clipping my wings, keeping me caged in this small town? I needed answers, and I needed them now.

The next day, I sat on my bed, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and anger. My mom had always been protective, but this was different. This was suffocating. I had to confront her, to break free from whatever was holding her back from letting me live my life.

I found her in the foyer, her back to me, her posture rigid. “Mom? I’m going to Kira’s party tonight. We need to talk about—”

My words died in my throat as I saw the three men standing with her. Strangers in our home, their presence setting off alarm bells in my head. My mom turned, her face pale, her eyes wide with something that looked a lot like fear.

“Elaina, go upstairs,” she said, her voice trembling.

But the man who seemed to be in charge, with his thick accent and cold eyes, stopped me. “No, let her stay. She should hear this.”

Hear what? My heart pounded in my chest as he stepped closer, my mom moving to block him. “Vadim...” she warned, but he brushed her aside.

“You have no idea, do you, Elaina?” His smile was predatory, and I instinctively stepped back. “I’m your father.”

The room spun, and I searched my mom’s face for some sign that this was a lie. But there was only resignation, a silent confirmation of my worst fears.

“Mom! He’s lying...” But the words were hollow, even to my own ears.

Vadim’s laugh was dark, amused. “Let’s catch up, my dear.”

I wanted to scream, to run, but his grip on my wrist was ironclad. “Get out of my house!” I shouted, but he only tightened his hold.

“Why are you here?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

His answer sent chills down my spine. “Your mother knew I was coming. This was always the plan. You’re mine now.”

Mine? The word echoed in my head, a claim I couldn’t accept. But as Vadim spoke in Russian, his men moved in, and I realized this was no joke. This was my life unraveling before my eyes.

“I don’t want to go,” I said, struggling against the man’s grip. “I reject your offer.”

But my words were nothing against Vadim’s will. “You need to listen to him,” my mom said, her voice breaking.

Betrayal, sharp and bitter, filled my mouth. She had known, all along, that this day would come. And she had said nothing.

Vadim’s grin sends a chill down my spine as he leans in close. “You don’t even know who you’re dealing with, do you?”

I stare him down, my defiance the only shield I have. “You’re not my dad,” I snap back.

His hand clamps down on my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “I am Vadim Vasiliev, the head of the Russian Mafia. And you, Elaina, are my only child.”

Everything goes black, not from shock or fear, but from the sharp sting of a needle in my side. As I slip into unconsciousness, I realize my life as I knew it is over. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

The needle’s sting is sharp, a cruel end to Vadim’s announcement. My body feels heavy, my thoughts are a jumbled mess as the drug takes over. I try to fight it, to stay awake, but it’s like trying to stop a tidal wave with my bare hands.

My mom’s face appears, her features twisted in pain. “Elaina, please forgive me,” she cries, reaching out as if to touch me, but Vadim’s man holds her back. Her apology is a whisper lost in the growing darkness.

I want to yell, to scream at her for her betrayal, but my voice is a mere breath, a futile sound in the vast silence that’s swallowing me whole. Vadim’s face hovers above mine, his eyes cold and calculating. “Welcome to your new life, Elaina,” he says, and then everything goes black.

When I wake up, I’m in a different world. The softness of a plush seat beneath me, the hum of an engine—it takes a moment for my brain to catch up. I’m in a car, a fancy one, and outside the window, the world is a blur of lights and shadows.

Vadim sits across from me, watching with an unreadable expression. “Where are we going?” My voice is hoarse, the words tasting of fear and confusion.

“To your new home,” he replies smoothly. “You have much to learn, Elaina. About who you are, about your heritage.”

I don’t want any of it. I want my old life, my mom, the cake shop. But as the city’s skyline comes into view, I know there’s no going back. Vadim has plans for me, and he’s not the kind of man you say no to.

The car slows, pulling up to a towering building that screams power and wealth. Vadim’s men escort me inside, through marble halls and up to a penthouse that’s more a palace than an apartment. “This is yours,” Vadim says, gesturing to the opulence around us.

I feel like a doll in a dollhouse, everything perfectly arranged for a life I didn’t choose. “Why are you doing this?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Vadim’s gaze is sharp, his voice a low rumble. “Because you are my daughter, Elaina. And it’s time you took your place by my side.”

I shiver, not from the cold, but from the realization that this man, this stranger, holds my fate in his hands. And as night falls over the city, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m a pawn in a game I don’t understand, a game that’s only just beginning.

The night is long, filled with restless sleep and dreams of shadows. When morning comes, it brings no comfort, only the heavy weight of reality. I’m alone in a gilded cage, the daughter of a man who’s a monster in a suit.

Vadim’s words echo in my mind, a mantra of a future I can’t escape. “You’re mine now.” And as I look out over the city, a city that’s now my prison, I know that my fight is only just beginning.

But what can I do against the Russian Mafia? Against Vadim Vasiliev? Fear twists in my gut, but beneath it, a spark of defiance flickers to life. I might be his daughter, but I’m not his possession. I’ll find a way out of this, somehow.

And as the sun rises higher, casting golden light across the city, I make a vow. Vadim might think he owns me, but I’ll prove him wrong. I’ll reclaim my life, even if it’s the last thing I do.

The door to the penthouse opens, and Vadim walks in, a smile on his lips that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Good morning, Elaina. Are you ready to begin?”

I meet his gaze, my own eyes hard with determination. “I’m ready for anything.”

But as Vadim’s smile widens, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve just stepped into a battle I’m not ready for. And as he lays out his plans for me, plans that involve power, danger, and a world I never knew existed, I realize that my journey is about to take a dark turn.