Camila's pov

My heart sank as the phone pressed against my ear echoed its message of sorrow: my father was dead.

Dead. Gone. Forever. At first, I didn't quite grasp what they were telling me, but then reality struck as my legs became weak and my world spun around me. How was this possible, and where had he gone?

My world shifted into disarray as soon as my father, the one person who always found ways to keep us safe from harm, had been taken from me. Now his absence left me alone to clean up an incomprehensible mess.

Debt, threats, and the mafia were the three factors for their downfall.

I felt my world unravel around me as Emiliano lay soundly asleep in the other room, unaware of what lay ahead. I wanted to keep everything under control so he wouldn't have to deal with his illness again. Now, presently, it seemed everything was crumbling apart around him.

I needed help, but the only ones who could provide it were the ones who caused the chaos.

I quickly grabbed my phone again, my hands shaking as I dialed a number I knew I should call but didn't want to the mafia.

"Camila," Luis Vega replied coldly on the other end, having known me since childhood and serving El Diablo's interests as one of his right-hand men. I never imagined I'd find myself speaking directly with him until today.

"Luis," I stammered. "I... I don't know what to do. My father died recently, and his debts are too great."

"Camila," he replied in his soothing, almost too soothing tone, "you should've known this day would come. Your father's actions had consequences now it is up to you to deal with their aftermath.

I could hear the faintest trace of a smile in his voice, and I immediately cringed.

"What would you like from me?" I inquired, fully knowing the answer would come back quickly.

Luis took a deep breath before speaking again, the silence thick with weighty emotion between us. "Your father did everything possible for us; now it is up to you and the rest of the family to follow in his footsteps and repay all debts and cover any medical bills for your brother while also managing any remaining funds so everything runs smoothly just as he would have."

I was terrified, knowing that the only way to save my brother was to join the mafia, even if it meant selling myself into slavery.

"What do I have to do now?" I closed my eyes for a brief moment in an attempt to ease my breathing. "Which direction should I take?"

Luis' voice lowered and became more serious. "To begin with, you will assist with a simple task, nothing too complex before we discuss further steps together. However, Camila..." His tone became dark as he continued. "If you wish to leave this relationship, however, the price must be paid it won't just vanish by simply walking away."

"And if I don't?" my throat dried out quickly.

He laughed softly but it wasn't the sort that put your mind at ease. "That will only make his life harder than it already is - something neither you nor I wish for!" he warned.

I knew they were right, and I had to do what they said. My life was no longer mine.

After I hung up, silence invaded my room, and it felt like the walls were closing in. The present wasn't what I had envisioned for myself, dreams, goals, a future... Now it was all about survival.

As I entered Emiliano's room, I stared into his sleeping face breathing shallowly and body small and frail, touching his hair softly as tears threatened to spill forth.

"I promise," I promised him softly, "that whatever it takes will be done to ensure you feel better and recover quickly"

As I spoke, however, a great sense of fear swept through me, and I found myself uncertain who or what type of person had emerged through this experience.

As soon as I agreed to accept Emiliano's deal, I found myself sinking further into a world of crime that had already claimed his life. For him, anything would suffice.

Later that evening, I found myself sitting in a dimly lit office waiting for Luis. His entry was smooth and confident, with cold eyes looking directly at mine.

"So are we ready to get to work?" he inquired in a somewhat bemused tone.

I remained silent. There wasn't anything to say.

Luis didn't waste any time. He immediately laid a folder across the table for me to open, which contained details about a small-time operation of an adversarial group who had been cross-pollinating El Diablo's activities.

"You will take care of this," Luis stated, "by engaging them and emphasizing that betrayal will not be tolerated.

As I paged through the pages, my stomach began to sink with each new word I read. With each additional paragraph that passed by, I became increasingly alarmed at just how deeply into mafia politics I would soon find myself; power, control, and fear all played an essential part.

"Do I have any choice?" I asked in a barely audible voice.

"No. Not anymore." Luis was very close, his face within inches of mine.

His warm breath brushed against my skin, his presence overwhelming. For a brief moment, I couldn't turn away. Something about him both horrified me and intrigued me at once.

"I wanted to turn away, tell him no, and fight back, but it all became apparent quickly; I had no power here."

"Camila, it will be an uncharted journey. But you have courage. You'll fit right in." His lips curled into a smile. "Don't worry you have what it takes!" he assured her.

He gave off an aura of challenge, suggesting this change would alter my personality, forcing me to become like him.

I didn't realize just how accurate his advice was.

"I can do this," I promised myself as I picked up the folder, shaking hands with nervousness. "I will get the job done."

Luis was silent. "Good. And keep in mind, Camila..." His eyes darkened slightly as he spoke. "This is just the start; don't lose sight of what your goal truly is."

I nodded, swallowing hard.

As I drove away from my office, the weight of my decision became clear to me. There was no going back now that a threshold had been crossed.

"And in that instant, it became evident to me that both Emiliano's life and mine had taken an unexpectedly sinister turn.

What had I gotten myself into?

Are You Wondering, "Will This World Swallow Me Up Completely?" "Yes." "But...will it take over your entire being completely?"