The Most Explosive Series That’s Hotter Than 365 Days

Mafia Romance smash-hit, Twisted Minds, has taken the online world by storm after a series of viral posts on Tiktok. Thousands of die-hard fans are hailing the dark series as the new 365 Days, even declaring that the relationship in Twisted Minds is much darker and more sensational. Scroll down to read a free sneak-peak of Book 1, or read the full books on Galatea.

Elaina spent most of her life leading a perfectly happy and normal existence… until the day she turned 18. On her birthday, she discovers she’s the daughter of a Russian Mafia Boss, and he has big plans for her to join his family of twisted minds and mafia men.

Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes, it was already dark. Squinting, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. It was large and far too spacious. I didn’t need half of the space, but that was the least of my concerns.

I wasn’t home, and I had no idea where I was.

Sliding carefully off the bed, I stood carefully and walked to the door. Someone could be on the other side. Vadim could be on the other side.

But the door seemed like the obvious choice at this point.

I attempted to open the door, but it was locked from the outside. Even after tugging and shaking on the doorknob, it didn’t budge, so I proceeded to bang on the door furiously.

This was insane. My life was completely upside down for reasons I no longer understood.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, causing me to fall back on the floor.

I looked up to see one of the men who was at my house before I blacked out. He was still dressed in a suit, and he still wasn’t smiling.

“You need to get dressed,” he said, “you’re going to be late.”

“Get dressed for what?” I asked.

He didn’t answer, instead ushering in two women. One was carrying a large garment bag and, as I sat there, barely awake, they began to fuss over me, meticulously styling my hair and applying makeup. My long brown hair now hung down my shoulders in luscious loose curls.

After they were satisfied, they unveiled a black gown.

“Is that for me?” I asked, confused.

They both nodded silently.

“I’m not putting that on. What’s all this even for?” I demanded.

“You have no choice. These are your father’s orders,” one of them said.

The thought of being told what to do by a man who, up until last night, I hadn’t even known existed, infuriated me.

To think that somehow in this sick, twisted world he was biologically my father disgusted me more.

He didn’t have a paternal bone in his body. It was all power, but then again, that’s what Mafia is supposed to be as far as I know.

Up until now, I didn’t even know the Mafia still existed. I always thought they disappeared in the seventies or eighties.

Both of the women were older than me. Surely I could outrun them? This was my chance. I dashed towards the door, managing to swing it open. They did not run after me.

This might be easier than I expected, I thought to myself smugly right before colliding into a tall man.

“I already told you that you were late. Please don’t give us a hard time and get dressed.”

“Not until you tell me what for?” I said.

He sighed, giving up.

“Dinner with the Italian Mafia, the Acerbis,” he announced ominously.

***

I was deeply concerned about the fact the dress fit me perfectly. It wasn’t too small, nor too big. It was the perfect size.

The black fabric hugged my body and fell just above my knee, showing slight cleavage.

Black isn’t exactly the color I would have chosen for the occasion. It made me feel like I was going to a funeral—but then again, it could be my funeral.

I was about to go downstairs and have dinner with a group of maniacs who had guns attached to their hips.

There would be no comfort whatsoever in that situation, but it was something I was forced to live with until I could find a way out—and I would find a way out.

Everyone stared at me when I walked into the room. My father ushered me over sternly. Every eye in the room followed me as I made my way toward him. He was standing with another man.

“Elaina, don’t be rude. Allow me to introduce you,” Vadim scolded me, which caused me to lift my head obediently. The last thing I wanted was a slap in the face.

He motioned toward the older man with black hair, a slight gray going through it. “This is Marco Acerbi.”

“Hello,” I spoke softly, but it came out as a squeak. He had a harsh look, stern almost, and there wasn’t the slightest welcome on his face.

He didn’t even return my hello.

“Fetch us a drink from the bar,” Vadim instructed. “We have some private business to discuss.”

He referred to this Mafia stuff as a family business, as if it were something to be proud of. It was criminal, and no one was stopping them.

I felt eyes burning the back of my head. Wherever I turned, men were looking at me.

Overwhelmed, I bumped into someone.

“I’m so—” I started apologizing.

His eyes were dark brown and emotionless. He had black hair that didn’t seem the slightest bit out of place and a fair amount of stubble on his face. But what caused my heart to drop was the gun I noticed strapped to his waist, casually hanging along the side of his leg.

“Lovely, isn’t it?”

I looked up after realizing I had been staring at the gun for a while, mesmerized by its shape. “I…”

“Valentino,” he introduced himself sternly.

Before I could introduce myself, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Your father wants to see you,” a man in an all black suit said.

“He isn’t my father,” I answered without really thinking about any possible consequences.

He didn’t respond other than motioning his head for me to follow him.

As I was escorted away, I glanced back toward Valentino, but he was gone.

***

You don’t have to listen to him, is what I continued to tell myself, but that was against my better judgment. Of course I did. If these were the people Vadim said they were, I could be in great danger.

How I’d managed to get myself into this situation I had no idea, just like I had no idea how I would get myself out.

I stood from the floor and followed behind the man as he led me down the hallway. The hallway was long, slightly dark, and not a bit welcoming in my opinion.

The floors were covered with red carpet, and I’ve always recognized red carpet as a fancy or superior type of décor. But that’s just me.

The hall was covered with various doors, which made me wonder how many people lived here and where exactly ~here~ was. It seemed gigantic. No one in Ohio had a home this large.

The man stopped at a door that was fairly larger than the others and knocked. “Sir, it’s Viktor.”

I heard Vadim respond, “Come in, Viktor.”

Viktor opened the door, and Vadim sat behind a large cherry-colored desk, writing things as though he were a businessman.

This was the first time I had been alone with my father since he had kidnapped me last night. Well, apart from his guards who lined the edge of the room, guns at the ready.

“Where are we?”

“This is my compound, Elaina,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“In Ohio?”

“No,” he answered curtly. “You’re in Chicago now.”

My jaw dropped. They must have transported me across state lines when I blacked out. I shuddered at the thought of how far away home was.

He stood up from his desk and walked around it to reach the side of me. “The thing about our family business is trust, Elaina. That, and bonds.

“We need to have close relationships with as many people as possible, strong people, for our benefit.

“We’re creating ties with the Italians. It’s a fantastic opportunity and a great power move,” he continued on, but how this involved me I had no idea.

“The head of the Italian Mafia is Marco Acerbi. Do you know what Acerbi stands for, Elaina?”

I simply shook my head.

“It means harsh. They’re strong people—they live up to their surname. We need their union.” Vadim lifted my chin to look up at him before casually stating, “To get that, our families are to unite.

“Marco Acerbis’s son is next in line to become capo of the Italians.”

“Capo?” I questioned. I recalled hearing Vadim say it earlier, but I hadn’t thought much of it.

“Leader,” Vadim told me.

“What does this have to do with me?”

“Well, Elaina, you are to wed Marco’s son, Valentino.”

Chapter 3

Next week. The wedding that was forced upon me was next week, and after crying myself to sleep since I got here, it didn’t make me feel the slightest bit better.

Having only been here for three days, the plans for the wedding were altogether rushed—not because people were eager, but because they wanted this alliance sealed once and for all.

I hadn’t chosen a single thing. Every girl dreams of their wedding—the dress, the location, the music, and most importantly…the person they’re marrying.

Nothing about this wedding had been my choice, but I was following orders.

Vadim had the maids who worked for him bring several dresses to my room, and each dress I tried on I hated.

They weren’t terrible, but seeing myself in a wedding dress made it feel more real, and I wasn’t ready to face it just yet.

“I need a moment,” I told the women, and they nodded their heads, leaving me with the dresses.

I stood in front of the mirror wearing a strapless dress that was tight around the torso but fell beautifully to the floor. I sighed softly. It was gorgeous. But I shouldn’t be wearing it.

Things weren’t meant to be this way. I was supposed to fall in love and get married to the man of my dreams. I would plan the wedding with my mom, and things were supposed to be perfect.

I closed my eyes tightly, shaking my head. He could be lying. How do I know my mom is even okay?

Quickly, I stood from the bed and rushed through the hallway, knowing exactly where Vadim would be.

He always seemed to retreat into his office for business, and perhaps this was a business matter to him.

I knocked on the door furiously, tears streaming down my face. I hadn’t even realized how emotional I had become until I sniffled.

I heard Vadim speak, but I had no idea what it meant. Maybe he was angry that I had come to his office.

I stood at the door, unsure of what to do at this point, and a few seconds later, the door quickly opened. Vadim was in front of me with his gun aimed right at my forehead.

I jumped back, falling against the wall and covering my face. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Did you not hear me tell you to come in?” He raised his voice at me before lowering his gun.

“I don’t know Russian,” I stuttered before slowly removing my hands and looking at him.

He looked irritated, folding his arms over his chest as he raised an eyebrow. “What do you need, Elaina?”

Other than to go home?

“I…” I paused momentarily before looking down at the floor. “I want my mom to come to the wedding.”

If I were being forced into this mess, the least he could do was allow me to have someone I knew there.

I felt like a gun would be held at my back, and having my mom there would provide some sense of comfort.

Vadim released a low chuckle, shaking his head in response. “That isn’t how this works, my dear. Your mother had her eighteen years—that is said and done.

“Now, I have no intention of letting Fiona interfere with my business.”

“Just the wedding,” I begged.

“I’m unsure why you feel like you have a say in this. We have limited time, and my workers are waiting. Go and be assisted,” he told me before closing the office door in my face.

Of course, I didn’t have a say because the day I turned eighteen, I became a prisoner. This wasn’t a wedding for me; it was a wedding for the Russians and Italians to gain ties.

I returned to the room where the maids were waiting with more dresses, and I managed to wipe my dried tears.

“Ms. Vasiliev, ther—”

I stopped her from continuing, shaking my head. “My name is Duval. Elaina Duval.”

She seemed confused and unsure how to approach the situation but simply nodded her head. “Oh… Uh, well…Ms. Elaina, a package arrived for you.”

The maid wouldn’t even call me by my real surname. Everyone was under the spell of Vadim.

Everyone except me, but eventually, I would have to follow, or I would end up in danger. Everyone around him, such as these women, walked around with great fear in their eyes.

“A package?” I asked.

She nodded her head. “Yes. I believe it’s from Mr. Acerbi.”

Mr. Acerbi, as in Valentino. The maid passed me a small box, and all I could do was wonder what was inside.

I didn’t want whatever it was. Surely it was something bought from blood money.

“Well…thank you,” I told her, taking a second to open the box and looking at the elegant ring inside. It seemed far more expensive than anything I would ever be able to afford.

“Oh my, what a beautiful engagement ring,” the maid gushed as she looked over my shoulder.

I, however, felt sick to my stomach. This was all becoming far too real. Until three days ago, I had so much to look forward to—university, falling in love—but now, I had no idea what was to come.

I had nothing to look forward to now. Nothing else for the rest of my life with the stranger I was promised to.

***

I walked down the stairs of the large home. For the size of it, it seemed to be fairly empty. The home only had maids and Vadim, along with a few of his men.

In the few days that I’d been here I’d already noticed that every man carried a gun, but I hadn’t seen them use them, and I never wanted to.

I’d only heard about these types of things in books or movies.

My eyes focused on the doorknob. It wasn’t like a door in a regular home, and I couldn’t leave. In order to get out, a key was needed to unlock it from the inside.

I’d also learned that all the windows were locked securely.

“Already looking for an escape?” I heard a light chuckle from behind me, but it was an unfamiliar voice, not Russian.

I turned to see Valentino standing with his hands in the pockets of his suit, staring at me with the same dark stare he had three nights before. It was intimidating to say the least.

I had no idea why he was here nor the personality of the man I was forced to wed in a few days.

His eyes looked at my left hand as he arched a thick, dark brow. “Did you receive your ring?”

“I… Well, yeah. I did.” I nodded my head slowly, holding onto my fingers and looking anywhere but at his eyes. “It didn’t quite fit.”

That was a lie. I didn’t put it on because I wasn’t ready to put on a ring for a stranger. I wasn’t ready to commit myself to a man in the crime world.

As soon as I put that ring on my finger, I would be accepting all of this, and I was far from accepting.

“You’re a size six,” he said, not as a question. He didn’t ask me; he stated it as a known fact. He knew the size of my ring, and he knew that the ring he had given me would fit.

He knew that I was lying to him.

As he stepped forward, he came closer to me. “I don’t appreciate lying, Elaina. And once you become my wife, I certainly won’t tolerate it either.

“Perhaps you should get used to telling the truth now, so you won’t have to deal with the repercussions later, yes?”

All I could do was nod my head. He was pure evil, talking to me as if I was some obedient dog and not a human being.

What would the repercussions be if I didn’t listen to Valentino anyway? Though I was curious, I never wanted to find out.

“How old are you?” I asked him suddenly.

He seemed young, but not childlike. He was a man in all aspects of the word.

“Twenty-four,” he told me, but he didn’t ask me a question in return.

“Aren’t you going to ask how old I am?” I questioned.

“You’re eighteen,” he responded. “You just turned eighteen a few days ago. I don’t need to ask you anything because I know everything about you, Elaina Vasiliev.

“Your mother is Fiona Duval. You grew up in Ohio as Elaina Duval. Your best friend is Kira Gures, and you worked at Duval’s Cakes.

“Your ring finger is size six, shoes are size seven, and blood type is A positive.”

I was nauseous. He seemed to know everything about me, even the most assured and pointless things, all the way up to important things such as my blood type. My fucking blood type!

How does he even know those things?

I had no freedom or personal space whatsoever, and being a part of this place, being related to Vadim Vasiliev, had put everyone I loved in danger.

Valentino was someone who seemed to have an extremely dark personality, and knowing he was the one I was forced to marry terrified me.

I doubted life with him would be anything but a fairy tale.

I heard a ringtone, and as Valentino looked at his phone, his brow furrowed momentarily before he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

His attention turned back to me, and his voice stayed at the same rough tone as it was before. “The next time I see you, I expect the ring to be on your finger.”

Valentino turned his back to me and left the room. I assumed he was here to meet with Vadim about something.

I waited for him to leave the room before making my way into the currently empty family room. My eyes took in the area, hoping to find something that would get me out of here, but I fell short.

There were no landlines. Everyone seemed to use cellphones here.

I was completely trapped.

***

The same night, as I sat on my bed, I looked at the ring Valentino had sent over and insisted I wear.

An engagement ring for this forced engagement, for a sickening type of marriage that I didn’t want, and I wasn’t even sure he wanted.

The ring was stunning, but it represented all types of wrong. Anytime I looked at my finger, I would be reminded of the life I was now forced to live and the life that was taken from me.

I took the ring out of the box and observed the stunning diamonds. The last time I looked at the ring, I hadn’t even bothered to take it out of the box.

Sliding it carefully onto my ring finger, I closed my eyes and sighed softly. He was right: the ring fit me like a glove.

Then again, of course he was right. The man knew everything about me, and I knew nothing about him.

I opened my eyes to look at the ring shining on my finger. It was the beginning of the end, and before I knew it, there would be a wedding ring on there as well.

Just then, I noticed a small slip of paper tucked into the box. There was a note written eloquently in black ink.

See you tomorrow. -Valentino