Mafia Boss: Please Don't Let Me Go

Synopsis

The notification on my phone screen felt like a slap across the face. "Insufficient funds for tuition payment." I stared at the message, my fingers trembling as I refreshed my banking app again and again. The student loan money that should have been there—my lifeline, my only hope of staying in college—was gone. Every last cent. My stomach dropped as the reality hit me. There was only one person who had access to that account. The walk home felt endless, each step heavier than the last. The December wind cut through my thin jacket, but the cold gnawing at my bones had nothing to do with the weather. By the time I reached our run-down apartment, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely turn the key. The smell hit me first—stale beer and cigarettes, mixed with something sour and rotten. Dad was sprawled on the couch, an empty bottle dangling from his fingers, his bloodshot eyes fixed on a poker game playing on his phone. "Dad." My voice came out smaller than I intended. "We need to talk." He didn't look up. "Not now, Angie. I'm busy." "My student loan money is gone." The words tumbled out in a rush. "All of it. The entire semester's payment just... disappeared from my account." That got his attention. His head snapped up, and I saw something flicker across his face—guilt, maybe, or fear. But it was quickly replaced by that familiar sneer I'd learned to dread. "You accusing me of something?" "I'm not accusing. I'm asking." I tried to keep my voice steady. "You're the only other person with access