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When Elena Gustaw, the strong-willed daughter of a mafia boss, is forced into an arranged marriage with the ruthless Luca Moretti to forge an alliance, she finds herself in a mix of secrets and danger. As they navigate their tumultuous relationship and uncover hidden threats, they must decide if they can trust each other enough to survive and possibly find love amid the chaos.
Antonio Gustaw's POV
I sat behind my desk, the weight of the family name heavy on my shoulders. The low hum of voices outside my study room, the distant clink of glasses, the sharp laughter coming from my men were the only sounds surrounding me and filling the silence I felt.
I knew this moment would come but I'd prayed it wouldn't come so soon. I glanced down at my trembling hands and forced them to stay still. I murmured to myself continuously, "A leader can never show weakness. Never!"
Few minutes later, I heard a soft knock on the door. Marcello, my cousin and the consigliere, stepped in, shutting the door quietly. His face wide, and his expression readeable. I already knew what he was going to say.
"Don, the Caporegime just confirmed it. Enzo Moretti and his family are on their way here." Marcello said in a low voice.
I closed my eyes in wariness briefly and said, "Enzo Moretti, the ruthless head of the Moretti family, a man I have been avoiding for years now. If he is coming here, it could only mean one thing- he has finally discovered my betrayal and is coming for war".
"Well", I paused, pushing my chair back and standing.
"We both know why he is on his way here so we have to prepare as much as we can. Double the security in-house, get our best shooters ready just in case. I know we are no match for the powerful Moretti's but we can try. When you are done, meet me here so we'll continue to think of ways to negotiate with them."
Marcello nodded quietly and hurried out to carry out my orders. As he left, the room grew colder and empty. My secret- The one I had kept hidden with me for fifteen years, was now a ticking bomb ready to explode. The betrayal of the OmertĂ , the sacred mafia code, wasn't something anyone could walk away from, not without paying a huge price.
Fifteen years ago, my wife, Elena's mother, was taken from me and I couldn't do anything about it. I felt devastated, depressed and desperate for a solution. Then the police dangled hope in front of me and promised her safe return if I gave them some information on two mafia dons. I was helpless, so I broke the code in exchange for my wife's safety.
I gave them what they wanted. And they still couldn't save her, she died anyway. I'd buried the guilt with me all these years, hoping no one would ever find out. But now Enzo Knew, and my family's very survival depended on whatever deal we could strike today.
I heard another knock on the door. I looked up just in time to see Marcello poke his head in, looking worried.
"Don, I was told they were on their way but not how close; now I know. The Morettis are so close, we do not have time to discuss any further."
"Damn it!"I said in a low voice.
Then continued, "All right then, he will meet me on the rooftop. Have Brienna bring up our newly produced banana cake bread, everyone loves it, with fruity sides and two wines from the cellar. Go! Go!"
I quickly headed to the rooftop and settled down. It has been my favorite place, I loved conducting meetings there because of its serenity. I had paid. a big fortune to interior designers to design the rooftop and make it comfortable for private meetings like this.
Today, though, the rooftop felt like a trap. A cage where I would meet the Lion himself but I decided to be brave not just for myself but my family.
By the time I arrived, I heard footsteps and knew that the Moretti boss had arrived. So I turned to see Enzo Moretti, his son, Luca Moretti and members of his mafia family headed towards me. Enzo and his son moved closer and sat down on the sofa opposite me but every other person stood around them, alert, waiting for the right time to strike.
Enzo Moretti spoke up immediately and sat down. "Antonio, I'll go straight to the point because my son and I have an event to attend in the next forty minutes. What you did was an utter betrayal and totally despicable".
I felt the muscles in my neck tighten as I tried to speak, "I can..." he cut off
"No you don't get to explain. If the others find out about your betrayal, your family will not only turn outcasts but you will be a wanted man. You are lucky Mateo is a member of the Moretti clan so I can make him stay quiet and bury every piece of evidence."
I felt tired and weary but I sat straight not wanting to show my fear. As a mafia boss, I would never show any sign of weakness to anyone. "Okay, thank you, Enzo, for choosing to sweep it all under the rug, but you and I know there's a catch. You are not that generous, so what do you want in return?"
Enzo laughed mischievously and said, "Come now, Antonio. When you put it like that, you paint me as a villain. I am doing you a favor here, you know, but then what do you possibly have that I would want? You know, when it comes to wealth and power, you are nowhere near me so what can you offer?
I knew I could be a dangerous man but I recognized a more dangerous man when I saw one and the two handsome men sitting in front of me were the very picture of that.
I noticed that they hadn't even touched the food or wine in front of them so I knew they had come to collect and nothing more. Nobody in their right senses would want to mess with the Morettis.
I racked my brain and said, "I could hand over some of my assets abroad to you." When they still wouldn't budge, I said, "I'll relinquish every single right to these assets. What if I add two of our vineyards to the promise of assets?"
"You test my patience, Antonio. What will I do with your measly assets and vineyards? I don't have all the time in the world." Enzo said irritatedly.
I thought hard, running out of options. I needed to offer him something, something that will bind our families together in a way he couldn't refuse but what was it?
And the first thing I could think of was "My late wife is from the powerful family of Capri in Russia. They are one of the five most powerful mafia families in Russia. If we arrange a marriage alliance between your family and mine, then you will have access to the Capri mobs."
"Finally! You have proposed something we can consider." Enzo said with a predatory grin, while his son Luca had an angry look on his face.
It was the first time I saw any emotion on Luca Moretti's poker face. I saw the disagreement on Luca's face but I couldn't care less and maintained my calmness.
"My daughter has been away in New York for many years but I will call her home if that's what you want so we can arrange the marriage. Your son and my daughter, a union that will make both families stronger and unbeatable".
"Yes, yes. That's what I want. If marriage to your daughter will give us access to the Capris, then that's what I want." Enzo said excitedly, then he stood up and started heading out to signify that the meeting was over. Then he turned and said, "Oh, Antonio? The wedding has to take place in two weeks."
Marcello came rushing to me when the Morettis left and said, "Wedding? Which wedding is he talking about?"
I slumped on my seat and said, "The only proposal he would accept was a marriage alliance between Elena and his son Luca so that they would have access to Russia."
"My God! What have you done, brother? Poor Elena!"
"I had no other choice. Either that or we face being hunted and killed like dogs. Besides, I have a plan to get every single piece of evidence they have and I will use this marriage alliance. This is so that they don't come back with another demand after the wedding."
At this point, I knew that my daughter would hate me if she heard about the arranged marriage plan, but I had no other choice.
I turned with resolve to Marcello and said, "Place a call through to Elena. Tell her to leave everything she is doing at the moment and come back home. She would find it strange and ask what is going on since she has not been home in the last eighteen years so tell her that there's an emergency."
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Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
Five years ago, he upped and left his wife without informing her. He had always felt unworthy. As a result, he decided to go and become a better man. It took him five whole years of daily hard work. When he was satisfied, he returned as a powerful and honorable man. He intended to start a family with his wife. But he got back to meet the greatest shocker of his life. He actually had a daughter!
On their wedding night, Rogelio wrapped his fingers around Marian's neck and spat at her, "Congratulations! From now on, you live in hell!" The reason for his wrath was that he believed she was responsible for the death of his elder brother. So, he married her but refused to touch her, determined to make her suffer for the rest of her pitiful life! However, due to an unforeseen accident, Marian was forced to sleep with Rogelio in order to save him, and she ended up getting pregnant. Concealing her pregnancy, Marian lived cautiously under Rogelio's watchful eyes. He hated her and relentlessly humiliated her, yet he would never allow anyone else to lay a finger on her— "Mr. Bailey, your wife got into a fight with someone!" Rogelio secretly took action, eliminating that person completely. "Sir, your wife claimed that all of your family's wealth belongs to her!" Rogelio quietly transferred all the shares to her. Unaware of all this, Marian only wanted to escape, but Rogelio pulled her into his warm embrace, whispering, "Mrs. Bailey, where do you intend to go with our unborn child?"
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