Bound by Duty

Chapter 3 Neither of us chose this

“This goes beyond what either of us wants, Matteo. It’s survival.” He walked toward the glass window overlooking the city. Lightning flashed across Milan’s skyline, briefly illuminating his reflection. “The Lombardis is expanding north faster than expected, and the La Morettis is backing them with money, weapons, routes… everything. They’ve already started hitting both our territories separately because they know divided families are weaker.” Matteo frowned but stayed silent. “The Luccheses are losing men,” he continued. “We’re losing shipments. Allies are starting to hesitate because nobody wants to stand between two wars at once.” He looked back at Matteo. “If this keeps going, eventually one family falls first. Then the other follows after.”

Matteo crossed his arms tightly. “So, your father thinks marriage creates an alliance strong enough to stop that?”

“No, he thinks blood makes betrayal harder.”

Matteo scoffed. “Harder, not impossible.” He exhaled slowly before dropping onto one of the leather couches. “Madonna mai!” he muttered under his breath. “This whole thing sounds like the beginning of a disaster.”

“Probably,” Vincenzo admitted. “But father believes this is the only path left, and the truth is… He might be right.” Matteo kept staring at him. “Do you at least know what she looks like?” he asked. Vincenzo blinked once. “What?”

“Lucia.” Matteo gestured impatiently. “Do you know what she looks like?” Vincenzo slightly shook his head. Matteo stared at him for a second before letting out an incredulous laugh. “You’re telling me you agreed to marry a woman you’ve never even seen before? She could be ugly you know.”

“I didn’t exactly have time to ask for photographs.”

“Unbelievable.” Matteo pulled his phone from his pocket and tossed it onto the table toward him. “Look her up.”

Vincenzo frowned slightly. “What?”

“The internet exists for a reason,” said Matteo. “The Lucchese family owns one-third of the legitimate businesses in Sicily. I guarantee Giovanni Dante’s daughter has appeared at some charity gala or fashion event at least once.” Vincenzo hesitated briefly before reaching for the phone.

Matteo leaned back against the couch, folding his arms. “Come on,” he muttered. “If you’re about to marry the woman, you should at least know her face.” He stared at the phone for a moment before finally picking it up. The glow from the screen reflected faintly against his face as he typed Lucia Lucchese into the search bar. Several articles and photographs appeared almost instantly.

Matteo stood up and leaned forward slightly. “Well?” he opened the first image. Lucia stood beside a black luxury car outside some charity gala in Rome. She was tall, elegant, with long blonde hair falling over her shoulders in soft waves. Her blue eyes stood out immediately, like a cloudless summer sky. Another photo showed her stepping out of a hotel surrounded by security. In another, she stood beside Giovanni Dante during a business event, dressed in black. Matteo let out a low whistle. “Well… at least she’s gorgeous.” Vincenzo’s expression barely changed. He took another sip of whiskey while staring at the screen. Matteo frowned slightly. “That’s your reaction?”

“What reaction do you want?”

“I don’t know,” Matteo muttered. “She could have been ugly. But, holy fuck.” Vincenzo carelessly tossed the phone onto the table. “She’s attractive. That changes nothing.” He said. Matteo shook his head before grabbing the phone himself. “You’re impossible.” He continued scrolling through the search results while Vincenzo refilled his glass.

“Wait,” Matteo said suddenly, stepping forward. “This girl isn’t just some mafia daughter they keep hidden in a mansion.” Vincenzo glanced at him briefly but didn’t answer. Matteo ignored him and kept talking. “According to this article, she oversees most of the Lucchese family’s legitimate businesses. Shipping companies, hotels, investment groups… Jesse!! There’s more.” Matteo scrolled again. “Apparently, half the men in Sicily have been trying to marry her for years.” A smirk slowly appeared on his face. “There are literally gossip articles about businessmen and politicians competing for her attention.”

Vincenzo leaned back against the counter, completely unimpressed. Matteo laughed quietly. “You’re really not bothered by this?” He picked up his whiskey again. “They can have her.” Matteo stared at him. “You’re talking about your future wife.”

He walked back toward the glass window. The amusement faded slightly from Matteo’s face. Vincenzo looked back. “She could be the most beautiful woman in Italia, and it still wouldn’t change the fact that neither of us chose this.”