002
1169 Words
ALANA
The grand ballroom of Villa Concordia was so silent that if a needle fell on the floor, it would make a very loud noise.
The Romano family sat on one side while we, the Bianchi family, sat on the other side.
Between us sits an elderly lawyer, the neutral custodian of Villa Concordia. Some elders and other mafia families were present as witnesses.
The elderly lawyer slowly opens an aged, leather-bound document.
Without looking up, he begins, "On this day, witnessed by blood, honor, and the laws that govern our families, the Romano and Bianchi syndicates hereby enter into the Concordia Accord"
"For one hundred and eighty days. Neither family shall spill the blood of the other. Neither family shall trespass upon the other's territory. Neither family shall interfere with the other's business, allies, or affairs. Every dispute shall be settled within these walls and nowhere else"
The room remained deathly quiet. Then he looked directly at me and Vincenzo.
"To ensure that peace is more than empty words, each family shall leave behind one heir"
"Miss Alana Bianchi"
"Mr. Vincenzo Romano"
"From this moment until the one hundred and eightieth day, Villa Concordia shall be your residence"
Neither of us reacted because I already knew I was going to live here, so was he. So yeah, it isn't a virgin news.
"I will hereby recite the rules of Villa Concordia," he continued.
"Rule One. Villa Concordia is a neutral ground. No weapons shall be drawn out within these walls ever."
"Rule Two. Every evening at precisely eight o'clock, all residents shall dine together, and attendance is mandatory"
"Rule Three. No resident may leave the estate without approval from both family heads"
Here I took a pause. What do they mean by we can't leave the estate? Like, are we supposed to spend six months of our lives living in here without going out to have some fun, or do they mean we can't leave to reside elsewhere, or what?
Please, be specific, old man.
"Rule Four. Any disagreements between the heirs shall be resolved within Villa Concordia. No retaliation outside these grounds"
"Rule Five. Every resident shall respect the authority of the villa's appointed wardens" Then he closes the document.
Wardens? What the hell is going on here?
"Their words inside this house carry the same weight as the Concordia accord itself"
The heavy doors swing open, and two elegant women enter. The first woman is dressed in deep emerald silk. Her posture is regal and her eyes miss nothing.
"Dona Carmela Romano," the lawyer announces.
She gave Vincenzo the briefest nod before her gaze settled on me. A warm smile curved at her lips with cold eyes.
My father's new wife and my stepmother....a Romano that's now a Bianchi.
The other woman was my aunty. She wore a black gown with diamonds as she walked gracefully towards us.
"Dona Isabella Bianchi"
She walks to me first, pats my shoulders then turned towards Vincenzo.
She's now Vincenzo's stepmother as well as his father's wife. A Bianchi who is now answering a Romano name.
To be honest....I don't like this truce stuff. Because why swap sisters?
"Ladies and gentlemen, from this moment onwards.... Dona Carmela and Dona Isabella are the wardens of Villa Concordia. They answer to the treaty. They answer to the villa. And they answer to no one else while you remain under this roof"
"Should either heir abandon the villa. Should either heir endanger the peace. Should either heir break the Concordia Accord..." He paused and stared at each of our faces.
"The treaty shall be declared void, and the war will begin again" He let the words hang in the air.
The lawyer closes the leather-bound document with a loud snap.
"The Concordia accords have ended wars, let us pray it survives one hundred and eighty days," he concluded.
Then the house manager smiles politely, "Now....if you'll allow me, I'll show our guests to their rooms"
I stood up, taking the first step towards the staircase, and a second set of footsteps echoed behind me.
I don't need to turn around to know who it was. Vincenzo Romano, walking right behind me.
We didn't say a word as we left the Concordia hall and headed upstairs. I climbed the stairs first, following the manager closely.
"Please wait on the stairs first, Lady Bianchi" The manager turned around and said to me.
“Whatever” I hissed, heading back.
I saw him standing alone on the stairs as he relaxed on the racks. So he didn't climb up because he knew we would be told to wait. I climbed down and stood a few steps away.
"For someone who claims to hate Romanos, you don't seem afraid of standing this close to one"
I heard him say, and I turned to him.
"I can't be afraid of the Romano's" I retorted.
"I know"
"If you were, you'd still be alive after making half the comments you've made since we met"
For the first time...I wasn't sure if he was joking.
And then I noticed him moving from his spot and stopped so close enough for me to catch the scent of his expensive cologne and cedarwood.
"So.....you're the infamous Alana Bianchi. The one and only" His voice was low, and it held some mockery.
"Yes, I am!"
"You're quite not what the rumors says" His gaze swept over me.
"And you're quite shorter than the rumors" I folded my arms.
"I'm six feet tall," he said with narrowed eyes.
"I wasn't talking about your height....I was talking about your patience" I mocked.
For a minute, neither of us moved. Then the corner of his mouth twitched into something I didn't see as a smile but a warning.
"I can already tell, these six months are going to test my self-control," he murmured, pulling backwards.
"Good. Mine's doing just fine" I smiled sweetly before walking past him, heading back to the second floor.
"Miss Alana and Mr. Vincenzo, please come with me; your rooms are ready" The manager's voice sounded, and I immediately followed.
We took some routes and turns, then we stopped, and he turned to us.
"This is your room, Ms. Alana, and this is your room, Mr. Vincenzo," he said, pointing at two different rooms that were opposite each other
.What the hell!!
How can we be room neighbors?
"Can my room be at the farthest end? Because Romano's are snakes, he might come into my room and claim his drunk" I scoffed.
His corner lips curved into a sly smirk.
"Relax. I wouldn't step into your room even if the villa caught fire"
I frowned, and he continued.
"And if a Bianchi stripped naked in front of me... I will assume I'm seeing a mannequin without clothes" He looked at me without a hint of embarrassment.
I stared at him, and for the first time since arriving, I had absolutely no comeback.
The bastard had actually won this round.
Nice one, snake!!!
- Writer
