Fated to the Enemy.

Chapter 6

I S A B E L L A

It's been minutes now, and every second that passes doesn't make this any easier. We continue to wait for the Verossi family, and the tension in the room is too intense to ignore. Uncle Sal, ever the cynic, scoffs, deciding to speak up after a while.

"No surprise they're late." He lets out, taking out a pack of cigars from his pocket and putting one in his mouth.

"They're not late; we are early by 2 minutes. Don Marco loves to test me," my father responds, glancing around the room with a subtle impatience, just as my mother remains standing next to him, and she seems to be just as anxious as I feel to meet with the Verossies.

"So we're the only ones with the decency to show up early." Uncle Sal continues, his gaze scanning our surroundings just as he brings a lighter to the tip of the cigar and lights it.

Cat, standing beside me, senses my nervousness and steps in front of me, grabbing my attention.

"You okay?" she asks, genuine concern in her green eyes as she meets mine.

"I'm good, just nervous," I reply honestly, trying to maintain a calm exterior as I focus on how exactly I'm going to act during the meeting. Regardless of how I feel about the Verossies, I'll have to remain cordial and civil.

"I know. Everything will be okay," she reassures me, her words a comforting anchor, just as Alessio nods as well. I then notice my mother step away from my father and instead make her way towards me.

"Isabella," she says as soon as she reaches me, her tone a mix of instruction and expectation.

"Yes, Mom?" I respond, turning to face her just and Cat and Alessio step away to give the two of us some privacy. My mother watches as they walk away, and that's when she focuses her attention back on me, beginning to fix my hair for me and examine me.

"You need to showcase your elegance to the Verossi family. Make them see that you're a woman of class... and that you will make a magnificent bride for Angelo," she advises, her eyes holding a silent command. As she speaks, I want to contest her words. Is that all I am today, a bride-to-be handed over to our enemy? Still, regardless of my sentiments... I have a duty to my family...

I nod, understanding the gravity of her words and exhale slowly. The responsibility to make a lasting impression on the Verossi family weighs heavily on me. The seconds tick by, and the anticipation in the room grows. We are poised on the brink of a meeting that will shape the course of our lives...

The door remains closed, and my eyes drift to it, waiting for it to swing open and reveal the Verossi family. Each passing moment feels like an eternity as we stand in collective anticipation. The room is a canvas of emotions — nervous energy, silent conversations, and the unspoken hopes of two families converging on this momentous occasion.

My fingers fidget with the fabric of my dress as I take measured breaths, trying to steady my nerves, just as my mother returns to my father's side. The weight of expectations bears down on me, and I feel the eyes of my family on me, silently urging me to embody the grace and charm they believe I possess.

Suddenly, the door creaks open, and a hushed silence falls over the room. As our eyes land on the people who have opened the doors...

The people we have been waiting for all this time...

The Verossi family.

As the door swings open, a woman and a man stride into the room, and for a moment, they're just faces in the crowd. However, a flicker of recognition sparks in my mind. My father's discussions about the Verossi family come rushing back. The woman is Vittoria Moretti, the consigliera, and accompanying her is her husband, Vince Moretti, the Capo of the Verossi family. My memory aligns their presence with the stories I'd heard, painting a clearer picture of the Verossi figures before me.

Vittoria stands tall, her strength evident in every step. She keeps her dark hair tightly secured in a high bun, her eyes brown and covered in dark eye makeup, giving her a no-nonsense appearance. Her features are sharp and intense, reflecting the powerful role she plays in the Verossi family as the consigliera.

Vince Moretti matches her intensity. His presence is equally terrifying, with a stoic demeanour that mirrors Vittoria's no-frills attitude. He has short dark hair, his eyes are dark brown, and his jawline cleanly shaven. Together, they form a powerful duo, exuding an air of authority that commands attention.

Behind them, the Verossi family's bodyguards file in, a strong presence in the room. Tension thickens as the moment everyone has been waiting for approaches.

Then, in walks the head of the Verossi family, Don Marco Verossi himself... my father's biggest rival...

His long black hair is neatly tied into a low ponytail that falls onto his back, and a thick beard frames his stern face. Donna Sophia Verossi, by his side, walks into the room elegantly with her tall stature and a serious gaze, her hair pitch black, her features cold and hauntingly beautiful. Both are dressed in a black-and-white colour scheme, a visual representation of their family's signature colours, and Donna Sophia's grey eyes contrast with Marco's piercing blue ones.

As they enter, I feel a surge of anxiety. Yet, I'm able to maintain my composure, standing close to my mother and father as the Verossi family takes their place.

Just when we think everyone has arrived... finally, one last person walks into the room...

The man I am fated to marry...

Angelo Verossi...

He enters the room, and this being the first time I am ever seeing him, I am immediately put into shock and awe. Into the room strides a tall and magnificently handsome man. He appears calm, his expression quiet, but somehow holds so much intensity to the point where I find it hard to keep myself together. He is wearing an all black suit, his hair pitch black, just as dark as his mother's, and he bears the same coloured eyes, a cool grey. He has an aura of mystery around him that sends my heart racing and my anxiety deepening...

I didn't expect to feel this way when I meet him for the first time...

As Angelo walks into the room, his eyes slowly travel in my direction, and we lock eyes for the first time. His cologne eventually reaches my nose, and immediately, I am put into some sort of trance, his expensive, masculine scent sending my head spinning and tempting me to go closer to him. He slows down his walking pace and carefully eyes me, just as he joins his parents at their positions at the designated table. I try my best to read his expression. To understand what he is thinking. His eyebrows raise slightly, as if in surprise, but it is subtle. His gaze sweeps over me, as if he is taking in every detail of me, and slowly they return to meet mine. After what feels like forever, his expression returns to being calm, and I watch as his chest falls, as if he is letting out a deep breath. Finally, after what seems like forever, we break eye contact, and once we do, I find myself blushing and looking down at the floor beneath me...

There's no way that's actually him... is it? No one said he would be this sexy...

I finally brush off the sudden and intense attraction towards Angelo and bring my attention back to the rest of the people standing around us.

Don Marco, Donna Sophia, Angelo, Vittoria and Vance all stand together, their expressions cold and vigilant as they watch us. The room becomes charged with animosity between our two families, but still we all remember why we have come here...

For peace.

In the silent exchange between the heads of the families, Don Marco finally breaks the silence, staring directly at my Father.

"So, Don Giovanni Romano, we finally meet again," he says, a subtle challenge in his tone as he eyes my father from head to toe, making his way over to him as his wife follows closely behind him.

My father responds evenly, "Yes, it seems, Don Verossi." He lets out just as my father steps forward as well, my Mother remaining behind him.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us," My father tells him, his tone a mixture of courtesy and veiled tension.

"Of course," Don Marco nods, his expression neutral as he shifts his gaze from my father to my mother.