The Mafia’s Forbidden Addiction

“Dad, I can’t do this, so please just call the marriage off.” Bianca said, folding her arms tightly across her chest. Her jaw locked as frustration burned through her. Mr. Garrison barely looked at her before scoffing. “Bianca, we’ve already discussed this. You’re my first daughter, which means you’ll marry the man I choose for you whether you like it or not.” “Honey, we don’t have to force our daughter into something like this,” Mrs. Garrison interrupted softly before her husband could continue. A heavy sigh escaped Mr. Garrison as he rose from the couch, straightening the sleeve of his suit. “You’re to marry the heir of the Moretti empire, and the wedding will proceed tomorrow as planned.” The finality in his voice settled heavily over the room, leaving no space for negotiation. Without waiting for another argument, he turned and headed toward the front door. The sharp sound of his shoes against the marble floor echoed through the silent room. Bianca’s eyes widened. She hurried after him, grabbing his wrist just as he reached the entrance. “Dad, Leonora is your actual daughter.” Her voice trembled slightly. “Isn’t it only fair that she marries him instead?” Mr. Garrison’s expression darkened instantly. Bianca swallowed nervously before continuing. “People talk about him all the time. They say he’s cold, ruthless… heartless. What if I marry him and he ends up hating me? What if he treats me cruelly?” Bianca’s fingers tightened around her father’s wrist as fear flickered across her face. Mr. Garrison exhaled sharply, tilting his head to the side as displeasure settled heavily across his face. “You’re ungrateful!” he spat angrily, his voice echoing through the sitting room. He then turned toward his wife, who had slowly risen from the couch and was now walking toward him. “Did you hear what your daughter just said? She’s the eldest, yet she expects me to hand over her younger sister instead.” “Honey, Bianca isn’t entirely wrong,” Mrs. Garrison said carefully as she came to stand beside her daughter. “We made a business deal with the Moretti family, and now that we’re deeply indebted to them, they offered us a condition. The only way they’ll continue supporting the company is if one of our daughters marries their son.” She paused briefly, lowering her voice as uneasiness flashed across her face. “And you know very well why they made such a proposal.” Her fingers curled tightly around Bianca’s arm. “People talk about their son all the time. Even mentioning the Moretti name seemed enough to darken the atmosphere in the room. They say he’s cruel, unstable… dangerous. Some even claim he’s mentally disturbed, while others say he’s disabled but merciless. It isn’t fair for my daughter to carry such a burden alone.” Mrs. Garrison’s expression hardened slightly before she continued. “Leonora is your own flesh and blood too, so why should Bianca be the only sacrificial lamb in this family?” Mr. Garrison stared at the two women before letting out a bitter laugh. Slowly, he shook his head in disbelief. “Get married tomorrow,” he said coldly, “or you’ll be disowned.” The firmness in his tone left no room for argument. Bianca’s breath caught in her throat while Mrs. Garrison’s face paled instantly. Without waiting for a response, Mr. Garrison grabbed the door handle and pulled the door open, only for his movements to freeze instantly. Standing at the entrance was Leonora. Her watery eyes widened in shock while at the same time tears clung stubbornly to her lashes, threatening to spill at any second. Her trembling fingers tightened around the handbag she held, and from the look on her face, it was obvious she had heard everything. Every single word. A sharp ache settled in Leonora's chest, but she forced herself to remain calm. At this point, Bianca's hatred toward her was nothing new. Ever since Leonora's mother died and Mr. Garrison married Bianca's mother, his former secretary and a single mother, the tension between the two girls had only continued to grow. Despite all Leonora’s efforts to treat Bianca like a real sister… from sharing her belongings to defending Bianca whenever their father scolded her, Leonora had done everything she could to earn her affection but Bianca never stopped seeing her as competition. “Dad, good afternoon,” Leonora greeted softly, lifting her hand in a small wave. Mr. Garrison merely forced a thin smile before brushing past her without another word. Bianca bit harshly into her lower lip, her eyes burning with resentment. “I hate you,” she seethed before spinning around and storming upstairs. The hatred in Bianca’s voice lingered in the air long after she disappeared upstairs. “Bianca!” Mrs. Garrison hurried after her daughter, the sound of her heels clicking loudly against the staircase. Soon, silence settled over the house once more. Letting out a quiet breath, Leonora adjusted the handbag on her shoulder before heading toward her room. Once inside, she immediately began arranging the business files she needed to submit at work the next morning. The evening sky gradually darkened, but Leonora barely noticed as papers scattered across the bed. She became so engrossed in organizing the documents before her…. that she completely lost track of time until eventually a soft knock suddenly echoed through the door, snapping her out of her working mode. “Come in,” Leonora called gently. The door creaked open almost immediately, and Bianca stepped inside hesitantly, her fingers nervously intertwined while her gaze remained fixed on the floor. “Nora,” Bianca called softly, using the shortened version of Leonora’s name. Leonora lifted her gaze from the files spread across the bed and looked at Bianca, silently waiting for her to continue. “I feel like I acted out of line earlier while talking to Dad and… I crossed the line.” Bianca’s voice softened with unusual sincerity, causing Leonora’s brows to furrow slightly in surprise. “That wasn’t my intention.” Leonora remained quiet. Bianca hardly ever apologized, and whenever she did, it usually meant she wanted something in return. “So what exactly are you trying to say, Bianca?” Leonora finally asked as she gently closed the file in her hands. “I…” Bianca hesitated, lowering her gaze briefly. “I want to say I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I’m just scared because I don’t want to get married to a complete stranger and…” Her voice trailed off. She slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before cautiously closing the distance between them. “…everything about this marriage just feels wrong,” she admitted softly as she sat at the edge of the bed. For a moment, Leonora simply stared at her. Then she sighed quietly. “I understand why you’re scared, Bianca,” she said calmly. “Dad only told you about the marriage a few days ago, so obviously you’d feel overwhelmed.” A faint pause followed before Leonora continued. “But that still doesn’t change the fact that you wanted him to choose me instead.” Bianca’s expression stiffened slightly. Leonora lowered her eyes briefly, absentmindedly tracing her fingers against the edge of the document in her hand. “Besides,” she continued softly, “what if Dad suddenly changes his mind after your argument with him? What if he decides that I should be the one to marry into the Moretti family instead?” She slowly lifted her gaze back to Bianca. “Would you really be happy about that?” The room fell silent for a brief moment as Leonora carefully studied Bianca’s reaction. Almost immediately, Bianca shook her head. “Never,” she answered quickly. “I wouldn’t want that either. Not even a little.” Her fingers curled tightly against the fabric of her dress before she looked away. “That’s why I’m apologizing.” Leonora nodded slowly as a soft sigh escaped her lips. “I understand. Besides, I know you’re frustrated about getting married to a stranger. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably feel the same way.” For a brief second, Bianca’s face tightened with guilt before the expression disappeared so quickly that Leonora failed to notice it. She suddenly grabbed Leonora’s hand and stared directly into her eyes with a small pout on her lips. “I want you to accompany me tonight,” she said softly. “Just this once. I want to enjoy myself before getting married because who knows? My supposed husband might end up being strict, especially with all the rumors people say about him.” “Bianca,” Leonora said with a light shake of her head, “stop focusing too much on rumors, okay? He might actually turn out to be handsome… maybe even your spec.” Bianca scoffed lightly. “Spec?” she repeated with amusement. “The only thing my mysterious husband probably has that fits my standards is money. Aside from that…” She shrugged carelessly. “I highly doubt he checks any of my boxes.” The playful tone in her voice earned an eye roll from Leonora before a laugh slipped past her lips. Bianca leaned back slightly despite the uneasiness hidden beneath her voice. Once the laughter faded, Bianca squeezed Leonora’s hand gently. “So…” she asked again, “are you going to come with me tonight?” She inquired while tilting her head slightly, waiting expectantly for Leonora’s response. Leonora took a few seconds to think about it. Bianca was clearly overwhelmed by everything happening around her, and perhaps a night out would help ease her mind before the marriage. “Well, I suppose going with you won’t be so bad,” Leonora said with a small smile. Truthfully, it had been a long time since the two of them spent time together peacefully. Maybe tonight could help mend the distance that had slowly grown between them over the years… At least, that was what Leonora hoped. The moment the words left Leonora’s mouth, Bianca’s eyes lit up with excitement and she quickly rose from the bed. “Get dressed and wear…” Her gaze swept thoughtfully over Leonora’s appearance. “A black skinny jean and a white singlet.” She tapped her index finger lightly against her chin before nodding to herself. “And maybe throw on a black jacket too. Try to look sharp, okay?” Leonora laughed softly. “Since when did you become my stylist?” Bianca didn’t reply as she rolled her eyes before pulling her phone from her pocket. The moment her screen lit up, her fingers moved quickly across the keyboard. “I’m on my way.” She typed as a faint smirk curled across her lips while she stared at the message before pressing send.