The Don’s Reluctant Bride

CHAPTER FOUR: THE DON

MATTEO’S POV:

I watched Alessia Rossi walk out of my dining room last night like she’d won something, and the strangest part was that I let her have it. Most people didn’t recover that fast from being told their cooperation was the only thing keeping their father alive. But then, most people weren’t Alessia.

She had her mother’s eyes. I remembered, dark and direct, the kind that didn’t look away when you were trying to intimidate them. Lucia Rossi had been like that too before her death and left Carlo with nothing but a daughter he didn’t know how to protect. Not that he tried very hard.

I finished my espresso and checked my watch. The Esposito’s meeting was in fifteen minutes.

Two years of skimming profits from my ports would be resolved by me walking into that room and reminding everyone why the DeLuca family controlled half of Naples.

My phone buzzed. Leonardo.

**LEO: Everyone is present in the meeting room. Antonio looks like he’s going to throw up.*

**ME: Good. Let him sweat.*

I stood up, adjusted my cuffs, and headed downstairs.

The conference room was on the ground floor, soundproofed, and there were no windows. When I walked in, six men stood up immediately.

“Sit.” I took my place at the head of the table. Leonardo was already there, his tablet in front of him, looking like he was enjoying himself far too much.

Antonio Esposito sat directly across from me. Sixty years old, overweight, sweating through his suit. His son sat next to him. Marco, mid-twenties, trying to look tough and failing at keeping his composure.

Two of Antonio’s men filled out at the side of his table. My men lined the other side. Sergio, my head of security. Niko, who ran the construction fronts. And Dante, who handled problems that couldn’t be solved with paperwork.

“Don DeLuca.” Antonio’s voice was too eager. “Thank you for taking this meeting. We wanted to discuss the new terms you proposed for the port operations.”

“I didn’t propose anything. I informed you of the new terms.” I leaned back in my chair. “There’s a difference.”

“Of course, of course.” He laughed, and it sounded like gravel in a blender. “But the percentage increased it’s substantial. Thirty percent higher than last year’s agreement. We were hoping to negotiate something more… reasonable.”

“Reasonable.” I let the word hang in the air. “Tell me, Antonio. Do you think stealing from me is reasonable?.”

His face went pale. “I don’t think…we haven’t..

“Leonardo.”

My brother tapped his tablet, and the wall screen lit up, showing Spreadsheets, transfer records to foreign accounts. Numbers highlighted in red that added up to just over two million euros.

“I must say you are a smart thief”. Leonardo said. “For two years you’ve been inflating labour costs, phantom shipments, maintenance fees for equipment that doesn’t exist.”

Marco Esposito’s hand moved toward his jacket. Dante was on his feet before the kid could blink, his gun out and aimed at his head.

“Don’t you dare.” Dante’s voice was flat.

“Marco, sit down.” Antonio’s voice cracked.

The kid cussed under his breath and sat down, with his hands up.

“Two million euros,” I said, looking at Antonio. That’s what you thought was worth your life.”

“Don DeLuca, please. I can explain..”

“Explain what Cazzo? That you thought I was stupid? You assumed because my father is dead, the DeLucas are weak? I leaned forward. “My father built this empire. I’m expanding it. And every single person in Naples knows what happens to people who steal from me.”

“I could have Dante put a bullet in your head right now and take the ports outright. No one would stop me.” I said.

Marco looked at his father, The kid was shaking.

“Please Don DeLuca.. Spare me just this time.” Antonio said.

Of course, he would beg. Traitor.

“Consider the difference between what you’re paying now and what you owe me as… interest. If you perform well for the next three years, we’ll revisit the percentage. If you steal from me again, you won’t live long enough to regret it.”

I stood. The meeting was over.

“Contracts will be delivered this afternoon. Sign them and have them back to me by tomorrow morning. Don’t make me come find you.”

I walked out. My men followed.

Back in my office, Leonardo dropped into the chair across from my desk and grinned like a kid on Christmas.

“Bro. Did you see Antonio’s face when we showed him the accounts? I thought he was going to cry.”

“Figlio di puttana. He was lucky I didn’t kill him.” I poured myself a drink.

“You think he’ll sign?”

“Antonio Esposito is a coward. He’ll take the deal because it’s the only one that keeps him alive.”

“Still.” Leonardo leaned back, crossing his arms. “That’s one problem solved. You know I saw the show last night. With the Rossi girl”

I took a drink and said nothing.

“She really got under your skin last night, didn’t she?”

“Stai zitto, She didn’t get under anything.”

“Right. That’s why you spent twenty minutes staring at her empty chair after she left.” Bro, that was ballsy. Most women would’ve cried or tried to seduce their way out. She just straight up told you to f**k yourself.”

I set my glass down slowly.

“She spoke because I allowed it.”

“Sure. “So what’s the plan? You marry her on Saturday, make Carlo watch his daughter become a DeLuca. Then what?”

“Then Carlo lives with the consequences of his choices,” I said. “Same as the rest of us.”

“And Alessia?”

“What about her?”

“You really think she’s just going to play along? That girl doesn’t strike me as the submissive type.”

“She doesn’t have a choice.”

“Neither do you, technically. But you’re both pretending you do.” Leonardo stood. “Just saying. This might get more complicated than you planned.”

“Everything gets complicated, Leo. That’s why we plan for it.”

He left, and I sat there with my drink, looking at the contracts on my desk that needed signing. Business that couldn’t wait.

My phone buzzed. A message from

**DANTE: Signora DeLuca will arrive at noon for lunch. Signorina Rossi has been informed.*

Right. My mother. Amber DeLuca would want to meet the woman I was marrying and would ask questions I didn’t want to answer. I finished my drink and stood. Might as well get this over with.

I found Signora Bianchi in the kitchen, overseeing lunch preparations .

“Don Matteo.” She turned, wiping her hands on a towel. “Everything is prepared for Signora DeLuca’s arrival. The terrace is set for three.”

“Good. Where is Signorina Rossi now?”

“The library, I believe. She’s been working on her laptop since breakfast.”

The workspace I had arranged. I told Dante to have a desk moved into the west wing library because Alessia had asked, and refusing would have been petty.

I found her exactly where Bianchi said she would be, sitting at the desk with her laptop open, frowning at something on the screen. She was dressed casually, she wore jeans, a sweater, no makeup that I could see.

"My mother arrives in an hour," I said from the doorway.

She jumped, her hand flying to her chest, then glared at me when she realized who it was. "Do you always sneak up on people, or am I special?"

"I don't sneak on me people in my own house. You were distracted”. I walked into the room. "Lunch is on the terrace at noon. You'll be there."

"Signora Bianchi already told me."

"Then consider this a reminder." I stopped at her desk. "My mother doesn't know the circumstances of our arrangement. As far as she's concerned, this is a standard alliance marriage”.

Her jaw tightened. "So I'm supposed to pretend I'm happy to be here?"

"You will show my mother respect, smile, nod your head and answer only when necessary" I leaned forward slightly, hands on her desk. "You don't have to perform more than I tell you to do”

She stood up, closing her laptop with more force than necessary. "I'll be nice to your mother, Matteo. But don't confuse that with being cooperative with you."

"I'm not confused about anything." I straightened. "Just remember that your father's continued existence depends on how well you play your role. Are we clear?"

Her eyes flashed. "Crystal."

"Good." I turned to leave, then paused at the door. "And Alessia? Wear something appropriate. My mother is traditional about these things."

"I wasn't planning on showing up in a bikini."

"Just making sure we understood each other."

I left before she could respond. Let her think she had gotten the last word. In few days, she'd be Alessia DeLuca, and all the sarcasm in the world wouldn't change that.

Amber DeLuca arrived at exactly noon. My mother didn’t believe in being fashionably late or awkwardly early. I met her at the entrance.

“Matteo.” She kissed both my cheeks, then studied my face with that look mothers have that sees everything you’re trying to hide. “You look tired.”

“I’m fine, Mama”.

“You’re working too much.” She walked past me into the house. “Where is my soon to be daughter in-law?

“Probably upstairs.”

“Is she nervous?”

“She should be.”

Mama gave me a look. “Be nice.”

Before I could respond, Alessia appeared at the top of the stairs. She had changed into a simple dark blue dress and pulled her hair back. For a second, she looked nervous then she smiled like she was actually happy to be here.

She descended the stairs with her hand extended. “Mrs. DeLuca. I’m Alessia. It’s so lovely to finally meet you.”

My mother took her hand, already charmed. And I realized Alessia Rossi was a far better actress than I had given her credit for.