Married To The Mafia Devil

Chapter 5

(Alessia's pov)

We were locked in a silence standoff, as I watched him sip from a crystal champagne that had his name inscribed on it, “D-Romano”, Romano was a name I was familiar with, his posture, his charisma, his power, my thoughts were not deceiving me, it was Dante Romano, the most feared in the city of Valorra, no one crossed his path and escape his bitter wrath. What has my father possibly done to be in such hands of a vile man, the “Devil of Valorra” himself.

“You glare at me as though I owe you something when it is the other way round, don't you think?“ he said as he ran his finger round the top of the champagne.

“What do you mean, what do I owe you, let us…!“ I screamed but was cut short as he places a finger on my lips, and another on his.

“You are so young, yet smart, equally clueless, pretty but clueless of facts” he says standing tall, his towering presence felt intimidating as he looked down on me, a burning spite in his eyes I couldn't explain.

“What facts, you will pay for this, my father did you no wrong, you are just a man who misuses power and oppress those you feel you weaker beneath you” I said boldly, but I felt sweat trickle down my forehead, as I tried not to show my fear as his countenance continued to permeate the room, a countenance that could aim a bow and kill at a strike.

“Is this how you choose to pay me back for my genuinety, little tiger, you're the most daring, but the most foolish to think I won't kill your father at a snap of a finger, be careful how you speak, your betrayal shouldn't grow an inch from what your father has done, I pay betrayers in their kind” Dante said to me with his face fully close to mine, and his jaws glinching after every word he utters, after speaking, he stood akimbo, backing me.

“He has done nothing wrong… he has done…he …he hasn't “ I muttered to myself almost unclear but audible enough for Dante to hear.

“Your father owes me a lot, it would take his whole lifetime to pay me back what he owes, he's a betrayer and I wouldn't hesitate to kill him, I won't…I need my money, but it is beyond your comprehension, there is no way he can pay back, he has been avoiding me, hiding, thinking I won't find him, but here we are today” He said with a subtle smile resting on his face.

“I'll work, I'll work and pay you bit by bit, just let my father go, he's too old for this, please…” I said feeling subdued yet inquisitive as to what might have transpired between Dante and Father, has father been hiding a secret so long from me, questions kept arising within me.

“You'll work? For how long?“ He said giving out an hysterical laughter.

“As long as I keep paying back, I just..“

“That won't do it “

“Then, what is that you want?“ I said with moisty eyes, fear draining me like acid.

“You will marry me, little tiger” he says pointing a finger at me, his eyes brightened as though an heavenly inspiration had befallen him.

“What?“ I said shocked

“You will marry me or your father rots in jail” he said, but this time with a flare in his eyes, something that shows he was determined and had dangerous intentions.

“I'll do no such thing” I said standing to my feet, I had been sitting on the floor all along, hand tied.

“This is not a request, this is a command, this is my right, this is what I'll get” he said as he signals a guard to put me back to the ground.

“Let me go…let me…go” I said struggling with the guard, it was same man who approached me at our house, the tallest of those three men.

“Bring him in now” A furious Dante calls out, and the doors to the room which they were in opened up, it was as if he weilds a spell, everything gets done at a given order, his goons were apt and meticulous, no questioning, no losing a step.

My eyes were damped and clouded in tears, so people coming in were just like water reflection, dancing reflection, until I pressed the tears out of my eyes and my vision became clear, it was three men holding unto father, his clothes torn and hair disheveled.

A broken reflection that renewed tears in my eyes as I ran to him, hand tied but I got to him, holding his hand with my palms.

“No…you can't do this Dante, she has nothing to do with this “ father said, avoiding eye contacts with me.

“What are you talking about father, what are you saying “ I said baffled and perplexed.

“Angel… I “

“You what father?“

“It's …look …my business was failing and I had you to take care of, I had the rents, I had obscured debts, I had so much I needed to settle with money, they were after me and I just needed help…so I" father said head bent.

“So you came to me for help right? Now you tried running away rather than paying back the money you owed me?“ Dante said as he let out laughter that echoed round the room like an electrifying wave, but his expression shifted in an instant, returning to a mask of calm fury.

“You cannot pay back my money, and you still owe a lot of people, have you told the little tiger that I am not the only one on the look at for you, because you still have unsettled debts?“ Dante said clapping his hands, then pockets them.

“What is he talking about father? I want to know “ I screamed in fear, in tears, feeling lost and deprived of truth.

“ I owe others too, but I will settle this”

“You can't, they almost got to you but I got rid of them because if they had killed you, I also lose” Dante said as I gasped in shocked, while watching father's face admitting everything that Dante has been accusing him of.

“I'll send him out now…he gets killed, or you marry me!“ He screamed

“It is not a choice, it is a must” he added

“No, she can't marry you “ father retorted

“I will marry you, but let my father go” I said falling to the ground, my body weakened.

“No…no” father screamed as he was dragged away, lamenting in regrets

***********************

(Before the wedding)

I was transferred to another room, what is supposedly my cage. It had a master's bed and it was like a royal room, antagonizing my unfortunate situation.

“Miss Moretti” A maid at the house spoke, signaling me to raise my hands, as she fits me into a dinner dress, preparing me to have dinner with Dante Romano, as his supposed soon to be wife.

I was locked up in this room, allowed to leave and go in on Dante's command, allowed to walk around at Dante's command, fed on Dante's order and dressed at Dante's delight. I was like a pawn, like a toy he owned and could do whatever with.

I thought of Ethan, the truth he knew of that I never knew of, and how he became extinct since my capture, how he never reached out to me after I found out about the truth about father from him, something I never knew of.

“You're ready, miss” says the maid, Morena, as I looked keenly at her, was she serving here also because her father had been tied up in debt just like me.

She opened up the doors to my room with the key she had in her pocket, and shut the down with the key, avoiding eye contacts, I was now a prisoner, deprived of my own freedom.

I sat at the dinner table, drained of appetite and full of despair as I watched Dante eat courteously and full of appetite, a lady presumed to be his sister sat close to him but was focused on her food and avoid eye contact with me, it was as though everyone had been subdued by their fears for Dante Romano.

“You should eat and stop glaring viciously at me, I told you already you're mine, there's no escape, you wouldn't even think of escaping, no you won't” he said as he furiously digs his fork into a steak and gently places it into his mouth and gave me a subtle smile.

His presence subdued the atmosphere

As I forced a morsel of food down my throat, Dante's eyes never left mine, his gaze piercing through me like a cold blade. The air was heavy with unspoken tension, and I could feel the weight of his expectations bearing down on me.

Suddenly, a faint noise caught my attention , the sound of footsteps, light and cautious, coming from the hallway. Dante's sister, who had been quietly eating, glanced up, her eyes flicking towards the door before returning to her plate. But Dante, sensing my gaze shift, followed it, his eyes narrowing as he turned to face the door.

"Ah, right on cue," he murmured, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

The doors to the dining room swung open, and a figure stood in the entrance, their eyes locked onto mine. My heart skipped a beat as I felt the blood drain from my face.

It was a man whose forehead was drooling with blood, and he was being dragged upstairs by Dante's men, he looked mercilessly beaten and drained.

“Get up little tiger, I have something to show to you” he dragged me along, with his iron grip, one I couldn't escape, while his sister sat bewildered but unsurprised.

My entire world froze as I wondered what was going through Dante's mind and what he was about to reveal through this mysterious man.