THE MAFIA KING'S UNWANTED BRIDE

The first sign that something was wrong was the silence. Alessia Moretti noticed it the moment she stepped through the front door. Her mother was sitting at the dining table, but she wasn't eating. Her younger brother, Luca, had stopped halfway through his dinner and was staring at their father. And Marco Moretti—the man who always had an answer for everything—was sitting at the head of the table with both hands clasped together. He looked tired. Not ordinary tired. Defeated. Alessia slowly removed her bag from her shoulder. "What's wrong?" Nobody answered. She looked at her mother. "Mum?" Elena Moretti glanced at her husband before looking back at Alessia. "Sit down, darling." Alessia's stomach tightened. She knew that voice. It was the voice her mother used whenever she was trying to make something terrible sound less frightening. Alessia pulled out a chair and sat. Luca looked at her. "Did Dad tell you?" "Tell me what?" Marco finally raised his eyes. For several seconds, he simply stared at his daughter. Then he said, "The company is in trouble." Alessia frowned. "What kind of trouble?" "The kind we may not be able to recover from." The room seemed to become smaller. She glanced at her mother. "But you said the investors were coming next week." "They aren't." "And the bank?" Marco looked away. "There's no more time." Alessia's fingers tightened around the edge of the table. She had known business wasn't going well. She had heard arguments behind closed doors and noticed how often her father came home late. But she hadn't imagined this. "How much do you owe?" Marco didn't answer immediately. Finally, he said a number. Alessia stared at him. That much money? It wasn't just a debt. It was enough to destroy everything they owned. "Our house?" she whispered. Her father nodded. "If the debt isn't settled, we could lose the house. The company too." Luca pushed his plate away. "But there has to be another solution." "There was." Marco's voice became quieter. "I found one." Alessia looked at him. "What solution?" Her father stood. "I need you to trust me." She almost laughed. "That's not an answer." Marco walked toward the window. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he spoke. "The Romano family has agreed to settle our debt." Alessia blinked. "The Romano family?" She had heard the name before. Everyone in their city had. The Romanos were wealthy, powerful and private. Their business empire stretched across several industries, but there were always rumors surrounding the family. Alessia had never paid much attention to rumors. Until now. "Why would they pay our debt?" Marco turned around. "Because I've made an agreement with them." "What agreement?" Her father's expression changed. Alessia immediately knew she wasn't going to like the answer. "An alliance." "What kind of alliance?" Silence. Her mother lowered her eyes. Luca looked confused. Alessia stood. "Dad." Marco swallowed. "The Romano family wants a marriage." For a moment, Alessia didn't understand. Then the meaning hit her. She stared at her father. "No." Marco's face tightened. "You haven't even heard—" "No." "Alessia, listen to me." "No." Her chair scraped against the floor as she stepped backward. "You cannot be serious." "I am." "You made a marriage agreement without asking me?" Her mother's eyes filled with tears. "Alessia..." She turned toward her mother. "You knew?" Elena didn't answer. That hurt more than anything. Alessia looked back at her father. "You were going to sell my future to pay your debt?" Marco flinched. "I'm trying to protect this family." "Then protect it without using me!" Her voice cracked. Nobody spoke. She wanted to leave. She wanted to scream. Instead, she stood there, breathing hard, waiting for someone to tell her this was some horrible misunderstanding. Nobody did. Marco reached for a folder on the table. He placed it in front of her. "The agreement has already been made." Alessia stared at the folder. "I won't sign anything." "You don't have to." Her eyes snapped toward him. "What?" Marco looked down. "The marriage has already been arranged." Her heart dropped. "What do you mean?" "The Romano family has agreed to clear the entire debt." "And in exchange?" Marco's voice was barely above a whisper. "You will marry their son." Alessia stared at him. "Who?" Marco hesitated. Then he said the name. "Matteo Romano." The room went completely silent. Alessia had heard that name before. Everyone had. The heir to the Romano empire. A man she had never met. A man whose reputation had reached her long before his face ever had. And now, according to her father, she was supposed to become his wife. Alessia slowly looked at the folder again. For the first time, she noticed the black seal stamped across the front. ROMANO. Her hands trembled as she opened it. There was only one photograph on top. A young man in a dark suit stood beside a black car, his expression cold and unreadable. Matteo Romano. Alessia stared at the photograph. She didn't know him. She had never spoken to him. Yet somehow, in one evening, her entire future had been placed in his hands. She looked up at her father. "You expect me to marry a stranger?" Marco didn't answer. Alessia closed the folder. "Then at least tell me one thing." "What?" "Why him?" Her father went pale. And that was the moment Alessia realized something. Her father wasn't afraid of the debt. He was afraid of the Romanos. And whatever had happened between their families... he wasn't telling her the whole story.