His to Claim, His to Ruin

Chapter 6

Lana

Thirty minutes of driving ended. His sleek Mercedes-Benz sedan pulled over outside a vast mansion. Countless men hurriedly greeted us with an exhibition of perfectly arms-forward race while staying in line the moment their boss came out of the car. Another man in black swung the door open for me.

“Welcome back, Miss Lana,” a woman in her 50-ish voice said with a huge grin on her face.

My forehead creased as a small smile crept onto my lips. “T-thank you…But it's my first time here.”

The maid was about to speak when Salvatore glanced from where I was, commanding me to go after him using his stern eyes.

We passed through the pool where a bunch of men were circling around another person kneeling. Blood began to seep from his body when I saw another armed man kick his stomach. I jolted from where I was the moment I noticed he vomited blood.

Holy f**k. Am I going next?

“Don Salvatore,” all their attention was diverted to him, who had ceased walking while I remained behind, like a scared cat. “He has $3 million in liabilities to pay yet we caught him stealing. We'll finish him according to our mafia law.”

Finish him? Does it mean they're gonna kill him?

Salvatore tilted his head a little and spoke. “Accompany her to my office, Rose.”

The housekeeper who greeted me earlier motioned toward an alternative way out. Mancini mansion is obscure from my own perspective. It was a customary mansion a normal person would call but the aura inside wasn't the same.

Full of mystery, they say.

We walked through the living room. Huge curtains, ornaments in every corner, and a vast garden I believe.

I didn't know a famous mafia Don like Salvatore is into plants, huh? Although I can't see the plants surrounding the area clearly, the lilies caught my eye.

He has lilies! My favorite flower!

“Please settle inside and wait as per the Don’s instructions, Madam,” Rose affirmed in a soft manner.

A small smile crept on my face. “Lana will do. Thank you, Rose.”

“I won’t dare address you by name. I'm used to calling everyone a madam,” Rose spoke, her voice and tone were unsettling.

So there are other women who came in before me? Interesting.

Rose stared at my face momentarily until I chickened. “I-is there anything wrong?”

“Nothing. I'm going now madam.”

Salvatore's office is huge. It's dark, to be honest. His walls are gray and the curtains are closed. I hope he opens it during broad daylight.

My eyes settled on the big windows covered by vast curtains. I peeked outside only to see the pool area from here. Tension began to crawl all over my body the moment I saw Salvatore hoisting his hand; aiming straight at his head until he pulled the trigger himself.

I closed the curtains immediately when he turned around. He saw me. Salvatore saw me watching!

With a throbbing body, my fists soften along with my knees trembling. The danger in this mansion is no joke—one bullet and you'd get killed.

I jolted when the door swung open and Salvatore walked his way inside unbothered.

Blood drips down from his hands. Seeing the stain on the floor made my stomach turn as my taste went sour. There seemed to be a lump stuck in my throat, forbidding me to speak.

Salvatore wiped his hands in a casual manner.

‘Calm down Lana. Get your s**t together and refrain from looking at the blood.’ Lana muttered in her mind whilst her eyes closed.

The looming silence between us was shattered. “Take a look at the envelope. Read carefully. Ask me a question if you didn't get a certain paragraph.”

I c****d my eyebrows. “What's this?”

“Our contract.” He simply said.

The envelope has a seal on it.

S. M.

Perhaps his official seal, or a family emblem. I doubt it. It’s his initials.

Three pages are what the envelope contains.

“I, Lana Licciardi, respectfully agree to a marriage agreement with Salvatore Mancini. Mother; Christine Licciardi will be taken care of by the highest-paid doctor in the country. Her treatment shall be continuous until the agreement ends. Father, Ymil Licciardi, will be cleared of his borrowed obligations, waiving all interests, including other financial liabilities with multiple companies or people. An allowance of $50,000 a month shall be given to my family until our contract duration,” I paused and stared at him. Salvatore's eyes were reading my face. Damn! Can he stop doing that? All I could feel was awkwardness, “in return, I, Lana Licciardi, will make no objection to being Salvatore's wife, completely abiding to everything he wanted. First conditions are: Salvatore must know everything I do, where I go, and all men who have seen talking to me shall be killed—killed?!”

Salvatore nodded. “Yes. Killed.”

“This is too much. I can o-obey you but dragging other people in this mess would result in—”

“You’re obliged to follow my conditions if you want to save your family,” Salvatore affirmed in an obscure way.

My eyes drifted back to the paper as I continued to read. “Second condition: If I run away, I will be paying all the expenses Salvatore provided for my family. Tenfold. This contract is effective immediately until further notice.” Which I don't have.

I can't raise a grand. Let alone the expenses he incurred for my family.

Salvatore was sitting at his table, with the three buttons of his sleeves open. “Sign it.”

A pot of red cream is sitting at the table awaiting my thumb mark. Salvatore's signature has been filled in, and it's only my name left to sign.

There's no option left for me. Our life will be in great danger either way so I chose the option where my life is at risk but I receive benefits. So I signed.

“Very well,” Salvatore affirmed. He grabbed the papers from me after I left my thumb mark and my signature on it. What the hell?

“I have a question,” I muttered. “When you said everything you want…what are you trying to imply?”

“Everything. You will accompany me to events, birthday parties, and underground meetings without objections. Abiding by my rules, adhering to what I want including but not limited to traveling the country with me, doing exactly what I say, s*x—”

“S-s*x?” I cut him off.

He scowled. “Do you really think your job would be only standing at social events like a f*****g doll, muffin?” he sounds f*****g irritated.

No, I can't believe I'm silent.

Salvatore’s dominance forbade me from speaking. My body started following his commands with just a simple question.

Fuck.

I scoffed, shaking my head until I noticed his tiny steps moving in my direction. I stared at his darkened face, taking a step backward until he cornered me with a wall behind.

His hands snaked around my waist, pulling my body closer along with a throbbing heart. Salvation leaned his face closer to my neck, sniffing my hair until I felt his hot breath in my ears.

“If I told you to bend over and remove your undies right now, you'll do as I say.”

A wave of dryness in my throat prevented me from speaking.

Unfortunately, his touch paired with his lips in my ears is enough reason for my femininity to drool.

“For how long?” I muttered like a scared f*****g cat. “This marriage.”

“Until instructed otherwise.”

Great. Now I'm cornered without options.

Salvatore's lips met with my skin, particularly on my shoulder blades. His abrupt move sent shivers down my spine.

“W-what if I vanish? Let's just say…in six months. Will you k-kill me? Will you aim your g-gun straight to my head?”