Arranged

"Papá, Theodore" I nod my head in acknowledgement, irritation rippling through me at the sight of the latter. He is an incompetent f**k who I've hated since childhood "It's happening, we have to tell her" My eyes narrowed at him, he looked way too pleased. They wanted to tell Adriana that she is getting married to me, something my father told me when I was thirteen but this man couldn't f*****g bother. His reason made sense, but it didn't matter much to me, not when I knew it was more for his own selfish reasons. "What are you going to tell Adriana?" I leaned back in my chair, staring at Theodore. The smirk on his face bothered me, he had already reaped the benefits of this deal twenty years ago what the f**k had got him giggling like a b***h, what sadistic pleasure was he drawing from keeping that woman in the dark "It's for the pact between the Romano's, Moretti's, and the Bianchi's. That's what she needs to know" he muttered, his cigarette laden lips curling up and I smoldered with resentment. It was a believable lie, it fits perfectly but the fact he was going to lie to Adriana didn't sit right with me. "She will find out, Theodore, and then she will tear all of us to pieces" I warned, hoping to see through this s**t I had to play part in. I do have a soft spot for this abrasive woman, and that wasn't helping Theodore s case. "She won't find out unless we tell her, I have called her here" I always knew that it would be me who'd tell her the truth, probably bear the f*****g brunt of it, have her hate me by the end of it but I couldn't do it before we were married. Theodore is still her Don, her father and she is still a Romano. "Dominic won't make it today, he has things to do" I muttered, cursing my stars. Dominic was the heir to the Romano throne, Adriana's brother, only one of us who could gauge her reaction and talk some sense into her if things were to get out of hand, like Adriana pulling a gun on either of us. Theodore nods his head while I size him up in disgust. Even though Adriana loves her father, I have never for a moment doubted that he is a selfish bastard and a terrible father. The only thing that gets his heart racing is money, he is the definition of a tyrant, a tyrant without brains. He does as he pleases, he makes decisions that benefit him. "Dominic knows, I told him a long time ago" I admitted, c*****g my head to the side, daring him to object. You can't hide something like this from Dominic, he is going to be the Don and a better role model in Adriana's life than Theo. "She is going to have a f*****g heart attack when you tell her this" I muttered, staring at my father. I genuinely felt bad for her, she was going to spend the rest of her life with a man like me. A heartless, controlling bastard. "You don't have an option Dante, only when you are married to her, you take over as the Don" Before I could give my two cents the doors opened, swiftly, without a knock, and I didn't even need to look. Adriana is the only one who has the audacity to walk into my office, without my permission. She is also the only one allowed inside without a security check. In her usual formal attire, she wore a white button-up tucked inside her pants and a black tie around her neck. "Where is Dominic?" she asks, immediately, looking at us with raised brows. She tenses when she sees both her and my father, she’s familiar with my hatred for him, and I can just hope she has caught on. "I need to talk to you, separately" Theodore started, as Adriana walked towards me, quickly grinning at me before she sat down beside me. Her face losing the girlish charm she just flashed before she turned back to her father, her body tense. "Ana you and Dante are getting married"