"You killed my father! Did you think you got away with it? That you had won?!" I scream at him. "Bell, what are you talking about?" he asks, confusion and hurt reflected in his eyes. "I don't..." "Liar! You are a liar. And a murderer! You.." "Enough!" Isabella thought it would just be a marriage of convenience, as common for most Mafia families, no need for their paths to ever cross. But when she overhears a conversation which revealed that Luca was in her home the day her father died, everything changed. From a union of convenience to that of revenge? Can she play this game to completion? Who will survive?
LUCA.
"Is this a joke?!" I snap at the man sitting on the leather arm chest with an expressionless face, as if he hasn't just told me to ruin my life. "After everything? Now you mention your old pact?! What do you take me for?!"
"I take you to be my son who would do anything to ensure that our family remains at the top," he responds.
"You are asking me to throw my life away! To marry a woman I have never even met!" I snap back.
"I am asking you to ensure the continuity of two bloodlines, ensuring that the power of the Romano family, our family, will not dwindle. Listen, Luca. Rocco, is an old friend of mine, we built this town and our empires side by side. It is unfortunate that he has only been blessed with a daughter but that has worked in our favor! He has promised to hand over his entire fortune to her on her wedding day, to you, to our family? Do you have any idea what that means?!"
"Dammit!" I snarl as I whirl around. "And fuck you for doing this to me," I say again as I turn back to him, anger flooding through my veins. "Now of all days. You could have told me about this when I was busy proving myself to you all these years,you could have prepared me!"
"It didn't seem to be the right time."
"Didn't seem to be - Fuck! Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! Fuck you!" I snap as I whirl away, slamming the door behind me.
Unbelievable.
Just unbelievable.
I had done everything.
Every bloody thing he had asked.
I had infiltrated our rival family from the ground up, despite how risky it was I did it.
I crippled them.
Go to another country and set up a fraudulent scheme.
No worries.
Train in one of the most deadly assassin's sects for three years?
No problem.
On and on it went, for eighteen years I have carried out impossible trials and instructions and succeeded at everything.
All so that I can be worthy to one day step in his shoes, first becoming the consigliere and then the Don.
And now, today that should be one of celebrating my promotion, he tells me I have one final instruction.
To get married.
And not just to any woman, no, to the daughter of Rocco Bertelli, a girl that is rumored to have absolutely no inclinations or sympathies with the Mafia world.
"How the hell am I supposed to convince her?" I snarl to myself as I walk into the hall only to be startled by a champagne cork nearly taking off my head.
I am still catching myself when the deafening cheers of the crowd reaches my ears.
Right.
This is a celebration night.
"Congratulations, Luca!" Enzo, my close friend and right hand man, cheers as he pats me on the back. "Now, Signore(Mr.) Romano won't have any reason to delay you any further."
I scoff as I reach for a champagne flute.
"You would think so," I mutter as I gulp the contents down all at once.
"Oh no," he says as he takes in my countenance. "What did he say this time? I mean, you were brilliant! Playing the French government like that and leaving them no recourse but to let you go is a sign of pure genius, surely even he has to admit that."
"Oh, he admitted it alright," I reply as I turn to face him."Then what is the issue?" "The issue is that now, I am to get married."
"Shit," he says in a wince. "To who?"
"Isabella Bertelli."
"Bertelli... Bertelli... Rocco Bertelli?!" he exclaims before reducing his voice at the curious looks thrown our way. "Rocco Bertelli?" he asks again.
"Si."
"Hmm, that is not so bad but isn't she all the way in the USA? I heard a rumor that she had a fight with Rocco about his affiliations and left, swearing to never return."
"The very same."
"Maledetto!" he curses as he turns in agitation. "What about Giulia?"
"Giulia," I whisper in despair before giving in and reaching for another drink. A brandy this time.
Giulia has been a rock to me all these years. She as well as Enzo have been by mode all through it, supporting me, helping me... we are a team.
She is strong, smart, vicious, everything you would want in a Mafia wife.
So, it had made perfect sense for me to ask her out.
A fact that my father knew and still said nothing about.
If he knew about Rocco's condition, if he knew he wanted me to end up with Isabella, why didn't he say anything?
Why wait till now?
How am I supposed to break this to Giulia?
How can I look her in the eye and tell her that I am going to have to marry someone else.
For the family.
The same family that she had sacrificed for, had given the best of her life to.
How do I betray her like that?
"Maybe you can refuse," Enzo says after some minutes of silence. "You don't need the Bertelli fortune, you can take us to greater heights without them."
"Actually, I can't."
"What do you mean? You are the consigliere."
"According to my father, I am not. Not until I have tied the knot with Isabella."
"No offense, Luca. But your father is an asshole."
"I agree."
"So, what now? What is our play? Are you going to talk to Giulia?"
"No. Not now at least. Not before I talk to Rocco first."
"What do you plan on doing?" he asks as he falls in step with me.
"I don't know. But I am going to try to get out of this... unwanted ultimatum. If he agrees, then father can get off my case."
"What are the chances he will give in?"
"Slim to none."
"Hmm, that has never stopped you from achieving your goals before."
"No, it hasn't."
As if her world hadn't crumbled enough, Kendall got drunk and had a one-night stand with a stranger, hours after being diagnosed with stage 3 Ovarian cancer. Told that she may never get pregnant, and she spent her lifesaving on IVF. Luckily, she got a job as a PA to the CEO, Jason. On her first day, she made him her enemy, and to redeem herself, she had to be his girlfriend for the weekend. Things got complicated when Jason's mother planned an impromptu wedding, forcing Jason to get into a contract marriage with Kendall. She framed Jason, pinning the pregnancy on him. Gradually, Jason began to fall in love with her, only for chaos to visit, Jason's stepbrother, Thane's sperm was used for Kendall's IVF. Desperate for revenge, Thane would do anything to ruin the couple. Caught in the web of family feud and drama, will Kendall be able to save their union, even though she has to put everything at stake?
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.
In Lothlann Continent, talent in martial arts won cultivators respect. Darren Chu, a mediocre talent in martial arts, was deemed a loser by everyone. His status changed when a fireball fell from the sky and hit him on the head. He cheated death. Empowered with the ability to assimilate other creatures' talent, Darren sought to better himself and seek vengeance against those who had wronged his family, including his little sister. "You will kneel in front of me one day," swore the future lord of martial arts.
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
P-please, I beg you. Come let's go tell Christian I had no hand in whatever happened, p-please." I clutched the lapel of his jacket desperately. "Let's go. You need to tell my husband you were paid." "Young lady, you're harassing me." His tone was cold and his stare granite. But I could care less. "You harassed me first! You had sex with me without my consent, my husband knows and now I'm pregnant with this child he doesn't want. You ruined my marriage! I-I hate you!" ************************************ Caught by her husband with another man on their matrimonial bed the morning after her birthday, Hailey Codza could not defend herself. As though it's not enough, she gets pregnant. Her enraged husband decides to pay her back for her infidelity by having an affair with his ex-girlfriend - Denise Kellers, the family Hailey never knew she had. Losing her family's wealth and company to her husband and his ex (now girlfriend), she is devastated, homeless and penniless as all her credit cards are blocked by her husband. She sees the man who is responsible for her pregnancy. The man she has no idea how he'd found his way to her matrimonial bed - Jared Johnson. Jared is annoyed when this strange woman disrupts his meeting and accuses him of ruining her life, marriage and impregnating her. It affects his business deals and having no choice, he marries her to calm the public whilst engaged to someone else. But he loathes her and allows his family treats her badly. Hailey who has fallen in love with Jared is broken when she can no longer take the humiliation. She signs the divorce papers and leaves, only to arrive six years later to the country as a self-made, secret billionaire and a mother of twins. Now her two ex-husbands are begging to have her back...
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!