BENEATH HIS VEIL

The air weighed heavy with what seemed oncoming storm even though the sky seemed to be clear. Isabella lived at the remote heart of the Sicilian country side with her parents where the sky was too high above for anyone to ever see where it ended behind mountains or hills except through climbing on one of them or taking an airplane flying over them. Her father was sitting at one edge of a long wooden table, his big body slightly leaning on the table and his hair seemed to be gradually losing color. The room was gloomy on account of heavy curtain drapes preventing sunlight from getting in.

The room was shadowy, the deep curtains cutting out most of the daylight. It was just how her father preferred it; he liked things in his life to be secret -that was just his character. Isabella sat at the other end of the table, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of her wine glass. Her older brother, Giovanni, stood by the door, his expression hard as granite, arms crossed over his broad chest. The air was thick with tension, and even though her father had called for a "family meeting," she had not yet been told why.

"Isabella," spoke her father, his voice rough like gravel, breaking the silence. His eyes in deep sockets shot in her direction, and she could read a mixture of anger, frustration, and something else-desperation. "You know I wouldn't ask this of you if there were any other way."

Her heart skipped a beat since she had been waiting for this moment ever since the antagonism between her family and their rivalling family – the Rossi's – in the underworld became overtly threatening by the latter's move when it invaded their territory. What was once a De Luca balance of power with Rossi had over recent times shifted further than her father had desired.

She straightened up and looked him in the eye, even though her pulse rate increased. "Ask me what, father?"

Emilio groaned audibly, while Giovanni's jaws tightened, as if he already knew what was coming.

Emilio sighed heavily. Finally, her father spoke, his voice low but firm. "You're going to marry Alessandro Rossi."

The words landed like a hammer blow.

For a very brief moment, Isabella felt quite overwhelmed, leaving her in the state of hearing her breath alone. When it comes to Sicily, just saying the name Alessandro Rossi was a dangerous thing. A man known for the harshness and iron hand he used in ruling over his empire, the head of the Rossi family was a terrible person. For years, he'd been causing problems to her family yet now...he was to become her husband!

She tried to talk but her mouth couldn't say anything meaningful given the fact that her father's command totally confused her.

"Is this meant to be funny?" she asked in a low voice, disbelievingly.

"He's not kidding," Giovanni grumbled by the door in a disappointed tone. His eyes were menacingly black. "It's a treaty-a union. Father and Rossi really shook hands, last night. You're to marry him in two weeks."

To grasp the idea, Isabella first blinked...hard. Her father had always been a good schemer but this-this was not just another move. It was a sacrifice. Her sacrifice.

"I can't," she whispered, though her voice trembled like an old man's. "I won't marry him, he's the devil."

"Fuck no," she said in a pleadingly softer voice than before; still shaky though.

She was angry and tears were welling in her eyes. "You want me to get married to the man who has caused so much loss of blood and so much pain. He is a murderer, papa!"

Emilio's face became stern as his jaws tightened, staring at her. "We are all killers Isabella, there is no innocent person in this world. This is how to stop the massacre and make peace between our families. Do you think I would choose this for you? to hand my daughter to that man?" He faltered a little bit, suppressing emotions. "But we have no other way out."

That portended nothing good for her. The previous year had seen sustained assaults on the De Luca strongholds by Rossi family-and they were also in significant danger of falling out of favor with De Luca business interests as well as the individuals who anchored and invested in them. They managed to keep their rivals at bay for a while, but recently there has been some backslide. Her father must have been at his wits' end to have tried something so desperate.

Giovanni entered, his facial expression somewhat more tender. "Isabella," spoke he in a low tone, "I am not into this myself but we must make this agreement. Otherwise, they will defeat us and demolish whatever remains from our father's life work. Only you can help us settle this".

She stared at her brother, examining his countenance for some hint of reassurance, but found only cold pragmatism. The whole family counted on her for deliverance. They expected her to save them from their travails.

"Do not compel me," she responded, hesitantly but challengingly. "Not in such a manner."

Her father's eyes burned with both anger and hurt, "I am your father Isabella and you will do as I command."

For Isabella, the finality in his words was chilling. Trapped couldn't even begin to describe how she felt. No other fate or option was open to her except to marry Allesandro Rossi if they wanted to survive as a family.

She was thinking very fast on how she could escape. There was just simply no way she would manage it without destroying her family.

Mixed emotions of fear and anger were causing a lot of pain in her chest. "When am I meeting him?"

"Tomorrow,¨ Giovanni answered in a monotone voice. "At noon," he added.

Under the table, her hands balled into fists. Less than twenty-four hours from now. She did not have much time before meeting the man who would determine what becomes of her life. Less than a day before seeing Alessandro Rossi, her nightmare of many years.

In addition, she would marry him.

---

The night was hazy, restive thoughts and feelings colliding and co-mingling like whirlwinds in Isabella's mind. There was no sleep for her tonight as she lay on her bed, looking at the ceiling, replaying her father's words. Tomorrow she would face the man who was about to plunder everything from her. Tomorrow she would become a pawn in the deadly game of mafia politics.

She permitted herself one instant of fragility within her poorly lit room. Her tears made their way down her face and she wiped them off in fury. She could not be weak at present. Not when everything in her life was at stake.

The first light of dawn crept through the windows, and at this moment Isabella realized that she could not escape this. She was going to confront her destiny no matter what, even though it was frightening.

As the sun positioned itself high in the sky, she found herself inside the lavish entrance hall at De Luca Estate with her heart thudding violently against her chest wall while she stood there motionless. She was wearing an uncomplicatedly elegant black gown; her hair was a straight black cascade of dark rigolets with a soft touch upon her back. Her face was all blank, hiding agitation on the inside with a neutral expression.

The sound of crunching tires could be heard on the gravel outside, and Isabella's breath caught in her throat as the front doors creaked open to reveal Alessandro Rossi, flanked by two of his men. Far taller than she would have thought, Alessandro held the space before him with an air of peril. His suit fitted impeccably; nonetheless, this stood in sharp contrast to the frosty solemnity behind his dark eyes. Her world stopped when his gaze met hers. Alessandro Rossi turned out to be every bit as frightening as people had claimed he was in the rumours. Finally, it was Isabella's time to face him.

With a slow, deliberate stride, he approached, his lips curling into a dangerous smile. "Isabella De Luca," he said, his voice low and smooth, like velvet over steel. "It's a pleasure to finally meet my future wife."

Her stomach turned over as she gazed into his eyes. It suddenly hit her that things wouldn't be the same for her anymore.