Chapter 2 FIRST MEETING ¹

CHAPTER TWO

ALESSANDRO

What do you mean? I asked livid. This is ridiculous, Mum, why do you get to choose who I marry? The girl in question is barely a proper adult, with an age gap of six years. The condition was that I get engaged, but it didn't state that you get to pick who I marry?

Allow me to explain, my Mum said softly as she tried to pull me down to my chair. It is the only way we can win the upcoming war, they are the only people with the resources we need to fight the battle upfront, My father explained sternly with finality in his voice.

I sigh in defeat, if we get engaged now, when is the wedding? After the war, the deal was that if we won, you'd get married, My Father explained. You will get to meet each other in a week and after the engagement, she will begin staying with you, My Mum further explained. If that's all, I would like to get going, I have a lot to do at the office. I said as I walked away.

As soon as I returned to the office, Lorenzo barged into my office. Hey, what did they say?

Don't you know how to knock? What if you walked in on me with someone? I asked him.

That's impossible for such a good and prim Mafia Boss like you, don't you think so? Besides, you are about to get engaged, you would not be going around doing such things, would you? Lorenzo asked with a shit-eating grin. I quickly grabbed a book from my office desk and threw it at him, but, unfortunately, he was quick enough to dodge it.

Oh, shut up, you motherfucker, I said. Oh, the actual reason I came here, the private investigation team has some new findings so they would like to meet with you tonight, Lorenzo said. Alright, see you at 9pm, now get out of my office, I said, faking annoyance.

Lorenzo is the closest person to me apart from my twin brother, who was murdered by an unknown gang years back, and we have been trying to track them down since. We are going to find them soon enough, and they will be punished accordingly.

NIGHT TIME, 9PM

As I drove out of my villa around 9pm sharp, I saw Lorenzo already waiting for me by the gate. I stopped the car and he got in. Your private investigator sent the location for our meeting tonight, Lorenzo said as he typed the location in the car's GPS and I began driving.

About forty-five minutes later, we arrived at the location and had to pass some security protocols before getting inside. We met the private investigation team already seated and got seated as well.

The team leader of the private investigation team said, We've got something big. The CCTV footage from the street camera a block away from the crime scene just came in.

I looked up from my phone, intrigued. What did you find?

His eyes sparkled. Even though we couldn't get a clear view of his face, we are still checking for other CCTV cameras around the crime scene. He was walking down the street, looking over his shoulder, about 10 minutes before the estimated time of death.

That's great progress, I said, impressed. Can we enhance the footage?

He nodded sadly, indicating no. We're working on it, but even with enhancement, the image is not clear enough to run facial recognition software.

The team leader's expression turned determined. Let's get the facial recognition results and see if we can match our suspect to any known individuals in the database.

Alright, I will be hoping to get some positive results on that, I said slightly relieved and slightly disappointed. Moreover, I would like for you to do a proper check on this person, I said, dropping a picture of my supposed fiancée with a name in it, "SOFIA CARMELO". I want every information you can find on her, all the places she has gone to, all the people she has dated, all the little details you can find on her.

ONE WEEK LATER

I slowly opened my eyes, the warm sunlight streaming through the window piercing through my brain like a dagger. I groggily reached over to my bedside table and slapped the snooze button on my alarm clock, silencing the incessant beeping. My mind was foggy, my body heavy with the weight of a restless night's sleep.

As I sat up, my gaze wandered around the room, taking in the familiar surroundings. My eyes landed on the clock, and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. 9:00 AM. Earlier than I wanted to wake up, but I had a long day ahead of me.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and planted my feet firmly on the ground. The cool floorboards were a welcome respite from the warmth of my bed. I yawned, stretching my arms above my head, and arched my back, feeling the satisfying crack of my spine.

With a newfound sense of determination, I stood up and shuffled towards the bathroom to start my day. The refreshing splash of water on my face helped to shake off the remnants of sleep, and I felt more alert, ready to tackle whatever the day had in store for me.

I walked back to my room and picked up my phone, to check my schedule for the day. I noticed that I was supposed to meet my fiancée by 11:00 AM today to get to know each other. Likewise, I groaned, already dreading the meet-up as I walked towards my walk-in closet to pick the outfit of the day.

After getting ready, I trudged to my car, the sunlight irritating my already foul mood. I would rather not be doing this. I would rather not go to Emily's house, pretending to be interested in her family's inane chatter and forced smiles.

About forty minutes later, I arrived at her house, parked my car in the garage and strolled majestically inside the house. Mrs. Carmelo ushered me to a seat while putting on an almost real smile.

Mr. Alessandro, thanks for being patient. I will go and check on her now, Mrs. Carmelo spoke to me nervously. No, it's fine, I replied in a bored tone. If she was going to take the whole day, she could as well let me know, I thought while scrolling through my phone.

Good afternoon, Mr. Alessandro, Sofia walked up to me and greeted me softly. I raised my head and gazed directly into her eyes, making her face flushed.

As I caught sight of her, my gaze lingered, taking in the sight of her sparkling eyes. I couldn't help but notice the way her long, curly brown hair cascaded down her back. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with warmth, and her smile lit up the entire room. She had a petite frame, but her presence seemed to fill the surrounding space.

Her skin had a radiant glow, and her full lips curved into a gentle smile. I found myself drawn to her effortless charm and the sweet innocence that shone through her eyes and smile, giving her an endearing and naive quality.

I quickly cleared my throat to regain myself and nodded in response to her greeting. This girl will be the bane of my existence, I thought while I resumed staring at her.