Chapter 6 Mafia rule

Candela's P.O.V

The shock from yesterday still marred my skin. How was I so unfortunate? An arranged marriage,and to make matters worse, it had to be with a man who was rude, arrogant, and fucking egoistic. What did I ever do to God?

I needed to talk to someone about this. Maybe the burden in my chest would ease, or the bile of rage boiling inside me would finally cool off.

I had half-expected Salvatore to stay away and not demand his rights as my so-called husband, but maybe he was just busy,or perhaps, I wasn't his type like he had so graciously stated. Either way, I was relieved I wasn't obligated to fuck him. Hopefully not now, hopefully never.

I lay in bed, staring at the reflection of the early morning sun on the wall, too emotionally unstable to get up and face the day. Then a knock echoed at my door. I didn't respond at first,I stiffened instead.

What if it was Salvatore? What if he had come to demand my submission?

I didn't think I had the strength to fight. Not today. Not without disappointing Brian.

I clutched the sheets closer to my chest as the knock persisted, my heart pounding faster with every second.

"Miss?" came the voice of the elderly maid from across the door. Relief washed over me instantly.

"Come in," I called, only to realize I had locked the door last night,probably thanks to my paranoid fear of surrendering my body to a monster. I threw off the sheets, walked to the door, and opened it.

There she stood, dressed in her uniform, her hair pinned tightly into a bun, her expression as stern as ever.

"Good day, Miss. The arrangements for the arrival of your family and friends have begun. We need your presence to finalize the preferences," she said crisply, her eyes scanning me like I was a checklist.

Shit. I had forgotten.

How could I have forgotten?

And then, like an unwanted guest, Salvatore's parting words from last night returned to me:

"Keep your family away from me."

"Fucking pollita," I muttered under my breath. Of course, his arrogant ass would want to be excluded from a ceremony that involved both of us.

"Meaning?" the maid...Eva, I remembered,raised a brow at me.

I blinked. "I'm sure you can carry on without me. Just... don't add nuts to any of the food."

She opened her mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it and walked away without another word.

If I didn't know better, I'd think she hated me. But whatever her problem was, it wasn't mine. I didn't come here to be liked.

It was a Mafia tradition to visit a newlywed couple with gifts. The gathering was meant for the bride's family and friends, along with a few select members of the groom's inner circle,nothing more, nothing less.

***

The music played subtly downstairs. I was dressed in a white, knee-length flared gown. My hair had been slicked back into a wet, sleek style, and my makeup was mild but flawless. I looked good,perfect even but I didn't feel good.

A knock sounded at my door, and I sighed, heading to open it.

But it flung open before I reached it.

Carina and Allegra burst in, wearing grins, their energy infectiously bright. I yelped with excitement and hugged them tightly as they complimented my look.

Then Allegra spoke, her voice curious. "I saw that asshole from the club as I was coming up here. He looked real comfortable in this house. Like, too comfortable. Why is he here?"

I froze. My smile slipped, and I quietly went to sit on the edge of the bed.

Carina was the first to pick up on it. Her eyes widened. "No way..." she had always been the smartest one.

I nodded, my lips pressed together tightly.

"What's wrong?" Allegra asked, confused, her gaze bouncing between us. "Wait...what's going on?"

Carina didn't take her eyes off me. "That's her husband."

Allegra's eyes grew so wide, I was afraid they'd pop out of her skull.

"Don't say it like that," I muttered. "It makes me cringe."

"I'm so sorry Bella mia," Allegra said and hugged me closer to her.

Before anyone could say more, a loud announcement rang out from downstairs:

"The bride and the groom should get ready. They will be summoned shortly."

Just great.

"I guess we need..." Carina trailed off as the door flung open yet again.

"I need to speak to my daughter..." it was Brian, he had arrived and no one informed me. I had given Eva a specific plea to alert me when my "father" as they believed arrived.

Allegra huffed angrily and stood up, throwing a glare at Brian,she walked off, as Carina trailed behind her. Allegra had made her dislike for Brian known since she found out about the wedding arrangement.

"I missed you," I hugged him affectionately but he stood stiffly, his hand firmly at his sides. When he didn't pull me in, I stepped back. It wasn't unusual, Brian was not an emotional person. A fact I've come to terms with.

"I would love to share in your excitement but where the fuck is Salvatore?" He spat out. His eyes,hard with fury.

"I...I don't give a fuck about that murderers location,"

Brian's eyes darkened at my choice of words. "Now, you be careful with how you use that word around here, girl," he warned, his voice low but sharp. "We don't want our cover blown."

I lifted my chin defiantly. "I don't care."

His jaw ticked. "Well, you better start caring."

Before I could respond, the announcement rang out again:

"The bride and groom should be ready to come out in ten minutes."

Brian cursed under his breath, then suddenly grabbed my wrist, his grip firm, almost bruising. "My family...our family is about to experience their biggest embarrassment if Salvatore doesn't show up. Do you want that?"

"I don't care if..."

"I overheard one of the elderly maids saying her boss doesn't want to get involved," he hissed, cutting me off. "You know what that means? He's refusing to show up. And you're going to let him?"

I yanked my hand back. "Why are you acting like this is my fault?"

He stepped closer, his voice turning ice cold. "Because if this doesn't work, your dead parents will be disappointed in how you threw away an opportunity to give them justice."

The air left my lungs.

"Fix this Candela, get him out there now,"

He didn't wait for my reply,just turned and walked out of my room, slamming the door behind him.

"Nine more minutes," the announcer's voice echoed again, giving me no room to breathe, let alone think.

My feet moved before I could stop them.

Out the room. Down the hall.

I didn't even know which door was his, but I had a damn good guess. The one at the far end of the hallway, the one guarded with silence and thick tension. I had cut Eva off of her tour yesterday when she pointed at this area as his.

I reached it and hesitated for half a second before knocking.

No answer.

I knocked again, harder this time.

Still nothing.

I was done being ignored.

I turned the handle and pushed the door open.

There he was.

Salvatore.

Sitting on the edge of a velvet chair like it was a throne, one leg raised up, his shirt unbuttoned halfway to reveal the toned chest I hated myself for noticing. His hair was slightly tousled like he'd just rolled out of bed or tumbled out of someone's sheets and his gaze was anything but lazy.

It was piercing.

Hungry.

And pointed right at me.

My breath caught, and my stomach twisted. This wasn't fair. He had no right to look that devastating.

His lips curved into a slow, mocking smile. "Did you come here to beg me to fulfill my wedding obligations, wife?"

Wife.

That word felt like a slap to the face.

His eyes dragged down my body lazily, unapologetically, until heat crawled up my neck and pooled somewhere dangerous. I crossed my arms tightly across my chest, more for protection than modesty.

I clenched my jaw. "I came to tell you to come downstairs."

He tilted his head lazily, as if my words didn't matter. "And why would I do that?"

"Because it's your fucking ceremony, Salvatore."

He scoffed, pushing himself off the chair with the grace of a predator. "I already told Eva...I want no part in it."

My fists balled at my sides. "Then you'll be the disgrace of the night."

He smirked, amused, like I was a child throwing tantrums. "Wrong again. Your family will be the one publicly humiliated. Not me. After all..." He walked toward me, each step deliberate. "You're the desperate ones. Not me."

Fucking cunt.

I opened my mouth to fire back but froze,Brian's voice ringing in my head like a curse.

> "Your dead parents will be disappointed in how you threw away an opportunity to give them justice."

I bit down on my tongue so hard I tasted blood.

Silence fell between us, heavy and choking.

Then he leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "I'll come. But on one condition."

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

"You take this off..." he gestured to the white shirt on his body, "...and pick something new for me to wear."

My heart nearly stopped. "Never happening."

"Then you know the way out," he said calmly, already turning his back on me.

I spun toward the door, anger thudding through my veins. Fine. Let him rot in here. Let the whole house fall into disgrace.

> "Five more minutes until the newlyweds make their appearance," the announcer's voice blared from the speaker.

Shit.

I froze. My hand was on the doorknob.

My pride screamed at me to walk out.

But the words were slipping off my tongue before I could stop them.

"...Fine. I'll do it."