Chapter 4 Alliances and Favor

Alex Pov

Alliances and Favor

The mansion didn't simply stand; it commanded. Its doors were shoulders squared, and carved with swirling vines. An enormous leather sofa sagged in the centre, while a crystal chandelier hung above.

My father sat down on the couch, fingers steepled, his gaze fixed directly on me. Most people called him Sebastian Moretti, but to me he'd always been Dad-a title that felt smaller than the man wearing it.

"I can't marry Vivian, Dad. I just can't."

"Listen, Alex," he said. "She's your childhood friend. You two are close, What's so bad about marrying her now? I know you're not seeing anyone, so marrying Vivian isn't a problem. You're getting married to her. That's final."

"Dad, who told you I have no one?" I snapped back. "I have a girlfriend. Since you're pushing me to get married so soon, I'll bring her to you."

My father raised his brow, "A girlfriend? I know you, Alex. What game are you playing?"

He was right. In the past I'd played games, had one-night stands with girls whose names I barely remembered. But thinking about Adeline was different. I'd never fantasized about a girl this way, never actually loved anyone. Sex had been easy, and she wasn't.

"It's not a game, Dad," I said. "I have a girlfriend."

He sighed, leaning back, "If that's what you want, fine by me. Bring her tomorrow." Then he stood and walked away.

My father was the kind of man who never forced me to do what I didn't want to do. Or at least I used to believe that. Right now it felt as if there was something between him and Vivian's family I didn't understand. Even when he'd wanted me to take over Moretti's Empire we'd argued, and in the end he'd let it go. I'd refused because I didn't want to live off my father's wealth.

My phone blinked.

"I'm at your gate, I think there is something wrong with your guard."

I scoffed, and headed for the door, "Hey, let him in," I told the guard. Then I went back to the sofa.

Xavier walked in, "Alex Moretti," he said, glancing at me.

I scoffed, "Xavier Falcone."

He was fond of calling me by my full name; I'd learned to throw it back at him when I was too tired to respond any other way.

Xavier's expression turned stern, "Let's talk about business."

I raised an eyebrow, "Is it about the new resorts we are handling?"

Xavier shook his head, "The restaurant owner in Queens. Owes my father's men fifty thousand dollars. He's about to disappear. My father, what's to know if your trucks can move his kitchen equipment and some gadget before the cops show up."

I rubbed my temples, "Xavier, I told you. I don't mix my company with your father's loan business."

He grinned, "Relax, it's just storage space. You have warehouses, we both make money."

I glanced at him, "And when someone gets shot over that? Whose name is on the trucks?"

"Yours," he said. "You're Moretti, you can get past it."

"I'm not interested," I shrugged.

"You think I like this? I'm not part of my father's world. I've never touched his loan business. But he's threatening me, Alex. If I don't do this one job, he will drag me through his mess, I'm stuck."

I let out a breath, "You should've told me sooner."

"I didn't want to drag you into it," he said. "But I can't handle this alone."

I studied him, he wasn't the type of man trying to pull me into the mud; this was my close friend.

"You're not your father," I said. "You've kept clean all these years. I know that."

He gave a shaky laugh, "Try telling him that."

I walked around the desk and clasped his shoulder, "Alright, I'll help you. But we do it my way. I'm not letting him use you like this.

He smiled, "Thank you Alex."

I scoffed, "Whatever."

Xavier leaned back in his chair, "So, about the resort. We can't just slap a name on it and expect people to come. We need the experience to be as exclusive as our clients."

I nodded, tapping my fingers on the desk, "Agreed. I've been thinking about villas. Private pools, it shouldn't be that flashy, but luxurious in a subtle way. I think people pay for privacy, not gold-plated chandeliers. What do you think?"

He grinned, "Exactly."

"Come to think of it, Alex."

"Your dad texted me," he said. "Who's that girl?"

I arched my brow, "Girl?"

"Don't play dumb. You claimed to have a girlfriend."

"I lied, there's no girl," I said, standing up. I already knew my father wouldn't believe me and would run a background check. I'd prepared fake scenarios just in case.

Xavier followed me down the stairs. He was on my back and there was no shaking him today. I halted and faced him.

"That girl..." he said, arcing a brow. "The same girl you kept denying you were obsessed with?"

I shrugged and opened my room door.

"Tell me," he purred. "Why aren't you talking?"

I ignored him.

He grinned cheekily, "I knew it. It's been over two years, hasn't it? You came to meet my father and did what you've never done in your life. I knew something was wrong but you just kept denying it."

He would taunt me with this now that he'd pieced it together. My father has ruined it for me.

The first time I saw her photo with Giovanni Falcone. Xavier's father, the man who owned half the city's debts, I thought she was the one who borrowed money, then I had a plan...but I had a change of plan after finding out that it was her mother.

My muscles tightened, I couldn't stop thinking about her, it wasn't love, not the way people write songs about it. I wanted to know everything about her; where she lives, who she talked to, what she liked.

I've never been the kind of man who cared about anything that wasn't my business. I only cared about my company but Adeline....I went further, paid people, pulled strings.

I hate admitting it, even in my own head, but for a year and a half that's what I became. Whether her mother accepted my money or not, I knew a hundred ways to make Adeline mine.