Betrothed to The Don.

I stare at the back of the head of the man sitting four rows ahead of me. He's yelling at someone over the phone. Probably his personal assistant, Pietro. Poor guy.

He must sense that he's being watched because he turns and looks straight at me. I don't break eye contact, though. I stare at him head-on like he taught me to. He doesn't say another word to Pietro, except to stare at me intently... like he's looking into my soul through my eyeballs. I break out into a sweat from nervousness because I am no longer comfortable. We've been staring at each other for a minute now.

I'm about to give up when he smiles and breaks eye contact. I'm jumping internally but I don't smile back at him. He doesn't deserve my smile.

"What did he do to you this time?" Antonio, my older brother, sits beside me.

He knows damn well why my mood is sour. It's always like this whenever I'm in the same room with our father. Well... not a room per say. We're sitting at the airport waiting for the go ahead from our family pilot, Edward, that the jet is ready for take off.

"Bambina..." That's the Italian word for baby. Only my brother calls me that and I love him for it. I swear, Antonio acts like my personal bodyguard. He's never too far away from me except when he's at work with dad. He has always treated me like an egg, protecting me from things I know nothing of. I guess it's normal to want to protect me, considering he's my elder brother. If I must say, I've made his job quite easy since I'm always keeping to myself. "... you know you can't ignore him forever, right? It's been three months." He finishes.

Of course I know that. But I'm certainly not going to admit it.

"He doesn't want me to have a life!" I whisper yell at him. I'm just so tired. Tired of my dad. Tired of everyone acting like everything is okay when it isn't.

"You know that's not true, Lucia. Dad just wants what's best for you. "

"I'm sick of hearing you say that." I say, already tired of this conversation.

Over a year ago, I met this really cute guy, Alfred. Alfred was a sweetheart who was also my first kiss. I had my first date with him and I really did like him, though we never slept together. We just weren't ready for that. Well technically I was the one who wasn't ready. I just felt that the time wasn't right for sex which I was a hundred percent sure that he totally understood.

Three months ago, since Antonio was out of the country on a business trip, I told my dad about him which I eventually learnt to be a grave mistake because that became the last time I ever saw him. Alfred broke up with me via text. I don't know for a fact, but I have a hunch that my dad was behind the breakup. Because it made no sense.

I cried for a while but eventually I realized that I was only wasting my precious tears on the spineless asshole. The least he could do was give me a call.

"I'm sure you do, and I'm also sure he feels like shit too." I nearly forgot Antonio was still here.

"As he should." I turn away from him, crossing my arms over my chest with my chin raised high. Antonio gives up and hands me my overnight bag.

I still don't know where we're even going. Dad just gave me instructions to pack a bag for a short trip to Russia. I can't say I was eager to do so but I wasn't left with a choice because it wasn't a request. It sounded urgent yet... sad? I was probably overthinking things. I have it in mind to ask Antonio about the purpose of the trip when he says "Walk with dad. He has something to tell you." With that, he walks away to get his bag and heads outside. Edward must have called already.

I turn to look at dad who is still sitting and walk towards him.

"Antonio said you have something to say to me. What do you want?" I say in a sort of hostile tone. I would be lying if I said I didn't mean to, but seeing his reaction breaks my heart. I've never spoken to him in such a rude manner. Ever. I expect him to react but seeing him do quite the opposite is way worse. "I'm sorry, dad. I didn't mean to be rude." I gently sit beside him.

"What's the problem?" I ask because I'm genuinely concerned.

Everyone is probably seated at the jet by now including Pietro who walked in minutes after his conversation with my dad. "Is something wrong with the business?" I ask again because he isn't saying anything.

He seems to be figuring out a way to tell me something. It's almost like he wants to break a news to me.

Upon realization, I ready myself. To be honest, I'm not really bothered. What news could be as bad as the heartless breakup text I got months ago?

"The Russian mafia is interested in you for their son, Lucia." my dad finally speaks.

I look at him with an open mouth. The Russian what wants me for who?

How?

How do they know me?

I don't think I'm even asking the right questions.

"M-me? How?" Is all that comes out of my mouth.

"It has always been the plan, il mio bambino" That's Italian for my child. But I don't think I'm in the right mood or state of mind to appreciate the endearing term. No.

"What is that supposed to mean? If it's a mutual agreement, then the Russians aren't the only ones who want this to happen. You do too!" I still realize I haven't asked the question that matters. "Why are you involved with the Russian mafia, dad?"

I think I already know the answer to this. I'm no fool. I've just never wanted to acknowledge it. Why else would both Dad and Antonio be so protective of me? I see the guy who follows me every single day I step out of the house when i was still volunteering at an animal shelter. At first I thought I was just being paranoid, but then I saw him again and again and again and thereafter, I just got used to his presence. I used to think he wasn't aware that I had blown his cover, but eventually I realized he was very much aware. I'm that observant.

I had friends in school whose families were part of the mafia. No, scratch that. I knew people. My friends were as innocent as they came.

I think.

I always suspected my family was into drugs or something like that. But hearing this... this is way beyond something like that.

"Because I am the Italian mafia's Capo di tutti capi"

Boss of all bosses

Boss of all bosses?

Boss of all bosses?!

So my dad's like the bosses, bosses...boss? I want to be impressed. Hell! I am actually really impressed but I can't shake off the fact that an arranged marriage has long been planned on my behalf. It's not like there's anyone I'm currently dating or in love with- thanks to you know who- but still. It's my life these two syndicates are toying with. I must have thought that last part out loud because my dad quickly interjects. "We are not toying with your life, my child. It is just what must be done"

"What did you think, dad? That you'd tell me to marry some Russian stranger and I would agree to it?" Now I am angry. How stupid do they think I am to accept such a proposal? I say they because there is no way Antonio doesn't know about this. That's why he ran off to the jet.

Coward

"No baby. He's no stranger to the family"

"Do I know him?" I know the answer is a No, but I want him to say it.

"Not yet..." and there it is. I'm about to give a reply when he finishes with finality in his voice. "But you will in a few hours"

Then it dawns on me that this is exactly what I packed an overnight bag for.

Four hours later, we arrive the capital of Russia, Moscow. It's a big and gorgeous city. If it were under normal circumstances, I would have definitely loved to tour this place. It has always been a dream to visit St. Basil's Cathedral, The Kremlin, amongst other historical sites. But I'm only here for... business.

Fuck my life.

Antonio tries for the umpteenth time to start a conversation with me in the car but I ignore the coward. I should feel bad for insulting him in my head but I don't. He deserves more than an insult.

So much for being my bodyguard.

"Where are we going? I direct my question at no one in particular but Antonio picks the opportunity to talk to me.

"A restaurant..." I know what he's probably about to say next but I interrupt him. Aside from not being in the mood to hear it, I'm confused on why we're going to a restaurant instead of the home of my potential husband.

"We'll be picked up from there, il mio bambino" My dad says, as if reading my mind.

The car goes quiet for another thirty minutes before we arrive at the restaurant.

My God! I thought this would be like a diner or cafe type of restaurant but I'm looking at a fine dining- most definitely 5 star- restaurant. It's beautiful and so big. Even in day time, the restaurant is quite occupied.

We exit the car only to get into another. This time, there are six exquisite SUV convoys driving with us. Two in front and three behind us. All with tinted glasses.

Antonio sits in front, while I, and my dad are at the back.

"We're 15 minutes out." the driver informs. With that piece of information, I begin to fidget. The reality of my future only draws nearer as this car is in motion. I'll be married to a complete stranger in a few months.

I don't even know what he looks like. Maybe I shouldn't have ignored Antonio. What if the son the both families wants me to get married to is an old wrinkled man? What if that's what Antonio was trying to tell me all along?

There's both an upside and downside to my situation. The upside being that if he's that old, he might die soon enough and then I'll be free.

Right?

The downside being that I might have to get blood on my hands if the old bastard is a dick to me. I'm good with knives, you know.

The ding of my phone pulls me out of my fumbled thoughts.

Antonio: You've gotta calm down.

Lucia: I am calm.

Antonio: I know you're not. You're visibly nervous.

Lucia: Well maybe if you had given me a heads up, I would've been more prepared.

Antonio: I'm sorry, Bambina. This is just tradition.

Lucia: How did I not know this family is the mafia? I'm 24 for crying out loud.

Antonio: Don't feel stupid, baby.

Why gee thanks

Antonio: mum wanted it that way until you were old enough. She didn't want you to know too much so you would be safe.

I sigh because frankly I think I understand. I never really knew my mum because she died a year after I was born. I can understand a mother not wanting her child to have the knowledge of such a violent world.

Lucia: What's he like?

Antonio: Who?

Lucia: The man I'm getting married to.

This time I don't look at my phone. I'm looking directly at my brother because I want to see his reaction to my question, and suddenly I wish I hadn't seen it. He doesn't reply my question either. The repeated appearing and disappearing of the three dots is enough to tell me what I'm up against.

♧♧♧

Upon our arrival, a beautiful blonde steps out of the Mansion. Well, more like 'excitedly runs' out of the Mansion. An older man who looks to be the same age as my dad isn't far behind her. I'm guessing these are my to be in laws. As soon as we all meet in the middle, the lady pulls me into a warm hug. I'm taken aback by surprise.

"You must be the beautiful Lucia!" She squeaks excitedly. "I'm Olga Dmitry and this is my husband Maxim" She has both her palms on my cheek. Well that's an ugly name for a beautiful woman. I also refuse to believe that this woman is the wife of the Russian mafia head. She's like a room full of bubbles. Almost anyone can tell how much her husband loves her just from the way he looks at her alone.

I say my "hi." to the couple and step aside to stand beside my brother as the older adults greet themselves.

"That's a beautiful woman." Antonio says, looking at Olga.

"That's a married woman." I reply, amused. I'm not surprised. I don't know what attracts Antonio to older women. What surprises me though is that Olga and Maxim are the only ones who came out to welcome us. I don't see my future husband anywhere in sight. I decide not to think much about it. Maybe he's busy or hasn't yet arrived.

"Do come inside, my darlings. Lunch is about to be served."

The interior of the Dmitry mansion is even more beautiful than the exterior. First, the grand entrance of the mansion is nestled behind an ornate wrought-iron gate. As we step through the massive double doors, the foyer unfolds like a scene from a bygone era. Intricately patterned marble flooring stretches out beneath a glittering crystal chandelier that gives the space a soft, warm glow.

Moving deeper, a grand staircase with a mahogany banister leads to the upper levels but of course we don't climb it. Instead we make a left turn to the insanely big sitting room with plush, velvet-upholstered chairs arranged around a marble fireplace. Their home is gorgeous.

I can see that the dining has already been set with more food than any of us can finish. But you know who I don't see? The man we flew all the way to see. One thing that I'm certain for sure is that based on the age of his parents, he isn't an old wrinkled man like I thought earlier.

"You must be wondering where dear Ivan is." Olga's sudden appearance startles me. Quite frankly, I always thought I did a good job of concealing my emotions and expressions. Apparently not.

"I am." I don't lie. "Did he know a marriage was arranged for him?"

"He has always known. It doesn't mean he likes the idea." she finishes with a sigh and looks at me "How about you? Are you okay with this? Getting married to a stranger." She seems genuinely concerned.

I take a seat next to Olga at the dining table. To her right is Maxim, who sits at the head of the table. My dad sits opposite Olga, and Antonio is opposite me. The only other available chair is the one opposite Maxim which remains empty for the next thirty minutes.

Within that time frame, I give Olga a reply to her earlier asked question. Am I okay with the idea of getting married to a stranger? No. Is anyone even really okay with such an idea?

I let her know that I wasn't even aware my family was part of the mafia world and in her words, "Your mother must have been an incredibly smart woman. If I had one, I wouldn't want my daughter involved either."

It has been an hour now and we've all had lunch. We've cleared the dining area and are currently seated in the sitting room. The parents seem to be having a good time as they are discussing and laughing over tea. Antonio left briefly to answer a call he said couldn't wait.

And then there's me seated on one of the sofas wondering what to do. Ugh! For not bothering to show up, Ivan must be a real dick. I get he might not like the idea of being stuck with a stranger for the rest of his life but the common courtesy of showing up would have sufficed. I don't like the idea either but I'm here aren't I?

Well, it's not like I had much of a choice anyway, considering I was already at the airport when I got the news.

Suddenly feeling the urge to pee, I excuse myself to find the restroom. I get to the head of the staircase and pause because for a second, I'm considering running up those flights of stairs just to get to a restroom.

Abandoning the idea, I make a left in the corridor and begin to open a few doors as I go. Now I'm wondering why I didn't ask for directions and why I decided to wear a catsuit today of all days. I'm so pressed but I have no one but myself to blame for drinking so much water... and juice.

I'm wearing a black long-sleeved catsuit that thankfully has a midsection to neck front zipper which I zipped just enough to show a little cleavage. My jumpsuit is paired with a light blue cropped denim jacket and a pair of cute blue and white Jordans.

I'm about to open another door when it opens at the same time I'm about pushing it. I halt, coming face to chest with a man. I step back from the over 6 ft man because he's obviously way taller than I am, and my o my does my pee go back inside. On seeing this man, I'm hit with different emotions. I'm amazed and excited yet bewildered, and ... disappointed?

This man is the raw definition of Tall, handsome, and sexy. His dark hair is as if he'd continuously run his fingers through them, and my God, those eyes are a mesmerizing brown. Christ! He's wearing a white shirt buttoned up halfway and exposing his chest. The shirt is folded at the sleeve revealing strong forearms, and tucked into a dress pants. I see tattoos on his chest and forearms while his fingers are adorned with a few silver rings.

If this is the man I'll be marrying, count me in. I can only hope his character is as good as he looks because then he totally has nothing to be worried about on my part. Looking at him adjusting his rolex on his wrist, I'm hit with a feeling of déjà vu because I'm very sure I've seen this face before. I just can't recall where or when.

I'm not entirely sure this is Ivan. For all i know, it could even be his brother or someone else but if this is actually him, I can't help feeling disappointed that he has been in this house all along and didn't even bother showing up for lunch at least or to see who he would be marrying. There's no way he didn't know we would be coming.

I'm guessing he didn't intend to get caught by me because he looks a little flushed like he'd just had sex.

My guess is correct because just as I'm about to apologize for almost barging into the room, from inside the room, I see a blonde approach. He shifts a bit to make way for her to pass.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Ivan" She says in a Russian accent on her way out with a sensual walk, each step exuding confidence and allure.

We both watch her leave. Me, out of wonder. Ivan, out of... lust? From the atmosphere, it's evident they just had sex. Could she be his lover or was that just a casual fling?

To get out of this disrespectful situation, I turn to leave, my urge to pee completely gone.

"Try not to let your mouth loose when you're back out there, Lucia." Ivan says to me before he turns back into the room, and shuts the door behind him.

I'm in literal shock as I stand there, dumbfounded at the disregard even as he knows exactly who I am.

"Girl, he what?!" One of my best friends, Andrea exclaims. So far she's been the only one actually saying any words. Sophie and Kim are still dumbfounded just like I was last week.

I called the girls out for lunch mostly because it was high time we had our monthly meetup. We're seated on the roof top of an exquisite restaurant having lunch and catching up on life like we usually do monthly. It has been six months since we all graduated from college, and because everyone has real life things going on in our lives, meeting up has been a little bit difficult. It's either I and Andrea are present in New York when Sophie and Kim aren't or it's vice versa. On occasions like that, whoever isn't physically present, joins us virtually. Currently Kim isn't present so she's on a video call having lunch on the other end.

"Please tell me you have a picture." Sophie looks at me.

"And risk my phone being contaminated? No, thank you." I reply seriously.

"His name then?" Kim asks from over the phone, getting ready to stalk him.

"Ivan Dmitry." I laugh and wait for what comes next. Frankly speaking, It didn't occur to me to look him up on the Internet when i flew back into New York. I was just too pissed.

I take another fork of my pasta, while the others except Kim dig into their meals too. Kim is typing away furiously when all of a sudden she stops.

"This is the Ivan you're getting married to?" Kim swoons from over the phone. "I honestly don't know why you're complaining."

"What did you find on him?" Andrea and Sophie ask almost at the same time. She's now looking at something behind us so we follow suit and sitting all pretty on a rolex ad billboard is Ivan Dmitry. He looks as handsome as he does in real life. It's a shame that he's a dick too.

No wonder I thought he looked familiar when I saw him fastening his rolex last week. Ivan's an ambassador to the brand which only means he has a huge following and an even greater social network.

I start laughing. I don't know why, but it's definitely not out of amusement. How is it possible for a man of his caliber to blend perfectly in both worlds?

One thing I know for sure is that Ivan Dmitry isn't just anyone. He isn't just a mafia lord or what the people of my world... well, former world thinks he is. He is so much more and that scares me a lot.