Bound by Honour

Antonio Gustaw's POV

I sat behind my desk, the weight of the family name heavy on my shoulders. The low hum of voices outside my study room, the distant clink of glasses, the sharp laughter coming from my men were the only sounds surrounding me and filling the silence I felt.

I knew this moment would come but I'd prayed it wouldn't come so soon. I glanced down at my trembling hands and forced them to stay still. I murmured to myself continuously, "A leader can never show weakness. Never!"

Few minutes later, I heard a soft knock on the door. Marcello, my cousin and the consigliere, stepped in, shutting the door quietly. His face wide, and his expression readeable. I already knew what he was going to say.

"Don, the Caporegime just confirmed it. Enzo Moretti and his family are on their way here." Marcello said in a low voice.

I closed my eyes in wariness briefly and said, "Enzo Moretti, the ruthless head of the Moretti family, a man I have been avoiding for years now. If he is coming here, it could only mean one thing- he has finally discovered my betrayal and is coming for war".

"Well", I paused, pushing my chair back and standing.

"We both know why he is on his way here so we have to prepare as much as we can. Double the security in-house, get our best shooters ready just in case. I know we are no match for the powerful Moretti's but we can try. When you are done, meet me here so we'll continue to think of ways to negotiate with them."

Marcello nodded quietly and hurried out to carry out my orders. As he left, the room grew colder and empty. My secret- The one I had kept hidden with me for fifteen years, was now a ticking bomb ready to explode. The betrayal of the Omertà, the sacred mafia code, wasn't something anyone could walk away from, not without paying a huge price.

Fifteen years ago, my wife, Elena's mother, was taken from me and I couldn't do anything about it. I felt devastated, depressed and desperate for a solution. Then the police dangled hope in front of me and promised her safe return if I gave them some information on two mafia dons. I was helpless, so I broke the code in exchange for my wife's safety.

I gave them what they wanted. And they still couldn't save her, she died anyway. I'd buried the guilt with me all these years, hoping no one would ever find out. But now Enzo Knew, and my family's very survival depended on whatever deal we could strike today.

I heard another knock on the door. I looked up just in time to see Marcello poke his head in, looking worried.

"Don, I was told they were on their way but not how close; now I know. The Morettis are so close, we do not have time to discuss any further."

"Damn it!"I said in a low voice.

Then continued, "All right then, he will meet me on the rooftop. Have Brienna bring up our newly produced banana cake bread, everyone loves it, with fruity sides and two wines from the cellar. Go! Go!"

I quickly headed to the rooftop and settled down. It has been my favorite place, I loved conducting meetings there because of its serenity. I had paid. a big fortune to interior designers to design the rooftop and make it comfortable for private meetings like this.

Today, though, the rooftop felt like a trap. A cage where I would meet the Lion himself but I decided to be brave not just for myself but my family.

By the time I arrived, I heard footsteps and knew that the Moretti boss had arrived. So I turned to see Enzo Moretti, his son, Luca Moretti and members of his mafia family headed towards me. Enzo and his son moved closer and sat down on the sofa opposite me but every other person stood around them, alert, waiting for the right time to strike.

Enzo Moretti spoke up immediately and sat down. "Antonio, I'll go straight to the point because my son and I have an event to attend in the next forty minutes. What you did was an utter betrayal and totally despicable".

I felt the muscles in my neck tighten as I tried to speak, "I can..." he cut off

"No you don't get to explain. If the others find out about your betrayal, your family will not only turn outcasts but you will be a wanted man. You are lucky Mateo is a member of the Moretti clan so I can make him stay quiet and bury every piece of evidence."

I felt tired and weary but I sat straight not wanting to show my fear. As a mafia boss, I would never show any sign of weakness to anyone. "Okay, thank you, Enzo, for choosing to sweep it all under the rug, but you and I know there's a catch. You are not that generous, so what do you want in return?"

Enzo laughed mischievously and said, "Come now, Antonio. When you put it like that, you paint me as a villain. I am doing you a favor here, you know, but then what do you possibly have that I would want? You know, when it comes to wealth and power, you are nowhere near me so what can you offer?

I knew I could be a dangerous man but I recognized a more dangerous man when I saw one and the two handsome men sitting in front of me were the very picture of that.

I noticed that they hadn't even touched the food or wine in front of them so I knew they had come to collect and nothing more. Nobody in their right senses would want to mess with the Morettis.

I racked my brain and said, "I could hand over some of my assets abroad to you." When they still wouldn't budge, I said, "I'll relinquish every single right to these assets. What if I add two of our vineyards to the promise of assets?"

"You test my patience, Antonio. What will I do with your measly assets and vineyards? I don't have all the time in the world." Enzo said irritatedly.

I thought hard, running out of options. I needed to offer him something, something that will bind our families together in a way he couldn't refuse but what was it?

And the first thing I could think of was "My late wife is from the powerful family of Capri in Russia. They are one of the five most powerful mafia families in Russia. If we arrange a marriage alliance between your family and mine, then you will have access to the Capri mobs."

"Finally! You have proposed something we can consider." Enzo said with a predatory grin, while his son Luca had an angry look on his face.

It was the first time I saw any emotion on Luca Moretti's poker face. I saw the disagreement on Luca's face but I couldn't care less and maintained my calmness.

"My daughter has been away in New York for many years but I will call her home if that's what you want so we can arrange the marriage. Your son and my daughter, a union that will make both families stronger and unbeatable".

"Yes, yes. That's what I want. If marriage to your daughter will give us access to the Capris, then that's what I want." Enzo said excitedly, then he stood up and started heading out to signify that the meeting was over. Then he turned and said, "Oh, Antonio? The wedding has to take place in two weeks."

Marcello came rushing to me when the Morettis left and said, "Wedding? Which wedding is he talking about?"

I slumped on my seat and said, "The only proposal he would accept was a marriage alliance between Elena and his son Luca so that they would have access to Russia."

"My God! What have you done, brother? Poor Elena!"

"I had no other choice. Either that or we face being hunted and killed like dogs. Besides, I have a plan to get every single piece of evidence they have and I will use this marriage alliance. This is so that they don't come back with another demand after the wedding."

At this point, I knew that my daughter would hate me if she heard about the arranged marriage plan, but I had no other choice.

I turned with resolve to Marcello and said, "Place a call through to Elena. Tell her to leave everything she is doing at the moment and come back home. She would find it strange and ask what is going on since she has not been home in the last eighteen years so tell her that there's an emergency."

Elena's Gustaw pov

I glanced around in awe at the display of wealth, luxury and opulence from the attendees of Vienna Costa's private party.

I walked arm in arm with my childhood friends, Rosa and Alejandro, behind our security personnel, who always followed us out of the Gustaw family mansion.

It was a party for young adults but not just any, as Vienno only invited the children of the most influential and wealthy mafia families.

Alejandro observed my reaction to the opulence of the party, then he shook his head and said sarcastically, "Lena darling, you're going to have to close your mouth sometime, or something will fly in and breed there, with the way it's wide open."

Rosa snickered wickedly and replied Alejandro, "Would you blame her? She has been abroad for many years. Now, she is back, and this is her first Coasta party. Everyone knows that the Coasta family throws the shiniest parties."

Alejandro snorted, then said dismissively, "If that's the excuse, Rosa, okay. Elena, darling, we know you are new to this circle so we'll show you who you can converse with, and who to avoid. There are places we can and cannot enter or sit."

I looked at him with a scrunched up forehead. "Oh, really? Why's that?"

"Well, darling, the Gustaw is a powerful family in our world but there are higher powers that be, and those that are beneath us."

I shook my head in confusion trying to understand what she meant. I thought to myself, "I would never understand this mafia family hierarchy nor was I interested in anything that had to do with the mafia world. I left that world a long time ago since I was eight years old and went to start a new life in New York".

My father had taken me there and remarried, after my mother died in a ghastly accident and I had grown up in New York only coming back to Los Angeles fifteen years later. After my father summoned urgently, for something he called "Family emergency!". He hasn't told me what it was about and I still wasn't sure.

Then we found a table at the back of the large hall and I couldn't shake off the unease I felt curling in my stomach. There was always something dangerous about being in these circles. Nothing was ever what it seemed and today wasn't different.

Alejandro ordered a waiter to get us three glasses of champagne while he exchanged cheerful greetings with other elegantly dressed young adults that passed by their table.

After the waiters set our glasses of champagne on the table, we each took a well-savored taste. Then Alejandro sighed pleasantly and said, " This is one of the reasons I love Vienno Costa's party so much, they throw the best parties!"

He turned towards me and asked, "I heard about the scuffle with Kitana. What was that about, Lena?"

I couldn't help but hiss in anger and said, "That brat who calls herself my half-sister! I don't know her; she doesn't know me so what the hell is her problem? And she started the fight! Going on about how I think I am some British princess, strutting around the mansion like it's some palace, it's obvious I don't have a mama or I wouldn't do that."

Rosa opened her mouth in shock "No way! She said that?"

Alejandro shook his head disapprovingly and said, "Typical of her. Maybe we should always have Luca around her somehow because she is unbelievably sweet and well-mannered whenever he is in the same building with her, even though he would never glance her way. Not in her lifetime, but we need a break from her nastiness."

Rosa laughed quietly, trying hard not to make it a guffaw so she would not be tagged "unrefined" by the elite society gathered.

"Luca? Who is Luca?" I asked curiously, turning my head expectantly from one childhood friend to the other.

"Well, speak of the devil," Alejandro said, nodding his head towards the entrance just as the atmosphere in the party changed. A group of men just entered the party and there was an excited buzz as if a celebrity had just arrived.

People kept whispering amongst themselves excitedly and I caught a few excited whispers: "He's here! Luca's here!

I couldn't help but notice some of the ladies adjusting their clothes to look sexier while checking to see if their hair and make-up were still intact.

The guys, on the other hand, stood straighter and puffed out their chests, giving off an air of importance.

I turned so I could at least catch a glimpse of the man who had so much power; he influenced the atmosphere of one of the most influential parties by just making an appearance. He didn't even say a word.

I recognized him immediately, as Vienno Costa had left his high and mighty VIP table to go say hello to Luca.

Luca was tall, with a muscled torso that stood out proudly. He had jet black hair that was sleeked back from his very handsome poker face.

Vienno motioned for him to join them in the VIP section but he declined. He then scanned the length of the room until his eyes landed on our table, then took purposeful steps towards us.

I was already bored with all that was going on as I turned and continued savoring my champagne while scanning the menu.

I saw food on the menu that looked yummy, so I was about to show Alejandro what I wanted to order when I heard shocking gasps and felt an intimidating presence around the table.

I looked up and I couldn't lie but my eyes met the prettiest and most mysterious blue eyes I had ever seen. Then I saw a glint of recognition flash through his eyes, it was like he knew who I was.

I waited patiently to hear what he wanted and why he was at my table.

Then he broke the silence and said, "I want to sit on this table with my brothers and sisters that came to this party with me, so I need you all to disappear". He said rudely, in heavily accented English.

Alejandro and Rosa hurriedly stood up, their instinct to obey overpowering any sense of loyalty but I dragged back to the seat. They turned and looked at me with largely bulging eyes. I almost bursted into laughter just by looking at their faces but I couldn't because of the situation we were in.

I looked at Luca calmly and said, "There are three empty tables on the other side and even another private section at the back. If you're looking for a place to sit with your family, you should check them out."

He looked at me with his icy blue eyes fixed on mine, and there was a flicker of something- surprise, maybe amusement? I couldn't place it, but his expression quickly hardened.

"Listen here, Britannia. Two things: one, I know there are other tables but I am deciding to use this one. Two, I am not asking; I am ordering you to leave."

I stared back at him, unflinching. "That's your problem, not mine".

"You are intolerably rude and uncouth, and that is totally preposterous. Oh, leave me alone, you guys. Let him go find another table and allow me to enjoy this party without being raucous." I said angrily to Alejandro and Rosa, who kept pinching me under the table so I would stop going hotly at Luca Moretti.

Alejandro looked around to see that people had started gathering to watch the historical showdown that had never happened before. Then he whispered to me from the corner of his mouth, "Lena, in the name of whatever has possessed you, please stop this because you clearly do not know what you are doing.

Luca stared at me hotly, then said, "You better listen to him."

"And you better get out of my face," I replied harshly.

I was confused when I saw an amused expression on his face briefly.

The tension between us was thick, like the calm before a storm. He stared at me dangerously with a sly smile on his face like he was planning something evil.

He took a step closer to me and just when I thought things were about to escalate, one of my security personnel came forward and whispered into my ear.

"There is an emergency at the house, Miss Gustaw. We need to leave now" he said urgently.

I looked worried immediately and said, "What!? Emergency at the house... Alejandro, Rosa, we have to go."

I stood up and started hurrying out but then I stopped in front of Luca and even though I only stood as tall as his chest, I looked at him, pointing my fingers up at him and said, "You are so lucky I have to leave urgently, you unrefined man."

Immediately after I said that and walked away, there was a loud whisper of "ooouuu" amongst the crowd.

And just as I reached the exit, I heard Luca's voice, low and amused. "Mmm, I see my wife-to-be has a razor-sharp mouth.

"Wife-to-be?"

I didn't turn around, but I could feel the malicious gleam in his words as he added, "Yes, she doesn't know that but she is about to find out.".

I tried not to pay much attention to his words but I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as the words "wife-to-be!" echoed continuously in my head.

Elena's Gustaw pov

I rushed over to the house, my chest pounding heavily with wild thoughts running through my head.

For a split second, I thought someone had died but as soon as I stepped through the gate, I couldn't believe my eyes.

The house was bustling with activities. I met interior decorators putting up decorations in different parts of the house and some men trying to put up a white outdoor canopy tent.

The maids were cleaning one spot or the other, and everyone was busy at work.

I froze in confusion, then murmured to myself. "What is going on here?"

That's when I saw Alejandro and Rosa standing close to the wall, I marched over to them, determined to get answers. "I don't understand. I was told that there was an emergency but this looks like preparation for a celebration."

Rosa was about to reply but got interrupted by Marcello. "Elena, there you are, darling. Everyone is seated at the table already, and we await your presence."

"Everyone? Table?" I asked but got hurriedly whisked away by Marcello.

We entered the large dining hall at my father's mansion. My breath hitched at the sight before me, I saw over fifteen people seated at the table already, with different delicacies and fine wine spread out on the length of the long table.

I recognized my father, Antonio Gustaw at the head of the table, my step-mother and stepsister, and then some high-ranking officials in the Gustaw family.

Their eyes turned toward me as they welcomed me. Marcello guided me to an empty seat preserved for me beside my father. I reluctantly sat down, still trying to make sense of what is going on. I always knew my family for drama but I had barely been home for a week and now this?

Antonio cleared his throat and said in a formal tone, as if he was addressing an audience instead of his own family. "We have called this meeting this afternoon to celebrate a wedding union between one of our own and the heir of the Moretti empire."

An excited buzz and whispers broke out on the table immediately. Wedding Union? My gaze shifted to Kitana, who looked unusually excited upon hearing the news. Well I guess that the wench of a stepsister was about to be married to that Moretti brat after all. I murmured to myself, "Mmm, good for them; they deserve each other."

I turned to my father waiting for him to say Kitana's name. But when he opened his mouth, my eyes widened in shock.

Antonio made a throat-clearing sound, then the room became silent, so he continued, "The union I talked about earlier is between Luca Moretti and my daughter, Elena Gustaw."

Everyone heard two people shout, "What!?"

The words erupted from both Kitana and me at the same time. The room fell silent and all eyes were on us.

I stood and said, "Kitana father not me! I think you made a mistake with the names. It's Kitana you meant to say, father; she's even older."

Kitana, on the other hand, said, "How can you do this to me, father? Everyone knows that I have been in love with Luca since I was a child and you gave him to her! She has not even been around for many years." Her face was flushed with anger and she looked like she was about to explode.

Antonio eyes darkened, "Enough! both of you! Trust me, this marriage alliance is for the good of both families. I said it must take place this weekend and that's final! Expect the Morettis over for dinner tomorrow evening and enjoy your dinner, everyone. Excuse me."

With that, Antonio walked away from the dining hall with an angry expression on his face and I just watched him leave the room with my mind reeling.

"Was my father- who has not spoken to me in fifteen years, really forcing me into a marriage with Luca Moretti , the heir of the mafia family I wanted nothing to do with? Was this his plan all along?"

Everyone else continued eating like nothing had happened. I excused myself quickly unable to stomach the sight of their contented faces.

The wedding day*******

I stared at herself in front of the mirror and was surprised at the empty brown eyes that stared back at her. I couldn't recognize myself anymore.

My reflection looked like something out of dream, beautiful, yes but hollow. The wedding they had chosen for me was stunning, ivory satin with an intricate lace designed perfectly for me.

I thought to myself, "If I cared about this wedding, if I truly wanted this, I would have felt like a princess and not a sacrificial lamb on my wedding day".

Everyone had worked so hard to make everything beautiful for my wedding but I felt like I was being sent to my grave.

I had thought about running away a few times but where would I go? Who would help me? I didn't really know anywhere here and my father had security watch my every move and be very close to me.

I sighed sadly, wishing my mother was alive. When my father asked me to come home, I didn't imagine that it was for this. Does he blame me for my mother's death? Is that why he hates me so much?

I kept asking myself these questions repeatedly because I had not seen my father once in the last fifteen years after he took me to New York and now he tells me to come back home, but then the reason is that he would marry me off to a stranger for selfish reasons, obviously.

I felt so sorry for Kitana, even though she was annoying as hell. Kitana had refused to eat anything and cried all day.

I wished that my father would just spare me and Kitana the headache by doing a switch; after all, we both bore the Gustaw name.

"Are you happy that you've ruined my life just by your mere existence?" I heard Kitana's bitter voice behind me and turned to face her. She looked miserable.

Kitana continued, "I was supposed to marry him. It was supposed to be me!"

She finished in a loud voice, which made me interrupt her, "Hey! You see me looking all pretty but I feel miserable too! And please I have a headache so stop with all the yelling. Everyone knows that I am not interested in this sham called marriage so don't put any blame on me. Redirect your anger towards the ones who set up the wedding in the first place. Or better still, why don't you talk to Luca Moretti and make him see that you're supposed to be the bride? I tried that at the restaurant the other day during dinner with the Morettis and the pig-headed bastard wouldn't even budge."

Kitana glared at me with pure hatred in her eyes, then she said, "You look beautiful. What if I do something nasty to this gown of yours or your party?"

I let out a bitter laugh, "Well, you can try and if it will get me out of this wedding, I will be grateful to you but if it only delays and makes me go through this torture of preparation again, I will never forgive you and you will face my ire."

Then we got interrupted by Antonio, who came by himself to take me to the entrance so he could walk me down the aisle.

"I know you are angry at me right now, Elena, but believe me, this marriage alliance is for the good of all," Antonio softly whispered to his daughter while they walked down the hall towards the groom.

I listened to all my father had to say but the only word that came out of my mouth was "okay" because I honestly didn't know what to say to him.

When we got to the front of the beautifully decorated tent where the priest and everyone waited. My eyes met with Luca's and I couldn't help but admire how dapper he looked in his designer suit, he was every bit of the Prince Charming himself.

I checked him out from his shoes upward and when I glanced at his eyes, I was amused to see that he was also checking me out too. His expression was unreadable but he looked like he loved what he saw.

I realized that he had mastered the poker face expression but his eyes passed a lot of message. So I decided to try to read his expressions through his eyes.

The priest started reciting the marital vows that we would repeat after him and soon we became a couple.

"I pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss your bride".

I stood quietly, waiting for Luca to make a move. Just then, Luca leaned in to kiss me, I braced myself for a quick peck on my lips. But the moment his soft lips touched mine, something inside me ignited. It wasn't love, maybe Lust.

Before I could process the moment, I heard a gunshot from a distance. He quickly pushed me behind him and brought out a gun from his suit. I didn't know who was shooting or what was going on but one thing I knew was, this marriage is far from the end of the nightmare. It was only the beginning.