Cruel Attraction

Gabriela

" You can kiss harder than that," he whispered. The scent of smoke and bourbon fills the air, it was addicting yet, suffocating. " What's wrong, Santoro? Do you not enjoy being owned?" His voice was laced with distaste.

My gaze found him. Rage fuels my heart to push him away. " No. Not with someone as beast as you," I smirk and hit his chest, ready to pull away when suddenly, his hand grips my hair, pulling me closer to his body.

" Careful, Santoro. I might ruin you, right here, right now," he darkly said directly beneath my ears as I felt his fingers painfully stroking the tips of my hair. My heart was beating too fast and I cannot move, not when my whole family was here, at this beast's mercy.

The elite party lights, champagnes, and sexy music didn't justify how disgraceful this place was. A pity party for the Mob families, announcing a dream of happily ever after which doesn't exist in our dark world. Only the greedy attend this kind of party. Only those who bathe in power and cruelness attend this kind of party.

As we continue to dance in the middle of all these hypocrites, I can feel stares from every woman in the room. Sure, everyone hates me for stealing the beast's freedom from being the hottest bachelor in town to a one-woman man. And yet, I don't have any choice because he bought me.

" Counting how many women envy you right now, Santoro?" he whispered, tugging me closer to his body until my cheeks were close enough to lie down in his chiseled chest.

I cursed. " You better let go of me right now, Dela Vin," I warned, but the asshole only pressed me harder into his chest, making me frustrated.

This engagement party shouldn't happen in the first place. I shouldn't agree with this to happen, but my voice was shut down by my family, who knowingly sold me to the devil.

No matter how much I resist, this path allows them to have the power dancing in their hands, and that's what matters the most. My happiness and consent regarding this important part of my life weren't given on a silver platter.

I was served cold and ready to be the sacrificial lamb for this beast in front of me.

He darkly chuckles, stroking my hair. " Can you see the barcode in your ring, Santoro?"

I flicked my eyes and saw the barcode that he was talking about. " You have no taste," I whispered with disgust. "If you want this to work, you could have chosen an infinity symbol for our love to prosper," I mockingly said, still eyeing the barcode at the center of the golden ring he gave as an engagement ring earlier.

Dela Vin laughed. "That barcode means I bought you, Santoro. It's not a symbol of love, it's my symbol of ownership against you. Remember this: your own family sold you to me to save their ass off their debts. Now, dance and enjoy the night or I'll change my mind."

" Y-You can't do that!" I quickly said, jogging him away and looking into his eyes with fear. No. He can't change his mind because if he did... if he did...

He smirked. "I'm the boss, Santoro. No one will argue if I told them I changed my mind about marrying you," he whispered, making me frozen in place.

"I could've destroyed cities and burned every person in this room, but no one is powerful enough to stop me," he mentions.

When I looked up, I saw nothing in his eyes. Not even a single stroke of emotion can be seen. And then, I realized who I was sold to. He was Giovanni Dela Vin, the leading MOB leader and the most dangerous one.

My stomach was in knots. My heart sank into oblivion because I didn't have any choice. In order for my family to live, I was here to please him and convince him to marry me. It's the only way for us to live.

" You know who needs this marriage more than I do." He fixes his coat and attempts to walk away. I was too fast to hold his arm and stop him from walking away.

He shouldn't have walked out of this party. I cannot let him leave. My eyes are full and hot as I fight the urge to cry from this miserable life that I had. I don't even know what love is and then, here I am being married, to the ruthless person who has ever lived.

I am afraid. He makes me afraid.

Dela Vin rolls his eyes and moves closer to me. " If they see that you're crying right now, they might think that I am a bad fiance' forcing you to be married to me, Santoro."

I can do this. My tears rolled down but my hands wiped them away just before someone noticed it.

With every step, my body is shaking with regret. The idea of marriage was totally ruined in the back of my mind because I know how doomed I am. I can never experience a fortunate marriage because right now, I am sealing my fate.

Dela Vin remains standing in the midst of the crowd. His large frame makes him stand amongst the crowd. He was handsome, yet it was dangerous to even stare at him. As the beast stared right into me, his lips grinning and brows rising, I knew why my family chose to run to him for help.

Every step feels heavy. It weighs resignation from the dream, letting go of my freedom, and accepting my fate.

"Please marry me."

I looked up at him and saw the flashing lights behind him. Whilst I am trembling, Dela Vin stands still and only stares right into me with a pleased grin.

" Take me as your wife. Please take me as your wife." Those words slowly left my mouth before I found myself running into him and crashing our lips for everyone at this party to see.

I felt him smile through our kiss. "You better be a good wife then," he replied before owning my lips without inhibitions.

Gabriela

" I will not sleep with you," I said as my hands found my luggage situated inside of the car where both of us were seated. After our scene last night, my fate has been sealed with him.

When I crashed my lips into him, I accepted the fact that I am being sold to him as his bride and my family was more than happy to sell me off to him. Who wouldn't? Just by this beast's name, we've been saved from our competitors' anger and we can live our life protected because of his influence.

Giovanni Dela Vin gave us an opportunity to live a better life, to maintain our standing in this fucked up society, and to not live in shame because the Santoro's, as of this moment, is under his jurisdiction. And it all takes my freedom to have this kind of life. My freedom was taken for my family to have theirs.

Cruel, isn't it? I used to think that the definition of family is the one who stayed right by your sight through your hardest time but mine wasn't. In our hardest time, they chose to push me away to let go of the burden.

And I was that burden.

" No one talked about sleeping, Santoro." Giovanni scoffed, tilting his head in my direction so he could glance at me. " I just wanted you to occupy one room in my house."

The way how those lies came out of his filthy mouth almost makes me chuckle out of disgust. Who would believe him when, in fact, the world knows how filthy he is when it comes to his women? He has a long list of women down on their knees begging for his attention, but I promised myself that I would never be one of them.

I might not get the happiness in this marriage, but I will surely get the happiness of knowing that he can't make me submit to his power. No one will and no one can.

" No, no. You can't look at me like that." His own words make me stop thinking. " I'm a beast in this cruel world, Santoro, but definitely, I am not a man who forces women for pleasure. Your family's enemy won't believe that Santoro is now under my jurisdiction if my supposed wife wasn't in my own house to do her duty as my woman."

His words have a point. I just failed to realize what he truly meant by that.

Without any words to answer him, I looked outside of the car and saw our house. It was Santoro's mansion. My family didn't even bother to see me once this asshole pulled my luggage out of the house. They didn't care that they were sending me off to the lair of the beasts. All they care about is their freedom.

I felt him behind me, rolling down the car's window. "Do you see how cruel the world is, Santoro?"

" You're a beast," I said, knowing that he just wants to point out how my family doesn't care about me after selling me off to him.

He merely chuckles, tapping his fingers into the steering wheel. "If you say so. Now, stop whining, and let's get you inside my house. I have some important meetings to attend to and I want you beside me all the time."

That made me look at him, shocked. " Y-You're not telling me....Are you going to bring me to all of your meetings?!"

" Uh-uh. Rule number one, never raise your voice towards me, Santoro. I don't want that to be a habit of yours, especially once we have our kids–"

" Kids!?" I shouted once again, more scandalized by his words. I never felt so deaf until now, wishing that I was wrong with the words that I heard from him, but instead, he just laughed.

He chewed on his lips, making me gulp. " I married you so I can have an heir, Santoro. Whether you want it or not, you'll conceive my child."

" And here I thought you're not into forcing women." I rolled my eyes and scoffed, completely avoiding his eyes because I cannot look into him when this is our topic.

I've only been married or sold off to him for a day and yet, he is so advanced in talking about children.

Giovanni darkly chuckles. I can feel the vibration caused by it. " You'll be the one begging for it, Santoro. I'll make sure of it."

The challenge in his voice makes me think of the craziest thought that I have had for the last years of my existence. I am a Santoro and I wasn't born to be challenged like this.

Not even the beasts of this world that I am living. And so, I turned around and faced him.

" Are you sure about that?" I asked, smiling sweetly and letting my fingertips trace the curve of his lips to further seduce him. Just when I was sure that he was under my spell, a cold smile twisted his lips.

His enormous arms pulled my wrists towards him, making me stunned out of shock. "Don't try to seduce me, Santoro. You might end up screaming real hard," he winked before pushing me back into the car seat and starting the car.

There was no use denying it. What he said made me scared because for a moment, I forgot who he is. I forgot how much stronger he is other than me right now.

" You're going to kill me?" I was like a scared kitten because of the sudden realization. Only in pain will make me scream so hard because of him. I move my body further away from him realizing that he can just do that.

He smirked. The look in his eyes makes me afraid that he was really going to kill me right now. Dela Vin can do that. Like what he said last night, I am his property because my family sold me to him. " Do you think I can only make you scream hard when I kill you? Think harder."

I shuddered. Part of me knows what he's talking about, but I haven't done it. Not in my whole single life did I let anyone touch my body for their pleasure, because I believe I will just let my future husband see me in my purest form.

" You haven't done it?" he faintly asked after a moment of silence from me. All I can do is to avert my eyes from him because this is one hell of an embarrassing ride. If I only knew that I would be sold to this beast, I should've done it before, but I didn't.

My body knows pleasure. I just didn't let it consume me. The moment that my father told me that I will make a great sacrifice for our family to save its legacy, I didn't think about marriage. And certainly, I didn't think about conceiving a child.

Giovanni Dela Vin was now my husband and my body was for him to take. I am not just ready for it.

That thought made me gulp. "Y-You have a meeting, right? Drive faster." My voice wavers as I commanded him to divert the conversation.

In my peripheral vision, I saw him stifling a grin before I felt the car speeding up.

" I could take what I want, but your body is yours to begin with. I guess I'll just settle with your fake kisses to prove that you're mine."

Gabriela

This must be a dream. I turned around and saw him eyeing me with his vicious glare as I stepped back into the large house in front of me. The stairs are too intimidating, to begin with.

Being one of the Mob families, I thought our house was beyond extraordinary. It was luxurious because my mother loved shiny things and my father cannot eat his pride when it comes to his possession, but seeing this house right now? It looks like an entire village of elites can fill the place. In fact, it looks like a customary kingdom built only for him.

" Better hurry, Santoro. My meeting will start at five," he coldly said, pushing me towards the giant door while I saw his servants bringing the baggage behind us.

I cannot help but stop and turn around so I can face him. " T-This is your house?"

He merely glanced behind me. " Our house," he corrected before sighing deeply and stepping forward to yank my arms, pulling me inside of this mansion. Even my thousand-dollar worth of boots felt so small the moment that I stepped foot inside of the perimeter.

This feels so magical. Every damn corner of the house was flashing with only the mixture of white and gold, like a castle in a medieval period. My eyes cannot stop shining as it admires the interior design of everything. The furniture is all cream while the chandeliers above us can cover half of our house.

We passed some doors and spotless hallways which made me stop in the middle because of the frames that are hung in it. Three great portraits show how powerful this family is.

" As much as I love for you to meet them, Santoro, we're going to be late," his raspy voice made me bolt behind before he continued to pull my hands away from the portrait. I just can't stop thinking about it since I am damn sure that someone from there is familiar.

" Great. I can't even enjoy the night of my wedding," I silently murmured to myself as I trail behind him.

Giovanni Dela Vin let out a choked laugh. " I know a way how both of us can enjoy our wedding night."

" Pervert." He only smirked before he stopped in the middle of the hallway.

Looking a few steps ahead of us, fear washed over me as I stared at the largest wooden door in front of us.

Wedding happens inside the church but marriage happens inside the room. My heart pounded thinking about what will happen behind this door. The conversation earlier made me confess that I am a virgin and that I have no experience when it comes to pleasuring men.

But Dela Vin also says that he won't force any women to give him what he wants. Should I really go inside the room with him?

I felt his warm presence behind me. His stubbles pricking over the skin of my nape and his large frame covering my back. " You know what will happen," he whispered and before I knew it, the door made a clicking sound before it opened right before my eyes.

Dela Vin pushed me inside. " I told you. I'm not into forcing women."

His cold charcoal eyes scanned my trembling body before it stopped in my chest where I can totally feel his stare because I am only wearing a heart tube top to go with my plaid skirt.

" Pick some elegant dress," he pursed his lips. " The pink one in the middle is your drawer. My assistant already filled your wardrobe with dresses that you can use for gatherings. You owe me one since I am not dealing with your body tonight."

My breath hitched the moment that I opened the drawer that he mentioned. Instantly, my hands reached for the most expensive dress in the collection; the elegant black satin dress was enough to cover half of my thighs- something that the other dress in this collection cannot provide.

I heard him snort. " Next time, remind me to fire him. That's too short," I absentmindedly nodded, agreeing.

" This is the longest though."

Giovanni stared at me for a moment after I appeared back in front of him wearing the black satin dress. I thought it would cover half of my thighs but it barely covers anything. The edge was enough to only cover what is needed to cover, revealing my pale skin.

The clearing of his throat makes me flush. I looked like a small lamb being criticized by its owner because of how intense his stare was. Dark ocean wide, his stares feel too much.

" One minute," he said, flicking his index finger before turning around and getting his phone. I couldn't hear what exactly he was saying but I could hear him cursing loud enough to startle me when he was finished. " I changed my mind."

" W-What?"

He swallowed hard. " I can't let anyone see you with that dress."

" B-But I can change."

" Nothing to wear here," he said, glancing over the wardrobe. " You're right, Santoro. We should enjoy our wedding night."

" Dela Vin," I said in a whisper. " Y-You cannot force me."

" You keep repeating that, though?" he smirked. " I'm a man of my word, Gabriela. Do you love movies?"

I stepped back, deeply staring at him. " M-Movies?"

Dela Vin shrugged. I cannot understand what he is thinking right now. " This house has a built-in theater. We can use that to celebrate our marriage."

I fixed my gaze at him in awe of his sudden idea. Strangely, I found myself staring more than necessary. When I was told that I needed to make a great sacrifice for the family, I gave the mirage of a perfect wedding and husband.

Dela Vin held out his hand. " Come here, I'll tour you around."

I didn't move from my spot.

" Santoro."

As his threatening voice echoed inside the room, I flushed with embarrassment because of the words trying to come out of the tip of my tongue.

Giovanni Dela Vin is a ruthless man, right? But he saved my family.

My pulse was slowing when I reached his nape and let our bodies collide with each other.

" Can we try for our marriage to work?" I took a deep breath and waited for his answer.

One minute. Two minutes.

He looks at me exasperated. " No," he said, making me stunned.