The Devil's Bride .

"What, how can you say such father you didn't even ask for my consent?" Azzura the only child of Mr. Tommaso and Mrs Gaia of the Sil clan, a small and almost seen to be weak clan screamed out at her father after hearing the news of her already planned marriage with her betrothed Francisco of the Ndranghetas Mafia Family.

A very dangerous Mafia family ruled by the mighty strength of Don Giovanni a very ruggedly voracious man who believes in killing or be killed and the father to Francesco the betrothed to Azzura.

"I don't like him father and I will never get married to such ugly human, never" Azzura barked at her father who sat comfortably with her mother by his side.

The tension in the room thickened immediately as mother vs parent clash in a strong staring contest to see who has the most opinion stated down on a slate.

The office of the Sil mansion was large and luxurious, built with dark mahogany walls and expensive Italian designs that screamed wealth and power.

A giant chandelier hung from above casting golden lights across the polished floor while the faint smell of cigar smoke lingered heavily in the air.

Mr Tommaso remained seated on the long black leather chair like a king on his throne dangerously calm like a bright sky before the storm.

His sharp eyes remained fixed on his daughter as though studying every movement she made while his wife Mrs Gaia beside him looked far softer with concern hidden beneath her composed smile.

"Mother" Azzura called out as she shifted her gaze to her mother "why are you not saying anything against this evil idea, you want me to get married to that heartless idiot who raises his shoulders so high with annoying pride swelling all over his face?"

"I hate him so much I can tear out his eyes I swear I will, don't you guys get it?" Azzura screamed as she walked towards her mother who kept a smile on her face all through like she had seen such attitude countless times and what Azzura was displaying was nothing compared to what she herself had done or experienced in her lifetime.

Azzura's chest rose heavily with every breath as ager burned wildly inside her, thus was not just anger burning...no.

This was fear disguised as rage, fear that was not coming from her but rooted deeply in the name of the house she is getting married into..

The Casa Ndrangheta.

This wasn't any fear because everyone knew the Ndranghetas and without saying much the stories alone were enough to terrify entire cities even presidents of nations do not dare react when this clan speaks.

People disappeared overnight after crossing them and grown men with the bravest heart begged for mercy before getting bullets buried into their skulls.

Families vanished without traces and now she was expected to become one of them, one of the family of an extremely dangerous house...a haunted clan.

"Just thinking about all these makes me want to die right now, no I can't take it... I have to do something about this" Azzura said in her head as she shivered unconsciously at the deep fear she felt at the mention of the Casa Ndrangheta.

"Just say something mum at least that can stop dad from such useless decisions he is about to embark on...please mum" Azzura said once more as she almost went on her knees pleading that her mum at least reconsider.

"Darling, trust me when I tell that you don't have to be so stiff on this matter" Mrs Gaia said with a bright smile on her face.

"You see my love the wedding was not something we decided ourselves, it's the Ndrangheta family way of telling your father thank you for what he did for Mr Giovanni his friend some years back"

"So darling.... you see it is not like we forced you into it, no we didn't but we felt it would be a very good start for you" Mrs Gaia said, her voice remained soft and controlled unlike the storm brewing inside Azzura.

But Azzura was far beyond calming down as she began to feel like this was a lost war from the very start "I can't believe mum will be in support of this nonsense it's like this is just a waste of time from the very start...but still I need to fight it out, I must" Azzura said in her head as she looked at her parent.

"Bla bla bla mom I don't understand you at all, what is my business with the fact that father helped Mr Giovanni, how does that concern me in the first place please make it make sense to me..i need to understand" Azzura said.

"if like you said father helped the Ndrangheta family good and fine, but why then is it a marriage to their most proud boring son that I am getting married to is that nothing sounding very weird to you two?" Azzura said out loud.

"I need control of my life" Azzura said once more "for crying out loud this is my life and I can decide what I want for myself and by myself... for christ sake I want to get married to a simple man one I love and cherish not some planned marriage proud guy from a disgusting family of killers and destroyers mother"

Mr Tommaso's fingers tightened a little bit around the wine glass in his hand and with a little more pressure there was an assurance that the glass would surely break, but he remained silent a clear show that he was trying his possible best to hold himself from reacting.

Azzura however was too blinded by emotions to notice the dangerous patience building inside him.l as images of Francesco crossed her mind unwillingly.

"That useless cold expression that is permanently resting on his face like he doesn't have an iota of emotions in him" Azzura thought in her head as flashes of Francesco kept playing in her head.

"The suffocating aura he carried around himself wherever he goes feels like darkness itself followed him everywhere...now that I think about it, the way people instantly lowered their heads whenever he walked into a room make me want to puke right here and now, like what nonsense is all that for" Azzura said in her again again.

"He is a child for crying out loud and worst of all... I can't forget those terrifying eyes that looked completely emotionless but yet strangely observant" Azzura hated remembering all of these but she couldn't stop herself from taking in every of those details.

"It's enough Azzura, I wouldn't want to hear another word from you again regarding this matter, it has been decided already we are just informing you to have an idea about it and so anything else you have to say is not relevant" Mr. Tommaso screamed at Azzura with great power in his words as the glass in his hand cracked a little.

The room shook under the force in his voice that even the servants standing outside the office doors froze instantly at the great intensity packed in those words.

Azzura herself flinched as she unconsciously took two steps back "did I just flinch at my father's words" she asked herself.

"Father rarely shouted but when he does everyone no matter whom you are listened" Azzura said in her head as she bowed her head slightly from fear that her father raised his voice at her.

"Ohh darling take it easy on her she's just naive" Mrs. Gaia said in a soft voice as she tried pleading with her husband on Azzura's behalf.

"You should talk to your beloved daughter who doesn't see that we are working on creating a bright future for her" Mr Tommaso said in clear anger.

"I won't be quiet dad I am dead tired of how you all boss me around for crying out loud" Azzura spoke out suddenly as she fumes with anger already boiling in her body, her anger was clearly getting a hold of her already, clearly suppressing the fear she felt a few minutes ago.

Azzura's eyes had begun swelling with tears even though she refused to cry before her parent "I hate you both"

"How on earth do you expect me to get married to that wickedly dangerous family, a clan that does every despicable evil in the world tell me how" Azzura said.

"Is that not a show that you need me to be a slave in the guise of being a wife to a big fool who doesn't even know how to speak to a lady pfft never...never" Azzura said as she walks with anger towards the door to leave the room.

But before she could even get to the door "Azzura I hope you understand the rules that speaks against you leaving this room without I or your father's permission?" Mrs. Gaia stopped Azzura on her track with those words as two men in uniform entered the room immediately.

The huge guards dressed fully in black uniforms stepped into the office with very stiff expressions on their faces, these guys were not smiling at all.

Azzura slowly turned around seeing that these men were not joking with her at all and without delay shock flashed through her eyes immediately as it dawned on her that.

"You had guards outside the whole time?" she asked bitterly as she fixed her gaze on her parent but neither of them answered.

The silence itself became the answer she needed "I don't care about your rules or whatever, I have decided and it is final don't you get it?" Azzura shouted but noatter what it all fell on deaf ears.

"I see that you don't understand the situation you are in currently Azzura, let me make it clear to you that right now you are under my roof and as such you do as I say and nothing else will come against that, I don't care if you like it or not I have decided and that is final" Mr. Tommaso said as he stands up slowly from his chair.

Saying those words the atmosphere in the room instantly changed because Mr. Tommaso's height alone was intimidating enough, standing as 6ft2 he was a mini giant.

And combined with the cold authority in his eyes he suddenly looked every bit like the feared clan leader he truly was...the great Sil Lord of the Casa Sil.

Azzura unconsciously stepped backwards once again even though she has seen her father so many times in her years but seeing him in this state was entirely a different ball game.

"You know what, I guess it is better I send you off to the Ndranghetas family mansion. I think that way you will learn and fall in tune with your future husband" Mr. Tommaso said once more as he signals the men who had entered the room earlier.

Azzura's heart nearly stopped because she saw the signal clearly and without delays the men moved towards her.

"What is this, stop it please " Azzura said as she stepped back trying to escape the grip of the men but she was too late because they already had her firmly held in place.

"No!" Mrs. Gaia quickly interrupted.

"Wait" Mrs. Gaia stopped the men from taking Azzura away "darling you should not do that to your only daughter, I think the best shot right now is to have Francesco come to us instead you know our clan isn't the strongest and if I must say it is considered the weakest but we have for years had the backing of the Ndranghetas and that has covered us clearly" Ms. Gaia said as she stands up walking towards Mr. Tommaso.

Mr. Tommaso's jaw tightened as he closed his clenched his fingers into a ball, the truth in Gaia's words stung deeply and he really felt it.

CHAPTER 3

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The Sil clan survived because of the Ndranghetas, that in itself is fact that can't be argued about and without them...

The Casa Sil would have been destroyed long ago.

"You see, children do not understand the love and respect they are shown till they have lost it totally and that right now is what we are seeing in our little princess who is still living in her delusional world with a belief system that everything is meant to fall at her feet" Mrs. Gaia continues speaking as she now rest her head on Mr. Tommaso's back.

Azzura stared at her mother in disbelief at what she is seeing "you call this love mother?" she whispered painfully under her breath both both parent heard her clearly.

Mrs. Gaia ignored the question, instead she wrapped her arms gently around Mr. Tommaso while speaking calmly.

"My lovely husband I do understand that we owe the Ndrangheta's so much for the safety and security but have you considered if they feel grateful to us also for saving them in their worst time?" Mrs. Gaia asked in a flirty whisper.

Mr. Tommaso's expression shifted slightly as the memories clearly struck him deeply.

Years ago before his friend Mr Giovanni of the Casa Ndrangheta rose to become this untouchable, Mr. Tommaso had saved his life twice during one of the bloodiest wars in Mafia history.

Back then Giovanni was hunted from all sides, betrayed, cornered by different organizations and almost died because of a mistake he made back then.

But Mr. Tommaso had protected him putting his life on the line to make sure he doesn't die even before realizing he was the heir of the biggest Mafia Family in the world.

And from that day onward, the Ndranghetas never forgot the great hero who saved their lineage.

"Do you think so darling?" Mrs. Gaia asked clearly this time as she moved forward to look directly at Mr. Tommaso who seemed to be so quiet with a creased face clearly showing that he is deeply in thought of such possibilities.

REMINISCING

"Tom you have been a really good friend to me and my household as a whole" Mr Giovanni said "i consider you my savior for so many years and not even a soul knew that you saved my life in my worst times I am really grateful for this" Mr Giovanni said to Mr Tommaso as they both sat in the room that opened to the balcony of Mr Giovanni's mansion as they held glasses filled with wines.

The room itself carried the intimidating aura of the Ndrangheta mansion as dark wooden walls stretched high toward the ceiling while ancient paintings of past clan leaders hung proudly like silent witnesses observing the conversation between the two powerful men.

The faint scent of expensive cigars floated heavily through the air as golden lights from the chandelier reflected softly against the polished black marble floor of the room.

Outside the room armed guards stood like statues, silent and ever alert with a deadly posture ready to bounce on any intruder who dares to misbehave.

Rain poured heavily outside the giant glass windows while thunder rumbled faintly across the dark sky.

"Ohh please Gio you don't have to compliment me to such extent... it is some thing I do not regret doing and I will be more than willing to do it again and again if need be" Mr Tommaso replied.

"After all we have been friends for decades and helping each other isn't something to worry about at all after all I helped before I even knew you were the heir to the Casa Ndrangheta"

Mr. Tommaso said as he smiled lightly lifting the wine glass toward Giovanni before taking another sip of the wine.

But deep inside him...he still remembered that terrible night years ago the night he saved Giovanni, the very one that carried the most danger.

The blood, gunfire and chaos that it carried..the memory remained fresh no matter how many years had passed and the pains still stayed.

Mr Giovanni had been ambushed by rival clans after a business meeting that had gone wrong and nearly every one of his men had died protecting him while bullets tore through the streets endlessly.

Mr Tommaso had arrived at the perfect moment when Giovanni had lost all hope of being saved as backup was not coming just yet.

Mr Tommaso remembered pulling Mr Giovanni into an hidden underground tunnel beneath an abandoned church while enemies searched everywhere above them.

Back then Mr. Giovanni was not the untouchable monster the world feared today, back then he was still learning and he was vulnerable, young and wounded but in ego and knowledge by those who had been before him in the game.

Mr. Tommaso had protected him without hesitation that night.

"That's true Tom and I will want to appreciate you again for that, and it is based on this friendship that I had thought about this matter deeply" Mr Giovanni said as he puts down the glass of wine, turning his full view to face Mr Tommaso.

"You see I have been thinking and I had decided to bring us closer and to join our forces more, we can build a stronger clan that will be able to last for centuries without end"