The Mafia's Virgin Bride

Silence! Heartbreak! Anxiety!

Liana's eyes widened in disbelief as she stood in front of Father Giulio.

"You can't possibly be serious, uncle. This has to be a joke." Her voice was shaky, echoes of the words she heard from the old priest refused to depart from her.

"This is final, Liana. You are getting married to Matteo Romano, and that is final." Father Giulio stood up from his desk, his gaze piercing intensely at her.

Liana sobbed, but she had already grown weary of shedding more tears.

"This is wrong, uncle. You taught me how to pray, how to remain pure, how to avoid men who are full of evil, and embrace holiness. How can you ask me to marry Matteo Romano? He is the exact likeness of the devil!"

"Hush, little girl! What do you know?!" Father Giulio's anger was rising, forcing Liana to step backward as he made a move toward her.

"We are not to judge anyone, Liana. Only the good Lord can do that. He decides to show mercy to whoever he chooses, and he punishes whoever he wishes to. Matteo may not be as bad as you think."

Liana was speechless, just a loud gasp left her.

It was hard to believe what she heard from her uncle.

"Go get ready, Liana. You are getting married in two weeks."

"What?!" Liana gasped again, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"This is not the way I imagined my life, uncle. You told me you wanted me to become a successful medical Doctor. What changed?!"

"Well, plans change, Liana." Father Giulio was devoid of any form of remorse.

His mind was already made up, and there was nothing to change his decision.

Liana stared at him from the moment he went back to his desk to continue with his work.

His old and broken glasses balanced on his nose while he flipped from one page of the directory to the next.

"Leave my office, Liana. I have people to attend to. There are souls to win for Christ." He didn't bother to lift his head, but he could tell that Liana was still in his office.

"You are interested in winning souls for strangers, but you are not bothered about the soul of your niece. You don't mind sending me off to dine with the devil!" Liana stood up to her uncle, something she had never dared to do.

Father Giulio grunted, he had thought that convincing his niece was going to be much easier.

Tell, me father Giulio..." Liana was not done talking. "You always reminded me of doing the Lord's will. Tell me, is this what the Lord commanded?"

Father Giulio removed his glasses, staring at Liana who had managed to render him speechless.

Then he sighed, and getting up from his chair he walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders with a smile on her face.

"You are not getting married to Matteo Romano because God said so. You are getting married to him because I owe a debt." Father Giulio finally revealed the secret he had been keeping.

"A debt?" Liana was bemused.

"Yes, Liana. The church owes a huge debt of seven hundred thousand dollars, and Matteo is willing to pay if you marry him."

"How?" Liana still couldn't understand.

"It's very simple, Liana. The people are poor, they have not been forthcoming with tithes and dues. The government put up this place for foreclosure until we pay all the bills."

Liana understood the explanation her uncle gave, but she didn't think it was enough to cost her freedom.

"We can find ano0ther way, uncle. Maybe I will go work in the factory. I am sure I can help with the bills." She stared at her uncle, hoping that his silence meant that he was giving her suggestion a thought.

"This is not up for debate, Liana. You are getting married to Matteo, and that's final." Father Giulio left her to struggle with her disappointment while he walked to his desk.

He returned a few seconds later with a document and pen, then he handed them over to hr.

"Sign this." He said, his voice calm but imperative.

"What is this?" Liana asked, but Father Giulio wanted her to see for herself.

The moment Liana saw the content of the document, her breath dropped, and she returned her gaze to her uncle.

"This is a contract, uncle."

"Yes, Liana. I already took the liberty of signing on your behalf, but there is a space left for you. Check the last page, it states that you cannot leave the marriage till death do you part. I didn't want to sign that because Matteo is not getting married to me."

Liana still couldn't believe her eyes. A few days earlier she was preparing for her medical exams, and all of a sudden her uncle begins to tell her about marrying the most dangerous man in the City.

"I won't marry Matteo Romano, Uncle!" She tried to be bold, but her uncle's eyes always had a way of making her fidget.

Father Giulio scoffed at her, his silence meant that she didn't have any other choice.

"I am going to run away, uncle! I will run to another city and you will never see me again." Liana thought that her threat was going to make her uncle change his mind.

But he looked at her and snickered.

"You have nowhere to run to, Liana. And even if you did, the church raised you, you belong here."

Liana's world crumbled right before her, and the realization of a new chapter began to set in at once.

The church bell resounded from a distance, and the old priest started to hurry out of the office.

"I have to be on my way to mass now, Liana. Wipe those tears at once. don't make people think that I maltreat my niece." Father Giulio left Liana in hi office, the edge of his cassock sweeping the floor as he sauntered away.

What was supposed to be two weeks seemed like three days, and Liana was already clad in a long white gown, both hands gripped to a flower bouquet while she marched slowly along the aisle.

At the end of the grand hall was Matteo Romano, the husband she had never met.

He grinned just like the devil himself, waiting with arms spread as though he was about to ensnare her.

"Save me, Lord!" Liana muttered, but it seemed like her prayers were never going to be answered.

Liana seemed to be the only one who was not having fun at her wedding party.

Apart from the bright and colorful bulbs that illumined the entire place, there were candles lit and placed on each of the tables in the hall.

"Tonight is s special night! Eat and drink to your fill!" Matteo Romano was excited, it was the first time many had seen him smile.

Liana watched him from where she was seated. She could only imagine what life was going to be like with such a loud rascal.

"He laughs like the devil." She grunted, but everyone seemed to love that devil except her.

"But he is handsome. How can a man be so evil and cute at the same time?" She couldn't stop stealing glances at Matteo.

It felt like she had already broken her vows while she stared at the tall, hot bearded man.

The only part of the story that was left out to her about the Mafia boss was that he was tall, well-built, blue-eyed, and had the most alluring smile she had ever seen.

But no one pictured him ever getting married

"Whatever that old priest told Matteo to convince him to get married must be very strong." One of the guests said, and his companion nodded in agreement.

"Maybe he prayed to God about it and he changed Matteo's heart!" She joked, and they both laughed over it.

"I wonder how these two are going to live. They are like fire and ice." Another guest said, sipping wine from his champagne flute while he stared at Liana.

Everyone could tell that she was very innocent even from afar, and Matteo was just a ruthless spoilt brat who had managed to take over the underworld at the age of twenty-five.

Matteo had ruled the crime world for three years, and everyone who had tried to dethrone him ended up miserably.

Many said that even the devil was scared of him because he controlled the night, and it was hard to tell what he was up to.

"No one is permitted to be sad, tonight!" Matteo was having fun drinking with a large stick of brown cigar stuck between his teeth.

Many were relieved that he was happy, at least it meant that no one was going to be killed that night.

"More wine! More wine!" He yelled, and the servants wasted no time to do as he had instructed.

The hall was filled with so many kinds of people, but there was no ordinary person except Liana.

She had seen people she only heard of, including models and young female CEOs.

"Why pick me when he has all these damsels around him?" She wondered, slightly intimated by the beauties flocking around her husband.

Matteo danced with some of them, unperturbed at how provocative they were dressed, and how they were rubbing their slippery hands sell over him.

It appeared that marriage was not going to stop him from hi nasty attitude, something else that had made him very popular in the city.

Eventually, he got tired of dancing and moved to join Liana at once.

As soon as she saw him coming, she adjusted herself and looked away at once.

His presence made her nervous, but she tried not to show it.

"Hello, wifey!' Matteo wrapped his arm around her neck, causing her to wince.

"You have been very quiet since our wedding. This is our wedding night, we should have some fun!" Matteo laughed, but the only response Liana could give was a shake of her head.

He grunted. "Don't tell me you are going to be boring. I am sure you must have heard of Matteo Romano. I am the life of the party!" Matteo said loudly, and some of the close guests who heard him cheered him up.

"We should dance, Laura!" Matteo said, causing Liana to grunt in annoyance.

"My name is Liana!" She corrected, but he scoffed at her.

"Who gives his daughter that kind of weird name? Liana!" Matteo sniggered.

He found the name funny, and even though Liana was offended, she was too afraid to show it.

"Come on, let's go shake our bodies! Come show me some moves!' Matteo tried to drag her up, but she refused to stand.

"I am too tired." She found the perfect excuse to give, but she knew that she didn't want to go because she hated him.

Surprisingly, Matteo didn't try to press further. He let her be even though he was unpleased with her moodiness.

"I guess I will stick to watching others have the fun then." Matteo sighed, but his mind was still in unrest.

He puffed smoke into the air, but the moment he realized that the choking effect made Liana cough, he took it off, watching as she waved off the smoke in front of her.

"You have never smoked?" He asked, but Liana didn't think that she needed to give him a response.

"I started smoking at the age of ten." Matteo boasted, but his utterance made Liana detest him even more.

"I hope you are ready for tonight, Liana. I have been saving myself to make this night a memorable one. Your uncle tells me that you have never been touched by a man, but we know that's just an illusion of an old priest."

The look Matteo saw on Liana's face was far from what he was expecting.

"You are a virgin?" He asked, shocked before she could even nod in response.

"Goodness gracious!" Matteo couldn't believe it.

"Little saint!" He teased her, but nothing he did or said seemed pleasant to Liana.

She didn't bother to look at him again while he kept his eyes on her, unable to fathom the nature of her innocence.

"I am bored. Come kiss me..." Matteo grabbed Liana by her waist, and without warning, he tried to kiss her.

"Let go of me!" She yelled, and a slap followed.

Silence followed the loud gasp that left her.

Then the music stopped, and everyone waited to see what Matteo was going to do.

Of course, he was furious. Glaring at Liana while he rubbed his right cheek.

She was afraid, thoughts of what he could do to her filled her mind.

Then suddenly Matteo began to laugh, and everyone thought he had gone crazy.

When he was done laughing, he leaned forward and spoke to her with a whisper.

"This is going to be fun. I always did like breaking things."

The wedding guests were gone, and Liana was left alone with the devil she dreaded.

Matteo instructed the stewards to take Liana's belongings into the master bedroom, but as soon as the two young ladies grabbed her two bags, she stopped them from moving.

The stewards were almost the same ages as Liana, but they dared not disrespect Matteo's new bride or they were going to pay with their heads.

"Are we going to be staying in the same room?" Liana turned to her husband, and he found her question very funny.

Even the stewards were amused, but they fought so hard not to even smile. They could only stare at their mistress in bemusement.

"Are we going to be sleeping in the same bedroom?" Liana asked again, and Matteo realized that she was being serious.

"Of course, we are." He responded. "We are married now, couples share the same bedroom."

"No!" Liana fired, her outburst offended Matteo but he chose not to show it.

"Take the bags into the room." He said calmly to the stewards, but they turned to Liana, wondering if she was going to stop them again.

"Now!" Matteo barked, and they were forced to obey his command at once.

Liana didn't even try to stop them again, she just looked as they ran to the staircase, carrying her bags with both hands.

Matteo's angry expression disappeared, and he replaced it with a smile.

"You must be tired, my dear. I think it's time for us to go to bed."

"There is no way I am going to be sleeping on the same bed with someone like you!" Liana had already made up her mind to remain stubborn, but Matteo was not in the mood.

He sighed. "Look, I am exhausted, I have a very important meeting tomorrow. Come.."

"Let go of me!" Liana withdrew from his reach, her eyes containing looks of disdain.

"This is going to be a bumpy ride," Matteo grunted, he could feel the weakness that had invaded his bones.

"You are my wife, Liana..."

"Only on paper. I didn't choose to be married to a devil like you. As far as I am concerned, you forced me to marry you."

Matteo scoffed. "The devil, you say."

Then he chuckled softly. "I didn't realize that the devil was this cute. How lucky..."

Liana grunted at how Matteo caressed his hair with a smug on his face.

"He is so full of himself." She thought, but it didn't look like he cared.

"We don't have to ruin the night with an argument, Liana. Let's go upstairs and have some rest." Matteo tried to grab Liana again, but she quickly shifted from his reach.

This offended him, and without delay, he quickly grabbed her hands and pulled her close to him.

"Unhand me!" Liana fought futilely, but Matteo's grip was stronger.

"I didn't pay all that money to help your old priest for you to give me this kind of trouble. I am not keen on patience..." Matteo's eyes showed intense rage as he looked into Liana's eyes, causing her to swallow hard.

Her heart beat so fast that she thought that it was about to escape from her chest.

"You will go with me into the bedroom and you will not question me again, understood?"

Liana nodded, she dared not prove stubborn at that moment.

Then Matteo heard the sound of footsteps from the staircase. The stewards were coming back, and he had to let her go.

"Smile." He whispered, but it was intense enough to force a beam on Liana's face.

"We are done, Mr. Romano." One of the stewards said, and Matteo sent them off with a wave of his hand.

"Shall we?" He turned to Liana, and she took his hand at once while he led her through the stairs into the master bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, Liana stood by a corner with her arms folded while she looked around.

She had heard stories about lovely houses and bedrooms, she had even seen a few pictures. But she never thought that there could be any bedroom as exquisite and luxurious as the one she was in.

The other parts of the mansion had not justified the beauty of the edifice just as the bedroom.

"I am sure you have never been to any room as lovely as this one," Matteo said, and as expected Liana frowned at his words but he didn't seem remorseful.

He left her to go take his shower, and when he was done, she did the same.

Matteo didn't seem pleased when he saw that she was putting on a long pants and a thick shirt when she came out of the bathroom.

He was already waiting for her on the king-sized bread, the white bedspread almost glittering under the effects of the large chandelier hanging above.

"Don't you have any lingerie or any sexy nightgowns?" He grumbled, but it quickly occurred to him;

"I almost forgot that you are a little saint. You wouldn't know anything about lingerie." He sniggered at her, but Liana was only imagining what that night could be like.

"Come..." Matteo placed his hand on the other side of the bed. "Come lie next to your husband." He said calmly, but Liana obeyed.

She was quick to learn from the last time she tried to prove stubborn.

Slowly, she crawled to the bed, but it appeared like Matteo was a beast, waiting to ensure her.

She chose to sit on the bed, but it didn't stop her heart from beating faster.

Her hair stood while she tried not to look at Matteo who had already taken off his shirt and was about to light a cigar when he remembered what happened the last time.

"I will just keep this back." He returned the cigar to the table and got on the bed quickly.

"Let's get right to it." He grabbed Liana and was about to kiss her when she pushed him away.

She was afraid he was going to hit her, but Matteo could never, no matter what.

"What was that for?" He asked, unable to hide his frustration.

"I can't..." Liana said with a whisper.

"You can't or you won't?"

"I just can't. I haven't done it before." Liana's voice was shaky, laced with so much pain and apprehension.

"There is always a first time, I am sure you will get used to it." Matteo attempted to grab Liana again, but she quickly ran off the bed.

"I am not going to do this with you! Not now, not ever!"

Matteo scoffed. He was angry but he loved her charisma.

"Very well..." He got up from the bed, and Liana stepped backward, thinking that he was going to make another attempt.

But he simply walked up to her with a smirk, jaw clenched while she stared cautiously at him.

"If I can't have your body, I will take your mind..." Matteo paused, his hand reached for Liana's face, causing her to fidget. "...then I will come for your heart."