Alessandro was mad would be an understatement. Not only had his father tied her to a woman he did not know existed about twenty-four hours ago but he also had summoned him to talk to him.
" What is the meaning of this father. What kind of pathetic joke it this? You knew I loved Analyse and you had a fucking contract drawn giving your word that I am to marry a total stranger, not to mention a nobody?" He roared at his father who was just sitting there calmly, sipping his morning coffee.
" It was a long time ago and this man, Jack Parker had saved your grandfather's life. He took him to the hospital as he got shot and we weren't able to make it. I had to do something for him but giving that amount of money to him had to be done with some strings attached." Giovanni Valentini replied with ease.
" Father that is your problem and you are going to solve it. I want no part of it and I am not marrying anybody." Alessandro announced but before he could walk out, his father stopped him.
" You know the value of a Valentini's word son. When you chose to sit at the throne, you inherited all the assets and took over the liabilities as well. A Valentino's promise shall not be broken. I would have given away the loan as charity had Analyse still been alive but she is not and you need a wife. Elena needs a mother." He announced, getting up from his seat, looking at his son.
Alessandro, for the first time in his life had nothing to say that time for he knew his father was right. The throne came with responsibilities which he had to take and obligations that were needed to be fulfilled.
" And pray, tell me father, how do you know this woman will be a good mother to Elena? Why will she accept a child with all her heart who is not even hers?" He took a few seconds to ask back.
" Because, however ridiculous this may sound, good people actually exist out there in the world Alessandro. My men have been keeping their eyes on this girl, Olivia Parker for a while now and according to what they say, she is good with kids, has nothing to do with shady things, lives a clean life and can be a perfect wife to you." Giovanni told his son, keeping a hand on his shoulder.
" I am in no need of a wife father. I am very contempt with how I live." Alessandro announced but he also knew that he had no other option.
" Yes son, I know all about your ways which you are going to amend since you'll be a wedded man in six months time. Now let's get going. We need to pay the Parkers a visit." He told him before walking out of his place, leaving Alessandro angry but his little girl's words rang in his ears. The very same thing that she had muttered in her sleep last night.
" I miss mommy."
" This better be good." He said to no one in particular as he picked up his suit coat lying on the couch and walked out after his father.
His father and him took the same car and Giovanni handed over a file to Alessandro with details concerning Olivia Parker.
" Investigative journalist. Father have you read your own file?" Alessandro asked, trying to mock his dad as he threw the file back at him.
" Yes, she is one but that will not be a problem. Once the two of you get married, she will not be able to publish anything against us. Before that, I am trusting you to make sure she doesn't do something of that sort." Giovanni replied with his head held high and Alessandro nodded his head in annoyance. He thought that age was finally catching up with hid father to be making such rash decisions.
The rest of their journey passed in silence and soon, they were parked outside a house in Manhatten.
" Come on now." He heard his father as they walked towards the house, knocking the door when a mid-aged lady opened it.
" Yes? How may I help you?" Arla asked, standing at the door.
" Mrs. Parker we need to talk about the contract." Giovanni told the woman and she widened her eyes in recognition. It had to be who she thought they were.
She stood there, shocked and in silence and couldn't recover for a long time.
" May we come in?" Giovanni asked a while later. It wasn't a question and Arla knew it. She made way for the two of them to walk inside the house.
Alessandro looked around the house and knew that they were no poor. No one who lives in Manhatten was and the house just confirmed that. He hoped that they may be able to pay the sum in six months to get rid of them and go on with their lives but nothing was just as simple with his father and that he was aware of.
" Please have a seat." Arla uncomfortably offered and prayed that Kiana won't come out of her room and thankfully, her prayers went answered.
" Mrs. Parker we would like to talk to you and your daughter." Giovanni said in an authority no one could forego.
" Mr. Valentini Olivia is not home. She had gone for work." Arla gained whatever was left of her confidence and told them the truth but their looks were so mocking after what she said that she was forced to rephrase.
" I will ask her to get home right now." She sighed, getting up and went to the phone to call her daughter.
Alessandro's phone went off. It was Elio.
" Alessandro the Tokyo talks came through. Either you or I will have to leave for there tonight." Elio said and there was a smirk on Alessandro's face. If everything goes well without any hiccup, this would be make huge profits for the business but he couldn't leave New York after just getting back to his daughter after a month.
" Take care of it." Was all he said before hanging up. Truth to be told, Elio and Beto were the only ones he trusted with work and he knew that they'd take care of it.
" She will be here in half an hour." Arla got back to the living room, looking even more disturbed that she already was and that was all because of her fearless, stubborn daughter.
" Mrs. Parker how would you like to deal with the contract? You see, you have two options." Giovanni asked her in an attempt to intimidate her.
" Mr. Valentini my husband was a troubled, diabolical man. We had no idea that a contract of this sorts existed till about last night when your men broke forced themselves into our house and threw these papers in our face." She replied, momentarily forgetting that she was talking to two dangerous men.
" Ah yes. I apologise for the intrusion. You see, my men are not used to being polite." Giovanni said once again but there was nothing in his body language that indicated he was sorry one bit. In fact, is was a mocking tone.
Alessandro kept on looking from his phone to Arla uninterestedly while his father made small conversations in threatening tones to the lady who was squirming in her seat every minute, possibly waiting for her daughter to rescue her when the doorbell went off.
" Ex...excuse me." She muttered, getting up and walked to the door as Alessandro heard a few murmurs as he felt a presence of another person in the room and saw his father standing up, he stood up too.
That is when is eyes were laid on the woman who had just entered. Her ginger tresses were all over her shoulders, disheveled, her freckled-face had lines of worry written all over and her eyes, those are what caught Alessandro. Her oceanic-blue round eyes widened when they met his brown orbs as he saw a flicker of fear in them and she almost immediately withdrew them away from his, making his smirk. He liked that fear.
Giovanni then went on to talk to her and when he offered for this to sit and talk, Alessandro saw a bit of anger on Olivia's face which her mother carefully hid. This amused him. Right from when she had walked in the house, his eyes were stuck on her, observing her every action like a predator looks at his prey.
Giovanni kept on talking to the two of them while all Alessandro did was look at Miss Parker who hadn't spared him a look after once she had looked at him. That irritated him and made him finally speak up.
" And how is that my problem Miss Parker? We had expected your father to tell you about the deal. That wasn't our job to do and a word was given by my father to yours and now that the time has come, you have to pay in either of the ways." He found himself telling her which immediately grabbed her attention and made her look at him for the second time.
" Time Mr. Valentini. That is only one thing I ask from you. Give me one year and pay off all my family's debts." This was one of the many firsts that happened with the Mafia don. No one had ever had the audacity to ask something from him, let alone with so much authority. As expected, that didn't go down well with Alessandro.
" You have your six months Miss Parker, as promised in the contract. That is all you get." He stood up. How audacious was this woman? How dare she?
" With all due respect Mr. Valentini, we are not as rich like you if you haven't noticed already. That sum is a ridiculously huge amount for us." That was the last straw to his tolerance as he turned back to her, glaring.
" My time is money Miss Parker and I don't lose it, any of it. Six months is all you have and get. No extensions. And the next time I'd be careful about how you go on talking to me if I were you." He couldn't stop himself from threatening her as she flinched a little, her reaction satisfying the younger Valentini while his father went on to lecture him a little.
After a series of events, he saw a little girl, a year or two elder to his Elena making a run towards them. She looked like she had cried for a long time and she made way to Mrs. Parker.
She almost begged to the Valentini men to not hurt her family and this is the part Alessandro hated the most about himself. Scaring children. People accused him of being heartless but his heart broke when he saw children troubled either or not because of him. He softened his eyes as he saw the little girl, currently being consoled by Olivia.
" She is a natural with children Alessandro. My men have seen that. That is why I am so sure about her being the best mother to Elena." He found his father telling him softly as he took a few steps near Olivia and extended his arms towards her to which naturally, Miss Parker protested.
The little girl hopped into his arms and giggled. He gave her the smallest of smiles and he felt happy for the second time in the day, once being when Elena had kissed him good bye.
He also knew that Olivia was watching him like a hawk, ready to try rescue her sister the moment she saw danger and this thought made him smirk once again. She knew nothing about him but she had to know that she won't stand a chance against him even if he did decide to do something she wouldn't like and he did exactly that.
Alessandro, with Kiana in his arms started to walk outside the house, making Olivia jump out of her seat.
" Mr. Valentini don't you dare. The contract was about me. She is not a part of any of it." Olivia ran after them and went on to place herself between the open door and Alessandro.
She saw anger bubbling up in his eyes and a muscle on his face twitched but he seemed to have regained his composure as he didn't respond to Olivia, instead he looked at Kia.
" Which is your favourite ice-cream mia cara?" He asked Kiana who was watching him her complete focus.
" Stawberry." She replied to him and Olivia was completely taken aback when she heard that sound. The smirky face laughed for the first time, an honest laugh.
" Strawberry cara " He corrected her and that is when Olivia realised that he was taking her sister to the ice-cream parlour down the street. Skeptically, she did let them go but also followed them, making sure to stay five steps back of them but who was she kidding? She wouldn't be able to do anything if the big bad man decided to take away her Kia from her but sure as hell, she wouldn't let her go without a fight.
He took her inside and saw them sitting on a chair by the glass door. Kia looked happy to be licking her ice-cream and as they were done and walked out, Kia started blabbering to her sister.
" Livi he is a nice person! I dunno why I hid under the bed!" She chirped as she came over to her sister. Their mother had also made way to them and Giovanni was waiting for Alessandro in the car.
Kia waved a bye to him as her mother took her in her arms and stood a few steps away from where Olivia who was now facing Alessandro.
" Miss Parker that was the second and last time I forgave your temper and disobedience. You will not speak to me in that manner or you shall face consequences you would not have imagined in your wildest of dreams. I hope for your own sake that I am clear to you." He told her in the same cold voice, rooting Olivia to her spot as he walked to his car, leaving the three of them standing.
Olivia kept a hand on her chest to calm down her racing heart. These people were indeed, trouble.