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Chapter 38 - CHAPTER 38

Minutes before...

They kissed, but the tension between them was palpable. Vittorio pulled away and said:

"I'm sorry, I thought I could... But I can't. I can't touch you unless you want me to, Ellis. Do you want to?"

"Clause 3.1.3 and 3.1.3.1.2," Ellis reminded, staring at Vittorio above her. "It's up to you, Don Vittorio."

"It's our wedding night..." Vittorio raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what you think, please."

"To me, this is just a contract," Ellis said, her voice cold. "Every touch I give you, every kiss, every smile... Any gesture I make will be for the sake of paying my debt to you, and nothing more. Don't forget that."

Vittorio nodded resignedly, knowing there was nothing he could do to change the situation. The mafioso sighed once again, feeling frustrated.

"I promise I won't try anything with you, Ellis. I won't ever try to touch you again until you want it."

"Whatever you say," Ellis shrugged, indifferent.

"I'll sleep in another room," Vittorio informed, looking away, feeling uncomfortable.

Ellis nodded, knowing there wasn't much more to be said. She watched him leave, feeling a mixture of disappointment and relief. As much as she didn't want to be alone with Vittorio, she also felt abandoned by him. While Vittorio left, Ellis sat on the bed, wondering if she would ever be happy by Vittorio's side or if she would always be trapped in a loveless marriage.

***

Vittorio lay on the couch with an arm thrown over his eyes, breathing deeply. He couldn't bring himself to sleep in any of the other rooms in the suite and felt that this was where he deserved to be. He knew he had made the right decision not to spend the wedding night with Ellis. Things were not going as he had imagined, as everything now revolved around half a million dollars. However, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

He remembered seeing her walk down the aisle in a black dress and not being able to see anyone else but her. When they danced together, he began to feel something different between them. Ellis seemed different in his arms, lighter and more relaxed. Their steps fit perfectly, and he felt the tension between them lessen a bit. And when they arrived at the hotel, she smiled in a way that made Vittorio's heart beat faster. He could swear there was sexual tension between them in the bathroom when he unbuttoned her dress. They were about to kiss and things were about to happen... For a brief moment, he allowed himself to think that maybe things could work between them. But then Rocco knocked on the door and ruined everything. Vittorio remembered how frustration consumed him at that moment.

But now, lying there, Don Vittorio realized that he was developing feelings for Ellis, and it wasn't just desired. He had desired her from the very beginning, wanted her for himself. But now it was more than that. He wanted to get closer to her and discover who she was beyond the wife he had bought.

Vittorio glanced at the door for a moment before deciding he couldn't wait any longer. He turned his attention to Ellis's room, knowing he needed to talk to her, regardless of the consequences.

He got up and started walking towards the room when someone knocked on the door again. Vittorio paused for a moment, pondering the situation. If he opened the door, it was probably Rocco with something important, but was it as important as sorting things out with Ellis? And

what if he went to Ellis and she didn't open the door? What would he lose?

Vittorio then walked towards the door and opened it, letting Rocco in again.

"What is it this time, Rocco?" Vittorio asked.

"The men have located Tommaso Grecco," Rocco said. "He's at a restaurant a few blocks from here. What do you want to do, Don Vittorio?"

Vittorio approached the window and looked out at the city, contemplating what life would be like from now on. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he couldn't let his weakness for Ellis prevent him from avenging his family and putting his reputation at stake.

"Are your men down there?" the mafioso asked, facing the Capo.

"Yes, some came to report and they are ready to complete the transaction."

"Great. I'll handle it personally," Vittorio informed, moving away from the window and walking towards Rocco. "Stay here, Rocco, make sure Ellis is safe while I'm gone. I don't want any trouble with her."

Rocco nodded and followed Vittorio out of the room. Vittorio forced himself to leave his thoughts about Ellis behind and focus on what lay ahead. The night was far from over.

***

Vittorio Amorielle sat in the back seat of his car, looking out the window as the city of New York rushed by. His driver, a burly man of few words, navigated through the busy streets of the city. Two of his henchmen sat silently beside him, their eyes fixed on the road.

As Vittorio gazed out the window, his mind wandered to that fateful night when his father was killed. He vividly remembered sitting in the passenger seat next to him, inside the car he had just bought for Vittorio. His father was giving him marriage advice. Would his father be proud of his choice? Vittorio wondered.

As he reminisced, another memory of his father came to mind. His father had just closed a deal with Paolo Paviglianiti, one of the top bosses of the 'Ndrangheta Italian mafia and the main rival of the Amorielle family in the Calabria region in southern Italy. But Vittorio remembered his father laughing along with Paolo during a dinner at the Paviglianiti family's house in Pedesina. He was twelve years old at the time, but the image of his father smoking a cigar and laughing with his rival never left his mind. The young Vittorio couldn't resist and as soon as Paolo left their house, he pulled his father aside and asked:

"Daddy, isn't he our rival?"

"Yes, our biggest one," Marco replied, waving at Paviglianiti's car.

"Then why did he leave here alive? Wouldn't it be easier for you to kill him? That way, he wouldn't be your rival anymore..." Vittorio argued, making his father laugh.

"Vittorio, never forget that the mafia is not like any other criminal organization," Marco began, getting down to his son's level. "Always keep one eye open, and keep your enemies even closer. The only way to win this war is to know your enemies better than they know themselves and bring them close to you."

"So, you became friends?" Vittorio asked.

"You have to understand, son," Marco said. "In the mafia, there are no friends, only enemies, and temporary allies. That's why we have to keep our operations secret, to not give our enemies a chance to catch us off, guard. It's a tough life, but it's the only one we know."

As memories of his father consumed him, Vittorio noticed that the driver had changed the route. He looked at the man in the front seat and asked, "Where are we going?"

"You told us to follow Tommaso Grecco, and now he's heading downtown," the driver replied.

"Grecco," Vittorio murmured.

He remembered Tommaso's words that night. Tommaso Grecco had said that he had made a deal with the Kurganskaya Bratva, a deal that was kept secret from Vittorio's father, something even he, Marco's son, didn't know about. He knew he couldn't let that pass.

"Change the route," Vittorio ordered. "Let's go to Eleonora Gattone's apartment."

The henchmen seemed confused by the change of plans but didn't say anything as the driver followed Vittorio's instructions.