~ANASTASIA VISHNEV~
*PRESENT*
"It's his name," I realize, reaching for the card. "His name is Luca."
Mila takes the card from me and examines it. "Whose name?"
I smile. "Remember when I mentioned meeting a man? He's the one."
Her eyes widen. "So, you actually ended up fucking him!"
I smile and shrug. "It just happened. I was drunk, and I stumbled upon him..."
I recount how I drunkenly encountered him later in the hall and how he shielded me during the gunfire to her.
She beams with excitement. "That sounds thrilling."
I sigh. "We're not planning to meet again, though."
Mila shrugs. "You never know, Ana."
I shake my head, a slight sense of disappointment washing over me. "There's no reason for us to. I don't even know where he resides, and I'm getting married in two days."
Mila smiles at me. "My dear, you're smitten by this man."
I roll my eyes at her.
"Now, go freshen up and let's leave. You wouldn't want your father to dispatch men to drag you home, would you?" Mila adds.
I sigh, fully aware that my father is capable of such actions. Climbing out of bed, I make my way to the bathroom, attempting to push yesterday's events out of my mind.
After a while, we both exit the building and head towards my home. Mila drops me off and drives away, having her own things to attend to.
Just as I'm about to approach the entrance of my house, I see Damien approaching me, causing me to pause in my steps.
"Where on earth have you been, Ana?" he growls at me.
I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. "I went out to fuck a younger man, considering I'll be stuck with an older man for eternity," I retort bluntly.
He doesn't seem surprised, knowing my penchant for audacity.
"Well, whatever suits you. Come with me now, someone is waiting for you."
I furrow my brows in confusion. "Who?"
"Come and see for yourself," he replies, turning around and beginning to walk away, with me following closely behind. We enter the lounge, where I find my papa seated with a stranger who is perusing files on the table. Damien takes his seat, and I stand there, awaiting their conversation to commence. My papa sighs and extends his hand towards me.
"Come, sit down, Anastasia."
I refrain from taking my papa's hand, instead, I simply frown at him. My gaze shifts to the man seated beside my papa. His impeccably styled black hair appears almost rigid, and a cigarette rests between his fingers, emitting wisps of smoke. He is engrossed in the documents before him, obscuring his face from my view. Standing by his side is another man, poised as if awaiting potential threats to neutralize.
"Who is waiting for me, Damien?" I ask, turning towards him.
"Where have you been, Ana?" my papa interjects.
"That's my business, Papa. Can someone please enlighten me about the reason for my presence here?" I retort, growing impatient.
My papa sighs, gesturing towards the man beside him, who remains engrossed in the paperwork, seemingly indifferent to my presence.
"Meet your new husband to be," my papa announces, his words dripping with finality.
I scoff in disbelief. "Is this some kind of twisted joke?"
But knowing my papa, jests are not his style.
"You're no longer going to marry Nikolai Volkov. Your future spouse is now Dante Saviano," my papa declares.
Dante Saviano? That's the name of the man sitting here? The name echoes in my mind as I struggle to comprehend the surreal turn of events. While I grapple with the reality unfolding before me, my papa, it seems, has been busy arranging a new suitor for me.
"I don't get the logic here. We were indebted to Nikolai Volkov, so why am I now supposed to marry him?"
"We no longer owe Nikolai Volkov, but rather him," my father clarifies. "Therefore, you are bound to marry him now. Look on the bright side, at least you won't be marrying an elderly man."
I cast another glance at the man, still engrossed in the documents, seemingly oblivious to our conversation.
"I don't understand. Why did the debt shift from Volkov to him? And why must I still be the bargaining chip?"
My father sighs. "Anastasia, don't complicate matters. Dante Saviano will take good care of you, and you'll soon forget it's an arranged marriage."
I scoff. "This is absurd." Turning to my prospective groom, I furrow my brows. "Do you have nothing to say? Why would you agree to marry me?"
"Anastasia!" Damien's voice interjects, urging me to temper my outburst, but I ignore him.
Finally, he sets aside the papers, raising his head slowly. As he meets my gaze, my words falter in my throat. Arching a single brow, he gazes at me with piercing steel-blue eyes, his expression unreadable. I find myself gaping at his striking appearance, his features akin to a sculptor's masterpiece, exuding an undeniable allure. He remains silent, merely staring back at me with a blank expression.
"How... How did our debt shift to you?" I ask my voice trembling slightly.
He sets the cigarette down on the table before rising and approaching me, hands casually tucked into his pockets. His suit shirt is partially unbuttoned, revealing a glimpse of his chest adorned with tattoos. Standing close enough for our faces to almost touch, he speaks with a chilling undertone in his deep voice.
"That's a matter between your father and me," he begins, his words sending a shiver down my spine. "You don't have to marry me, sweetheart; you always have the option of choosing Nikolai Volkov," he adds with a smirk.
What an asshole.
I furrow my brows. "I was beginning to accept the idea of marrying him; you weren't even in the picture."
"Oh? You think you can accept it? Nikolai Volkov? He's not just an old man; he has a history of harming women," he reveals.
My eyes widen in shock, and I turn to my papa, who averts his gaze, sighing heavily.
"Relax, sweetheart, your papa was unaware until recently," he reassures me.
I breathe a sigh of relief.
Turning back to him, I press further, "So, Mr. Saviano, may I ask as to why you agreed to accept me as settlement?"
"I don't mind having a wife, and you're not so bad," he responds casually, prompting me to scoff in disbelief. He doesn't mind having a wife? And I'm not so bad?
"And who says I want a husband? Who says I want you..." I jab a finger in his direction. "You! As my husband?"
He merely shrugs, his nonchalance infuriating. "It doesn't seem like you have much of a choice here, sweetheart."
He's right. I don't have a choice. While he might be preferable to the old man, what guarantee do I have that he won't be just as terrible?
"Why should I trust that you're any better than Nikolai Volkov? You could be even worse."
"I won't hurt you, sweetheart," he asserts.
I open my mouth to retort but ultimately, I simply sigh. 'I won't hurt you.' If those words came from someone I knew, maybe I'd believe them, but from this man? No chance.
"Get ready, sweetheart. Our wedding is tomorrow, as I must return to Italy the day after," he announces with a grin. "And you're coming with me."
Wait, what?
As he turns away and begins to walk back to his seat, I follow, seething. "Who do you think you are to dictate things to me?"
He settles into the chair, his hands resting on the armrests, and turns to face me. "Your future husband, sweetheart."
I shoot a glare at my brother and papa before storming out of the lounge and into the house. My mother approaches me with an apologetic expression.
"My baby..."
"Don't do that, Mama. You're no different from Papa." Tears stream down my cheeks. "You were here while he was busy introducing me to some man! I don't even get a chance to choose my own partner, and he's out there switching men for me?"
"Oh, my baby..." My mama pulls me into a tight embrace. "Your papa is desperate. If he doesn't do this, our family will be destroyed, and I know you wouldn't want that. He would rather arrange this than watch our family crumble. Fighting is not something he cannot do, but he could lose you and your brother in the process. Trust me, my dear, everything will get better. You won't be with him forever; it's only until your papa clears the debt."
She releases me and wipes away my tears. "I didn't love your papa when I married him. It was an arranged marriage as well."
"But at least you knew some things about Papa. I have no idea who that man outside is!"
"I understand how you feel, my baby. Your papa was devastated when he discovered who Nikolai Volkov truly was. Volkov did a good job of concealing it, and if it weren't for Dante Saviano, your papa might never have found out."
I narrow my eyes. "I still don't understand. Why are we no longer indebted to Volkov and now to Dante Saviano?"
My mama sighs, and I can see the confliction in her eyes. "He suddenly cleared the debt. We have no idea how he did it, because besides the monetary aspect your papa owes, there are other matters that cannot be settled with money. Your father could have refused, as he didn't know this man's intentions at first, but after uncovering the truth about Nikolai Volkov, he relented."
"So, Papa knows nothing about this man?"
"He does now. He's a mafia boss, controlling one of the most dangerous territories in Italy. He told your papa that he wants to marry you to sever your papa's alliance with Vincenzo Romano."
I may not be well-versed in the intricacies of my family's affairs, mostly by choice, but I do understand the importance of my father's relationship with the Romano family. If my father were to withdraw his support, it could spark misunderstandings, though it might not escalate to full-blown conflict. If this Dante wants to sever my papa's support from Vincenzo, then it could only mean that he wants my papa to be on his side and no one to be on Vincenzo's. Well, that's my father's predicament to handle; I have my own.
"When did all of this occur? I've only been away for one night!"
"The dealings of the mafia don't necessarily take months, honey, you know that. Nikolai called us last night to tell us he's no longer our creditor and Dante showed up few minutes later. Don't worry, your papa won't allow him to harm you, my dear."
"But he nearly handed me over to an abuser, Mama! And how can he be certain of what's happening in Italy?"
"Dante Saviano will not harm a woman, that much we are certain of," she reassures me.
I sigh, frustration mingling with my tears. "This is all so ridiculous." I storm away from her in anger. They're all spewing nonsense. If Dante Saviano can uncover what my father couldn't in months, in just a short time, what else is he capable of? I wanted a normal life, and now I'm being forced into marriage with a mafia boss?!
XOXO