Zayden's POV:
Today was the day my grandfather would step down from his roles as the head of our family's underworld businesses and Parenti Inc., which we had run for years. My father was initially set to take over, but after his passing, my grandfather assumed control until I could prove myself powerful and worthy enough to ascend to the throne.
For two decades, I worked restlessly towards my end goal and proved myself worthy of becoming the Lord of our empire. Now I would finally possess the full power to solidify my reign over this city.
But before making it official, my grandfather called for a dinner in our villa to have a private family conversation. As we all sat down, the dining room felt warm and familiar, filled with the soft glow of the chandelier above. It was adorned with paintings and family portraits, each reminding us of the legacy we were expected to uphold.
As the smell of freshly baked bread and rosemary-roasted lamb wafted through the air, Lucas popped open a bottle of champagne. He cheered loudly as it overflowed and I grinned, shaking my head.
He passed around our flutes and grandfather instantly raised a toast to me, beaming. "Zayden De Parenti, mio ragazzo, you have made me tremendously proud. Today I passed the torch to you."
My grandmother and Lucas whooped and clapped.
I raised my glass to my grandfather and took a swig. The first sip of liquor after a spate of congratulatory words always hits your taste buds differently. "Grazie, nonno."
Finally, the throne to the Parenti Dynasty.
All of it was mine.
Along with every inch of bloodshed and corruption etched in its history. I'd shape our legacy to bring more glory to our name, and I would continue ruling my dominion with an iron-clad grip as the new boss.
Serena, my grandmother, walked up to me, a cloud of perfume trailing around her. She grabbed my face and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. "Siamo così orgogliosi di te, Zayden."
"Grazie, nonna," I said gruffly, giving her a hug.
The next second, Lucas came to engulf me in a bear hug. He seemed so happy and proud for me even though he deserved to take over the position as much as I did. But eventually, he never showed any interest in that and always encouraged me, being by my side.
"You did it." He clapped my back. "Sono così felice per te, fratello."
After that, we proceeded with our dinner while we talked about various initial issues concerning our businesses until the atmosphere grew serious and my grandfather drew the conversation to a more unexpected topic.
"You'll be shoved into the spotlight soon, and the world loves a strong businessman who is settled. It shows stability, and it's time for you to settle down."
I froze, my champagne flute halfway to my mouth. My mind instantly envisioned the glorious face of the woman I had a one-night stand with nearly a month ago.
"Fuck," I murmured under my breath as my cock twitched even at the slightest thought about her, even in this very dining time.
"You've gone pale," Lucas looked at me strangely.
I attempted to control the desire building inside me by the thought of a woman whose name I didn't even know and whom I was supposed to forget after that one night.
"Zayden's marriage would be fabulous for our family. We are also looking forward to seeing our great-grandchildren before we die," my grandmother added, dragging such nonsense topics to another level.
For me, marriage was the last thing I wanted to involve myself with right now. I didn't want any distraction while I took over the position.
"That's not going to happen any time soon. It's not the time for me to get married, Nonno," I reasoned, but disappointment clouded his face.
"Is it because you failed to find a suitable partner for you yet? If that's the case, then we can arrange...." He was cut off by Lucas.
"I don't think that would be necessary. Zayden already has someone in his mind, I guess," Lucas teasingly spoke, and I glared at him sharply to warn him not to speak nonsense.
Both of my grandparents left amused by his remarks as they stared at me with surprise.
"Oh my! Our Zayden is having an affair." My grandmother reacted more excitedly than usual. "What is her name? How does she look?"
I rolled my eyes in annoyance at her over-excitement. I would probably smack Lucas in the face for creating such a fuss as now he was grinning.
"Zayden... You should probably tell us about the woman you're seeing. We should proceed with your marriage as fast as we can," my grandfather suggested, making me feel more irritated by the entire conversation about a woman whom I was desperately trying to find for the last month but failed every time.
I shook my head, disagreeing with him. "There isn't any woman, nonno. Lucas was just bluffing."
"Seriously! Then whom did you ask Dante to look for since last month? You seemed quite desperate with the searching," Lucas threw a wink in my direction, and my blood rushed through my veins watching how he was enjoying his teasing with his older brother.
My grandfather stroked his beard, an assessing look on his features. "If you really fancy a woman, you shouldn't cover it like that, Zayden. I'm really serious about you getting married before taking over your position."
I sighed in frustration and leaned back in my dining chair.
"Okay, fine. I'm looking for a woman to find, but there wasn't a single piece of information about her. I just met her one night, then... she just vanished into thin air," I snarled, recalling the next morning after that night.
The moment I woke up after that passionate night, she was all gone and her absence instantly created a hollow inside my heart. I was only left with her purity ring, which she might have forgotten to pick up while rushing to leave.
Truth be told, I hadn't felt this level of attraction for a woman in years. No matter how much I tried to forget her, I kept craving her, reaching the conclusion that one night with her wasn't enough for me. I wanted more of my little bird.
Besides, my family was nosy. The last thing I wanted was for them to find out I was having a raging boner for a random anonymous woman even though nothing about her was random, rather beyond extraordinary.
"I'm so sorry, Zayden. Don't give up looking for the woman you think is the one for you. I hope you will find her soon," my grandmother consoled me even though I wasn't going to give up on her so soon anyway without getting rid of this nerve-wracking fondness about her.
However, my grandfather's expression grew more serious this time as he spoke. "Whatever it is, Zayden, but you have to pick a bride for yourself soon otherwise you will find it much more difficult to take over as a leader."
Following that, our dinner came to an end. Farewelling my family, I exited the villa. And once outside, I took a deep inhale and exhaled, letting my head fall back.
I gazed at the night sky. There was no need for stars when the courtyard of Brighton was decorated with hundreds of lantern lights strewn across the lawn. It was as if the stars were floating closer to the earth, right in our grasp. Despite all the luminosity, it still couldn't hide the fact that this land was filled with sins and secrets we'd all take to our graves.
I slid into my car, peeled out of the driveway, and raced to my penthouse.
Even the music inside my car couldn't silence my thoughts. They kept drifting to the woman who was too fragile to be in my world.
The sudden call from my man, Dante, heightened my anticipation even further, and I instinctively lowered the music to focus on the conversation.
"Any update about her?" I asked, cutting straight to the chase, as my patience was wearing thin.
"Not yet, Boss. But there is something else I needed to inform you," Dante's hesitant voice crackled through the line.
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The story is a dark romance and will have explicit scenes throughout the story with which some of you may feel uncomfortable, read at your own risk.]