"What did you just say?"
Rico's voice shook with disbelief, his eyes widening as if to force clarity from the words he couldn't believe he'd just heard.
"Charlotte, repeat that. Who did my sister marry?"
Both girls stared at Rico, stunned by his sudden outburst. Elena had seen her brother lose his cool before, but never like this.
"D-Damon Moon," Charlotte stammered.
With an angry stride, Rico stormed toward Elena, grabbing her wrist—not tight enough to hurt, but firm enough to show he meant business.
"Come here," he commanded, dragging her toward the living room.
Charlotte stayed behind, sensing it was a family matter. She lingered in the bedroom, silently praying for her friend.
"Let me go! You're hurting me, Rico!" Elena protested, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.
In the Living Room
Rico pushed Elena forward, and their father, James, quickly rose to steady her before she could stumble.
"What do you think you're doing?" he barked at Rico, his eyes flashing with anger.
"Why don't you ask your precious daughter who she's married to?" Rico's voice was sharp, nearly spitting the words out.
"What are you talking about?" Mary chimed in, her tone tense.
Rico looked at Elena, his gaze piercing. "Go ahead, dearest little sister. Tell them the kind of man you married."
All eyes turned to Elena, awaiting her answer. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, then finally spoke.
"Damon Moon."
The name landed like a bomb in the room. James felt his heart stutter, collapsing back into his seat, while Mary managed to keep herself composed, though her eyes filled with horror.
"Damon Moon… the mafia boss?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Yes," Rico answered for Elena, his tone cold.
"Elena, my daughter, please tell us this isn't true. Tell us this is all some horrible misunderstanding," Mary pleaded.
Elena lowered her gaze, her silence screaming louder than words.
"Well, answer us!" Rico roared, his voice full of fury.
At last, the dam broke.
Elena collapsed to the floor, sobbing, and admitted the truth: she had indeed married the infamous Damon Moon, feared by many.
"How could you, Elena? Why?" James asked, his hands clenched into fists as he fought to keep his composure.
"I'm sorry," she choked out, "I messed up. I didn't know he was Damon Moon. When we got married, he looked so different—I didn't recognize him."
Rico's jaw tightened, his anger barely restrained. "Wait… are you saying he deceived you?"
Desperate to shift the blame, Elena nodded. "That's why I looked so sad when I came back."
Mary's tone softened, though she still looked shaken. "Is he threatening you?"
Elena nodded again, tears spilling down her cheeks. "He said that if I tried to leave him, he'd hurt all of you."
Rico scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Stay here," he commanded, storming out.
"Rico!" Mary called after him, but he was already gone.
Elena turned to her father, who still looked as if he'd been struck. "Daddy, I'm so sorry."
"Go back to your room," James ordered, his voice cold and final.
As Elena left, she realized her attempts to evoke sympathy were futile.
Back in the Bedroom
Charlotte was waiting for her, frowning with disapproval. She'd been eavesdropping and didn't bother to hide her frustration.
"Elena, how could you lie like that?"
"What did you expect me to do? Tell them I was drunk when I married the mafia boss?"
"Yes, that would have been the honest thing to do."
Elena scoffed, sitting on her bed. "They'd never forgive me."
[At Black Serpent Mafia Headquarters]
"Where is he?"
Rico stormed through the glass doors, a baseball bat clenched in his fist, his voice echoing through the lobby. "Where is Damon Moon?"
In his office Damon received a call.
"Sir, Rico Styles is in the lobby smashing things asking to see you"
He got up and strode to his private elevator. Pressed the lobby button and stood and waited as the elevator started to descend.
Rico was wreaking havoc, several of Damon's men already lying bruised and groaning on the floor, when the elevator chimed open.
"You!" Rico growled, pointing his blood-smeared bat at Damon as he stepped forward.
Damon stopped, his face impassive as Rico approached. Only inches separated them as Rico spoke, his voice laced with venom.
"You're insane if you think I'll let you marry my sister."
Damon raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely confused. "What are you talking about? Marry your sister? Why would I do that?"
Rico hesitated, thrown by Damon's reaction.
Elena had told him that Damon threatened her if she didn't marry him, yet here he was, apparently clueless.
"Look, Rico," Damon continued, his tone dismissive, "I don't know what's got you so riled up, but I have no idea who your sister is. And besides, I'm already married."
"You're… already married?" Rico echoed, bewildered.
"Yes, so unless you have more furniture to destroy, I suggest you leave."
Damon turned away, heading back toward the elevator.
Rico stood rooted, his mind racing. Elena had claimed Damon coerced her into marriage, yet Damon seemed oblivious to her existence.
He felt his head spin.
But then a realization struck him.
Despite being siblings, he and Elena didn't share the same last name. He was named after their grandmother, Hailey Styles, while Elena had taken their grandfather's name, Michael Reed.
He thought Maybe, Just maybe that's where the confusion was.
Damon had reached his private elevator when he heard Rico call him out again.
"Damon Get your ass back here"
"What again?" He sighed, turned and walked towards him.
"What do you want? Seriously I'm doing my best not to reconstruct that face of yours, seems the beating I gave was not enough"
"What's your wife's name?"
"What?"
"Your wife's name"
"My wife's name? Why do you want to know? And what makes you think I will tell you?"
"Come on, what are you so afraid of, it's just a name, no harm in knowing it. In return I will tell you my sister's name. Or better yet, we can the respective names together, again no harm there"
He thought for a moment then nodded agreeing to Rico's insane proposal.
"Okay"
"On the count of three," Rico said. "One… two… three."
Together, both men said it aloud.
"Elena Reed."