Wed or Dead

III

"I asked my brother if he can introduce us," Eva said as they continued their conversation the next day.

"And?" Eliana asked, curiosity visible in her eyes.

"He looked at me as if I've lost all my marbles, laughed, then he said to stop joking around"

"So what's the plan B?"

"I don't know yet but we have to get creative"

"Eva, I don't think I want to get creative maybe we just... give it a rest, it's ridiculous anyway"

"Hell no. We can't give up. We're doing this. Do you have a better idea?"

Eliana's only idea is to do nothing.

"No"

"Then it's settled. We will ask the Vincenti brothers for help"

"But what exactly should be my request? Hey, help me find a dude who will marry me for cash, and I will gladly pay you and him but wait there's a catch! My husband just like me might be murdered by my relative"

"Exactly. It's unusual. But they know people Eli, a lot of people who would take your money and do what they ask, what you need. You will be rich and you will be able to pay them good money for this so there's nothing to be afraid of, okay?"

Eliana covered my face with my hands. There was actually a lot to be afraid of. How the hell do I ask a scary mafia boss to find me a husband? How the hell do I even look at him or talk to him let alone make a request that sounds so... crazy?

"Stop it," Eva said firmly.

"Stop what?" Eliana asked

"Stop worrying. We will figure it out Eli, I promise"

"Okay," Eli said quietly and she hugged her friend searching for a source of comfort. 

♦️♦️

Rafael Vincenti was the owner of many businesses. One of them was a nightclub called "Himeros".

It was not a typical nightclub, far from it actually.

First of all, it had unique accommodation. The building once belonged to the museum. It was a large mansion with white columns and spacious rooms perfectly designed for banquets and parties, the walls were decorated with arched windows and classical paintings. It had separate rooms where people could dance, drink and talk. Whatever suits the customer.

The building had two floors. Only VIP members were allowed on the top floor. The bottom floor was an all-access area although to even enter the club you had to pay a significant amount of money. The VIP membership was priceless in the sense that you had to receive an invitation to join. The basement was even more "exclusive" it was a space where a handful of employees and VIP members could get access.

On the second floor, there was a large, private room with a floor made of black and white marble stone.

Two handsome men sat in the centre of that room in complete silence they were playing chess. The club was built in such a way that the sound did not penetrate the floors, walls, and windows. It was to ensure there was a space for intimate conversations without unnecessary noise. Soundproofing was important for many reasons.

One of the room's occupants was wearing a white face mask fashioned similarly to the one that belonged to the main character from the Phantom of the Opera musical. Today there was a masquerade party downstairs and the brothers were fitting the vibe of mysterious, and dangerous individuals perfectly.

"Fedorov is doing a lot of bold moves lately," Lorenzo said, his gaze didn't leave the chessboard. His brother, Raphael sat on the opposite side of him. It was a tradition that at least once a month the two brothers would arrange a game during which Lorenzo suffered a miserable defeat. It is worth noting here that he was not a bad player, on the contrary. It's just that his eldest brother was better. Rafael was a brilliant strategist. "Dimitri and Mikhail are trying to increase their influence at the expense of our interests" the younger sibling continued.