Affaire Du Cœur

Luca

I could say I was fashionably late, but I wasn't. I was late to the most important meeting I had to be in because I had to fuck and pacify Victoria. See? The root of all evil, I tell you.

The silence as I entered the Rossi mansion was deafening, the Rossi's didn't even have guards guarding their front door and that in itself is power play. One had to be not right in the head to deliberately cross the Rossi's, especially on their homeland.

I've been to this mansion a handful of times; this mansion was like cathedral. A cathedral for pain and suffering. That was what the outsiders called it but it was very fitting. The lineage for the Rossi's were the original founding fathers to the entirety of Italy, you could say they were royalty and Alessandro had 3 heirs to continue its legacy.

"It's about time, Luca. One would think this meeting was an inconvenience to your day." Sandro greets. Sandro, or Alessandro IV, is the oldest of the 3. The asshole of the 3, I should say.

"Calmati, Sandro." Alessandro waves for me to take seat. I would rather not but Leo, the second in line, gives me a reassuring smile. Me and Leo got along pretty well, we were around the same age and was always in the same circle. I can't say the same for Gabriel, the youngest of the three, the stare he was sending my way tells it all.

"I do apologize for the wait, Alessandro. I got caught up with work and -"

"Nonsense boy, I hope your girlfriend is well and sated." He smirks. How he knew I was balls deep in Lauren 30 minutes ago is beyond me but not surprising.

Gabriel snickers and shakes his head and glares at his father "There has to be another way, you can't do this to her." Her? Victoria?

Sandro looks away and Leo has his fist in a ball so tight, I'm pretty sure If he doesn't loosen up, he'll start losing-

"Even then, this was promised before any of you assholes were born. Us, Rossi's, never turn back on our words."  I'm at a complete loss.  I'm a pretty powerful man myself but out of respect for Alessandro, I refrain from reaching out and strangling Gabriel.

"Can somebody explain what the hell is going on?" I asked.  Gabriel pushes his chair so fast that it topples over. He points at me and growls "You hurt her, and I'll make it hell for you!" And he storms out like a petulant child.

I raise a brow in question. Leo gets up and pours me a drink. "You're going to need that if you want in on this family."

"Word on the street is that you've found yourself In a rut these days." Sandro starts. Fuck. I down my drink and ask Leo for something stronger. He chuckles and pours me a double.

"No, no." Alessandro waves his hand once again his Italian accent making itself known. "Let's cut to the chase, yeah? I have a proposition for you. One that will save you and your families dignity and let's call it a lesson learned."

I say nothing and he continues "First, you will break it off with that leeching blonde and you will get rid of your cousin."  Lauren? What does she have to do with any of this?

"Second, you will stop any whoring around and you will honor and respect your future wife." What. The. Fuck.

"Third, you will marry my daughter in a week." He smiles.

"Mi scusi but back the fuck up. Did you say marry your daughter? You don't have a fucking daughter, rumor has it that you had a daughter, but for the amount of time I've been breathing this Sicilian air with all of you I have not-"

"Watch your tongue, Romano." Leo warns.

"As many know. My wife died 20 years ago. My wife was on her way to the park as my daughter had requested it for her birthday. You see, since my daughter was born, she had not been allowed to leave the four walls of this house. Nobody knew she existed, apart from the people I trusted that was here at the time."  Alessandro was speaking to me so slow that I was still having a hard time catching up. "They went to park and was heavily guarded. Gabriel and Isobella wanted to spend their 4th birthday like normal people. I should have said no, I should have done everything differently back then. But it's too late for what ifs."