Tainted Faith

Two: Due [re-written 08/12/20]

"Papà..." Liliana breathed, completely and utterly aghast by his suggestion. Except she knew it was more than just a suggestion; her papà would not bring it up if she had a choice, he would not even dare to ask this of her had it been a choice. Ultimately, whether she liked it or not, she would be marrying the man by the name of Marcello D'Onofrio. Her papà had been wrong to compare such a thing to his relationship with her mama. This was not an arranged marriage, but a forced one.

Liliana had heard all about the dreaded D'Onofrio heir during her time in Italy. The D'Onofrio family hadn't resided in Italy for eighty years, yet the name was still feared as much as it was respected. She had heard frightful stories of citizens' untimely deaths at the suspected hands of the D'Onofrio's, just like she had heard tales of the good fortune that they had brought to those keeping within the carefully placed rules of the mafia family.

They were no more powerful than her family, whose empire still stood strong in Italy, but they were not her family, and they did not love her so. They were strangers to her, and already she feared the ways in which they could treat her should she do anything they deemed wrong.

The D'Onofrio's consisted of Sebastiano D'Onofrio — the head of the family — his wife and their three sons, Marcello, Giovanni and Angelo. They ran a successful chain of hotels as a front for the far more illegal side of business, and though Sebastiano was no longer officially in control of such he was still viewed as the leader. Liliana assumed he would retain that image until death. He was older than her papà by only a few years and from the last photograph she had seen he didn't look a welcoming man. The deep, consistent scowl and hard lines creasing his face suggested he never smiled, and his bulky body indicated just how dangerous he could be even without a weapon.

His youngest son Angelo was usually seen most in the media, mostly in relation to court cases that all suspiciously fell through before any real damage could be made and was by far the most public of the D'Onofrio sons. He was older than Liliana by one year at the age of twenty and inherited his father's dark hair and natural tan.

Giovanni, however — the middle child — was not someone that could be spoken long about. Apart from his image popping up in the media every now again and the occasional rumour that had circulated between her cousins, there wasn't much Liliana knew. He, while still as attractive as his brothers, was gifted with brunette hair which he usually kept closely shaved.

Finally, there was Marcello D'Onofrio. There was no doubt in the small community of her home town that he would be every bit as heartless and merciless as his father. Already he had begun to expand the D'Onofrio Empire and he had only been in power for just short of a year. His appearance was far more frightening than attractive despite his sharp features, olive skin and thick, obsidian hair, and his reputation with women was practically non-existent. He was already married to his empire, so much so that it led Liliana to question why the hell her papà wished for her to marry him in the first place. Surely Marcello had not agreed to such absurdity?

"Papà, you cannot be serious..."

"Liliana," he whispered her name in a tired tone. "I don't need an answer right now, just please think about it."

Why was he lying to her? She could see the pleading glint in his eyes. Antonio Fiorenza was desperate. He needed her to agree to this marriage, so why was he giving her a choice?

"But Papà," she argued, her voice becoming forceful. She wasn't one to back down, and she would not allow her papà to avoid such a serious conversation. "The D'Onofrio's are a dangerous family. Mamma died because of her involvement in your work, was that not why you were so eager to allow my return to Italy? Surely you don't wish the same fate to fall on me? I can't possibly marry a man as cold as Mercello, I will be miserable and an easy target for anyone wishing to hurt the family!"