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T

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I sat completely zoned out, playing with the straw of my Ferrero Rocher Frappuccino. My mind trying to conjure up different scenarios.

But before I could come to a final conclussion or a definite point, my best friend Lucie snapped her fingers in front of me, breaking my chain of thoughts.

“Where have you been lost? If you don’t want that heaven of a drink, I am always up for the offer,” she spoke.

Currently, we were sitting in Starbucks with our drinks to catch up. Lately, I had been too busy with my studies to spare her anytime. So, she had insisted me to meet her there and spend some quality time.

I looked up at her and replied, “You do know that my Ferrero Rocher Frappuccino is a forbidden territory for you.”

“Then, why are you not drinking it? What are you day dreaming about? Did Albert say something to you?” she asked me seriously.

I shook my head and told her, “No, he didn’t say anything to me. I was just wondering about what dad said in the morning.”

“Care to elaborate?” raising her right eyebrow at me, she said.

“He told me that he wants to talk to me about something important in the evening. I was just trying to figure out, what it could be.” I sighed.

She gave me a reassuring smile and said, “I am sure it must not be something to worry about.”

“I don’t know, Lucie. He seemed tensed this morning. I have a feeling in my gut that something bad is about to happen,” I told her.

She patted the back of my hand and said, “Lia, you are just being paranoid. Don’t worry. Everything would be fine.”

“I hope so,” I said to her, myself hoping from the inside that what she was saying turn out to be true.

After that, we talked randomly about what was happening in our lives and finished our drinks. We both our bills and left the place.

She offered to give me a ride to home, to which I agreed. All the way, my gut feeling was getting intense as I was reaching near my home. I had a strong feeling that my life was about to change. But how? I didn’t knew.

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“What? But how is it possible, dad?" I cried, trying to comprehend his words.

My mind was currently spinning from all the secrets he had disclosed to me. Secrets of my life, which were kept from me throughout my life.

“It is the only truth, Lia. You have been betrothed to the Italian Mafia King by your grandpa when you were one,” papa told solemnly.

I argued with him, “But we have no connections with any Mafia. We lead the life of a normal citizen, away from all sorts of crimes. Then, how did they got hold of grandpa?”

“Because you don’t know the entire truth, Lia. Your grandpa, Leonardo Romano, was one of the most ruthless Mafias of his time. He was feared by most of the people in the underworld, and no one dared to mess up with him. He ruled the Mafia world with an iron fist,” he revealed it to me.

He continued, “He was a good acquintance with Alessandro D’Amelio, who was another ruthless mafia of the underworld. You can say that he was more ruthless and powerful than your grandpa. So, to gain more power by building relationshionships, he proposed Alessandro your hand in marriage with his grandson Ermanno D’Amelio. He was 4 at that time.”

To say that I was shocked at the information, would be an understatement.

My grandpa was a Mafia?!

That was so much to take in. On top of that my marriage arranged to one of them.

“But dad, we were so young at that time. How could he bind us in a knot without asking for our consent?” I pleaded him.

“It is not uncommon in the Mafia world to fix marriages at such an early age. And asking for consent is not at all given any importance there, especially for girls. Your mama and mine marriage was also fixed this way only,” he disclosed.

I was shocked at the information. I knew that theirs’ was an arranged marriage, but I didn’t knew it was arranged that way.

I protested him, “But this is so wrong! What if we back out of this marriage?”

His serious face filled with dread. He replied in a strong voice, “You can’t. Your whole family will have to pay the cost along with you.”

“What kind of cost?” I asked in a dread filled voice.

I felt that it would be something big. But didn't knew it would be that big. I absentmindedly played with the ring on my finger.

He spoke in a low, yet firm voice, “Death! Promises in the underworld are more treasured than lives. Breaking them meant committing suicide along with the death of your whole family.”

I was terrified of the consequence. But, I couldn't let my life be destroyed like that.

I tried to reason him, “But dad, I can’t marry him. He must be a monster. Besides, I love Albert. I can’t leave him.”

He abruptly stood up and spoke in a loud voice, “You will have to leave him, Lia. Otherwise, we all have to give up on our lives. Ermanno D’Amelio is not the one to be messed up with. He is known as ‘Il Diavolo’ in the mafia world. You just can’t back out of the promise.”

“Dad, please don’t do this to me. I can’t marry him. I love Albert. Why does grandpa had to do all that to me?” I begged him.

Sitting down again on the sofa, he sighed, “What’s done can’t be undone, Lia.”

I turned to mama, who was silent till then, and was giving me sympathetic glances.

I requested her, “Mama please tell dad to find a way. There has to be one, please.”

Mama remorsefully said, “It is the reason I hated this world and forced your father to give up all of that. I wanted to save us from their cruel ways. But, I guess I was not successful in my attempts. I couldn't save you.”

“What do you mean mama? I don’t understand you.” I asked her, confused at her words.

Papa replied to that, “When you were 1, a war had broken out between two mafia families and your grandpa was killed in the ambush. I was next in line to take over the position of your grandpa. There was no other option, because I was his only child. But your mama was afraid that she would loose me too in the war of position.”

He further continued, “Because there is only one rule that prevails in that world and that is 'Survival to the fittest'. There is nothing such as friendship,loyalty or kindness in that world. There was constantly a sword hanging on our heads. So, on her insistance, I gave up everything and came to California, to start a new life.”

Everything was just too much for me to take it!

“But since the promise of your marriage had already been made by your deceased grandpa, you got stuck in that lifestyle,” mama added.

Mama went on, “The promised age of your marriage was 21 and you will be turning 21 in the next six months. So, Alessandro had called your dad to remind him of the promise. He had ordered him to tell you the truth and expose you to his world.”

Papa sighed and told, “He was already against the idea of me leaving that world, because of you. He thought that we were trying to hide you to break the promise and threatened us with our lives. We had to assure him repeatedly that we would come back, when the time for fulfillment of the promise arrived. We wanted to give you a normal life as long as we could, before you are bound in marriage with his grandson.”

Mama told with fear clear in her slightly quivering voice, “Also, one cannot escape him. His influence is spread worldwide. He knew too well that we cannot escape him, so he agreed for the time period.”

“He had called yesterday to remind us of the promise and to bring you back to Italy. According to him, you have lived your normal life fair enough and now, it is the time to expose you to the world you belong to,” papa spoke lastly.

They both gave me sympathetic looks. Mama got up from the sofa and kissed my cheeks, while dad just patted my cheeks reassuringly. They both started going away, when dad abruptly stopped and turned to face me.

He looked in my eyes directly and said, “Don’t tell any of it to your friends, not even Lucie or Albert. Because words of the underworld must stay in the underworld. Otherwise, they cost you your life, for an act of treason.”

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Hello my lovely readers!

How was the first chapter?

What do you think about the bomb papa bear dropped on our Lia?

What do you think Lia should do? Marry the devil and break the heart of poor Albert?

A huge thank you to each one of you for giving my book, the precious time of your day. It made me extremely elated!🤩🤩

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I am eagerly looking forward to read your interesting thoughts and expectations from the story. Also, what was on your mind after reading the chapter.💭🗯

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Till then,

Keep smiling,

~A...