Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

-Francis of Assisi

Francesca Marcolini's POV

I have a very busy morning. I have been reading papers for the coming charity ball next week. I am one of the organizers of the event. My peaceful but hectic day at the office was momentarily interrupted when someone barged into my office as if he had every right in doing so.

"What the..." I started but then again good manners were wasted on this man. He strode in my office as if he was the king and I should bow to his knees.

"I need you to find me a bride." He announced arrogantly. I wouldn't be more surprised if he asked me to give him the moon.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, looking at him briefly before I settled my gaze back on my papers.

"No."

"Are you on drugs?"

"No."

"Are you mad?"

"No."

"Good," I told him coldly. "Now get going. You've made a mistake. I'm not a matchmaker. I'm a teacher. You've come to the wrong person to ask for help."

"Ah, that lovely schoolteacher's voice." Marco Orsini remarked, taking the chair in front of my desk. "It makes me want to be a naughty student."

"Signore," I warned, glaring at him openly.

He held up his hands in what seemed like surrender. "Okay, fine. I just want you to find me a bride, Francesca."

"I'm not a matchmaker, Signore," I told him firmly. "I'm a private teacher for etiquette."

The devil got that look of innocence in his dark eyes. If I didn't know better about him, I would believe that he's genuinely disappointed with my refusal. "Aren't you going to help your friend on his predicament, Signora?"

"We aren't friends," I replied truthfully. I can never be friends with this womanizing devil who changes women as often he changed his clothes.

"I believe we are." He contradicted smoothly, flashing his infamous grin that often makes women swoon. "Remember that we made a deal to call it a ceasefire when we helped our friend, Lucca to rescue his wife from that psycho ex-fiancé of hers in Las Vegas? That makes us friends."

I frowned. Remembering that day that I agree to have a truce with this devil. "Well, that agreement was now null and void."

"How cold." He remarked, making himself comfortable in the chair across to my table as if he intended to linger longer here in my office. I should have sent him away as fast as I can. He's too much for my peace of mind. "You wounded me, Francesca."

"Are you not busy running the Orsini Empire? Thousands of employees depend on you and here you are slouching in my office as if you have all the time in the world?" I asked in a bored tone as I settled my gaze on his dark cynical eyes.

"If I was another man, I would think that you are sending me away, cara." His lips twitched with a private smile.

I glared at him.

But then, he sighed heavily. "But then again, I might lose my position in the Orsini Industries if I don't find a bride."

Now that he mentioned that again, it made me curious. So, I decided to ask him offhandedly. "Tell me, why do you suddenly want to acquire a bride?"

He focused his intense dark eyes on me which made me shiver. Not by fear but by something else entirely. "I just paid my grandparents a visit early this day and my grandfather threatened me if I don't present my bride-to-be before his eighty-second birthday, I will be disinherited."

I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows. Is that true or his just playing a prank with me?

"So you need to help me." Marco Orsini said.

He's not asking for my help. He's demanding it. The devil doesn't know how to ask. "If your grandfather wants you to be married before his birthday, why not find a bride of your own?"

"Because I don't want a wife!" He exploded, standing from his chair he paced my office like a caged beast. "I don't want to get married. But if I will not take a wife, I will lose the chairmanship in the Orsini Industries. I couldn't let it happen."

"Oh, yes," I told him with pleasure. I even placed a smile on my face. "If you ever happen to find a woman—with that personality of yours—willing to marry you, she'll be ecstatic at the thought you're just marrying her so you can retain your control over your family's company."

He gave me a thunderous scowled in his Roman god face. "What's wrong with my personality?"

I shrugged, eyeing him from head to toe. "Well, let's face it. You've known for having sharp-tongue that couldn't even say a single compliment to another person with that sarcastic character of yours..."

"Enjoying what you see?" He asked maddeningly.

I fought hard the blush that kept on spreading on my cheeks as I looked away.

I heard him laugh throatily. "There's no law that says you couldn't stare, cara mia."

"I wasn't staring," I murmured, still avoiding his gaze. "Truthfully. I wasn't."

"Yes. You are." He answered cheerfully. A devil's satisfaction gleamed in his dark eyes. "I can tell when a woman looked at me."

I snorted. "You're deluding yourself, Signore."

"Really?" He asked. I got surprised when he started to advance from where I was sitting and stood in front of my table and placed his hands on either side of the glass table and leaned down. I automatically sat back on my chair. "Are you fascinated with my body, Your Highness?"

"Are you flirting with me?"

His voice became silky soft. His eyes held flames on their depth. "What if I am?" He asked. "Is it working?"

I ignored the thunderous thud of my heart, as I laughed off his ridiculous suggestion. "Of course not. Why would I be swayed by your flirting? It may work on other women but not me."

"Ah, that's more the pity." He said, as he thankfully removed himself from my table and walked back in the chair he occupied a while ago. "That's why I need you on the job to look for my bride."

I sighed. "I told you..."

"I will pay you." He offered sweetly. "I will pay you thrice the amount your student is willing to pay you in order for them to learn the social etiquette of the society."

"No," I told him firmly. "I will not accept your proposal to me. I will not find you a bride."

If I thought that he would finally surrender, I was mistaken. He gave me a rakish smile as happened to glance at his watch and stood from his chair. "Oh, you will."

"I'm not."

"I have to go now." He announced regretfully as he opened the door of my office. "One way or the other, my lovely ice queen, you will find me a bride before Nonno's birthday. I will make sure of it. We will be in each other's pocket until then. This will be the start of our good friendship. Goodbye for now, Francesca mia. I will keep in touch."

Once he firmly shut the door to my office, I breathed deeply. I didn't realize I was holding. I didn't know where I'm more scared, the fact that he stubbornly wants me to find him a bride or the fact that he promised that this will be the start of our friendship?

I shivered at the thought.