"I don't have time to waste Dominic." my father's thick accent and irritated tone brought me out of my daze as I was once again reminded of my deadline. I had to visit home to discuss this with him, maybe work a negotiation. Clarissa was annoying as f-ck and there was no way in hell I was going to put a ring on that. Why would I marry a Russian? A Bogart at that.

"I will be coming over." I told him as I shut the laptop lid and tossed the device into the suitcase sitting open on my dining table. I sat back in my chair and tilted my head squeezing the bridge of my nose - an old habit.

"There is no negotiating this Dominic, this is not like any other deal. This is your future."

"And I understand that. I'll be in tomorrow, tell madre I said ciao. Addio." I hung up and dropped both hands into my lap sitting forward and staring at the floor, I was really in it this time. No stalling, no options. I was - I winced - settling down. Even thinking the word made me want to kill someone.

"When will you be coming back Mr. Vitiello." Natasha called out from the laundry as I brought my suitcase to stand beside me.

"As soon as I can Natasha, I'll contact you on my way back." I reply as I unlock my phone, "speaking of which, what is your number?"

After saving her number in my phone and closing the door behind me, I climbed into my lambhorgini and made my way to the skyscraper I call Vitiello Industries.

Pulling into my parking spot I sent Amara a quick text letting her know I'd be dropping in today at her office. I entered the elevator and rode it to the very top floor where I got off and went straight to my office not without a casual nod towards my receptionist - Laura.

I organised for my flight, contacted my Vice CEO and locked up before making sure Laura kept an eye on things for me.

The drive to Evenstone was moderate in traffic but definitely thoughtful on my part. I was willing to do almost anything to avoid marrying Clarissa, negotiating - whether my father thought so or not - was definitely on the table but I still had yet to figure out what my argument would be. What my leverege would be.

As I boarded the elevator I was soon bombarded with a number of female bodies, leaving me with absolutely no room to even take my hand out of my pockets. I tried to think ignoring the wandering hands and intoxicating fumes of much too heavy womanly perfume. Not to mention the different scents, it kinda burned.

I grew more and more impatient as the doors opened at each floor, letting out three or more women at a time. My anger dissipated as I approached the one person in the entire building that was somehow incapable of pissing me off.

"I got your text." Amara held a folder to her chest and one hand on her hip. "What do you mean transferring the project?"

"Amara. Buongiorno." I said walking past her and into her office.

"I don't know what you just said but that is not the point. Transfer?" She said walking in and sitting promptly at her seat. She gestured for me to sit but I ignored her and continued to stand.

"Something has come up that I have to deal with immediately, infact I have to leave in about twenty minutes for my flight." I had moved to her shelves now and was fiddling with the inadimate objects that sat in different compartments and had no specific order or pattern assigned to them. "I will be back of course but it will be more than just a trip and a return. So I will be transferring the job to my Vice CEO. He will meet you whenever you feel comfortable and he will work with you on this project from here on, making all the decisions I would be making."

She now had a hand massaging her temple, "How would it become what you envisioned if it isn't you who decides it?"

"My righthand man knows exactly what I have 'envisioned'," I held my hands up making air quotation marks, "We envisioned it together after all."

"Understood." She paused, "I hope you don't mind me asking, why are you catching the plane?"

"I am going to my parents home in Italy to negotiate my way out of marrying Clarissa." I rolled my eyes at the mention of Bogart's little sister, "That woman is a constant pain in my ass."

Amara chuckled at the comment and got up, "Good luck with you negotiation and also have a good flight. Come back soon okay? I don't know if I'll like this replacement of yours." She joked as she came in for a hug.

"Whoa she's a hugger." I put both hands on her shoulders and held her at arms distance. "I am not a hugger."

"I'll remeber that next time."

Not a hugger my ass.

Dominic had left just a few minutes ago but I continued with my work as per usual, a transfer wouldn't be that bad and the whole point of working in a business such as this was being accustomed to change. I like change... most of the time.

I sighed as I sent my designs to the printer and flicked my laptop lid shut, I'd forgotten to buy a desktop again. I hesitantly got up from my warm office chair, walked out the door and tried my best to ignore the curious stares of the cubicle drones. I was sure the most fun they had in their day was watching office drama unfold whilst secretly chomping at the Maltesers they kept under their office desks.

I made my way to the printer room which smelt heavily of school library and over-priced perfume, the designs printed off and I made sure to have copies for myself, my new boss and back-up. A tap on the shoulder caused me to jump a little and struggle to flop the papers back onto my chest. I smiled at the owner of the hand as she flipped the last few pages and arranged them perfectly on my pile.

"Sorry about that," Monique smiled then clapped her hands together, "The girls and I were wondering if you wanted to go out with us tonight, you just moved here didn't you? So it would be a great opportunity to make new friends." I almost interrupted her, figuring the question wasn't rhetorical but it was. I didn't think I needed any friends. "I already consider myself your friend so that would mean I'm your wingman."

"I uh-"

"Oh don't be silly Amara, be ready by eight okay? We're going to have so much fun, I promise." Monique assured me as she delicately wrapped her arms around me and gave me the softest hug ever - trying extra hard not to fold my prints in the process - stepping back, letting out a squeal then walking out the door. I stood there for a minute trying to understand the mess I just got myself into but then completely ignored it as I focused on the task at hand.

I returned to my office and distributed my prints into three different folders, then putting them up onto my shelf and sighing as I looked out the window. I'd finished all my work until my next meeting with what's-his-face and that was a relief. I rolled my eyes typing in an email to send to the Vitiello Industries' main office about the appointment and then after a satisfactory message was typed, I clicked send and gathered my belongings.

I was about to drive home when I remembered the situation I'd gotten myself into with Monique, I was hoping her group of girl friends did not include Clarissa. I changed the direction I was going and headed straight for the mall, I hadn't brought any dresses or outfits intent on going out with 'ma girls' so I needed to find something to wear.

I didn't change the pace I walking just because I didn't want them to take pictures of me, I couldn't care less about them having pictures of me, what I cared about was getting home and sorting this whole thing out. But I had to admit it was quickly pissing me off that they had their flashing lights in my face and wouldn't stop asking me stupid questions.

"Dominic over here!"

"Dominic where have you been?"

"Dominic is your sister still single?"

"Dominic where is the french girl?"

Dominic. Dominic. Dominic. I mimicked in my head. This whole thing was f-cked and it pissed me off to no end, they shouldn't be mentioning my sister and that french girl thing was literally six months ago. I wasn't even dating her. I rolled my eyes but they couldn't see because I was wearing sunglasses, they were always essential when you went to a very public place or somewhere that had been scheduled. Obviously word got around that I had boarded a plane and that it was scheduled to land in Italy sometime soon, I wonder how long they'd been waiting here.

"Welcome home sir," Alessandro greeted me as he held the limo door open, "Glad to have you back."

"Likewise." I nodded as I entered the car and flipped my phone open, I sent my mother a text announcing my arrival and tilted my head over the seat as I waited for a reply. One day all this stress was going to get to me.

Mama: Meraviglioso! Hurry, don't keep us waiting. Amare madre x

I smiled at my mother's enthusiastic reply although she hadn't quite caught onto the fact that she didn't need to sign off at the end of every text, the phones told you the contact name at the top. But then again adults never seemed to understand technology, no matter how hard you tried to teach them.

I let out a breath as the car came to a stop outside the gate and waited patiently as Alessandro signed in with the guards, it seemed there was more of them than the last time I was here meaning my father had grown more and more paranoid as time passed. I agree it would be better if he retired.

I got out of the car as soon as it stopped out the front of the house and was greeted with a warm hug from my mama and a side hug from my sister. They led me inside telling me about all the things that went on while I was gone, Claire - my sister - had gotten her Victoria Secret Angel wings. She'd wanted those wings ever since she signed with them and now that she had them she was ecstatic. My mother continued to tell me about Leo moving in just last week and his sister too. She saw how confused I was and told me to ask my father. I had excused myself at that point.

"Come in." my father's gruff voice sounded from the other side of the heavy oak door, I entered and sat immediately across from him in the armchair. "Welcome home. Are you planning on staying?"

"I heard Leo moved in. What is that about?" I frowned.

"What. You do not want your best friend to live in your own home?" he remarked.

"Cut the bullsh-t father. You know Claire has a massive crush on him and she won't hesitate to -"

"He signed. One of the first actually, the rest of the familia are due to sign any time soon now and their families will be moving into the estate." my father informed me as if he was telling me the weather, he was allowing members of the mafia to move into our household and for what reason?

"Its not safe outside for anyone in the Italian Mafia. Plenty of our men have wives and children. The safest place is here." he answered my question without me having to ask, "The British, French and Russian mafia are planning on creating an alliance."

"I don't believe that, its such a contrast formula. There is no w-"

"Its meant to be," he looked up at me daring me to interrupt him again, "They plan on attacking us because we are the largest and most powerful. We have our own organisation that trains our boys and I understand so do the Russian and British but they are not as successful."

"Dominic, you understand that you are a missing project? They wiped you from the system as you requested and now you are classified as a lost experiment. That does not change the fact that you were a 17 billion dollar project that proved successful and ranked one hundred percent in all the examinations."

"Father I do not need to be reminded that I am a monster. What I need is to be assured that I won't be spending the rest of my life listening to Clarissa talk about the colour of the curtains in our new baby room." I cringed at the thought but did not change my expression.

"You have no choice."

"That has to be another way," I stood up, "Clarissa I understand is important -"

"Clarissa is already involved in the business as well, not to mention a valuable asset."

"I understand her value but -"

"Son, she is the daughter of the Capo dei Capi of the Russian Mafia. What higher value is there?"

"Maybe the German trained assassin; Schwarzer Regen. Number two in the world."

"You mean the 14 billion dollar project that went missing four years ago?!" he slammed the table standing in the process. I stared up at him and nodded. "This isn't a joke."

"She is the only valuable asset aside from Clarissa right? Give me a picture of her and I'll find her."

"You will do anything to avoid marrying Clarissa." my father said in disbelief shaking his head. I simply nodded.

"Can you give me a file?"

"Its impossible."

"I can do anything." I assured him adjusting my sleeves and holding my hand out for him to shake. He grabbed my hand and shook it then turned to the file cabinet and took out a file marked 'X'.

"We called off the project a long time ago, she may be the only woman who can amount to you Lucifer. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Give me three weeks."