Chapter 1 Marry Him to Save the Famiglia

When Lucia Bellini walked into her father's study, the air was thick with the bitter smell of cigars. The heavy burgundy velvet curtains shut out all the sunlight, leaving the room dim and suffocating. "Papà?" Lucia called out tentatively, her voice trembling. Enzo Bellini lifted his head slowly. The face that was usually full of vigor now looked aged and exhausted. As he gazed at the daughter who had always been the apple of his eye, a deep sense of pain and reluctance flickered in his eyes. He pushed a document toward her, his hand shaking slightly. "Lucia… I… I'm sorry. Look at this." Lucia hesitated as she stepped forward and picked up the document. What she saw was betrayal, entrapment, a cash flow crisis, and banks demanding repayment. "The Bellini family is going bankrupt," Enzo said, his voice low and hopeless. She felt her world collapse in an instant. She staggered, catching herself on the edge of the cold desk just to stay upright. Bankrupt? How could that be? Just yesterday, she had been troubled over which gown to wear to a banquet. But it turned out that she would be losing everything. The laughter, the champagne, the roses, the carefully sheltered years… Had they all been nothing but an illusion? "No… No, this is impossible. Papà, there must be a mistake…" she muttered in a broken voice. Enzo closed his eyes tiredly. "There is no mistake, Lucia. We were betrayed by the people we trusted most. In one night, everything was drained away. In three days, the bank will come. We'll be thrown out and left with nothing." "Then what do we do, Papà? There must be a way, right?" Lucia looked at Enzo pleadingly. Enzo remained silent for a long time before slowly pulling a beautifully bound, gold-embossed document from the drawer. "There is one way left," he said in a tone so grim that it was frightening. "We have one last chance to save the Bellini family." He slid the document toward Lucia. It was a marriage agreement, and the other party was Alessandro Rossi. He was the most terrifying and youngest Don in all of Iberny. His name was synonymous with bloodshed, violence, and absolute power. Rumor had it that he was ruthless, unpredictable, and that countless lives had ended at his hands. "No…" Lucia recoiled in horror, shaking her head repeatedly. "Papà, you can't… You can't push me to a man like that!" Seeing Lucia so terrified broke Enzo's heart and pained him immensely. "Lucia, my darling, I'm sorry… I have failed you," he said hoarsely and brokenly. His voice seeped through his fingers as he covered his face in guilt. Devastated, he added, "If there had been any other options, I would rather have died myself than let you suffer like this." "Why me? Why does he want me?" Lucia couldn't stop the tears that fell. She rushed forward to grip Enzo's arm while stubbornly demanding, "Tell me, Papà! Is he really as terrible as the rumors say? What kind of man is he?" "He…" Enzo avoided her searching gaze and replied in a whisper. "He has an obsessive preference for a certain type of woman. And you, Lucia… Among all the daughters of the Mafia families on this island, you're the only one who fits his liking." Lucia understood instantly. She had not been chosen because she was Lucia Bellini, but because she happened to possess some "trait" that appealed to an extremely dangerous man she had never met. She wondered what kind of man the Don, who was rumored to be unpredictable and ruthless, truly was. And what part of her made her fit his so-called preference? Looking at the striking white hairs at Enzo's temples and his bloodshot, exhausted eyes, Lucia took a slow breath and forced down the tears that were about to spill. Her trembling fingers clenched over her skirt until her knuckles turned white. After a while, she raised her head. Her voice was shaky but resolute as she said, "Papà… I'll marry him." … Three days later, Lucia was taken into a preparation room, where several expressionless women dressed her in a wedding gown. It was a vintage lace dress with elaborate ruffles and a high collar that wrapped her tightly from neck to ankle. It was breathtaking but suffocating. If she had been allowed to choose her wedding gown, she would never have picked something so heavy and conservative. It felt more like an elegant prison uniform than the light, romantic dress she had once dreamed of. When the wedding march echoed through the empty church, it sounded eerie and desolate. At the foot of the steps were two rows of men in black suits, standing solemnly in complete silence. Lucia clenched her hands as she walked toward the altar. The man she was about to marry stood there with his back to her. He looked tall and imposing. His tailored black suit outlined his broad shoulders and lean waist. Even from behind, he radiated an oppressive air around him. Only when she reached his side did he finally turn. Lucia's breath caught in her throat. The rumors about his striking looks weren't exaggerated. His sharply chiseled features were as flawless as an ancient Rehman sculpture. His deep green eyes shimmered under the dim church light, making her feel as if she were staring into a bottomless void. They were so piercing that they seemed to read her soul. He was far too handsome to be a blood-stained Mafia Don. In fact, he looked more like an ethereal deity that had stepped out of the myths of old. Nevertheless, his eyes held no warmth at all. There was only chilling scrutiny. He was Alessandro Rossi, her husband. The priest began reciting the routine vows. Lucia was in a daze. She simply repeated the words mechanically. She could feel Alessandro's sharp and all-seeing gaze on her. He picked up the diamond-studded ring but didn't place it on her finger right away. Instead, his cold fingertips gripped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. His voice was low and resonant but absolutely chilling to the core. "You're wearing the wedding dress she liked. You should learn to smile the way she did." "She?" Lucia's mind buzzed and went blank. So this was it. He didn't even want her because she was his "type". He simply wanted her because she resembled someone else. She was nothing but a substitute. Shame and humiliation surged through Lucia. She felt her eyes sting as tears welled up in them. Alessandro noticed the tears swimming in her eyes and frowned almost imperceptibly. He released her and shoved the ring onto her finger gruffly. "I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest declared. The farce was finally over. Lucia was still drowning in shock and sorrow when the abrupt and sharp sounds of gunshots rang out from outside the church. Almost instantly, Alessandro moved. He yanked Lucia away from her spot. Before she could even gasp in surprise, his tall frame engulfed her and shielded her completely. The world spun. Gunfire, shouts, and shattering glass blended into a deafening cacophony that made her ears throb. She couldn't see anything. All she could smell was the crisp cedarwood cologne on him that was mixed with a faint tint of gunpowder. His arm locked around her waist, and the heat of his body scorched her through the layers of clothing. It sent an involuntary shiver through her. At that moment, she felt fear, humiliation, anger… and some other emotion she didn't want to acknowledge. It was her heart fluttering for him irresistibly. In that life-or-death moment, in the arms of the man who saw her as a substitute, Lucia realized miserably that her heart had skipped a beat for Alessandro.