Page 5 of Forsaken Promises
I follow her to the door, making sure she actually leaves. As soon as she’s over the threshold, I slam it shut behind her, not even bothering with a goodbye. Good riddance.
After a scalding hot shower, I feel marginally more human. I dress in a crisp white button-down and tailored black slacks, the kind of outfit befitting the son of a Don. Can’t let the family name down, even if I feel like death warmed over.
I head downstairs, intent on finding something greasy and artery-clogging to soak up the alcohol still sloshing in my stomach. But as I pass the formal drawing room, a flash of movement catches my eye.
My twin sister, Valentina, is standing by the window. She’s wearing a sleek red dress that hugs her curves, her dark hair pulled back in a severe bun. The picture of Sicura elegance and power.
“What the hell are you doing?” I ask.
Valentina doesn’t even spare me a glance, her gaze locked on something outside. She bats an impatient hand in my direction, hissing under her breath. “Shut up, Dom. We have a visitor.”
I frown, moving to join her at the window. “Who?”
“Don Marino,” Valentina says. “He just pulled up.”
* * *
I pacethe hallway outside my father’s office, my nerves stretched taut as a bowstring. The low murmur of voices filters through the heavy wooden door, but I can’t make out the words.
What the hell are they talking about in there?
It’s unusual for my father to exclude me from business meetings, especially with a powerful ally like Don Marino. Normally, he insists I sit in, learning the ropes of the family trade. The fact that he’s shut me out this time… it’s got me on edge.
After what feels like an eternity, the door finally opens.
“Dominico,” my father calls from inside the office. “Join us, please.”
I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders as I step into the room. The cloying scents of cigar smoke and expensive cologne hang in the air. My father sits behind his massive mahogany desk, looking pleased with himself. Don Marino stands by the window, his posture relaxed and contented.
“What’s going on?” I ask, trying to keep my voice casual.
My father grins, leaning back in his chair. The sight unnerves me. My father is normallyneverthis happy.
“We’ve got great news, Son. Don Marino and I have come to an agreement, a way to strengthen the bonds between our two Families.”
A sense of unease prickles at the back of my neck. I have a sinking suspicion I know where this is going.
“An arranged marriage,” Don Marino says, turning to face me. “Between you and my daughter, Sofia.”
The words hit me like a sucker punch, knocking the breath from my lungs. Sofia. The girl whose heart I shattered in my quest for freedom and adventure. The girl who has no idea that her father is about to tie her to the man who broke her.
“Sofia,” I say, my voice strangled. “Does she know about this?”
Don Marino waves a dismissive hand. “Not yet. But she will. And she’ll be thrilled, I’m sure. You two got along so well. It’s a great match for both our Families.”
I swallow hard, my mind racing. Sofia, thrilled to marry me? Not fucking likely. But Don Marino has no idea what I did to his daughter. How I used her and tossed her aside like she meant nothing.
And now… now I'm being told I have to marry her, like some kind of twisted joke.
“It's a done deal, Dominico,” my father says, his tone brooking no argument. “You will marry Sofia Marino within the week. It's what's best for the Family.”
Wait, aweek?
I want to protest, to tell them both that this is a mistake. That Sofia will never agree to this, not after what I did to her. But I know it’s futile. My father’s word is law, and defiance is not an option.
I'm trapped. Trapped by my own mistakes, by the expectations of my family and my world.
I have to marry Sofia, the woman who has every reason to hate me.
