Chapter 11 - Mr and Mrs Diomani.

V E L I N A

Once Luciano pulls away from me, he smiles, and I remain standing there staring back at him, my thoughts still stuck in the moment, my lips still warm from his kiss, and my breathing slightly laboured as I try to collect myself. I know I should step back, I know I should create distance between us, yet my body refuses to cooperate, and it seems I'm able to regain control of my reactions. My heart continues beating faster than usual, and I avoid looking directly at him again, worried he might notice the effect he has on me... But it may already be too late for that, and he is definitely using that to his advantage...

I barely register movement in front of me until the officiant steps closer, holding a document and a pen toward me, clearing his throat gently as he speaks.

"Please sign here." The man then says, his voice pulling me back to reality, and I lower my gaze slowly toward the paper in his hand, my mind still trying to catch up with everything happening around me. It takes a moment for the words to register in my mind, and when they finally do, my chest tightens instantly...

As I stare at the document, I soon realise exactly what it is...

A marriage certificate.

The words sit clearly in front of me, bold and undeniable, and I stare at them carefully, my thoughts racing as the reality continues to crash down on me... This is real... It's no longer just an agreement between families anymore... This is binding... and permanent...

I slowly lift my gaze toward Luciano, and he is already watching me, his expression calm and confident, as though this outcome was always guaranteed. There is no hesitation in his face, no doubt, no uncertainty, and he stands there with quiet assurance. I soon realise that for him, this moment holds no tension at all...

For him, this is already decided.

For me, it feels like everything is slipping away all at once.

I swallow slowly, my fingers trembling slightly as I reach forward to take the pen from the officiant. My hand feels weak, and I can feel the eyes in the room on me, my father, my mother, my siblings, Luciano's men, all waiting for me to sign my name and make this official...

I finally lower the pen toward the paper, and for a brief moment, I hesitate, my heart pounding loudly as the thought crosses my mind.

What happens if I refuse? What will they do to me, what will my father do... the only reason he agreed to give me to Luciano was so we can pay for our crimes against the Diomanis... so if I refuse... I will be putting everyone at risk... I will be putting the lives of my family at risk. I feel tears form in my eyes yet again as I'm faced with an impossible decision. They've never treated me well, but if they were killed because I didn't go through with this... I don't know how I would survive with their blood on my hands....

I don't think too long after that...

I already know what I'm going to do...

So I sign.

My signature appears across the page quickly, slightly uneven from my shaking hand, and as soon as I finish, I release a breath I didn't realise I was holding. My chest rises and falls as I hand the pen back to the officiant, my fingers still trembling slightly, just as he nods and hands the document to Luciano.

Luciano takes the pen calmly, glancing down at the paper as though he has done this many times before, his movements completely relaxed. He brings the pen down to another part of the document and signs his name neatly without hesitation, his handwriting bold and clear beside mine.

Watching him makes my heart sink further as I realise...

There is no going back now.

Once he finishes, Luciano hands the document back to the officiant and looks at me again. A small triumphant smile forms on his lips, and I feel my chest tighten again as I realise that he now has exactly what he wanted.

"Congratulations to you, Mr and Mrs Diomani," the officiant says, and the words send my head spinning as I hear them for the first time.

Mrs Diomani.

I freeze where I stand, my thoughts halting as the title repeats in my mind. I feel disconnected from everything around me for a moment, my mind struggling to adjust to the sudden shift in identity, in life, in everything I thought I knew.

I am no longer Velina Merrano.

I am now Mrs Velina Diomani... Luciano's wife.

It all hits me so fast, panic setting in my chest as I struggle to steady my breathing, trying my best to keep still as I remain standing across from Luciano.

"Thank you," Luciano answers calmly.

I glance at him briefly, still trying to process how composed he looks, how easily he accepts this new reality, while I stand here feeling like the ground beneath me has shifted without warning.

"You've gotten everything you've asked for, Luciano..." my father says, his voice pulling my attention and everyone else's into the room toward him, and I look over, noticing the tightness in his expression, though he still tries to maintain composure.

Luciano then glances toward my father, one brow lifting slightly.

"Are you trying to get me to leave your territory so soon, Russello?" he asks, taking a few steps away from me and towards my father instead, his tone remaining calm, almost casual, and I feel tension rise across the room yet again as Luciano now stands head to head with my father, and even after everything has happened, I feel this is not over yet...

As the two of them stare back at each other, I hold my breath, fearing what Luciano might do. My father remains silent, his gaze focused on Luciano as he tries to read him, and after what feels like forever, Luciano finally speaks.

"Lighten up, will you, this is a momentous occasion. We should be celebrating." He suddenly says, a smile forming on his lips just as he reaches for my father's shoulder, tapping it lightly. Luciano is significantly younger than my father, yet the dynamics between them are completely blurred. To Luciano, it seems to be all about power, regardless of your age...

"Consider this, a peace treaty." He continues, filling the room, calm and composed, and I stand close to him, trying to keep my breathing even while my mind continues struggling to accept the reality of everything that just happened...