Chapter 2

Chiara

Bile rose in my throat once my brain processed Alessandro's proposal.

Marry him? The idea was as absurd as it was humiliating.

“No way am I getting married!” I exclaimed with absolute indignation.

My words caused the other capos to rise from the table; at that, my brother squeezed my arm to get me under control, but I ignored Luca and immediately looked at my father.

 Lorenzo Moretti's look, to my surprise, was one of annoyance.

“Alessandro,” my father said in the same firm tone of voice he used to deny me something, “with all due respect, your proposal is unacceptable. Chiara is my daughter; she is worth more than any deal. She is a treasure that I will not hand over as if she were a bargaining chip.”

Seeing my father's upright and defiant posture, I felt relief at hearing his words. I knew very well that he had been decisive. However, my father's response caused Alessandro's smile to widen, and he raised an eyebrow.

I didn't like that at all.

“Lorenzo, you are one of the most intelligent men I have ever met in my life,” Alessandro said mockingly. “I expected you to be pragmatic in the face of this situation. The piece I offer will be a success in boosting all your business. You would have no trouble with anything, and you know well that our union would be unstoppable.”

“The price you ask is too high,” my father replied gravely and maintained his composure. “We will find another suitable way to ensure peace between our families. Chiara is not included in that equation.”

At that moment I felt proud that my father stood up for me.

For the first time in my life, Dad was putting me before his business.

“Is there nothing more suitable than a marriage?” asked Alessandro with deadly seriousness.

The mocking mask was gone and had been replaced by steel. 

At that moment I felt a tension I had not felt before.

The capos moved a little closer towards Alessandro, and my father changed his expression from annoyance to calm. Whatever Alessandro had said had forced him to control himself.

That surprised me.

“I think it's best if we withdraw,” Marcelo Greco said to Alessandro, and the other men nodded.

“No, I would like you to be here as a witness,” Alessandro said, and I frowned. “I would like to invoke the Vincolo di Sangue o Cenere (Blood or Ash Bond). Unlike all of you, I have never used it, and it seems like an ideal time to do so.”

My father froze, my brother looked at Alessandro in amazement, and the other capos, to my dismay, smiled. I was missing the point.

“In that case, we stay as witnesses,” said Stefano Lombardi, the Camorra capo.

My father had a very close relationship with the other capos, so I couldn't understand why they supported Alessandro.

“Lorenzo, the old feuds of our ancestors can now be resolved. Lasting peace requires a strong bond. What bond could be more powerful than the union of our bloods?” asked Alessandro in a firm, uncompromising tone of voice as his gaze slid to me possessively. “A Vincolo di Sangue or Cenere will ensure that we both honor the bargain.”

“Chiara is not a property to be bargained for,” my father said serenely, and I looked at him in surprise because his voice was much more relaxed; there was no longer tension in his body. “She is young; this is a very delicate decision. Her future is important, and—”

“This isn't a decision you can make quickly, is it?” questioned Alessandro sarcastically, and I became irritated. “Instability between our families is a risk that particularly you cannot afford for long, if the latest reports are not wrong. A clear and definitive agreement is necessary. And this is the clearest of all. Think peace.”

For the first time in my life, I saw my father speechless; he was blank, and I did not hold back in the face of the boldness of the Cosa Nostra capo.

I exploded like a supernova.

“Peace?” I asked Alessandro angrily and took two steps towards him, something my brother tried to avoid in vain by squeezing my arm. “You speak of peace while trying to get my father to sell me to you? Where is the peace in wanting to buy a woman?”

“Chiara,” my father hissed through his teeth, “Shut up! Don't be insolent.”

At that moment I looked at my father in surprise.

Is my father reprimanding me?

Lorenzo Moretti's eyes were a sea of insecurity.

For the first time I saw doubt about a decision. Whatever the deal meant that Alessandro mentioned had to be extremely delicate for the great Lorenzo Moretti to change his mind quickly.

“But Father, how can you even consider this?” I asked incredulously.

“This is a delicate matter,” my father said firmly and grabbed my arm, causing Luca to release me. “Alessandro and I must resolve our differences, so your rude behavior is not helping, Chiara.”

His tone of voice went from calm to accusatory, and I couldn't contain myself.

“My behavior?” I questioned with so much anger that my body trembled. “He just suggested a wedding as a condition for peace, and I'm the one behaving badly?”

Alessandro watched the scene with a calmness that exasperated me. A faint smile curved his lips, as if the change in my father's attitude confirmed his power.

“Signorina Moretti has a... remarkable passion,” Alessandro said gently, but with a tinge of mockery that made me look at him with hatred. “It's an... interesting quality.”

I looked at my father with indignation and realized that he viewed Alessandro with embarrassment.

“Excuse my daughter; she was not raised under the ways of the Mafia,” my father said, and I gasped in surprise.

“But—”

“Shut your mouth. Chiara, I won't allow you to say another foolish thing,” my father told me sternly. “You behave disrespectfully, and Alessandro D'Amato is a signore (sir) of the Mafia. I won't tolerate any more offenses; don't embarrass me anymore.”

His words were like a bullet in the chest.

At that moment I understood that his priority was to keep Alessandro calm regardless of my feelings. What he did by defending me minutes ago was a lie.

“Isn't he offending me by treating me like an object?” I asked my father and pointed at Alessandro.

My brother quickly reached over to put my arm down.

“Don't be dramatic,” my father said calmly, but his look told another story. I knew very well that his patience was wearing thin. “Alessandro presented an option that, although it seems radical, would bring benefits to our families. So shut your mouth and think about the consequences of your behavior.”

“The consequences?” I asked with a broken voice. “What about my consequences? Doesn't that matter to you?”

My father squeezed my arm tightly, about to burst, but Luca was more prudent and interrupted the discussion he was having with my father.

“Alessandro, with all due respect, this has come as a surprise to everyone. Chiara needs time to come to terms with it. Could we have a few days to discuss your proposal as a family?” asked Luca, and I shook my head in annoyance.

“A week,” Alessandro said seriously, and I looked at him with hatred. “I give you a whole week, starting tomorrow. I expect a sensible answer, Lorenzo. Make sure Chiara understands the gravity of the situation.”

With those words Alessandro left the labyrinth, and the other capos followed them, except Marcelo Greco, who stayed with us.

“Chiara's rebellion could have a high price, Lorenzo,” Marcelo said to my father, and I growled in annoyance.

I wriggled out of my father's and my brother's grip and rushed out of the labyrinth like a whirlwind.

Humiliation and rage burned inside me in a voracious way.

I could not stay a minute longer in Italy; I had to leave the country immediately.

I was so furious that I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the tears fall down my chest. I wiped them off immediately and left the party without caring if people saw me. Everyone started whispering, but I paid no attention. I walked to the parking lot, and my brother came after me.

“Chiara,” Luca said seriously, and I turned to look at him. 

“How dare my father even consider such barbarity?” I asked angrily.

 The night air whipped across my face as my father appeared furious.

He walked so fast toward me that I didn't see what happened next coming.

The sharp slap on my cheek echoed in the silence of the night, as painful as the truth that had just been revealed: on the mafia board I was nothing more than an expendable piece.

I brought my hand to my cheek out of pain and disbelief.

“You're a damn disgrace!” my father said angrily. “I shouldn't have let you grow out of our ways, but from now on you're going to understand what obedience is.”

“I can't believe what I'm seeing,” I said to my father in surprise.

“I should have shown you more character since you were a little girl; I realize that now,” my father said angrily.

“You're going to have to kill me because I'm not a pawn of your mafia,” I said angrily, and Luca grabbed my hand.

“I'm sorry to tell you this, sorellina (little sister), but we have no other options,” Luca said, and I looked at him in confusion. “Alessandro invoked the blood or ash bond.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I questioned angrily.

“It means that, if you don't marry him, the Cosa Nostra is going to declare war on the 'Ndrangheta until one of the families is nothing but ashes,” my father said, and I was horrified.

“That couldn't be true,” I said in disbelief.

“Of course it's true!” my father shouted. “You had to make a situation worse that I could have handled better. So obey, or we're all going to end up burned to a crisp because of your damn fault.”

Any hope I had of getting out of that deal unscathed vanished immediately.