Chapter five (The ledger)

Alessandro Caruso

“Alessandro Marcello Caruso and Mira Elizabeth Parker Caruso are hereby declared husband and wife.”

My grip squeezed the side of the paper in rage as my cold gaze stared down at that name.

I so much hate this.

I groaned, frustrated and shut my eyes… fighting to control the amount of anger crushing hard on my veins like waves.

“It’s just for one year, Ales. Get that ledger and fucking discard her.” I kept murmuring. Murmuring repeatedly to ease the rage inside me

When suddenly the door of my office was pushed open fastly, cutting through my thoughts.

Without turning, I snapped my head quickly to find Luca Moretti, my best friend strode in toward me with confusion and a newspaper clipping in his hand.

I frowned.

“WHAT?”

“Man. What am I hearing?” He sighed and stopped right in front of me. Disappointment etched on his forehead as he waved the newspaper in the air. “How could you not fucking tell me that you’re fucking getting engaged with Gianna, next month?”

My frowned deepened and I shot him a sharp glare as if he had gone crazy.

“Gianna?” I spat in distaste but Luca narrowed his eyes, “Seriously man? The news are everywhere and you are acting like you had no idea–“

I quickly snatched the newspaper from him and my eyes went wide for a while before they mellowed into a sharp anger.

This is her handwork

“Damn you, Rosalia!!” I hissed and squeezed the newspaper in anger, tossing it away.

My jaw clenched.

Luca frowned. Confused.

“Man–“

“I’m married.” I blurted coldly, shutting him up. My expression had hardened.

Luca stared at me like I was such a comedian before chuckling. “Married? Man, your engagement is still next month..”

“I said I’m married!” I snapped, flicking the marriage certificate toward him as though it meant nothing.

Well it doesn’t.

The paper landed against his chest before fluttering to the ground. Luca gave me a doubtful glare and bent over, picking it up.

I exhaled and rubbed my face, feeling unsettled.

I noticed as his eyes nonchalantly roamed over it before they snapped into a wide shock.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” He froze and snapped his head back to me in a flash. “Is this some joke?”

“Do I sound like a joke to you?” The word rolled out harshly and he opened his mouth, then again and again but no words came out.

Luca let out a dry laugh after awhile and looked away before looking back again. Disbelief still lingering in his face but he knows me too well to know I was serious. “So who… who is she?”

“A nobody.” I snarled, walking over to my desk. And his eyes followed my every move. “Ales, she is your wife like you said.”

“A damn contract!” I grated out, lowering my head. My facial muscles tightened. “Marry her… get the ledger and discard her after one year.”

I looked up to the lost Luca.

“You know that old man left behind locked assets?" I said after a moment.

And Luca frowned slightly. “You already owned half the damn city, man. Don’t tell me you’re serious about this?”

“But not the damn assests!”

Luca flinched back instantly and I sighed, hating how my voice rolled over than I intended.

I ran my hand exhaustively over my face, hating all of this.

Even thinking about that old man.. my father, irritates the fuck out of me.

After his death, we got to find out how he had personally sealed everything as if he knew he was going to die. He sealed up everything, including the houses overseas. Accounts no one could touch. Private vaults hidden under the Caruso name. But none of that mattered to me as much as what sat inside them.

The Ledger.

Just hearing that name growing up was enough to make grown men lowered their voices.

It was a collection of files powerful enough to destroy governments. Judges bought for decades. Politicians with blood on their hands. Offshore accounts tied to names the public worshiped. Every dirty secret my father collected on the people above the law so as to control them.

Insurance

That’s what he used to call it but to me it’s just a control disguised in a booklet and audio form.

My palms gripped the edge of the table harder. “I know without that ledger I’m still powerful but with it… I would be untouchable. Because whoever owns that ledger owns this damn world under his feet and you know I only got access to it after one year of legally married and of course with a damn fucking legimate child with her.”

I sighed lazily like it was the craziest thing I have ever heard.

Luca walked up and plopped on the couch. He looked at the squeezed newspaper on the ground then the certificate on his hand and finally his gaze shifted to mine again.

“Then why not marry Gianna and get this whole thing done? She is your fiancèe anyways.”

A look of disgust crossed my face instantly, followed by an irritated frown.

“Never!”

“But she is your betrothal, Ales.”

“And I don’t give a fuck!” I barked out, veins snapping out visibly at my neck. And Luca shrunk back on the couch.

There was a silence before I started, my voice a little calmer this time but still dark and emotionless.

“You know how much marriage disgusts me and worst… fathering any damn child.” I bite hard on my lips, fighting the memories and traumas having a child triggers inside me. Luca sensed the tension and immediately rose to his feet and rounded the desk.

He came to a stop beside me and rested a hand over my shoulder to calm me a bit.

He knows me too well. Every damn thing.

“I just want to get that ledger and not have anyone lingering around me after that.”

I rubbed my jaw for the tenth time. Anger pressed my lips in a hard line.

“But…” Luca shrugged. “How do you intend to get that without a damn child, man.”

“Leave that to me. I have gotten married which was the first step in that will so how to get that ledger….” I looked at him. “Leave that to me.”

He nodded and asked again. “Does Rosalia know about her?”

The moment the question left his lips a dark humorless chuckle left my lips. I clicked my tongue, my heart tightened. “No.”

Luca shot me a wide stare before concern flickered on his face.

“She is not fucking going to take this lightly.”

“I know.” I gritted my teeth, my palms curled in a ball.

He sucked in a sharp breath, exhaling. “What about her?”

I arched a brow.

And he nodded to the certificate in his hand, causing my expression to darkened but he was quick to raise his hand in the air. “Come on. I know but at least I’m your friend. And I deserve to know who the heck your bride is.”

“Is she from our world? Which family?” He added.

I stepped away from him, a faint scowl settling on my face. “Like I said, she is a nobody. She has nothing. No family name. No connections. No influence. When this is over, she disappears and my world returns to normal.” I stopped and traced my finger along the edges of the table. “A nobody doesn’t belong here.”

Luca face pale instantly

before he quickly blinked.

“Man!!”

“Not here? How is she fucking gonna survive it here? Does she even know how we operate?”

Fuck his endless questions!!!

“ENOUGH!” I latched out, already bored and pissed off with this whole fucking questions and situations

I’m still thinking of how to live with her under the same roof for one good year and he’s making it harder for me.

If not for that stupid demand in that will.. I couldn’t ever be on this tight corner right now.

I whipped my head at him. Turning to fully face him, my expression blank. “She could have thought of that before messing with Alessandro Caruso.” I hissed. Luca raised his side brow, curiousity heavy on his eyes but I paid it no attention.

He knows I wasn’t ready to press more into it.

“What we should be talking about is how to fucking get our hands on that ledger. Having that would push this empire higher and stronger. There are a lot of gangs and rivals to crush, so ....” my jaw hardened so tightly that a muscle ticked in my cheek, and my eyes burned with fury. “….whatever happens is none of my business. Whether she survives or dies is her business to worry about, not mine.”