Chapter three

Stefan Rossi

“Your grandmother isn’t going to take this well. She might try to push back,” Oliver said.

“I expect nothing less from her,” I replied, voice low. “But it doesn’t matter. The decision was made over twenty years ago. Whether I like it or not, the deal stands. I despise the thought of being bound to a woman I hardly know worse, being married at all but this is the price I have to pay.”

Frustration coiled in my chest as I raked a hand through my hair. I still can’t understand what possessed my father to strike such a deal. My future bride comes from a family I can’t even pretend to admire. Her father owns a hospital, and the bitter irony? She’s not even his biological daughter. She was adopted. My father passed over their own blood and chose her instead, he must be smiling in his grave.

It’s obvious what my family will think a gold digging whore, a leech. They will never accept her, not that I care. This marriage isn’t about love, dignity, or appearances, It is about fulfilling my father’s promise and outsmarting the Elders who sit at that godforsaken table.

I only hope she’s not walking into this expecting romance or fairy tales. There will be no rainbows, no sweet nothings, this marriage will be built on two things sex and heirs. I just hope she has the kind of body I can take my rage out on after a long day.

Oliver snapped me out of my thoughts. “Stop daydreaming about your bride. Let’s get started on the wedding. It’s two weeks away. I’m counting down to see Aunt Celeste’s face and reaction when she meets your bride”.

I glanced at him. “With the way you're invested in this, someone might think you're the one getting married,” I said dryly.

He smirked, fully aware of the taunt. Oliver has always been terrified of marriage, even the idea of children sends him running. That’s exactly why I enjoy poking fun at him. We’ve been close since childhood trained by my uncle, practically raised together. His mother, my aunt, insisted he join the family business, that made us brothers in everything.

“God knows I’d rather shoot my own dick off than be tied to a woman for life,” he muttered. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. I will call the Francis , and tell him we are with the elders tonight meeting tonight.”

I gave a silent nod as he walked out of my office.

In all the chaos surrounding me, betrayals, attacks from enemies nothing unnerves me more than this marriage. It feels more like a sentence than a union, especially to a woman from an average background with an average name and most definitely an average body.

Lucky her, she gets to marry a multi-billionaire. All she has to do is spread her legs and carry my heir. I hope she knows her place, If not, I trust my family will be more than willing to remind her exactly what she is.

"Stefan Alexander Rossi, have you completely lost your mind?"

Nonna’s voice crack like thunder as she storm into my office, my secretary trailing helplessly behind her. The poor woman cast me an apologetic glance.

"Leave us," I said coldly, , not taking my eyes off the my Grandmother who is fuming with anger.

"Nonna, I was expecting you sooner” I said, folding my hands on the desk. Of course she had heard likely from Matteo,he is my third in command, but he’s also the grandson of her oldest friend, ever since she introduced him into the family five years ago, he has been loyal and her spy also.

“Tell me this ridiculous talk of a wedding in two weeks is nothing but a joke,” she hissed, her voice cracking with fury. “And the family you chose… Dio mio, Stefan, I never thought you would bring this kind of shame upon us.”

Yes, I anticipated a scene, this was Nonna after all. I could only imagine what my mother’s reaction would be likely be.

"You of all people should know I never act without purpose," I said, my voice sharp, restrained. "Every decision I make is calculated. You backed the elders when they gave me two options marry or step down. And God knows I won’t surrender the empire I built with my own blood and sweat over the last ten years. So yes, I chose to marry but on my own terms. She is my decision.”

Her eyes burned,

"You think you’re preserving our legacy by dragging in some street rat?" she spat. "Do you know how many billionaires came to me with daughters worthy of our name, elegant, powerful families with clean blood and ambition!….. but you”

She pointed a trembling finger at me, voice rising with each word. "You choose a pauper, a gold digger, a parasite perhaps even a whore to stain everything we built?"

I stood up slowly, “Enough, Nonna, you will not speak of my future wife like that again not here, not ever, I don’t care what she was or wasn’t before this what matters is what she will be now my wife, and that commands respect from you too”.

I didn’t know why I was defending a woman I have not even met yet. But one thing was certain no one, not even the woman who raised me, would be allowed to tarnish her in my presence.