CHAPTER ONE

Elena 

"You look wonderful dear", my mother said, in a slight sing song voice. I gave her a small smile, a weak attempt to hide my pain and disgust.

 The large double doors to the room opened and my father entered. Immediately I saw him, the smile on my face disappeared. 

"Elle, darling, you look stunning", He said, walking to me, arms wide like he would hug me. I could see the pride in his eyes, but also the sadness behind it.

"Let's go", I said not looking at any of them as I lifted my white sequin gown a little from the floor and dragged myself outside. As I walked to the car, I heard the servants outside my room oooh and ahhhh at my look.

It was a simple gown really, but I guess I do look good in anything, despite my mood or feelings.

From the car, I could see my father talking with our butler inside. As he and my mother walked towards the car, he looked... worried. Not sad or angry, like he had been the past few weeks since the wedding was announced, just worried.

They both sat on each side of me, desperate to ride with the bride.

"It'll be okay", mom said, clutching my hands like she would never let go. 

Tears stung my eyes, just thinking of what I was about to do. Getting married to a man older than my own father?. I'd have rather opted to lick the bathroom floor if someone told me I would do this.

I tried to stop myself from recalling it but I couldn't. The memories came flooding back, the day the Don held my father by his neck. All his men were at our warehouses, our safe houses, our offices, they could have destroyed us in a second. Alexandro Di Falco could have burnt everything my family had to the ground and cast us away from the Cosa nostra.

I knew my dad had issues with almost every capo in the Cosa nostra but his feud with Alexandro was the toughest and lasted the longest. He never told me why they were feuding, neither did mom and I wanted to find out myself.

I still felt that sting in my heart. The guilt has never left me. Maybe that's why I'm agreeing to this marriage, because it was my curiosity that set off the ticking time bomb between our families. And it was all we could do to stay afloat.

I was pulled from my reviere when my father clutched my left hand, nodding. I couldn't look at him for long. I was both angry at him and at myself.

The things we do for family my a**

As we arrived at the venue, I could see people seated in the vast field area and the huge flowered arc infront of them, obviously for the bride and groom. 

My palms started to tremble and a cold bead of sweat trickled down my forehead as the realization of what I was actually about to do hit me.

I felt my mom grip my hand a bit tighter before getting off from the car.

Okayyy, I'm doing this. I can't turn back now. Get up girl, get up.

I pulled myself up and stepped out of the car and onto the interlocked ground.

I quickly pulled myself together and walked up to my father who was already holding his arm out to me and I locked mine in his.

As I walked into the grassy field decorated with flowers, the music started playing; the popular ‘here comes the bride’

Ugh, so cliche

I thought to myself.

And then I saw him, my husband to be. Looking at his slightly wrinkled face almost made my skin crawl.

I looked into his small brown eyes and how they bored into mine as I edged closer to him, my doom.

He looked calm, blank, infact. No expression was written on his face. And then suddenly, his thin lips curved into a small sly smile as he looked at my father.

We had reached the altar and my father handed me over to a man older than himself, to marry.

He held my hands with his hard and rough palm and led me to stand opposite him.

I had to do everything in my power to keep myself from lowering my gaze. He had a gruff smile and thin lips. He wasn't ugly per say, he just gave me the creeps. And his ears were probably too small to be normal.

He was something else. I couldn't quite place it, but the way he looked at me, like a wolf, waiting patiently for the sheep to enter it's snare. But I wouldn't let him get me so easily.

And then, he smiled again. This time, he wasn't trying to hide it, it was such a fake smile.

"Shall we begin?" The attending priest asked before he led us to saying our vows.

The guests stood and clapped as we concluded our vows and the priest made the statement I had dreaded the most; 

"You may kiss the bride" 

"There's no need", quickly yelped to the hearing of my husband and the guests, not willing to let a man older than my dad kiss me like that.

The audience went silent and stared in surprise and my husband looked at me, eyes questioning me. But I stood firm and stared back at him. I wasn't going to falter. If this was the only thing I could control, then I would do everything to stop it.

"It's finee," The Don heaved out waving to the audience while holding my hands.

I won. Maybe he let me have that win, maybe not. 

"Please, let us meet at the hall to celebrate", the Don said to the audience in his thick Italian accent as he pulled me out of their sight.

                          **********************

The hall was crowded with wedding guests as they chatted and laughed away. I saw more men now than during the service. And without being told, I knew who those men were, part of the Cosa nostra. They were other Capos, like my dad. 

There was a reserved space for the bride and groom to sit but I took every opportunity I could to not sit with the Don. Hence, I mingled, using my mom as a mask.

"Elle, you should go sit with your husband now, you've wandered too long", she said with a loving smile.

Well, the time had come for me to face my fears.

I headed over to the space reserved for us and sat alone. Within a short time, he was there as well. 

"Smile", the don suddenly whispered as he nudged me violently.

I had to force a stiff smile. I looked around, searching for my mother or father to look at and then I spotted one of the guards moving towards us, slowly, but he wasn't looking at us. He was looking up.

And then it happened.

Before I could register what was happening, the hall scattered as the sound of the gunshot shattered the air.

I immediately ducked , laying low on the floor 

What was happening, who was shooting?

My mind raced, not knowing what to do.

The wedding guests had gone into a frenzy, scattering the chairs and tables.

The Don also ducked and pulled out a gun

A gun??

This man carried a freaking gun to a wedding, his wedding!.

I was still try to recover from the adrenaline spike and my whole body was shaking when another bullet tore through the air.

I screamed this time, cowering behind the chairs.

Trembling, I didn't notice that the Don had left.

"Get up" a voice said to me and before I could say anything, he grabbed me and pulled me up while he was still crouching.

He was the guard I saw earlier, moving towards us. 

We started making our way out of the building, but I heard another gunshot, and another, and another.

And the tables by our feet and the wall be

hind us shattered from the impact. I screamed as he pushed me behind a pillar.

Trembling, I looked down and I saw blood.