Prologue

“What? How are we going to get that amount of money?” I asked my brother. His head was buried in his hands, avoiding my eyes.

“The only thing we have to sell is the house, but what are we going to do after that? We can’t live in a rent, and I still don’t have a job” I said looking my big brother in the eye, his eyes avoided mine and I sighed running my fingers through my hair. I walked toward the door, and opened it.

“Eliana? Where are you going?” Nana asked looking at me, she walked toward the door. She had been the one to take care of us since we were little. Mum having left us at an early age and dad running away with his girlfriend.

“I just need to get some air nana, I won’t be long” I said softly, I took her hands in mine and kissed them both. She nodded not saying a word, knowing that I needed to try and clear my thoughts on what Andrias did, I couldn’t process what he did, or how he was reckless enough to do such a thing in the first place.

She closed the door and I walked toward the park, breathing deeply, it was either us finding the money, or my brother going to jail until we were able to find it. It has been like that for years now. Whenever Andrias would mess up, I was the one to clean up after him. I didn’t know how to do it this time, there was no way I could get any money for him.

“Why Andrias? How did you get yourself in this mess? How didn’t you calculate it” I asked myself, I knew that these were questions that I couldn’t answer, nor could I ask him out loud. I knew that he was trying to do something good for us, I knew that he wanted to start a business for us to stand on our feet, but for him to throw himself in such a mess without calculating his steps. How could he be so reckless?

I sat on a bench and laid my head in my hands trying to clear my thoughts, my right leg shaking. Pulling on my brown hair, my green eyes were probably red from crying, I bit my bottom lip as I tried blocking my sobs, reminding myself that I was in public, but I couldn’t cry at home. I had to be strong for DeLaria, I couldn’t show the little twelve-year-old that we were struggling, she has suffered enough in her life, having been abandoned by mum when she was barely a month old. I was thankful for grandmother who too us in as her own children.

“Are you okay?” A woman asked from beside me, I wiped my eyes and turned to face the woman. Putting on the best smile I could, and I nodded.

“I’m fine, thank you”

“You don’t seem too fine if I can comment” the woman said looking at me, her sky-blue eyes meeting mine, her blonde hair tied in a bun, a diamond ring on her finger which must cost a fortune, a necklace matching her earrings and bracelet “you know, they say that speaking of a problem is part of solving it”

The woman’s eyes stayed on mine as she spoke, as if knowing that her words would be ringing in my ears, which was exactly what was happening.

“I can help if you want”

“You don’t even know me” I said frowning at the woman who smiled, crossing her legs over one another, she raised an eyebrow at me, her blue skirt lifting ever so slightly exposing her knees.

“It won’t be for free of course” the woman said looking at me smiling “I’m Nermine and you are?”

“Eliana” I said looking the woman in the eye, worrying that I was doing a mistake right now “before I tell you what I need. What would it cost me?”

“You want money, that’s one of the only things that would let people like you sit in a park with tears in your eyes, that and a heartbreak” Nermine said looking at me, my heart dropped and I looked at her with a frown on my face “don’t worry, whatever the number, I will give it to you…”

“I’m sorry, I need to go home” I said quickly. Getting up from beside the woman, my heart racing.

“It won’t cost you much child, and you don’t even need to pay it back” Nermine said stopping me from moving, I frowned and raised an eyebrow at the woman who pat the bench beside her wanting me to sit down.

“What you’ll do is simple” she said slowly, I sat down and raised an eyebrow at her, crossing my arms over my chest. Looking at the woman as if she’s grown a second head “my husband has a nephew, and his grandfather wants him to get married…”

“Pardon?”

“You’ll get him to love you, and you too will get married…”

“You have clearly gone mad”

“No, no, dear, just listen” Nermine said smiling, putting a hand on my own noticing that I wanted to get up. Her eyes somewhat devious as our eyes met, my heart dropping to my stomach “you will leave after the wedding, you don’t even need to stay with him for the night, just let him fall asleep, and leave”

“Why? I understand that I need the money, but what do you need? What are you getting if the man gets married?”

“Well, since we are making a deal, we should put all our cards on the table” the woman sighed sarcastically.

“You’ll get your money, and I’ll get a mansion, my husband’s father won’t give me the keys of it unless his grandson is married by me, or else he’d choose a wife for her, and it something that I don’t want…”

“Because you won’t be gaining anything out of it” I said stopping her, Nermine looked at me with a raised eyebrow but nodded at me. I looked down at my lap, thinking, debating whether or not I should accept the woman’s offer.

“I understand your worry child, but if you don’t need help…”

“If I marry the man then leave, my debt is paid right?”

“Yes, you can go wherever you want, we won’t search for you, and don’t worry about Alessio, he’ll be upset for a day or two, he might cry. But he’ll be fine on the third day”

“Alessio?”

“Yes, that’s his name” Nermine said smiling, I looked at her with a raised eyebrow and took a deep breath, my heart racing. Nermine extended her hand for me to shake and I looked at it for a second before nodding taking her hand in mine and shaking it.

“Well then little Eliana, we have a deal”