2 Chapter 1.

January 17 2016.

Ophelia's POV

I couldn't believe we were having this conversation, no this had to be a dream. 'Wake up Ophelia, come on wake up!'

"Ophelia, Ophelia! Did you hear what I just said?"

That seemed to snap me out of my daze. Of course I heard what you just said, I was getting married in a month.

"This is one of your jokes, right dad?" I asked, with a large smile on my face. "...because it's really funny."

My father sighed deeply, he looked at me with those intense grey orbs and I knew it before he said it. He wasn't joking.

"No amore mio, I am not joking, you are getting married in a month's time. The wedding preparations have commenced."

I lost all sanity.

"How could you do this!" I screamed, standing up from my bed so I could look at him properly. "How could you?!"

Unaffected by my outburst, my father paced my room.

"I had no choice Ophelia, it was either you or the lives of my men."

"And you chose me?" I chuckled. "I am your daughter for Christ's sake, your heir, and chose me over a group of worthless men!"

"Enough!" my father faced me. His grey eyes darkened, a sign that he was livid. "I will not stand here and watch you insult my family."

"Your family? Your family?!" The words were out my mouth before I could stop them.

"What ties you to them, loyalty? I am disappointed in you, father." I shook my head, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Say what you will Ophelia. You would do the same if you were in my shoes."

"If you mean choose you over a group of criminals, NEVER!"

Without another word, my father left the room and slammed the door behind him.

"I hate you!" I screamed after him, flopped down on my bed and buried my head in my pillow, sobbing.

I wasn't crying because it was an arranged marriage, some part of me knew it was bound to happen at some point, I was crying because it was an exchange marriage. I was marrying James Baddo's son, the most powerful criminal's son in all of Italy. I was a peace offering, no, a sacrificial lamb described the situation better. Someone thrown to the dogs to stop impending doom.

It all started two months ago. Seth, a member of the Empire Cartel, our mob, started dating Diana, a woman from the Sanctuary Cartel secretly. It went on for a while, it was nothing more than an exciting fling until he killed her.

He caught the whore in bed with another man, he killed her and killed the man without batting an eye.

What this stupid bastard did not know was that Diana wasn't an ordinary Sanctuary Cartel whore, she was the daughter of James Baddo, the most powerful man in the organized crime society.

My father was livid when he found out what happened. In fact the whole group was.

It was so serious a general meeting was called a few days ago, since I couldn't attend in person, I did so through an encrypted video call.

***

January 14th, 2016.

"How many times have I told you never to hit a woman?!" My father smacked the already bloody face of Seth.

Bound to a chair and bleeding profusely from too many wounds to count, the poor guy couldn't even speak.

His eyes were swollen and closed shut, his lip split into two, the only sign that he was alive was the rise and fall of his chest as he took in slow and painful breaths. Luke must have broken at least three ribs.

It was official, he wasn't going to survive this one.

"You not only disobeyed me, you have endangered your brothers!" My father's face contorted as he roared, unable to stop himself from hitting Seth again and again.

"Why didn't you just beat the guy up for going after your woman?" Luke asked Seth.

"Because he is fucking brainless." My father replied. "His stupidity began when he started dating a woman from another cartel!"

Smack.

I winced. That sounded like a broken jaw.

"Did I not give you enough? Name it, money, cars, women, power, I made you my fucking child and what do you do? You go behind my back and stab me!" My father was ready to hit him again.

This had to stop.

"Dad..." I spoke up, "You're going to kill him."

Everyone turned to the screen, and seemed to remember I was present.

"Ophelia is right, we still have to hand him over to Baddo." Luke said.

My father brought his hand to his side, slowly.

"Take him away." He told the two men standing by. "Drop him at Baddo's doorstep."

They proceeded to carry him out the room.

"Oh, Seth?" my father spoke, causing the two men to stop.

The poor fellow looked up to meet father's stern gaze.

"I disown you." He spat on him.

They hurled his body out of the room.

***

That was supposed to be the end of the matter as far as I was concerned but something must have happened to change all that.