CHAPTER NINE: Chosen As His Bride.

ALESSANDRO'S POV: 

"What do we do with the friend? Do you actually want me to kill her?" Aldo asks in a tone that is riddled with disapproval for my actions. 

"No, of course not. Let her go, I doubt she would be of much help." I say in response as I take a sip of my coffee. 

"What next? She has refused to admit to having anything to do with your wife's disappearance, so are we going to let her go?" Aldo asks in a quiet tone. 

"I need one more day." I say in a quiet tone as the thought of snuffing the life out of the brown eyed girl disturbing me more than it should. 

"I doubt you will be able to get anything from her. I think it's time you follow another lead." Aldo says in a solemn tone. 

"What other lead? No other person has been able to give me any other valuable information." I respond in a bitter tone. 

"Your enemies and business associates. You believe in their fear too much to actually consider them worthy opponents, but maybe you should." Aldo says as he steps closer to me. 

"This could be the work of the Irish. Cormac might have wanted revenge for what you did to his spy. Hit you where it hurts the most." Aldo says as he lights up a cigarette. 

"Have they accepted the request for a meeting?" I ask in an empty tone. 

"That's how you want it to be huh?" Aldo asks in an angry tone. 

"Maybe Gio was right. It's time to lay my wife to rest." I say in response as I stare at a blank spot on my wall. As blank and empty as my heart. 

"That's bullshit! You can't give up now. You might be closer to finding the truth than you know." Aldo says in a hopeful tone. 

"What if she left on her own?" I ask the question that has been weighing on my mind since the last conversation I had with Aurelia. 

"Why the fuck would you think that?" Aldo asks as he flinches back as though he was struck physically. 

"The girl said she seemed excited throughout their dinner, as though she was expecting something." I respond as I take a sip of my now cold coffee. 

"She would have said anything to make you release her." Aldo counters as he grits his teeth in anger. 

"I've seen how she is with you. You are definitely not the nicest motherfucker out there, but you loved her, and she loved you in return." Aldo says in a soft tone, referring to Giulia. 

My response is cut short as Nicolò storms into the room. "They have agreed to a meeting. But they want it to be held in a neutral place tomorrow." 

"They can't demand that. That doesn't even give us enough time to ensure the place is safe!" Aldo rages. 

"I've already put some men on it." Nicolò says in a dismissive tone. 

"This is an unnecessary risk. I think you should reject the offer, tell them you need more time to think." Aldo says in a straightforward tone. 

"And have them think, our Don is some coward who can't handle a little danger?" Nicolò asks with an egging smile on his face. 

"Twelve pm works for me." I say, interrupting their argument. I do not return Aldo's blistering stare, he will never understand my haste. It's better to get this over and done with rather than let it drag to an unknown future. 

___________________________

"Alessandro Santino!" Cormac Smith, the de facto leader of the Irish mob greets me with a wide sluggish smile. 

"Cormac Smith." I say in return, my face as blank as my mind. Cormac's smile falls right off his face when I don't return his smile. 

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Cormac asks in an inquisitive tone, choosing to delve right into business when he notices I'm not in the mood for pleasantries. 

"You tell me. Your men have been caught sniffing around my business more times than I can count." I say in an annoyed tone, refusing to make him privy to the fact that they had succeeded in causing some degree of damage. 

If he wasn't the one who sent them, then I don't see any reason for him to know. 

"I haven't given any direct orders to my men to touch your men or your properties, so I'm a little confused." Cormac says in a slightly raised tone that betrays his nervousness. 

"Conor and Finn. Haven't you noticed their absence?" I ask in a mocking tone, referring to the two men who were tortured and killed by Archie. 

"What did you do to them?" Cormac asks through gritted teeth as he sits up straighter. 

"I strung them up and killed them, after I found them in my warehouse messing with my shipments." I respond as I lean back into my chair. 

Cormac is quiet but I do not miss the anger practically bellowing out of his ears. 

"I've come to offer you an official truce agreement." Cormac says in anger after a few minutes of silence.

He doesn't react to my earlier declaration of killing his men because he knows I'm well within my rights to do so. It was an unspoken rule in our world. 

"What does it entail?" I ask in a curious tone. 

"You leave my men alone and I will leave yours. Stay away from my businesses and I will stay out of yours. I really do not want us to go to war." Cormac says, stressing the first part as though his men stood a chance against my men. Comical. 

"Deal." I say as I pick up the blue lightweight manila folder he placed on the table. I take my time going through it, nodding my head when I'm satisfied with the terms.

"However, we can't go on with this agreement until you fulfil one more obligation." Cormac says with a grimace. 

"You must be married for the agreement to be valid." Cormac says tentatively. 

"Why the fuck is that necessary? I've been married for the past six years." I declare in an annoyed tone as my hands squeeze into a fist. 

"You know how it is in our world. The agreement would not be valid unless it's coming from a man with a wife." Cormac tries to explain in a placating tone. 

I can feel Aldo's anger radiating off him as he stands behind me. I was just as angry, just a bit more reasonable. 

"Fine." I agree in a seething tone. I knew better than to argue against the rules of our world. It existed long before my father came to be Don and there's little I can do to change it. 

"Do you plan on forging a certificate?" Aldo asks as we exit the building after the meeting. 

"No. I'm going to find a bride." I say in an enraged tone as I settle into the car. 

_________________________

ALESSANDRO'S POV: 

"We therefore commit this body to the ground." The Priest says in an empty tone as he spares me a glance, 

"Terra alla terra, cenere alla cenere, polvere alla polvere," Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. He continues without breaking stride, 

"In sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life." He finishes, while doing a sign of the cross. 

The empty casket is lowered into the ground and I can't help but feel immense anger at what I've been forced to do. 

"Don." Aldo whispers harshly beside me, drawing my attention back to one of the men hired to fill up the grave. 

"Would you like to throw in the first sand?" The priests asks in a slightly inflected tone. 

I take a step forward, ignoring the numerous eyes on me. I take off my black leather gloves and bend a little, taking a handful of sand. 

I walk towards the open grave and stand quiet for a few minutes. "This is not the end, Giulia. I will find you." I murmur to myself as I let the sand go. 

I storm out of the ceremony, heading straight to my car. 

"Why? Why? Why?!" I murmur angrily as I slam my fist against the body of the car. 

"You did the right thing, Don." Gio Carlo says in an annoying tone beside me. 

I do not know when my hands tightens across his neck and I lift him up, slamming him against the car. 

"If I find out that you had a hand in her disappearance, I promise that you will beg for death and you won't see it." I say through gritted teeth before I let him fall to the ground. 

"Let's go." I order as Aldo heads towards me. I ignore Gio's gasping form on the floor as I step into the car. 

"Where to?" Aldo asks as he starts up the car. 

"Home." I murmur as I pour myself a drink. I welcome the burning feel of the scotch in my throat, happy to take my mind off my sorrow. 

It's been more than a week since the meeting with Cormac and my mind still lingers on what I had agreed to. 

"Any luck with the other job?" I ask Aldo as I stare out of the car's window. 

"No. All the ladies are more interested in a proper wedding than a marriage of convenience with a widower." Aldo responds in a sympathetic tone. 

"No other options?" 

"Cormac reached out to us. He's given us a two day ultimatum. He claims he's going to call off the agreement if you do not find a wife by then." Aldo says. 

I hear clearly the unsaid part of his statement. "My time is up." 

An idea pops into my head making me groan in frustration. "What if I could make this all go away?" 

"How?" Aldo asks in a sceptical tone. 

"Aurelia could be my bride. She doesn't have the option to refuse." I say in a matter of fact tone. 

"That's bullshit, Alessandro, and you know it. There has to be another way." Aldo says in a disbelieving tone. 

"There isn't. There's no other option." I say with a heavy sigh. 

"I don't like this, Don." Aldo says in a warning tone. 

"I'm going to be the one to suffer if there is a fall-out now, won't I?" I ask in a cynical tone. 

Aldo is quiet for the rest of the journey, my words hanging heavy between us. 

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AURELIA'S POV: 

"Get up." A gruff voice orders, waking me up from my fitful slumber. 

"Huh?" I stare at him in confusion.

It has been more than a week since I last saw Alessandro and during that period, I was only taken out of this room to make use of the bathroom, and to eat. 

It was neither time for me to eat or to make use of the bathroom, so what the hell is going on? 

"Follow me." The guard orders as he steps out of the dark room. 

I cover my eyes with my hands when we step out of the room, the bright light of the hallway affecting me. 

I know better than to resist or argue when the guard ties up my arms. They aren't afraid to use force if necessary and I refuse to be beat up. 

"Get in." The man orders as he pushes open a set of beautiful doors. 

When I hesitate a little, the guard pushes me into the room, causing me to stumble. I go still when I notice Alessandro sitting behind his desk with Aldo standing closely behind him. 

"This is the bride?!" A screeching tone pulls me back to reality, causing me to take note of the lady who's currently sitting across from Alessandro. 

She's dressed so beautifully that I can help but feel shame at my appearance. 

"I expect you to make her pretty enough for an event later in the evening." Alessandro says, totally ignoring me. 

My eyes are wide as I stare between them, "what the hell are they talking about?" 

"That's a short time!" The lady says in an annoyed tone. 

"Then get to work." Alessandro orders in an unsympathetic tone. 

"Okay. Okay. Do you have any jewellery you want me to work with, or should I choose one myself?" The lady asks in a stressed tone. 

"I have something." Alessandro says as he gives me a once over. 

"Okay. Should I be liberal while choosing a dress colour or should I have a particular colour in mind?" The lady asks as she takes out her phone. 

"Black." Alessandro gives her a one word response. 

"For the wedding dress, do you want something simple?" The lady asks. 

"That's for you to decide." Alessandro says as he picks up a file in front of him. 

"Wedding?" I ask in a tentative tone, not shocked that no one answers me. 

"I'm not getting married!" I say in a loud voice that causes everybody to pause what they are doing and stare at me. 

"What did you just say?" Alessandro asks in a deathly calm tone as he glares at me. 

"I'm not— I'm not getting married to anyone." I say, this time in a smaller tone. 

"You don't have a choice, piccola morte. It's either that or death." Little death. Alessandro orders in a grim tone.