Chapter 4

Growing up some girls would often dream of their wedding day or at least themselves wearing a princess wedding dress. With all the princess stories we've been told, ranging from Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast, our minds had a preset of what poofy dresses we want for our wedding. As kids, some would even play pretend weddings. They would gather whatever material they could find and make it into a makeshift wedding dress and our imaginations would run wild and free. And as we enter adulthood, our dreams seem further or rather more distorted, with popular trends and family opinions being put into the mix. Many would soon come to realize, a wedding is just the bride and groom in their new fancy outfits giving guests free meals and insincere wishes.

Kyra struggled for the next few days, she wanted to turn to someone and just tell someone about what she was going through but she knew in her life she never had that luxury. She never had friends, never had a best friend. She only had Isaiah. She couldn't tell him, she didn't want him to know, she was afraid that he would treat her differently.

She stayed in her room, watching as the birds made their own nest in the trees of her backyard. Her room felt eerily cold for the driest time of the year. Her mind stayed blank for a few days, she couldn't think. She couldn't and she didn't want to. Her mother came in and checked in on her a few times during the day when she wasn't busy with her own work, while her father has not been since that night.

She couldn't blame him though, she knew it was tough for him. Her father, Tomas never showed any sign of weakness nor any cracks. Kyra always looked up to him, his resilience and determination were a true testament to his success. With the tough options presented to her, Tomas never asked or forced her to make a decision, despite time being against them.

Kyra took a shower and got herself dressed. She needed to feel a sense of normalcy even just for a bit. She went down, the house was quiet in a sense. She could hear her mother speaking loudly to someone, presumably on the phone. Grabbing herself a bottle of mango juice from the fridge, she quenches her thirst.

"Mi corazon" her father called softly from behind

"Papa" she sighed, turning to face him. She takes in his appearance, the once joyous smile was gone just small wrinkles on the corner of his sad eyes. He walked closer to hug his only daughter, she gladly accepted his hugs. She always enjoyed it, even in the hot weather her father gave the best hugs.

"Have you eaten?" he asked, she shook her head quickly informing him "she wasn't hungry.

He curtly nodded, as if understanding exactly what she meant.

"Papa, could I meet the Rossi's and specifically their son?" she asked.

"Yes, I can make arrangements. We can meet them in Las Vegas tomorrow night if you're okay with it" her father said. She agreed.

She wasn't sure if she had decided, she knew that she didn't have much of a choice but she wanted to know more about them before finalizing her decision. Her father never pressured her which she was absolutely thankful for.

Kyra spent the rest of the day searching for the Rossi's online, specifically their family. She was surprised that there wasn't much to be found online, other than their son's name, there was nothing scandalous or fascinating. It was either he is a good person or he was good at being elusive. She didn't know how to classify him. Kyra constantly caught herself trying to put him in a box, but she knew that life wasn't that simple and she hated being conformed into something that she wasn't.

The next day came dreadfully slow, and the ride to Las Vegas was awfully quiet. Freddie drove the Morrelo's, packing the car with her favorite snacks, that was the only thing she appreciated. She packed an overnight bag, knowing that she had to stay in the hotel for a night. Throughout the day, she would text Isaiah and he called once during the day to talk, however she wasn't in the mood and their call was cut short.

This was the first time she's ever been to Las Vegas, last year when she turned 21 she wanted to visit casinos but Liv was only 20, so their trip was sadly postponed. When they arrived at the hotel, her excitement was cut short when she remembered why she was even in Las Vegas.

They booked the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, Kyra looked over to her father raising her eyebrows. As if knowing what she was thinking, he answered "Javier Rossi booked us the room". She simply nodded, not wanting to ask further.

As soon as they were checked into the room, Kyra plopped herself on the bed. She felt the fresh linen sheets against her skin, she sighed feeling content. That was the one thing she enjoyed about staying in hotels, the different beds and the sheets they used. She valued good bedding. She wanted to take a nap, though she knew time wasn't on her side so she got ready. Thankful that she had her own privacy, she could hear her parents talking softly in their hotel living room.

Knock knock - She could hear the soft knocks against the door, she sighed as she adjusted her blouse. It was time. She opened the door to her mother standing in her doorway. Kamilla looked beautiful, her hair curled to perfection and she wore a striking red dress. One look at Kyra's mother, you would know that she is passionate. It was one of the things that Kyra admired about her mother, she embodied the word beauty. Kyra on the other hand didn't specifically look like her mother or father, rather she was the perfect mix of both. She inherited her mother's voluptuous body, and her father's eyes and dark hair.

"Are you ready?" Kamilla asked.

"Yes mama"

The walk to the restaurant just downstairs felt slow, with every step she took it felt like a decade had passed. She was being dramatic, nevertheless, she felt like the time was extremely slow.

The restaurant was packed as expected, Las Vegas has always been packed all year round. Usually packed with tourists, the locals would visit the casinos making their gambling addiction a habit. The restaurant has dim lighting, allowing the ambiance of the restaurant to truly shine.

The Morello's was led by the maitre'd, passing the crowd Kyra looked around and she could see many people who were celebrating one event or another. She sighed as the maitre'd led them to a private room at the back. Her parents enter the room first, followed by Kyra. She spotted two familiar figures sitting at the dining table. A petite older woman and a scruffy-bearded older man, instantly she remembered her last memories with them.

The petite woman smiled sweetly at her, she returned the simple smile as her eyes slowly glazed over to the man sitting beside her. She has never met him, if she did she would've remembered. He looked nothing like how she imagined and the pictures she saw online did not do him any justice.

"Javier! Marina!" Kamilla called. Javier stood up to shake Tomas's hands, quickly exchanging quick hellos.

"You've met our daughter Kyra" Javier introduced as he presented his own daughter

Kyra smiled sweetly at the old couple, greeting them "Mr. and Mrs. Rossi"

"Call us Tio and Tia" Marina Rossi instructed sweetly. "This is our son, and possibly your future husband Hosea Rossi" Javier introduced. Kyra felt her stomach in her throat at the mention of the word husband.

Hosea stood up, he was taller than she expected. His dark hair was naturally wavy, slicked back with his dark orbs penetrating her soul. She couldn't help but let herself stare at him, he easily towered her by one and a half heads.

He extended his hand, she took it shaking it slightly. "Nice to meet you Kyra", he turned her palm over to kiss the back of her hand gently.

"Toma asiento (Take a seat)" Javier instructed. The table was round, and there were just six of them. Kyra sat in between her mother and Hosea, she felt uncomfortable and a little out of place.

Javier and Tomas engaged in conversation, talking about the situation while the mothers chatted away in their native language. Hosea stepped out to answer a phone call, leaving Kyra on her own. She kept her mind busy, often wondering to Isaiah and what he might be up to.

"My dear, what is your full name?" Marina asked as she took a bite out of her food. It was then she noticed Marina's voice was slightly coursed, she wondered if Marina was unwell or her voice was generally that way. Deciding not to pay mind to it she quickly answered as Hosea sat back in his seat.

"My full name is Kyra Tatiana Morello, tia" she answered

"So what is your decision, my dear?" Javier asked. The room was silent as they waited for her decision. Eyes were on her, she knew her family's fate was in her hands and, to be honest her decision had been made the moment it was presented. Nevertheless, she wanted to meet him before she announced her decision.

Kyra turned her head to look at Hosea, who was intently staring at her. Probably in his own world. She asked him, "do you want to be married?" She knew that ultimately it was her decision, but she didn't want to marry a person who isn't even interested in the idea of marriage. She knew that she needed to get to know Hosea better, however, time wasn't on her hands and he would've known about the arrangement longer than she would have.

"Only if you want to," he smiled, instantly she relaxed. She didn't know why but he gave her a sense of calmness.

"If I marry Hosea, all of my family's debt will be settled and the shares would remain in my papa's name right tio?" Kyra asked Javier bravely

"Si, of course, there would be a prenup and some contracts that needed to be signed" Javier replied. Kyra looked over to her mother and father, before looking directly into Hosea's eyes she said;

"I guess we have a wedding then"