1: The Predicament

~ Rosanna's POV

"WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?!"

Dad was yelling again. He'd never been the tamest father in the world - he'd always liked to open his mouth to argue with those around us - but I had still never seen him like this, so worked up and red in the face. I was worried he would make himself faint from stress, though I was certain there was nothing to stress about. Olivia would come back - what reason did she have not to? 

... except having to marry a man she'd only known for two months and was only interested in wearing her on his arm like a trophy. But at least she seemed to have a positive view of Mr Cartelli, whose name she would soon take on. It could have been a lot worse. 

"Dante, please," said Mom, "she just stepped out for a minute. There is still plenty of time before the wedding begins."

Dad glared at her - another first. "We have barely twenty minutes."

"And she is mostly ready. All she needs is to put on a pair of shoes. Does it take someone twenty minutes to put on a pair of shoes in your world?"

Dad's lips pressed together, unimpressed, before he looked to the floor sighing. "No, it doesn't." His arms wrapped around his chest as he walked toward the window of the hotel room to stare at the driveway.

I tugged on Bella's bridesmaid dress, my eyes never leaving our father in fear he would fall back into the stress surrounding the day.

"What is it?" Bella whispered to me. 

"Is Dad alright?"

She scoffed. "He's just being overbearing, Rosie, don't worry about it." Her head twisted toward Sara and she added, "I thought this day was supposed to be stressful for the bride."

Sara snickered to herself, and Bella grinned proudly. I looked away to check Dad hadn't heard before I gave them both a little smile. 

"Sara, call Olivia and get her back here, will you?" Mom asked, oblivious to our amusement. She was too focused on rearranging the bridal bouquet. 

"Sure." Sara walked out of the room to take the call.

"Rosie!"

Beckoned by my mother, I left Bella's safe, comfortable side and leaned in close. She wrapped her fingers around my wrist, pulling me toward the other end of the room. Olivia had been gifted the more extravagant suite for the weekend since she was the bride and apparently, "the Cartellis are gentlemen when they want to be."

"Could you put those lovely managing skills of yours to use for me, Rosie? I am worried that your father is getting too worked up to do it himself, and Sara has a lot to worry about at the moment." Mom squeezed my hand. "Besides, I think it would be nice for you to show off your capability."

I gulped. "But I don't manage events, Mama."

"It is a similar concept, Rosie. Just do this for your dear old mother?"

"O-okay."

I had never been able to argue with my mother. She was beautiful but scary at the best of times. It was no wonder she was the only woman who had ever been able to tame Dante Rizzo, who'd made more mistakes in his life than all four of his daughters put together. 

Sometimes I wondered if we were a mistake to him, too. 

Mom reached to hand me the clipboard of items that needed to be done during the last fifteen minutes before the wedding started, but before she could let go, the door flung open, and Sara stormed through it with wide eyes. Dad spun around at the sound, confused. 

"Daddy, you... oh, god." She put her hands over her face.

"What is it?" Dad demanded, rushing across the room to get to her. His eyes were frantically searching her face. "Sara, if you don't goddamn-"

"Daddy, please don't kill Liv."

Dad's face twisted into disgust. "What? Why would I ever do that? Sara, what have you heard?"

"Just..." Sara trailed off at the sound of the hallway door opening outside. She couldn't speak again as she refused to take her eyes off of Dad. 

If Sara was worried, I knew everyone should be, as she was the only one of the Rizzo sisters who knew how to deal with nerve-wracking situations like these. But I couldn't figure out why she might think Dad would want to kill Olivia. Unless she'd been told something on that phone call. 

After a moment, Olivia walked into the suite with a tall blonde man trailing behind her. His eyes were directed at the floor, whilst she had her chin held high, confident. She strode in through the entranceway and stopped, causing her unfamiliar companion to stop beside her.

"Valentino..." Dad murmured, but didn't elaborate. His eyes moved onto Olivia herself. "Why aren't you in your dress?! Olivia, your wedding is in-"

"My wedding won't be for a year," she interrupted. 

Dad frowned. "What?"

"My wedding, the one I'll be having with Matteo Valentino? That's not going to happen for a year." She crossed her arms confidently over her chest, but all I could think was how Sara could let her come in here and proclaim such a thing when she knew about it. Dad would kill her without a doubt, especially if she kept up her attitude toward him. He was already stressed enough. 

"Olivia, what are you doing?" Mom snapped. "You can't do this, the point of this wedding is to stop the Cartellis from starting a war against us."

"There was never any guarantee of that. Dad just wanted to marry me off," Olivia dismissed. 

"Do not doubt your father's intentions like that, young lady!"

"Mrs Rizzo, if I may," Matteo muttered, "my father is quite close friends with the Cartelli family, so he knows what is really going on. The Cartellis would never start a war over this, not after so many years. No, what your husband is avoiding is having to pay them back with money for what he did."

Mom opened her mouth to argue and defend her husband's honour, but when she glanced back at his face and saw the obvious guilt covering it, she stopped. Her eyes stooped down to the floor as she lost the ability to speak. None of us were really sure of what to say. 

"However," Matteo continued, "you will have to go to war with us if you force my fiancé to marry another."

Dad pressed his lips together. "I don't like your tone, boy."

"I am only repeating what my father himself has said."

"What about the wedding?" Bella whispered. 

"The Cartellis still want payment, so you either give them a Rizzo, or you pay."

"A Rizzo..." Dad's eyes trailed from sister to sister; Sara, who was already engaged; Bella, who was already married; Olivia, who had just managed to get out of her wedding; then me, who was completely single - and mostly useless. 

"If they have to marry a Rizzo, then so be it. Rosanna, are you the same size as your sister?"

My mouth opened and closed but I couldn't speak.

Olivia swept forward into the way. "Firstly, Father, you need to postpone the time of the wedding. Secondly, Mother and I have had a dress picked out for Rosanna for years and I brought it with me."

Dad narrowed his eyes. "I don't like your tone, either, Olivia."

She didn't reply.

"I'll find Cartelli and tell him to wait a little longer, but only by ten minutes." His eyes found mine. "You have less than half an hour to look like the bride. Do not disappoint me."