THE WEDDING

STEPHANO STARED AT her for a brief second, tightening his grip around her neck. He thought of strangling her for a moment. To just keep pressing down her windpipe till she sucks her last breath. The joy he’d have. But then the hassle he’d have to go through wasn’t worth it.

“How dare you? How fucking dare you but me?”, He yelled at her, invisible steam coming off his head.

Adela froze on the spot, her hand still grabbing at Stephano’s to alleviate the pressure on her airway. In her defense, she probably wouldn’t have slapped him, but it was a spur of the moment. Reflexive action. She’d have begged, she knew she would have if it were any other person. But it would only boost Stephano’s ego, and God forbid she does that.

“Don’t you ever put those filthy hands on yours on me again. The next time you so much as think about it, it’d be the last time you use it. We good?”, She didn’t reply, still reeling from the shock and trying to unwrap Stephano’s hands from around her neck.

“Answer me when I’m fucking talking to you. I said we good?”,

“Yes, yes. We good”, she blurted out on her last breath.

“Better. Now, be gone”, pressing down a little harder on her neck for emphasis on what he could do to her, he released her with a shove backwards.

Adela sucked in a sharp relieving breath, glaring at Stephano. The nerve of the guy to try to kill her over a mere slap. One last very malicious glare at Stephano, Adela spun on her heels and stormed out of his office.

Stephano shoved a hand into his pocket, pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. The little minx. She’d really do anything to get on his nerves. Does she have no sense of self-preservation?

He stormed off to his old man’s office. They needed to talk and urgently. If he insisted he married Montes, he’d kill her. Accidentally or otherwise, it wouldn’t really matter if she was dead.

“No way am I marrying the Montes girl. Think of something else Padre, but marrying the girl is a no”, Vince hardly acknowledged Stephano throughout his ranting, and it only seemed to anger Stephano more.

Why the fuck wasn’t he saying anything? At least scowling at him for barging into his study again, if anything else, would be good.

“Padre”,

“I heard you boy, and we’re not having this discussion”, Stephano smacked his lips at Vince’s dismissive tone.

“I’m not marrying her”,

“You’ve said that before and I said you are and we’re not going to be having this discussion”, Stephano’s irritation spiked with every passing second Vince spent without acknowledging his presence.

Strolling up to Vince desk, he planted his palm above the paper work Vince was reviewing. Slowly, Vince’s eyes rose to meet Stephano’s.

“For a while there, I thought I lost you. I was saying, I’m not marrying the girl”, Vince sighed, falling back into his chair.

“Why, pray tell, do you refuse to wed the damsel?”, Stephano rolled his eyes at his Shakespearean approach to the matter. Vince has humorous bones in his body, but this was hardly the time.

“She’s annoying as hell, talks to fucking much”, Vince chuckled. But just as quick as the chuckle came, it was gone.

“You will not sit over my empire, a billion dollar Casanova, you need a wife. It’s that or forfeit for one of the soldiers. You will be good to her, as she will be good to you. It’s that simple”,

“Nothing is simple father. Since when does having a wife have to be a criteria?,”

“Since I said so. Take a break and think this through boy. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do”, Vince said with finality, bringing the argument to a close.

Stephano stood ramrod still, grinding his molars so hard it was a miracle they didn’t crack. One last glance at Vince, he stormed out.

Three Days Later…

Adela woke up feeling unsettled. Today was the day, the day she’d get married to Stephano. She thought back to three days ago in his study.

He'd have killed her because of a slap. One slap. She wasn’t defending herself, she was wrong. But still, he could have been nice. Maybe slap her back, but not try to kill her.

She recalled crying to bed. Tears streaming down her face while she stared at the ceiling as realization dawned on her, that she was to marry in three days.

Now here she was, getting glammed up for the ‘big day’.

She was just twenty four and she was already getting married. Not even to a man of choice, but to a Mafia’s Son. One who despises her with every fiber of his being. One who’d kill her without as much as a backward glance, a second thought.

Adela took in deep, shaky breaths to prevent he tears from falling and ruining her make-up.

“You look beautiful”, the make-up artist had whispered to Adela when she was done. Adela only nodded I’m acknowledgement, too emotionally and mentally drained to speak.

She’d cried the whole of last night, begging God to wake her up from this nightmare that was fast becoming a reality. But apparently, he’d woken her up into the real nightmare.

Stephano stood in front of his mirror, knotting his tie. He was mad, angry, fucking enraged. He was going to marry Adela. Adela Montes. The girl with a mouth so large, it caused his ears to bleed.

Nice one Vince, nice one.

Speaking of the actual devil, the man in question was actually behind him, smiling into the mirror. To think he even found something remotely funny about today, made Stephano want to poke him in the eye.

“You look handsome son”, Vince complimented, earning an eye roll from Stephano.

“I’ve always been, today’s nothing different”,

“Adela would fall in love the moment she sets eyes on you”, Vince continued like he didn’t hear Stephano.

“She can love it all she cares. If she doesn’t comply with the T’s and C’s”, he left the rest to hang between them.

Vince smiles to himself as he watched his son prepare himself. Regardless of whatever, he’s marrying the girl. No questions asked.

Stephano stood there at the altar, arms buried in his pocket, waiting for Adela to show up. His head exploded with thousand theorems to escape. But even he knew they were all worthless. Fruitless.

The wind was almost knocked out of his lungs when Adela appeared at the end of the aisle. All clothed in white, hair pulled back in a tight chignon, the make up making her eyes to stand out.

Irritation bled into his veins when he realized he’d been staring at her for too long, and he was loving what he was seeing. He didn’t bother faking a smile as she walked down the aisle, hand in hand with Vince. Everybody, every last one of them knew this was all a farce. So the extra act wasn’t necessary.

The ceremony drawled, the priest going on and on about bullshit he gave zero fucks about. He exhaled a breath of relief when the priest got down to the punch line of the get together.

“If there’s anyone here who has an objection to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace”, no hands came up at the priest’s question, neither did any voice. No one would dare, not unless they wanted Vince’s wrath. Stephano frown deepened. It was really happening.

“With the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride”. Reluctantly, ever so disgustedly, he pressed his lips to hers.

“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza”, the priest announced the moment their lips parted.

Cheers and clapping erupted from the congregation of drug Lords and mob bosses. The after party took a while, a whole lot of ass kissing, congratulations, uncalled for suggestions that earned their owners death glares.

And when it was over, Adela escaped to her room, tears blurring her vision. Shutting herself in, she cried her eyes out. Wishing she had kept her mouth shut that night, maybe none of this would have happened. But now it was too late to cry over spilled milk. She was a Mendoza, a fucking Mendoza. Adela Mendoza.