Chapter 1: Sins of Romano

Alessandra

There's something in the air tonight, something bitting and cold like the empty space where my heart should be.

I went from carving a masterpiece for my collection to rushing to a family dinner. I'm late, but nobody notices me most of the time, I'm practically invisible wherever I am. I'm the darkness that shadows your nightmare while my sister Sofia on the other hand is the opposite. She's summer wrapped in a thousand rainbows which makes sense to me that she gets all the good stuff, i.e. our parent's soft nurturing while I get tossed to the side where no one is looking. But father notices me, he always does and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing yet but the blemishes on my soul tell me different.

I swallow the bitter test of memories and daddy issues as I walk downstairs to my father's office, where hushed noises emit. We are having dinner with the Valenti family, our last dinner together before their son marries my sister. Uninterested in the negotiations happening in that room, I find my way to the living room area. Nobody notices me enter, but they're all here. I take a quick sweep of the room, analyzing my sister's future family like I do targets. The mother is here, his cousins, his plastic ever so fake sisters, and oh, my ever so fake family too. My brothers, their wives, my mother, and my sister. My gaze lingers on Sofia, she shouldn't be her. She should be in that room making noise, by now she should be signing her life away to the cold hearted prince of hell. Pretty cool nickname I have for him huh? Yeah, Sofia likes it too.

My sister is chewing on her bottom lip while my mother evidently nags her. I find them quickly, grabbing her by the arm. I'm the one who ends up hurt when she angers Father.

“Sasha,” her lip quivers like it does every time she needs my saving and I take the heat off her from Dad. Usually, I pay for that in blood, but I'm not in the spirits to end up there.

"What.did.you.do, Sofia?”

“I told him the truth,” she whispers. The truth being she's been fucking around with one of his enemies who she now feels a tragic emotion she names love and oh, she is forty percent sure she has procreated with the man.

This is the truth she has dared to admit to not only our father but the her murderous fiance. Father might not kill her but her fiance will, he is very vengeful and she has crossed him in a way no man in our world can tolerate. Maybe she has lived as the millionaire's daughter so long that she forgot it was an act. She is a mafia princess, we do as we are told and wait until you're an asset to the family. Maybe it's just I that is an asset because Sofia has always been their daughter, nothing else.

“Damnit Sofia you had one job, one!” I whisper yell, wondering how the hell she messed that up. She was going to marry Enzo Valenti but she chose to go a different path like she hadn't been obsessed with him half her life.

“Don't yell at your sister, you little demon. You're so rude, why don't you just our guests. You've done enough, this is all because of you.”

“Mom, Sasha has nothing to do with this. I don't want to marry that robotic devil.”

I excuse myself, letting them bicker amongst themselves. My mother hates the idea of me, she never wanted twins, she has hated me since I was in her womb, absorbing more nutrients than her perfect little princess to whom I'm the spare.

A blonde woman appears in my view, gasping as she looks me up and down. “Sofia, you changed clothes?”

“Yes.” I blankly reply, trying to get away from her as quickly as I can. She's Gianna, a mean girl who gets off on bullying those who benefit from her company.

“Gia, I don't think that's Sofia.” her handsome, and yet soothingly deadly cousin Alessio Valenti coos. He has a little adorable darkness about him, the one that makes me want to reel him and carv-

“Alessandra.” Gianna snaps he fingers, stealing my attention from Alessio.

Andrea nods, “Right. You have been M.I.A, I forgot Sofia has a twin.”

Gianna studies me, trying to find what it is that Sofia has that I don't, the answer is life. “Isabella thought you got married.”

A laugh erupts around us, but it's not mine. I swallowed mine. When I turn, my brother Luca is laughing. “Sorry, that's too funny a joke. Our Sasha is not marriage material.” he grins, ever the loving brother—not. “I wouldn't dare wish her on any man, she is too quiet, too boring to talk to, imagine bedding her.”

Gianna gags, taking a step back from where he and I stand. “You're weird. You can't say that about your sister.”

“Unless you've fantasized about it.” Alessio chimes in, triggering my brother's defense. He tries to justify himself and I slip away, fetching myself a cup of water as I watch them argue.

Good, they're occupied, my other brother has now joined in on the conversation, siding with the Valenti's. Nobody notices I'm not with them, except my sister who offers me an apologetic look just as Mr Valenti and his heir enter the room, with our father close behind.

I adjust myself in my seat, silently watching the drama unfold. “Enzo, reconsider.” Father nearly chokes, running after him.

“We had a deal, Don Romano, and you let your daughter screw you over but I want my end of the deal fulfilled.”

Interesting, the sadist in me hopes for a little bloodshed or more...

“Son.” Mr Valenti tries to calm him, but it only seems to infuriate him more. Good, maybe I will see a good old-fashioned beat down.

“You owe me a bride, I will not take that spoiled brat, I'm not raising another man's child, much less a Yakuza.” he snaps, causing gasps to erupt around the room. I can't help but roll my eyes at their reaction, it's not like she killed someone. No, this is somehow worse. She has crossed the next capo dei capi of the cosa nostra and boy will he punish them both.

“I will make it up to you, anything. Just name it!”

Enzo squares up with my father, touring a few inches taller than him. “The wedding is in five days, I will not be ridiculed. You let your daughter play fast and loose that's on you, but I want the dutiful, cultured virgin bride I was promised.”

“How about Luna,” Mother chimes in from afar. These are men's matters as her husband has said so many times and so everyone is shocked. “Or Reina,” she adds, volunteering my barely legal sister.

Laughter bubbles in my throat and I swallow it down with a sip of water. The entertainment tonight is especially good, I've never been happier to be the fly on the wall that nobody notices.

At least I think no one does until Enzo Valenti speaks, “I want her.” the heat of everyone's gaze finds me just as I turn to see who it is that he chose.

Fuck no.