04.

Lily Montgomery

The photos were scattered across the table with a sudden motion. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I recognized the images. It was me. Working at the small-town newspaper, walking down the streets, sitting at a café. Mundane moments of my life… but seen through the eyes of someone who had been watching me for a long time.

“These photos were sent to me,” Luigi exhaled heavily, his dark eyes piercing into mine. “They’ve been watching you, Lily. Long before I even knew you existed.”

I swallowed hard, my stomach churning.

“So tell me…” My voice came out cold, trembling. “How do you expect me to believe in a father who shows up out of nowhere, dumps this absurd story on me, and still asks me to save his empire with a marriage?”

I leaned over the table, my eyes fixed on his.

“Why?” My voice trembled slightly, but I held firm. “Why, of all possible solutions, do you need me to marry? What does this really mean for you?”

Luigi was silent for a moment, his fingers tapping against the wooden table. Then, his eyes met mine, filled with what seemed like a mixture of frustration and urgency.

“Because your name is Montgomery, but your blood is Romano.” His voice was deep, each word loaded with meaning. “And that makes you a target.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“I’ve built an empire, Lily. Power, alliances, control. But I’ve also made enemies. Many of them. People who would kill to destroy everything I’ve built. When I found out you existed, it was too late. They found out too.”

My skin crawled.

“If you stay alone, you’ll be an easy target. But if you’re married, no one will dare touch you.”

I let out a disbelieving laugh, crossing my arms.

“So, that’s it? A marriage arranged for my own protection? Or just to strengthen your business?”

His eyes hardened.

“Both.”

The silence hung between us. My heart pounded against my chest.

“You can hate me for this,” Luigi continued, his voice softer. “But if you want to stay alive, you have no choice.”

“That still doesn’t answer everything.” I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes. “What are you really, Luigi?” My voice was firm, challenging. “I demand answers. You’re not just a billionaire owner of a publishing company.”

He watched me for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

“You’re right.” His gaze darkened even more. “I’m not just a businessman. That’s just a façade.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“I’m Luigi Romano, the head of the most powerful crime organization in New York.”

My body tensed.

“In other words…” He leaned in closer, his gaze intense. “I’m a mobster.”

I froze.

I sat on the bed, staring at the walls of the room. What was I doing here? How did I get to this point?

My whole life, I’d been searching for answers. I’d always wondered why my father was never around.

How could he not have looked for me, being who he was? I always imagined that if he existed, he would come to find me, hug me, protect me. He was my imaginary hero. Or at least, that’s what my mother used to say.

But now, looking at him, I realized that reality wasn’t made of heroes. Heroes don’t point guns at their daughters. Heroes don’t make choices like this, impose destinies on their children without thinking of the consequences. The man before me, the man who claimed to be my father, wasn’t a hero.

He was a mobster, disguised as a father.

I remembered the few times my mother spoke about him, always with a sad look. She never told me the truth, and now I understood why.

She hid me from him because she knew what he represented. She knew that, one day, he would come with his empty promises of love and protection, but in reality, he just wanted to control me.

He wanted to control the inheritance he believed was his, and the only way to do that was to use me as a pawn in his dirty game.

I, the daughter he never wanted, was now standing before him, having to accept or fight for my life.

I didn’t want to marry anyone, let alone someone he chose for me. But deep down, I knew my options were running out. I had nowhere else to turn.

No money in my pocket. No family to take me in. If these people were criminals and they wanted my father’s head, I was the easiest target.

I felt the door open and sighed, feeling my shoulders tense.

“I’m not keeping you here, mia figlia,” he whispered.

I rolled my eyes.

“As if I have a choice.”

“Your future fiancé will come here, formalize the contract. He’s being generous, bambina.”

A laugh echoed in the room. I walked back and forth, trying to pretend that all this madness was just a nightmare.

After he left the room, a woman who seemed to be the housekeeper came in, leaving a dress, along with a towel and personal belongings. It was as if all of this had been planned.

As the water ran over my body, I swallowed hard and a murmur escaped my lips.

“Oh God, what have I gotten myself into?”

When I got out of the shower, I put on the beautiful blue dress and stared at myself in the mirror. I was about to meet my future fiancé, and I had no options. Either I married him, or my life would be in the hands of the mafia.