LUCREZIA
“You don’t want to marry me because you don’t have feelings for me?” I asked him before he could step out of the door and before father could say anything else and defend me on my behalf.“Al cuore non si comanda.” (the heart wants what it wants) He replied, using my words against me.“Then you’re a fool, Don Carusso,” I didn’t mind the people listening to our conversation anymore. All I could feel is anger and all I want is to give him a taste of his own medicine. “I graduated law with Latin honors. I’ve been trained in the business, exposed to the business since I was little. I would be more than just a wife to you, I will be your asset.”I sounded so desperate, but nonetheless I was saying the truth. Only a fool would turn down a marriage proposal from me.Pietro turned around, fully facing me. “Are you looking down on my power and my influence? I don’t need you to become more powerful. I don’t need more assets. Don’t let your feet float off the ground. I don’t need your family, it’s your family that needed us.”I clenched my fist to my side and gritted my teeth. He was such a nice boy when we were a child. I couldn’t believe he had grown up like this.“You’re going too far with your words Carusso. Just because someone confessed their feelings to you, it doesn’t give you the right to treat them like dogshit. Have no one ever confessed to you before?” Eros came to my defenses before I acted all savage and forget the things I had learned.“Now that you mentioned it, I do have a lot of women confessing their feelings to me before. I got doctors, flight attendants, daughters of billionaires and even attorneys. If I’m looking for an asset, I’d rather marry one of them than marry her,” he spoke as if I wasn’t there then left before the conversation is over.“Stronzo!” I shouted as I ran after him. Fortunately, he escaped to the least crowded part of the party.With my high heels, I pursued him like a mother chasing after a toddler.Pietro stopped and turned on his heel when he heard what I called him. He placed his hands inside his pockets and faced me with anger. I did just call him asshole in Italian.“What did you just call me again?” He asked as if I will take back my words. I’m not scared of him. I’m not scared of anyone. I grew up with people who are scared of going against me.I don’t care if he is the Don of the Carusso of family. I am the eldest daughter of the Don of Rocchi family, I don’t back down from anyone, I don’t bow to anyone and I especially don’t just take shit from anyone.“I said stronzo and you deserve it,” I told him in equal fervor showing him the same level of anger.I took a few step towards him, closing the distance between us until I could feel his breath on my face. I stared right to his eyes, matching his murderous glare.I pushed his chest with my forefinger, pouring out all my anger until he stumbled backwards. He grabbed my hand forcefully to stop me from pushing him.I tried to take my hand away, but he held me strongly. He did not let me go, which only made me feel more angry at him.“No one calls me an asshole without getting punished. No one lifts a finger at me without leaving unscathed,” he growled under his breath.Instead of feeling more angry at his threats, a weird sensation rippled down my spine instead. His low angry voice is enough to wet my panties. Pietro, what kind of curse have you placed on me?“Then go ahead and call me whatever you want and let’s call it even!” I yelled him.Pietro raised my hand above my head and pushed me to the nearest wall. I gasped when my back had hit the wall.“Pietro!” I gasped his name in shock. My eyes are wide as saucers as I stared at his animalistic eyes that stared down on me.Even with my high heels on, he still stood a few inches taller than me. I felt small at his huge body frame and for the first time I felt unsure because of the way he stares down at me.I tried to wiggle my hand out of his grasp, but he held on it tightly, pressing it even harder on the wall as I struggled to get out of his hold.“What are you doing?” I asked him, my voice sounding so unsure. My anger has already evaporated away because of his actions. “You also lifted a finger on me, remember? I’m doing this so we can call it even.”“You really took my words seriously?!” I ridiculed him and raised my eyebrows at him.I even had the audacity to provoke him when I’m already growing scared at him. I regretted my words right after it left my mouth.Still, I couldn’t back down and take my words back. I’m too prideful to do so. Letizia was right.She had always told me that I don’t know when to stop and I always let my feelings get ahead of me. I also hold on my pride so dearly. I’m like a car with no breaks and no reverse driving.When I want something, I go forward in full speed and I never stop until I ram myself to the wall. Even if there’s already a wall in front of me, I’d still go forward instead of backwards, crushing myself even further.It’s a trait I must fix if I want to handle our family business, just like what my father said. Although, I also inherited that trait from him.Pietro smirked, making my heart beat faster. “Coglione! I haven’t done anything to make us even yet.”“What is he going to do?! What is he going to do?!” I screamed inwardly and before I could see his other hand that came up to my face, he had already successfully landed a flick on my forehead.“Ah!” I winced in pain and rubbed my stinging forehead. “Cazzo!” (Fuck)He finally lets go of my hand and steps away from me, giving us distance.“Now we are finally even,” he spoke and turns to leave.I scowled at what he just did and the name that he called me so we would become even.Coglione, (Idiot) really? I’m going to slap my diploma to his face so he would know who he’s calling stupid.With a hand still on my forehead, I watched at Pietro’s retreating back, still refusing to let him go like this. “You owe me a date!” I blurted out at him, making him stop for the third time.“I owe you what?” He asked glancing at me over his shoulder.“When we were kids, remember? I treated the wound on your arm, you owe me.”“I owe you nothing.”“Things don’t come for free in the mafia. I did you a favor, it’s time you repay that favor. A date… that’s all I ask.”Pietro was quiet for a moment. He can’t say no because he owes me. In the mafia “You scratch my back, I scratch yours” is a virtue. “Fair enough.”“Shall I call you tomorrow then?”“It’s I who owes you a favor, isn’t it?” He asks me. I stayed silent for he already knows the answer. “I owe you a date, I should prepare that date. I’ll drive to your house when I’m ready.”I bit my lip, I couldn’t believe I just secured a date with Pietro. I’ve been holding that card against him for too long, I didn’t know I would have to use it just to have a date with him.I really had no intention of asking him to repay me for the small kindness I shown him when we were little. That day, I helped him without wanting to get anything back in return.However, bringing that up is the only way that I’d get my chance with Pietro. I only have one card against him,one chance, one date, one night to make him change his mind and marry me.“Don’t take too long,” I muttered, thinking that he might be thinking of having our date next month or even next year.“Tomorrow night,” he paused. “Tomorrow night I’ll drive to your house and we go on a date.”Even with the knowledge that he is only forced to have the date with me, my heart still rejoiced within me at the thought of finally having a romantic dinner with him.“This must stay between us, you understand? No one, not even your family must know about this.”PIETRO My ears felt like it’s going to bleed. The music is too loud, everyone is having a conversation with one another which only adds to the noise, and there were also people who have turned drunk enough that they shout at their every word. This is why I hate parties. We are celebrating a seven year old’s holy communion, and yet this party doesn’t feel holy at all. I guess this is what the mafias are good at, to make holy things unholy. Everyone clapped as Leuzzi’s granddaughter and Serrano’s daughter released a dove to the air. It is an important Italian custom when celebrating the holy communion. Next would be the opening of the gifts and finally after that I can leave the party. If only it wouldn’t offend anyone, I would have left after what had transpired between me and Lucrezia at the secluded part of the venue. I don’t think I can last more in the same place with her. “I had given the gifts,” Pericle Laurenti whispered to my ear as the clapping of the crowd died down. I
LUCREZIA“Where are you going that you don’t want father to know about it?” Letizia asked me, her brows are winkled together and her fingers has been constantly rubbing the tendrils of her hair. It is a habit that she and I share when we are worried.“I’m going out to find myself a husband.” Her eyes widened and she shot up to her feet. “Sorella!” She exclaimed which made me laugh.“I’m just playing with you. You look so worried as if I’m a teenager that cannot protect myself. Don’t worry, no one would dare to try harm a Rocchi,” I assured her as I look at her through the mirror.“You are not going to a nightclub, are you?” She asked me, my words still did not ease her worries. “I’m going somewhere with someone who will protect me.”“Why don’t you just tell me where you’re going?”I sighed at his incessant words. “Letizia, I only called you here to help me with my dress because I trust that you won’t tell anyone that I’m leaving. Now don’t ask me questions that you know I won’t answ
PIETROI couldn’t hide my amusement when Lucrezia glared at me. I did not even bother to open the car door for her earlier, yet she still expected that I’ll pull out a chair for her? She’s only adding disappointments to herself.Lucrezia sat on her seat angrily. I thought she’s going to call me Stronzo again or call me other words. She looked pissed and I’m just waiting for her to lash out on me but she didn’t.Instead, she placed her attention around her other than me to fully take in the place that I reserved only for the both of us.Her eyes traveled from the empty chairs, the decorated walls and the chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. I noticed the way her mouth twitched slightly as if something had unnerved her.I quietly observed her as she wrapped a hand around her neck and pulled the skirt of her dress underneath the table.The dress she’s wearing makes her look out of place, like a stranger who just bumped into this place. I knew she would wear such dress so I specifi
LUCREZIAI smiled as I watched how his jaw twitched lightly and shuddered under my touch as if electricity is coursing through my fingers. I looked into his eyes that has swirls of desire within them.“Oh Pietro, I am not the only one who is attracted to you. You are attracted to me too?” I thought to myself, relieved to find out that this wasn’t one-sided after all.My eyes dropped to his tender lips. They look plump and soft, tempting me. Before my thoughts could grow dark, Pietro held me by the wrist and pulled my hand away from his touch.My eyes landed back to his eyes again as I look at him in surprise. The swirls of desire in his eyes are gone now. He gave me an icy stare, a look void of any emotion. He looked terrifying and angry.What happened? Why is he like this all of a sudden? Just seconds ago he liked what I was doing, he was even reacting to my touch.Pietro harshly pushed my hand away making my arms swing back to my side. I winced and held my shoulder because of how st
PIETRO“How dare you?! Are you not a part of the mafia as well? Are you not the Don of the Carusso family? If you think I’m disgusting then what that makes you, Carusso?”I stopped on my tracks. My heart twisted at her words, not because of her provocation, but because of how she uttered those words with a sob threatening to leave her lips.I raised my head, but did not look back. I’m afraid that my mask would fail me if I saw her teary face, knowing very well that it was I who caused them. I nearly failed to hold my facade earlier, which is why I turned to leave before my efforts of making her hate me would only result to nothing.With eyes blank of emotion, I swallowed back the answer I have for her question. “I’m different Lucrezia. I may be a part of the mafia, I may be the Don of the Carusso, but I’m more than that. I will be the bigger monster than them. I’m going to swallow them whole. I will break down the five families. I will be the biggest asshole any mankind has ever seen
LUCREZIA~~~When the stars make you drool just like a pasta e fasul That’s AmoreWhen you dance down the street with a cloud at your feetYou’re in loveWhen you walk in a dream but you know you’re not dreaming signoreScusami, but you see, back in old NapoliThat’s Amore~~~My father’s favorite song played loudly inside the mansion that I could even hear it’s slightly muffled sound inside my room.As if the music player knows about my aching heart, it played a song about love on queue.I feel like there is a heavy brick placed upon me as I lie on my bed, my body tangled in bedsheets, my arms opened wide, flatly placed on the bed as I stared at the empty ceiling above me as if it is the most interesting thing I’ve ever seen. I laid there on emptiness as the void in my heart continues to sip the happiness in me. I feel empty. I no longer dance down the street with a cloud at my feet as the song sings because I’ve lost my Amore. I’m no longer dreaming because I’ve lost my love.And t
LUCREZIA“Father won’t give our hand to that man. I’m sure of it. He will never do that over our mother’s grave,” I spoke firmly, but I sounded more like I was convincing myself, not stating something I really believe by heart.I paced around the kitchen, my arms crossing and uncrossing for I don’t know how and where to place them for I am filled with unease. I chewed my lip with a frown plastered on my face as the long wait tears away my sanity.What’s even taking them so long?I watched Letizia who looked sick as she sat by the kitchen counter. She’s staring at the floor, avoiding eye contact.Feeling my gaze on her, Letizia reached out to the glass of water that I have given her a few minutes earlier. Her hands trembled as she held the glass with both hands.I stopped moving and sat on the kitchen stool in front of her to give her comfort. When she’s done drinking her glass of water, I held both her hands in mine and looked at her in the eye.“There’s nothing you should be afraid o
LUCREZIAEros’s character and real intention just shows when he did not even asked to specifically marry one of us. No. When he came to ask my father for our hand in marriage, it did not even matter to him who among us he will marry.Even now, it shows that we are really nothing to him but assets. We are just going to be his arm candy, someone that will make him look good and bring more power to his business. I couldn’t believe that father has agreed to that. Eros is blatantly showing him that he would be the worst husband to his children, yet he agreed to let him marry one of us in exchange for the “right offer”.I know that being born as a woman in the mafia family wouldn’t all be unicorns and rainbows. Even though I’m showered with all the love and riches, treated like a princess, I know I could never escape the responsibility that someday I will have to grow up and live for the business.Being a mafia princess meant doing sacrifices for the betterment of the business. What’s the
“Shit! Shit! Shit! You imbeciles! I’m paying you money and you can’t even kill one damn man!” Eros was agitated and he couldn’t stop yelling while staring at his computer. He had cameras all over his mansion so he could see everything that was happening. Eros had never seen Pietro fought anyone before. He didn’t expect him to be this good. He is like James Bond, taking down so many people at a time. Eros is not fully aware of Pietro’s past. He has no idea about the training that he got as a little child. Pietro was trained to be like a killer machine. His training could be likened to that of Black Widow, if only that character was real. Eros kept sending and sending all his people, but Pietro killed all the men trying to stop him from reaching his wife until Eros had no one else to send and stop Pietro anymore. Lucrezia had no access to the computer, but she witnessed how Eros was scared out of his wits as he watched what Pietro is doing to his men. Lucrezia could also fully hear
Lucrezia’s stomach turned. Even though they are criminals and big time mafias, they still have their own principles and things that they couldn’t bring themselves to do.Eros is just pure evil, a monster.He is a disgrace to the mafias. What kind of man could say those words with a straight face.“What does these things have to do with my father? What does it have to do with Pietro? Why do you have to kill him?” Lucrezia asks.“You see, your father and I share the same goal. We want to be the best in the Commission and Pietro is an obstacle stopping us from reaching that goal.Lucrezia felt more guilty upon hearing this. She thought Pietro was the one who was greedy. She thought he was the one trying to become the next capo di tutti capi.“If that is so, then why spare me? Why spare my father? I’m Pietro’s wife. Why not kill me with him?”“Because your father and I had a deal.” Eros answers taking Lucrezia by surprise.“A deal?” Lucrezia mutters breathlessly feeling like she just disco
“Vaffanculo! Vaffanculo!” Lucrezia curses repeatedly inside her car as she drove along with other Italian curses that she grew up hearing from their Italian helpers at home. Lucrezia pressed on the gas pedal, speeding at the almost empty highway at dawn to reach her husband at home who has no idea that his life is in danger. She shouldn’t ave gone to her home. She shouldn’t have told her father anything. She shouldn’t have stuck her nose where it doesn’t belong in the first place. She shouldn’t have opened the door to Pietro’s office and indulged herself in the secrets that he was hiding. No wonder why Pietro is keeping things from her. Just hours after she found out his secret and she had already placed Pietro’s life in danger. Lucrezia had no idea that her father is working with Eros Cassiano to get rid of Pietro. She should have known that in the mafia, everybody has their own dark secrets and hidden agendas to hide. The fact that Pietro has one, shouldn’t have surprised her an
Raimondo was silent for a long time as he listened to his daughter as she confides into him about Pietro’s secret. Raimondo earnestly listened without questioning her daughter’s words or interrupting her. Raimondo just stared into her daughter’s eyes as she went on with her story as if he was listening to her because he was worried about her. Lucrezia is supposed to tell her father about what Pietro’s secrets that she had just found about, the secrets that she discovered in Pietro’s office, but she changed her mind last minute because she thought it was a very important secret and it could implicate Pietro’s life, so she couldn’t rashly share those things to her father. Additionally, Lucrezia knows that her father would react negatively if he founds out bout that. Even she reacted so negatively when she finds out that her husband is planning something against the Commission. Unless she had ensured everything, unless she had everything straight with Pietro, nobody can find out abou
PIETRO woke up because of his nightmare. For the first time, ever since he slept in the same bed as his wife, he woke up with the same dream, the same nightmare again.Ever since Pietro was a child, there wasn’t a night when he had not woken up haunted by nightmares. He always dreamed of the same thing, the friend that he killed. Every night, he would jolt up awake and the last thing he could remember was the picture of him pulling the trigger and killing his friend. His dream is very vivid like it all happened again. It was always exactly how he remembered it happen. Saying that Pietro was traumatized would be an understatement. Pietro was broken by his past, and only Lucrezia was able to piece him together. Through the love and kindness that she showed him, Pietro was able to forgive himself and see his value. Pietro calmly sits up, his breathing was rash and heavy like he had just ran a marathon. When his racing heart had finally slowed down, he opens the light beside him caus
It’s already evening when I arrived home which means Pietro must be waiting for me at home. I wasn’t planning to stay outside until evening, but I had to travel between two different cities because Agrippa’s house and the place where I am going to get the key are located at two opposite cities. I wore a huge smile on my face as if I had the best day of my life as soon as I entered home. Just as I am expecting, Pietro is waiting for me at the living room just like how I always wait at the living room for him to welcome him home. Pietro’s eyes dropped on the shopping bags I’m carrying as soon as I entered the door. Seeing this, he did not dare ask where I went. He just assumed that I went for a shopping spree. On the way home, I stopped at a mall and shopped random things so that Pietro would think I spent the whole day at the mall. “You had a great day?” Pietro asked me as he walked towards me.I grinned at him. “I bought everything that I wanted.”“Good, you own all my money. You
Agrippa sighed at the other side of the door, the loudest that I have ever heard her sigh. She knew that there is no way I’d leave this place. Even though my foot is hurting, jammed and pressed at the foot of their door, I wasn’t willing to remove my foot and let her go.No, I won’t leave this place, not until I find out everything that is happening, and not until I have given all the help that I could give her. No one deserves to be abused like that. No woman or no wife should live in the same house with her husband abusing her. My face softened and my heart ached inside my heart when Agrippa finally opened the door, revealing her inside. Agrippa refused to look at me on the eye. Her head is lowered in shame even though she had nothing to be ashamed about. I swallowed hard, not saying anything. You wouldn’t know what to say once you saw a hurt person in front of you. I’m afraid that if I say something it will only make Agrippa close herself from me even more. Asking her if she’s
LUCREZIALife was back to normal when Pietro had arrived back home. Our life routine is back, and things got pretty boring for me once again as a wife who is always left at home without anything to take care of.If only Pietro gave me kids to take care of, then I wouldn’t have to feel so bored and I would stay all day at home without any complaints.I have sent Agrippa a message that I would visit her today. Although I haven’t received any reply from the heads up message I sent her, I decided to still just go. At least I have given her a heads up. Wheteher she replies or not it’s actually out of my control.With the help of Pietro’s driver and bodyguard that he had hired specially for me. I went to the mall first to buy something for Agrippa and her three little kids.I do not want to go there empty handed. Besides, I rarely go to their house to visit and I don’t give gifts to Agrippa’s kids often. 
LUCREZIAI stared at the ceiling as I lay on the bed with my eyes wide open as Pietro softly snores beside me. While Pietro is having the best sleep of his life, I couldn’t sleep because of I couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation we had in the car.For some reasons, Pietro’s words doesn’t sit well with me. I really don’t believe that Orenzio is the man behind all of this. I don’t think it’s possible that Orenzio knew about his father’s disease beforehand and that he was the one who told Serrano about it.I couldn’t forget the surprised look on Orenzio’s face and the anger that he felt as Serano stood on the stage making accusations against his father and telling everyone that he was hiding his dementia.Even if that was all just an act, I don’t believe that Orenzio could pull all that off so perfectly. A person always leaves a hint when he lies, and his eyes always tells