Emily Evans

“And that's how we ended up in this situation...” James finishes telling the story, omitting some details so that the family wouldn’t hate him.

Emily was shaking as she listened to her father confess that he had traded her fate for money. She asks, “Can't we sell the house?”

“I'm afraid not, dear. I already have…” He swallows hard. “I bet the house’s deed too. We have nothing left.”

“Heavens!” Shouts Erica Evans, his wife. She's furious, pacing back and forth with her high heels clicking the floor. “How can one man disappoint so much? First, you sleep with some servant, and I had to take care of a child that isn't mine. Then you spend all our money and our house on games? How can you be so irresponsible?!”

“Don't talk like that...” James tries to argue.

“Not only that! As if all that weren't enough, you want our daughter, our dear Emily, to marry a casino owner? A mobster?”

“That wasn't my idea, Erica. He somehow became interested in her...”

“Of course he would be interested in her! Just look at her!... She looks like an angel!”

Emily is about to break down.

“Who knows what things he will do to our daughter!” Erica shouts.

“His rep assures he won't do anything...”

“Rep?” She chokes. “Have you even spoken to him yet, James?”

“Never directly, but...”

“Have you ever seen him?”

“No, Erica. He's a private man, very few are known about him...”

“Then, moreover, you betrothed our daughter to a completely unknown man, whose appearance no one has seen, and nothing is known about him?” She throws a vase of flowers at him, which hits the wall and shatters.

James' eyes widen.

“You're a scoundrel! A douchebag!”

“I'm doing this for us!”

“You're only doing this because you screwed up in the first place!” The wife replies.

As the couple exchange shouts, Emily cries silently. Tears stream down her angelic face as her mind searches for alternatives. She couldn't marry a mobster. And she definitely wouldn't marry a man she's never seen. After all, if there's so much mystery about his appearance, it's probably because he must be scary.

Does this Reviello guy have scars all over his face? Mobsters tend to have scars. Or was he burned? Did he have a terrible accident? Is he naturally ugly?

For Emily, beauty is a key factor. Essential. She couldn't marry blindly and find later her husband doesn't fit her standards.

“Does it have to be me?” Emily finally asks.

“What do you mean?” James looks confused.

“Did he specifically ask for Emily?”

“Yes. For Emily Evans.” James nods.

Then, both Emily's and Erica's eyes land on the girl who, until that moment, had remained quiet, observing the situation: Eleonor.

“What's it?” Eleonor asks, noticing all eyes on her.

Eleonor, like Emily, is incredibly beautiful. She also takes after her father's blond hair, and light green eyes. She's slightly taller than her sister and has more curves in her body. Likewise, she resembles very little her birth mother, a maid who abandoned her shortly after birth, in exchange for a massive sum of money.

Half a year after her birth, Erica became pregnant with Emily, and Eleonor nightmare began. The 'mother' always made her discontent and mistreatment clear. To the outside world, they were a perfect family, but Eleonor always knew she wasn't loved.

“Elle…” Emily whimpers, getting off the couch where she was to kneel before her older sister. “I can't marry a person like that...”

“Emily, we need this. For the good of the family.” James says impatiently.

“Is there no other way, father?” Eleonor asks, looking at the man. “If we get a job...”

“A job?” Erica shouts. “Do you think someone like me is going to get a job?”

“It doesn't look like we have any choice, Mother.” Eleonor sets her eyes to her sister, who is hugging her legs. “We can't let Emmy marry such a dangerous man.”

“We have another alternative, Eleonor.” Erica says, raising an eyebrow. “Why don't you marry him?”

“Me?” Eleonor is surprised. “He's not interested in me, he wants Emily. Besides, I don't think he's willing to marry the wrong sister.”

“He doesn't need to know that.” The woman approaches with a mischievous smile. “You can pretend to be Emily.”

“Are you crazy?” James intervenes. “Do you think we could fool a man like Reviello? We could lose our lives if he finds out we've been tricking him!”

“After the marriage is concluded, he will not kill the bride's family...”

“You're underestimating this man, Erica. You have no idea of his cruelty...”

“And you expect us to marry our daughter to such a savage?”

The discussion starts again. Their voices get louder and louder and more aggressive.

“Please Elle…” Emily whimpers. “I can't do this... I can't marry a man like him...”

Eleonor didn't know what to do. Seeing her little sister as helpless as she was at that moment saddened her. For a long time, Emily was her strength, her reason for existing. The only affection she found in a house full of loneliness. She would do anything for Emily, including giving her own life.

At that moment, she realizes that this is one of those hypothetical life-or-death moments. I mean, their lives really are on target. Her father is in debt to a dangerous and mysterious mobster, and who knows what he could do to pay it off. Marrying him sounds better than being sold into slavery abroad like the scenes represented in movies. But Emily wouldn't be able to survive either alternative. Eleonor, at least, is used to being mistreated.

“We need to try!” Erica shouts, trying to get her husband to agree with her absurd plan.

“All right.” Eleonor says, glaring at her younger sister. “I'll do this. I will marry this Reviello in Emily's place.”