Chapter ten

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Her Father's words rang in her ears. " Everyone in the Requiem is a wolf and you are the Requiem's Bride." 

The shadows hugged the corners of the dimly lit din hall. She sat down on the chair alone. Everyone had left. The darkness and silence amplified her rage. She stared into the darkness, her blood boiling, her fist clenched as she scoffed under her breath. 

The Requiem's Bride. That was a title she never asked for. A life she was going to be forced to live with a man worse than her Father. 

Even if he hadn't shown it, she knew just exactly the type of man he was. 

And everyone's reactions to him confirmed it. 

He was worse than the devil himself. 

She pushed her chair back, standing up. Then soon she moved, her heels making soft clicks against the marble floor taking steps that led her out of the dinning room toward the balcony.

She needed air. 

The night air was fresh, with the smell of rain, liquor and cigarettes. Her eyes moved around till they rested on the courtyard below, where Alejandro stood with Enzo by the pool. He had a lit cigarette in his hand, and tendrils of smoke oozed out of his mouth. 

He exhaled slowly, the smoke curling around his dark figure like a ghost before disappearing into the darkness.

As she watched from up, she could tell something was wrong, she could sense the tension, could see the way his shoulders were rigid, the way Enzo spoke lowly, his tone hushed.

But what could it be? What were they discussing? 

She continued watching him, trying to read the silent words from their moving lips. In frustration, she quickly turned away unable to decipher its meaning.

 The cold biting into her skin as she quickly wrapped her arms around her slender body. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even hear the footsteps behind her until his familiar voice spoke.

“You shouldn’t be out here standing alone.”

Her body tensed as she leaned back on the rails, crossing her hands. She didn't meet his eyes as she stared into the blankness of the night. 

Lorenzo, her eldest and the most intolerable of them all. 

He leaned against the doorway, his long legs were stretched out comfortably as he stared at her.

She chuckled, the sound dry and humorless. “Really? Why?”

His chuckle was deep as he moved closer. 

“Because you are a woman. "

Camellia chuckled. What else could she have expected from a male in her family? 

" Women do not belong in matters concerning war. I don't know why Ricci allowed you to join us. He should have left you where you belong.”

Her hands clenched, her eyes narrowing." And where's that?”

His eyes shone, his voice filled with confidence. “In Ricci's bedroom or the salon. I heard he's been pretty good to you... I guess being pretty really pays out. You just have to lie on his bed and part your pretty legs open...”

She now turned fully to face him, her eyes sharp. 

“You are as obnoxious as I remember you to be, Lorenzo. There's no sense of apology after you and your father sold me off like I was some kind of good.”

His jaw clenched. “Wait. You expected an apology?... What else did you expect?... Some shares at The Moretti empire.? Wake up, Camellia. 

 You are a woman. It's your duty to secure impactful alliances for your family. Your value in this world depends solely on that. You should be grateful that Alejandro saw enough value in you to take you in.”

Camellia’s blood boiled. She was supposed to be grateful? Thankful that they gave  her off like a bargaining chip? She wished she could slap him hard on his face.

She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper. 

“And what about you, Lorenzo? "

Before he could answer, she continued. 

" What do you bring to the Moretti now? Except from ruining it... What have you done for The Moretti Empire? You should be grateful that I am even related to you. If not Alejandro wouldn't even take someone like you in his shadow.”

She stepped closer to him.

“So dear brother, I have more value than you and it pisses you off so much. Without me, you and all the men in our family would be in a boxing ring fighting for petty pennies.”

She paused, "And yes, you are welcome." 

She took steps away from him disappearing down the hall, not once did she bother to look back at her brother. 

Lorenzo stood in the darkness, he glared at her disappearing figure with both his fists clenched at his sides.

***

Enzo stood by Alejandro’s side as he threw his cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath his boot. His eyes darted to where he saw her standing moments ago with her brother —the balcony.

"Finalize it." His order was crisp with danger. 

Enzo watched him carefully through his scanty lashes. “Are you sure about this, Capo?”

Alejandro didn’t answer immediately. He wasn't sure how Camellia was going to take it, but then he wasn't a man who cared about flimsy things like his woman's feelings. In the past, he viewed it as irrelevant.  

But not with Camellia. She was different. Everything about her went to the top of his priorities. 

Damn him, no one could ever raise their voice at him and go unpunished but then again, his rules didn't apply to Camellia. She effortlessly made him break them. 

Maybe he was being too soft with her. Sooner than later, she was going to know the real him. 

He lit another cigarette, curls of smoke circling around him, his voice stern, eyes humorless.

“The Requiem never gives orders without absolute certainty. " He murmured harshly. “The weak do not belong in The Requiem.”

He took another puff in. The strands of smoke curling then disappearing into the air. 

" This is a job for Mateo Greco. Send a message to him. "