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Chapter 09 "The proposal"

"****Damon narrating"

I woke up exhausted. It felt like I hadn't slept in ages. The wounds still throbbed as if they had been inflamed by some invisible torment. And that unbearable itch... My God.

I put on a black pair of shorts, my color of choice, and slipped on a shirt while struggling to hide the exhaustion on my face. I quickly brushed my teeth, trying to remedy the situation after a restless night. But then I went to her, Elena. She never left my thoughts, not even during sleep. I dreamed that we were in a stunning garden in Italy, and she ran towards me, throwing herself into my arms, kissing me passionately, and saying that she was mine alone. And deep down, I wished that this was indeed real.

What did this woman have that stirred me up in such a way? It was an enigma.

My uncle appeared, with his intimidating gaze. I'm sure he was wondering why I hadn't eliminated Elena yet. He wanted me to get rid of her without hesitation, but there was something more complicated at play. Something that deeply affected me and prevented me from taking the easy way out. Perhaps, deep down, I didn't want to hurt her. Or maybe it was the emotion and passion she brought into my turbulent life, a fire that consumed me and made me question everything I knew.

I knew I would have to confront him sooner or later. But for now, I struggled with my conflicting feelings, trying to understand what kept me tethered to Elena, even knowing that it could put everything I knew at risk.

"Awake, bambino?" he said, stopping in front of me.

"Speak up, uncle. What do you want?"

"I went to see the girl. I saw her. She has your mother's eyes and bears a striking resemblance to her. She's beautiful and alluring, but is it worth risking our lives for just another woman? Why the hell haven't you killed her already? If women are the problem, I can arrange for the best prostitutes in Atlanta. It's far, but it's worth the trip."

"I have plans for her. I'm going to marry Elena," I said with determination.

"You've gone mad? You haven't even investigated who this girl is?"

"No, but she saved me. If she were an enemy, she would have killed me already. There have been several opportunities. We need to get married so I can keep her under surveillance and ensure she doesn't disclose anything she knows. There's no need to kill her."

"Sometimes, you're so naive, Damon. But don't worry. I'll investigate her, every last strand of her past. If I find anything, I'll take care of it myself. You won't marry just anyone."

I rolled my eyes. Nobody asked for his opinion.

"I'm the boss of my gang. The decisions are mine to make. You make your own decisions." I walked away, leaving him behind.

His habit of making decisions for me deeply irritated me. Sometimes, I almost forgot that he was one of my closest living relatives.

I headed towards her, taking slow steps. I must admit, I didn't want to see her in that cell, but rules were rules. She was there, lying on the floor, looking desolate, hurt, and sad. But it was alright. If she accepted what I was about to propose, it would be good for both of us. She needed to accept it; in fact, I wasn't fond of receiving a "no" as an answer.

"Hello, my beautiful lady," I said. She was facing away, with her head resting on her knees.

"What do you want?" she spoke without looking at me.

"I came here to see you."

"Let

I go. I beg you. I just want to go home immediately. I won't report you or do anything against you. I just want my freedom right now."

I looked into her eyes. She seemed frightened, with tears welling up.

"Well, I'll let you go," I said.

She looked at me as if asking, "Are you serious?" and showed no reaction.

"I'll let you go if we make a deal. I'll let you go if you marry me. Simple as that."

She started laughing sarcastically and paced back and forth.

"You must be crazy, right? I've concluded that you're completely insane. An idiot, a sick person who takes advantage of a woman. I won't marry you, you are sicko. You're a dangerous mobster, a criminal, from what I gather."

"We'll see. And yes, I'm a mobster, the boss of one of the most powerful gangs, a descendant of the Corleones, and you would love to be my queen, I know."

She spent minutes cursing at me. She cursed me with the worst names she knew and even cursed me in Italian, can you believe it? I enjoyed hearing her curse at me. Love or hate? I think it was love, you know? I continued to silently watch her. Finally, she grew tired of cursing me, and that's when I spoke.

"All I need is a fake marriage. Don't worry, we don't have to have three children, get married on a beach, adopt a puppy, and have sex. Well, the last part could be a bonus of the marriage. I would love to dominate you in bed and see you obey me."

"I would never have sex with you," she laughed hatefully.

"Hmm? I kissed you that day and I realized you liked it. I confess, you liked it," I whispered into her ear. "We would have done it right then and there if my security hadn't arrived."

"We would never have done anything, Damon. It wouldn't be strange for you to want to have sex with me, but it is strange to think that one day I might reciprocate."

Her words stung a little, but I knew deep down it was just an act.

Elena was the object of my desire. I wanted her for myself, wanted to tame her, and I was willing to marry her to have her. She would be my woman, and I would protect her at any cost.

People like me didn't have time to feel or express emotions. We were concerned with business, exports, and how much money we were making per month, or even per day. I had a fortune valued in billions, but sometimes it was tiresome to have so much power and attention without knowing exactly how to use them.

My family had always been involved with the Cosa Nostra. I never knew what it was like to be poor since I was a child. I grew up with rules and values. If I did something wrong, I had to pay. If I saw something wrong, it was my responsibility to report it. My father, despite being a mobster, always respected and loved my mother deeply. It was beautiful to see the respect he had for her.

Elena fell silent, saying nothing more. I waited for her to respond to my irresistible proposal.

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