The Mafia Princess's Arranged Marriage

MILENE'S POV

I was lying on the couch in the library, holding a book, when I heard a knock. My younger sister, Amelia, was asleep on my lap and didn’t move when Mom came in. Her blonde hair was pulled back tight, and her face looked pale and worried.

“Did something happen?” I asked. She gave me a small, strained smile. “Your dad wants to see you in his office.”

I carefully moved Amelia’s head from my lap to the couch. She curled up and pulled her knees to her chest. Even though she was 18, she looked so small. I wasn’t much taller either. I was just five-foot-four. The women in our family were all short.

Mom avoided meeting my eyes as I got up to follow her. “Am I in trouble?” I asked, trying to figure out what I might have done wrong. Amelia and I always followed the rules. If anyone broke them, it was usually our mischievous sister, Rina.

“Please don't keep your father waiting Milene,” Mom said In a low voice as if she was afraid of him jumping out from one of the rooms and attacking us. I felt a little nervous as I walked to Dad’s office. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. “Come in,” he answered. Dad was sitting behind his big desk, his dark hair combed back neatly.

“Sit down,” he said, pointing to the chair in front of him. I sat and folded my hands in my lap, trying hard not to move too much. Dad didn’t like it when I moved around nervously. He looked at me for a moment before speaking. “Our enemies are getting bolder. They want to take over our territory. "We’re just lucky we don’t have the same problems as the New York family who also have to deal with the Russians intruding on their territory, but we can’t ignore the Triads anymore.”

"I blinked, surprised.” Dad never talked about business with meor with any of the women in the family. We weren’t supposed to know these things because we were often deemed delicate.

He continued speaking, ignoring the shocked expression on my face. “To handle this, we need to end the feud with the New York family and work together against our enemies.”

That surprised me even more. Our family had been at odds with the New York group for years. They’d only started leaving each other alone recently because of outside threats.

“Yesterday, I met with Ricardo Abelli,” Dad said, his tone sharp. My mouth went dry. Ricardo was the boss of the New York mob. It had been a decade since Chicago and New York leaders had even spoken, and the last meeting had ended badly. My father wasn’t the boss of our Outfi. Marco Cavallaro Romano was. My dad was just one of Marco’s trusted advisors.

Dad leaned forward. “We agreed on a way to seal the peace between our families. Marco and I decided you will marry Ricardo’s eldest son, Liam Abelli.” I stared at my father in shock. “Why me?” I asked, my voice shaky.

“Ricardo wanted a bride who was not only beautiful but also connected to someone important,” Dad explained. “Marco has no daughters, and he wasn’t about to offer the daughter of one of our soldiers. You were the obvious choice.”

I thought of Rina, my other sister. She was as pretty as I was, but somehow, I was the one chosen for this. “But there are so many beautiful women,” I whispered. Dad shook his head. “Not many Italian girls have hair like yours. Marco called it ‘golden.’ He thought it would please the Abellis. You’re our best option for this alliance.” I grabbed the arms of the chair, feeling panic grow. "But I’m only twenty two," I said. “I had plans for my future”

“Your plans don’t matter,” Dad said angrily. “Your duty is to your family. A woman’s role is to support her husband and raise his children. Forget about your degree, it’s useless.”

“Your mother convinced Marco to wait until you finish college before the wedding. Ricardo agreed to it,” Dad added. “You should be grateful. “Because if it was up to me, you’d be married by now.”

I couldn’t stop the sick feeling in my stomach. All I knew about Liam Abelli was that he would one day lead the New York family and that people called him “The Savage” because he had crushed a man’s skull with his hands.

“Please, Dad,” I begged quietly. “Don’t make me do this.” His expression hardened. “It’s done. You’ll marry Liam Abelli. At the engagement party, you will act properly. Do you understand?”

“Engagement party?” I whispered, trying to hold Back tears.

“Yes. It’s necessary for both families to build trust. Liam will see what he’s getting. Don’t embarrass us.”

“When is it?” I managed to ask. “July. The exact date isn’t set yet.”

Two months. That was all I had. I nodded, swallowing back the tears that threatened to spill. Crying would only make things worse.

I left Dad’s office feeling like I was in a daze. A few months ago, I turned twenty-two and thought it was the start of my bright future. Now, everything I wanted and ever dreamed of was gone and replaced with a cruel reality.