Xahari_Aria

After the death of his first  wife, Matteo Marino, a wealthy CEO and powerful mafia boss behind the scenes,  he was forced to remarry the daughter of one of his father's most trusted friend. Aria Barone, a young girl who witnessed her beloved mother murdered and burned alive by one of her father's rivals during her childhood and has been horrified since then. Forced to marry the man her father wanted, will she uncover Matteo’s darkest secret, or  will she fall in love with him?

Forced Vows, Hidden Shadows

My pen scratched across the paper, the sound echoing through the silence. I was aware of Charles's eyes on me, but I refused to acknowledge him. 


 I could feel it pulsing through my veins, a reminder of the secrets we kept, the lies we told. Finally, Charles spoke, his voice like a rusty gate. "Matteo, we need to talk." 


 I set my pen down, my eyes still fixed on the papers in front of me. "What is it?" I asked, my voice controlled, but my mind was racing wondering what he wanted. 


 His cigar flared to life, the sweet scent of tobacco filling the air. He drew in a slow, deliberate drag, his eyes never leaving mine. 


"I lost my sister when I was nine," he said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. "She was six. We were playing near the old warehouse by the docks. She fell from the roof. I couldn't catch her." 


86. The Alliance