Page 33 of Unwanted Marriage with the Mafia Boss

“I turned eighteen in there anyway, so I didn’t need anyone anymore.”

The way he says it... as if it makes the whole thing better.

“Your family abandoned you just because of that?” I’ve never done anything stupid like that, but there’s no way my parents would’ve abandoned me. “They didn’t even visit you to hear your side of the story? And your brother didn’t feel guilty?”

Hell, I’m pretty sure I read stories in the news about the mafia breaking their members out of prison or getting the best lawyers and whatnot. I thought they were all about not abandoning their own, especially actual family members.

He presses his lips into a white line. “In the Gaviani family getting caught is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.”

“Where are they now?”

“Close by. Their territory is right next to mine.”

I’m speechless. How could someone do that? And there I thought Adriano was heartless.

“Don’t look at me like that, like you pity me. I have everything I want, and being on my own has made me better and stronger. They could’ve canceled my bank account, but they didn’t. My adoptive father—Gennaro—he knew I could make it on my own.”

“When did he adopt you?” Maybe Adriano’s time with the family was short, so they hadn’t really gotten attached.

“When I was about five.”

“So he raised you? Like his son?”

“Yeah.”

Nope, I can’t find any excuses for the Gaviani family. No wonder Adriano gets pissed off when someone mentions family.

“What about your birth parents?”

“Who knows? I was left at someone’s doorstep shortly after being born with a necklace around my hand. Then I was placed in a home with a family of alcoholics and drug addicts. I got out of there and was roaming the streets. One day, I was so hungry I stole a bag that was left in the middle of a dark alley because I thought I’d find money or food. Armed men ran out of a garage after me. They chased me for a while until they finally caught me. I thought they’d kill me, but Gennaro saw me and he was impressed. He shot the guy who left that bag, which was actually full of drugs, and he asked me if I wanted to join his family. Isaid yes. It was better than going back home or staying on the streets.”

I blink at him. The whole thing sounds so surreal I half expect him to start laughing, but his face is completely serious.

“And that necklace? Did it mean something? Maybe your parents were in a bad situation and were hoping to find you later.”

“I don’t know. Gennaro threw it away.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sorry you never had a real family.”

He scoffs. “Why? Do you think that will make me let you go?”

“No, I just... No one should go through something like that.”

“Not even me?” His eyebrows shoot up. “Your enemy? Come on, Chiara. You tried to kill me, remember?”

“If that hadn’t happened to you, we wouldn’t be here. It’s all I’m saying. You’d be a different person. The people around us influence us in ways that—”

He laughs. “If you’re so bored. We can find something more entertaining to do. Find a better use for your mouth.”

I clench my jaw, glaring at him. He’s a lost cause. Nothing I say will change his mind. But I understand him a little better now. I was right. He wants to do this to prove to his adoptive family that they shouldn’t have abandoned him.

Maybe he doesn’t want to admit it, not even to himself, but it’s a good explanation for why he’s doing this and why it matters to him that everything is executed so perfectly. He wants to show everyone and himself that he can do everything on his own and doesn’t need anyone in his life.

In a few years or decades, when he’s all alone, he’ll realize that he needs more than just money and power, but it’ll be too late. I shouldn’t feel sorry for him, but I do. I feel sorry for him and for everyone who has suffered and will suffer because of him.

A wave of strange warmth overcomes me. I pull my chair back because the world is spinning around me. It’s as if I’ve gotten hit by a truck. Dark spots dance in my vision.

“Chiara, are you okay?” I hear Adriano’s voice, but it’s quickly drowned out.

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