Page 6 of Cherished Union

Worry hits me hard. What is going on? “Is Papa okay?”

She shakes her head, her lip trembling. “No,mia figlia, he’s not.”

I swallow hard at her admission.

She chokes on a sob as she fights the tears. “He’s sick. He’s at peace with his diagnosis. The cancer is too far gone for him to live a long and healthy life.”

I stare at her in shock. No way. My papa doesn’t have cancer. There’s no way.

“Ade,mia figlia, I never wanted you to feel this pain, but unfortunately, he’s refusing treatment. Your brother will take over from him as head of the family.”

“What?” I whisper, still unsure if I’m hearing correctly.

“Adelina,” her voice is soft, and she opens her arms for me. I don’t even hesitate to fall into them. “We need to be strong. When Vivi finds out, she’s going to be heartbroken, and she’s at such a young age that I’m not sure she’ll be fully able to express her grief.”

“She’s thirteen, Mama. She’s still a baby,” I continue to whisper. My thirteen-year-old sister, Viviana, she can be a pain in my ass on a good day, but she’s got a heart of gold and takes things hard. She’s my little sister and I love her dearly. “I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

“I know you will. I’m sorry that you had to find out this way, but I need you to do what you can to help your sister through this.”

I grit my teeth. This isn’t unusual. I’m not given the time to process this. I have to push it aside and be strong to support my sister. Something I’d have always done no matter the outcome. But it hurts that my feelings are always pushed aside.

Mama presses her hands against my face. “I’m so proud of you,mia bellissima figlia. I know you do not want this union with Hayden Gallagher, but trust me, the Gallagher family are possessive, protective, and most importantly,mia figlia, they will not harm you.”

I’m still so angry that I have been made to marry a man that is a monster. Then again, it’s not the first time my family has set up a union with a man that the world views as cruel and despicable. Five years ago, my father made the agreement that I was to marry one of his captains. A brute of a man called Tomasso Fugo. The man’s wife had died two years prior and left behind him and his two sons. Had he been close to my age, I wouldn’t have minded as much, but as I was just barely twenty, I thought it was too much having me marry a fifty-two-year-old man who had two children that were both older than I was. But my father being the boss ultimately decides on what happens and who I marry. Thankfully, Tomasso

died, and I was left alone. Until my father came to me with the news that I was to marry Hayden Gallagher.

“You do not know that,” I snap, taking a step backward. “Mama, I love you, but you have no idea what goes on behind closed doors. No one in this world would know that Papa is dying because of the facade you both show the world.”

Her shoulders drop as she releases a shuddering breath. “I know that,mia figlia, I know that what we see isn’t always what we get, but you aren’t alone. Rocco is marrying Hayden's sister.”

I roll my eyes. “Mama,” I say with no heat. The very last thing I want to do is to cause arguments. “Since when did Rocco or any of my brothers care about Vivi or I? They don’t have time for us, so I doubt very much that he will appreciate it if I were to go to him with my marital problems.”

“Adelina,” she whispers, horrified. “This life—"

“Don’t,” I snap, getting annoyed now. “I know this life, Mama. I’ve been made to live in a life where nothing matters but my beauty. I am nothing more than a pawn for my father to gain more power. I am a token for some asshole to marry so that he can climb up the ladder. Not once has anyone asked me what I wanted to do. Because Vivi and I do not matter. This family made that clear the moment we were born.”

I turn on my heel, not wanting to discuss this any further, but the moment I do, I see both Rocco and Elio standing in the doorway. I glare at them as I move toward the stairs. I’m not in the mood to talk to any of them right now.

I’m not sorry for what I said. My feelings will not change on the subject. Vivi and I are made to be less than human only for the fact that we were born female. Had we been male, we’d have been given everything we could have wanted, the freedom to be who we truly are. Instead, we’re made into replicas of our mother.

I don’t dislike my family; I dislike the rules that a woman has to follow. There’s no chance of escape. The moment I do, I’m dead. It’s that simple. You do not betray the famiglia, and running away is seen as a betrayal.

“Adelina,” my father shouts out, and I can hear the tremor in his voice. If you weren’t around him every day, you wouldn’t notice. It’s going to be only a matter of time before his men discover that he is sick, and what happens then? If he doesn’t have plans in place, it could lead to friction within the ranks.

“Yes, Papa,” I say as I walk down the stairs. I’m wearing my black jeans and a pink, fluffy, off-the-shoulder sweater. It’s comfortable and bright. My hair is straightened and flows past my shoulders and down my back. The dark brown has lightened thanks to my trip to Italy with Nonna last month. The sun always makes my hair lighter. My feet are bare, my toes are painted the same bright pink as my top, and I’m not wearing an ounce of makeup. It’s the way I like it. It’s who I truly am: easygoing and filled with color.

The moment I make it to the last step, I hear a frustrated sigh. Turning, I see Mama standing with narrowed eyes and a scowl etched on her face. “You couldn’t dress up for the occasion?”

“Occasion?” I echo, wondering what the hell she’s talking about.

“You are meeting Hayden, Adelina. He is in your father’s office.”

Dario rolls his eyes at our mother’s anger.

“Had I been told that he was coming, I would have dressed for the occasion.”

“What?” Rocco grunts as he and Elio step into the room. “What do you mean you didn’t know?”

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