Formidable Love

CHAPTER 13

I sat in my room absent-minded after coming home from school which was the usual with Lola speaking about the incoming basketball game, not like Lola loves basketball but the thing she loves are the boys running in the court with sweat dripping from their forehead. I did have a few encounters with Luciano considering we shared three classes together and to add onto that in the cafeteria when Lola accidently bumped into Enzo that is when I saw him alongside his brother.

I heard a knock on the door and Piero opened the door slightly peeping his head into the room,
"Care if I join?"
"Absolutely not" I patted on the place next to me and in a minute he yanked his shoes off closing the door and jumped straight into my bed.
There was a not so comfortable silence in the room as we both knew that there will be a time that father will be be expecting an answer and when that time comes we'll have to give him one. Piero kept his head onto the bed headset and looked up at the ceiling with a blank expression "Soo uhmm how was school" he asked still looking up "You know the usual" I said now joining him too and looked up at the ceiling.

Fixing his posture he sits straight and I did the same, we stared at each other with questionable expression "What do you think will happen if I marry Andrea?"
"You'll be in bed all the time"
"Sounds like a good deal to me"
"Ewww noo" I said slapping him away. We had no ounce of idea about the loans and deflections and numerous other problems in managing the other branches,apparently the high class societies of Italy and even the lower to middle class ones all are dependent on the medici bank for their loans but if the loans aren't repaid the bank is going to face a major backlash. As many different branches and departments began to grow, there were problems in coordination between administrators in disconnected branches and even other governments.

The partnership with the Borgia men will also go downhill and with it other merchandise will also face several repercussions if this goes on the Medici bank will be going to have a great fallout leading to be the cause of the end of the bank and also the rule of Medici. People will sooner or later start questioning the power and wealth of the Medici so in order to have a strong base support which will be the Pazzi's, the Medici's could gain back their lost power and wealth.

It is saddening that things so grave were happening in the family business yet father didn't feel that he could have his kids back and support in leading the business even though Piero seemed to be keen to learn the banking system of our bank which made it so well-known throughout Italy and even to the foreign exchange companies.

For some reason father never encouraged Piero's interests in business and politics calling it "A boon and a curse" thus he started a journey of his own in the field of art.

I couldn't possibly let my brother suffer more than he already has so I decided what was best for both of us. It was legally a contract marriage, a contract signed between the two parties to fulfill their selfish needs, as long as it keeps my family out of its misery pulling it out from the edge of bankruptcy everything will be fine atleast that's what I hope so.

I walked up to father's office knocking on the door I went inside and saw him sitting between a pile of papers all scattered around the room slowly picking up a few of them from the floor near the doorway and placed it on his table it was then when he noticed my presence and looked up at me and asked
"Everything alright?"
"Uh yes, I'm good" fidgeting my way towards his desk I took in a deep breath and continued "It's a yes" he seemed baffled with my answer as if he didn't expect an answer so soon and maybe I was making the worst deal of my life by agreeing to marry the elder son, Renato Pazzi. It'll be like a making a deal with devil where no one but him benefits from the deal but there doesn't seem too much of an option left for me to choose from so I'm going all in it.

He embraced me in a hug something that he hasn't done for a very long time so it obviously took me a minute to sink in the situation "I'm proud of you. I'm happy that you placed your family first Alessia" caressing my cheeks just like any father would do except to have such an experience it came with a cost.

I walked out of father's office going straight to my bedroom to have a sound sleep because the coming day will change everything and I need to be prepared for it but my steps came to an halt to see Piero's presence infront of me,
"What were you doing in dad's office"
"Something you'll know soon about" not meeting his eyes I looked everywhere else "What do you mean?" I could see his eyes glow from confusion to one of anger "Don't you dare tell me that you fucking agreed" he said and my silence gave it away
"I thought we were going to come up with a plan" he whisper shouted,
"There will be no plan cause there isn't one" Helplessness taking over me I kissed his cheeks as I went my way to the room while he stood there frozen in his place not sure how to turn things back around.