Word count: 2556
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Riley's POV
*
Luciano's hold on my waist was possessive as I struggled to get freed.
I seethed as he led us around the house and to the front, leading me back into the mansion while he signalled for the bodyguards to stay behind in the living room as we walked up the stairs.
"Let me go." I spoke through gritted teeth.
"Shut up." He growled and kept walking, with me getting even angrier about how he was ignoring my words and also forcing me to walk with him even though I didn't want to.
Immediately we got into his room, my eyes instinctively darted to the previously damaged bathroom door and I saw it had been repaired. Luciano gently nudged me forward and shut the door. I stepped closer to him and stabbed his chest with my index finger.
"Now listen to me, Luciano, you won't ever tell me to shut up that way again. I am your equal because we are in-love and you will treat me with the same level of respect you demand from me." I raised my voice, upset about how he wasn't even putting my feelings into consideration.
"I said shut up, Riley. If there's something you want to know, ask. And calm down, you'll stress yourself with this anxiousness and you might break down." He told me, merely staring at me as if I was overreacting.
"Fine let's talk then, since you want to 'talk'. Why are you trafficking girls? Drugs? Arms and all that shit?"
"Language." He scowled. "What exactly did you think I was doing all these years as a mafioso head? Who did you think I was? How exactly do you think the mafia runs? You think I go to work Monday to Friday and come back home to play the perfect boyfriend? You know that's not how things are, you just decided to keep lying to yourself and living in oblivion."
My eyes widened in surprise and I felt shame consume me because he was partially right. I'd thought about it before but I totally ignored the thoughts because he looked perfect to me then and I was so in-love. Now I realized I was in-love with someone who trafficked girls and sold illegal arms.
"I- I can't do this right now. You're so impossible." I walked around him, making an attempt to leave the room but he blocked me with his huge body.
We stared at each other, as if one person was daring the other to do their worst.
I glared up at him, my breaths coming out in pants. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Language Riley, I won't repeat it one more time or I swear you'll get a spanking right this moment." He told me, his tone still neutral even though his eyes narrowed warningly.
I puffed air through my lips. "That's not the- ugh, whatever. I don't want to look at you right now. I can't believe I've been dating a trafficker. What do you do with those girls? Jesus Christ, I could've been one of them. So vulnerable, snatched from her family all for a sick man's desires. Just let me go so I can breathe some fresh air in and rethink my life choices on what this means to me as the person you'll be settling down with. I don't see my future with a man who truly earned his reputation as a Beast. This is not worth it."
I looked up at him to see his eyes going wide. "Are you rethinking your feelings for me? Seriously? After all the confession about how I mean the world to you and whatnot that you said at the kitchen barely thirty minutes ago? Wow. I can see it clearly now."
Then he nodded cooly and pressed his lips into a thin line.
"See what? You can't blame me for all this. I didn't know the kind of person you were then. It's not my fault."
He turned around, unlocked the door and opened it. "You can leave and come back whenever you want and you could even decide not to come back. You can call your brothers to come and get you or whatever. I won't bother you anymore."
My brows furrowed in confusion at his words as I watched him open the door and walk out. Did I say anything wrong? I only wanted some privacy and he was being totally unreasonable.
My eyes clouded with tears of indignance as I felt very hurt by his words.
I stormed out and marched downstairs, signalling the bodyguards to leave me alone when they began to follow me. I walked back to the back of the mansion but didn't walk to the door.
I walked around the beautiful garden of roses, sniffing the air as I walked down the lone pathway that led to a garden of huge trees. I heaved a sigh, feeling so peaceful to be in such a serene environment at the moment. It was so sad that I had to fight with Luciano but I needed to be by myself and think rationally here.
Beast was wrong this time and no amount of explanation could undo that. He didn't even sound apologetic by what I'd learnt. Did he think I would easily accept the fact that he usually trafficked girls?
My feet carried me further into the distance and I began to slow down with each further step I took into the trees. After a while, I felt my legs aching me so I began walking back in the direction of the mansion and when I was close, I sat down and rested my head on the bark of a tree.
I stared at the house and wondered if I had approached the issue too fiercely. I should've asked him details about the trafficking and how it was usually done and he would've told me. He doesn't usually hide things from me except he really doesn't want me to know about them and that's usually for my own good.
I let out a deep exhale.
What would this mean for me? Would I have to get married to someone who trafficked girls? I shook my head tiredly and felt my eyes begin to droop as the cool breeze caressed my skin tenderly.
Before I knew what was happening, I was out like a light.
I could feel movement around me. There were faint crunches and ruffling, as if someone was taking fast steps on dried leaves. But I felt too tired to open my eyes and see what was happening. Until the sounds grew closer to me and my brows furrowed.
I opened my eyes to see someone's feet. Then I blinked and realized there were a few feet surrounding me in an arch. I looked up with a gasp and my eyes instantly came into contact with Mr Luca's. Luciano's Godfather. He was standing in front and had his team of bodyguards around him.
"Hello." I blinked in greeting, getting to my feet as I dusted my hands on my pants.
"How are you doing, Riley?"
"I'm fine sir. And you?" I asked warily, staring into his beady eyes.
"I'm doing great. You must be wondering what brought me to my godson's home."
"No. I know it's work related. Have you seen the Beast? He should be in his study at the moment."
"Yes. I saw him briefly and we talked about several things. But I'm not here for him." He nodded, giving me a soft smile.
"Okay. What are you here for? Is it because of the kidnap incident?" I furrowed my brows, but nodded in understanding when I realized he must've been notified about it.
"Partly true. I'm also here because of you."
"Me? How? Why?"
"I heard you're being a little difficult and you've been having issues with Luciano. And you even said you'll consider your relationship on if you should be with him."
My eyes widened as the talk I had with Luciano earlier today instantly returned to my mind. I'd forgotten about that. We hadn't even spoken about the real issue at hand and instead, we said some things to each other and I'd just stormed out of the mansion and came here.
"We merely had a little misunderstanding." I stated defensively, not comfortable with sharing my relationship issues with Luciano's Godfather and his numerous bodyguards.
"Ah. Young love and their misunderstandings. Well, it's sad but at the same time, things need to be sped up. We don't know if you'll one day up and leave him just like that so we've brought someone else who will work on you."
My brows furrowed as I shook my head. What does he even mean?
"I don't think I understand you sir. What does this mean?"
"While lovers quarrels make people go fonder as they learn more about each other and try not to repeat past mistakes, not everyone is privileged to have such. From what I've heard, you question the Beast and sometimes humiliate him in front of his men by threatening heaven and hell."
"I did not. I have never done something like that. I merely demanded an explanation from him today. Why does he even have to tell you everything about us?" I asked, getting angry that Luciano was reporting our relationship issues to an outsider.
"Well, Luciano didn't tell me this. He is too whipped doing your biddings to see how you will affect his career if he doesn't set you right and this is where I step in. Who knows if you'll one day humiliate him in front of the world when he does something you find displeasing. Young people are always too hotheaded to communicate with themselves or ask simple questions. Anyway, I have brought your replacement. In case you ever decide to leave, she'll immediately take your spot as the Donna. Meet Riley Evans." He stretched out a hand at something behind me and I blinked in confusion, slowly turning around.
I turned around and came face-to-face with someone that looked familiar standing in-between two bodyguards. She was wearing a beautiful red sundress with deep green and white flower patterns on it.
She was slimmer than me with less puffy cheeks but green eyes and a redhead. She also was C-cups like me. My brows furrowed as I stared at her, processing his words in shock.
She even looked like me a little bit.
"W-whos this?" I asked aloud.
"Your replacement in case you decide to leave Luciano just because you can't sit him down and have a simple talk that'll give you your answers. You misuse every opportunity given to you, do you know that? And then you had the guts to ask me why Luciano tells me everything about you. Well he doesn't. But I have eyes and ears in the mansion. I can see for myself that you truly are hotheaded and speak without thinking. Anyway, you'll show Riley who might be your future replacement everything you did that made Luciano fall in love with you. Who knows if the lady might end up being the futirw Donna."
My lower lip trembled in shock. Was it a crime to get angry at one's boyfriend? Did that mean I didn't want him anymore?
I gave him a look of disbelief and once again turned around to look at the slimmer version of me. She had a docile look but...I shook my head. No. I couldn't train someone else to take my place. It was only meant for me and not for anyone else.
"You can't do this, Luca. We'll sort our problems out on our own. "
"Look, he's not just your boyfriend. He's a mafia Lord. Have you ever thought about the fact that you could be wrong in approaching matters? You shouldn't be taught how to get the answer you need from your man. That boy worships the ground you walk on. I will be back in a month from now and I hope I'll have seen changes in the new Riley. Then it won't matter if you leave or not."
"Luciano will never fall in love with someone else." I tilted my chin and narrowed my eyes at the thought but the old man merely chuckled as if he knew something I didn't.
"If you believe so. Anyway, I'm leaving Riley. Take a good care of your boyfriend because you might eventually get that grand wedding you've always wished for." He smiled at the fake Riley.
"Yes grandpa Luca. Take care." She walked over to him and pecked his cheeks and left finger where he had a humongous ring. Even her voice was sweet like honey and pleasing to the ears.
I narrowed my eyes at the duo and wished I could walk out on them. But that would be impossible because he was Luciano's Godfather and I didn't want to be rude. He already thought I wasn't fit for Luciano.
Immediately he left, j glared at the so-called new 'Riley'. They even had to call her Riley Evans too. How fake!
I stormed out of there and marched to Luciano's office.
Without knocking, I yanked the door open and saw that he was alone.
"Luciano, what the hell do you think you're doing, telling your godfather our relationship problems?" I demanded as I walked to his table.
"Thank you Mr Grey, we'll work on it. Yes, have a lovely weekend and kindly extend my greetings to your wife. Alright." He ended the call and tapped on his phone screen.
I waited for him to speak but he still didn't.
"Luciano, I'm talking to you. What did you or your men tell your grandfather? Why did he have to come all the way here?"
"Business." He replied me disinterestedly.
"What business? He came here to give you another woman." I accused the old man who was slowly beginning to get on my bad side with his pocknosing.
Couldn't he mind his own business?
"What do you mean?"
I scoffed. "Don't pretend you don't know about it. Your Godfather brought you a new lady who will observe me and everything I do. What the hell does that even mean? So does it mean she will kiss you when I do just to prove that she is fit to be your wife instead of me? Will I have to fight for my position in your life now, huh? Say something goddamn it."
"Where is my godfather?"
"He left! Was this your plan huh, to make me fall in love with you and then do this?"
"I want to be alone." He told me in a tone that told me he was beginning to get angry.
"Wha-"
"Leave. Now!" He said in a stricter tone and I blinked, feeling upset as I left him to himself.
*
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