| ELIO |
"Kill him"
After giving my guards the order I exit the dark and cold room that has nothing but a now dead body in it. Making my way upstairs to the kitchen, I hear footsteps behind me and I already know who it is
"You can't just kill people because your in a bad mood Elio, we could've gotten lots of information from him" Manuel says as he sits down on one of the bar stools in the kitchen
"I don't fucking care" I mutter as I take out a chocolate bar that I promised Azalea I'd give to her.
I make my way towards the living room where I know she is watching a Disney movie, Manuel following behind me.
"You can't be mad about the marriage thing, I mean I would gladly marry Bridget Branson"
The words Manuel utters makes my jaw clench until it's replaced by a small smile when I see Lea laying on the couch like a starfish.
"I've got your chocolate, principessa" I say which causes Lea to immediately jump out of her position and happily take the bar out of my hand
"Thank you Elio!" She giggles before sitting down and watching her movie while shoving down the bar, making me watch carefully so she won't choke.
"If it's such a great thing to marry Bridget, why don't you do it?" I turn to face Manuel who is now giving me a small grin
"You and I both know I'm not the marriage type of guy" he says with the grin still playing on his face which makes me roll my eyes before walking towards my office
"Me neither"
***
"Are you in love with Bridget?" Lea looks up at me with her bright green eyes and a smile on her lips which almost makes me want to lie and tell her I am, just to keep her happy.
"No I'm not" I say while tying the tie around me neck and fixing my hair in the mirror, Azaleas small figure sitting on the bathroom counter just watching me get ready.
"Then why are you and her going to the party tonight together?" She says with a mischievous smile which I ignore
Tonight is the first time we are attending an event as an engaged couple, which means this is the day we reveal the news.
"It's almost like a business deal" I explain but Azalea just crosses her arms over her chest with a small pout on her lips
"She's really pretty, I think you should like her" She says before reaching her arms out towards me, wanting me to help her get down from the counter and when her little feet reach the ground she's off, running out the bathroom and yelling for Manuel to play with her.
Manuel has spent every minute since the dinner with the Branson family talking about the fact that I am stupid for not wanting the marriage between me and Bridget
Even tho Bridget Branson is a good looking woman, she is not my type.
She is also extremely fucking spoiled, just running around spending her fathers money
At the dinner a few days ago she didn't even taste the food their chef had made for us. She just immediately went with my five year old sister to eat cookies.
I mean even my sister at least tasted the food but Bridget refused to even give it a try.
I make my way out the bathroom and down the stairs once I'm finished and ready to leave but of course, Manuel is late like always
I sit down onto the couch and wait for him while watching Azalea play with her dolls, looking so innocent. When Azalea was born, I promised myself to not let her soul get tainted with the whole mafia life.
"What's up with you" The voice of my other sister, the annoying one, reaches my ears. I look up at her as she smiles at azalea before sitting down next to me
"I'm just wanting for Manuel, are you going with mom and dad?" I question which results in Arabella nodding. Azalea is gonna stay home with our nanny since we never bring her to events like these. They are always filled with bad people, and we don't want Lea being around them.
Finally Manuel comes down the stairs which means we're now on our way out to the car after saying bye to Azalea and Arabella. We take a random car once we reaches the garage and drive off towards the building where the event is being held.
Walking up the stairs of the large mansion where the event has already started, after forty minutes
Of Manuel giving me wrong directions since he was so sure that he knew where is was located, where finally here
The large wood doors open which reveals a large room that's filled with people with more power then what some people dream of
Yet my eyes wander towards the specific blonde that I am here for. She's wearing a silk dress that's in a soft yellow colour with her blonde curls hanging down her back, once she puts the hair to her side instead, she reveals the open back that the dress has.
Giving me a full view of her tanned back.
Okay maybe i lied when I said she wasn't my type.
~ BRIDGET ~
The only thing keeping me from shoving my fathers head in the wall is the drink in my hand.
"Bridget put the drink down, it makes you look trashy" My mothers words come out as a harsh whisper which makes my hand tighten around the glass before putting it down into the nearest table
How does a champagne make you look trashy?
A tired sigh leaves my lips which I see results in James rolling his eyes at me. What the fuck have I done to these people that makes them hate me so much all of a sudden?
"Elio will be here soon, the only thing you are supposed to do is be quiet and smile beside him" My father whispers which makes the cigarette smell reach me.
Now that is trashy.
Looking around the large area, trying to keep myself sane from my family, I catch the stormy eyes i am to marry.
Elio is finally here.
My father has been a pain in my ass while we've been waiting for him, giving me shit for everything I do. It's so weird to see someone have such affect on my father who talks about himself like he's a god.
"Branson" The deep voice of my fiancé makes its way to my ears as I look down at the hand my father has put out for Elio to shake.
After a few seconds that felt like hours of my fathers hand being in the air waiting for Elio to shake, my father finally puts his hand down in slight embarrassment.
With a clear of my fathers throat he breaks the uncomfortable silence.
"Did you hear about the bombing in Paris? The mafia that's behind it must really be powerful if they manage to do that" He utters the words with a laugh that feels so fake that I almost roll my eyes
Fucking try hard
"Mhm, I heard" The three slight words that Elio utters, I can already read of him that he is certainly the one behind the bombing.
I look to the right side of Elio and see the rest of the Morelli family, except Azalea which I can understand that they left her at home.
"Hello lovely, you look stunning" Emma says in my ears as she pulls me into a greeting hug which makes my lips tilt upwards
That's the first time today I've got a compliment that I've got a compliment that was not about my body, coming from an old man.
"Thank you Emma, you look gorgeous" I say which Emma smiles at before walking over to my mother, starting a conversation.
I smile at Arabella who also greets me with a hug before looking between me and Elio.
"Aren't you guys supposed to be engaged"
She says which me and Elio nods at, my face showing a hint of confusion while he's is just blanc
"Well if you want the people in this room to believe it, you have to act like it." Arabella words make me a little confused but before I can ask her what we are supposed to do, I see Elio's hand reach out for me.
He tilts his head towards the dance floor where lots of couples are dancing slowly. I take his hand gracefully before we start making our way to the dance floor, hearing gasps around the room.
His hands land on my waist as mine lands around his neck, as we slowly start moving along with the music. I put my left hand over the right one, making sure that they see the ring my father gave me to wear for the night.
An engagement ring.
"My mother wanted me to ask what you wanted for food to be served at our wedding" his words takes me by surprise since my mother told me I had no control over the ceremony
"It doesn't really matter, as long as it's not seafood" I speak while staring straight into his eyes, and him staring into mine
"Why not seafood?" He questions while his eyebrows slightly tug together in question, but I barely notice it.
"I'm allergic to seafood" I answer before looking away from his eyes and smiling at the happy couples dancing to the slow music
"But your parents served seafood a few days ago, at the dinner" He says without showing off any emotion, which makes me slightly nervous.
"I know, but it's a small thing. Easy to forget"
We both know the act as if I don't care is all fake but he doesn't respond, we just dance in silence.
A comfortable silence.
The song ends and we part ways like we were just strangers dancing, and spend our night only sharing a few glances.
Like strangers.