Arranged

"Papá, Theodore" I nod my head in acknowledgement, irritation rippling through me at the sight of the latter. He is an incompetent fuck who I've hated since childhood

"It's happening, we have to tell her"

My eyes narrowed at him, he looked way too pleased. They wanted to tell Adriana that she is getting married to me, something my father told me when I was thirteen but this man couldn't fucking bother. His reason made sense, but it didn't matter much to me, not when I knew it was more for his own selfish reasons.

"What are you going to tell Adriana?" I leaned back in my chair, staring at Theodore. The smirk on his face bothered me, he had already reaped the benefits of this deal twenty years ago what the fuck had got him giggling like a bitch, what sadistic pleasure was he drawing from keeping that woman in the dark

"It's for the pact between the Romano's, Moretti's, and the Bianchi's. That's what she needs to know" he muttered, his cigarette laden lips curling up and I smoldered with resentment. It was a believable lie, it fits perfectly but the fact he was going to lie to Adriana didn't sit right with me.

"She will find out, Theodore, and then she will tear all of us to pieces" I warned, hoping to see through this shit I had to play part in. I do have a soft spot for this abrasive woman, and that wasn't helping Theodore s case.

"She won't find out unless we tell her, I have called her here"

I always knew that it would be me who'd tell her the truth, probably bear the fucking brunt of it, have her hate me by the end of it but I couldn't do it before we were married. Theodore is still her Don, her father and she is still a Romano.

"Dominic won't make it today, he has things to do" I muttered, cursing my stars.

Dominic was the heir to the Romano throne, Adriana's brother, only one of us who could gauge her reaction and talk some sense into her if things were to get out of hand, like Adriana pulling a gun on either of us.

Theodore nods his head while I size him up in disgust. Even though Adriana loves her father, I have never for a moment doubted that he is a selfish bastard and a terrible father. The only thing that gets his heart racing is money, he is the definition of a tyrant, a tyrant without brains. He does as he pleases, he makes decisions that benefit him.

"Dominic knows, I told him a long time ago" I admitted, cocking my head to the side, daring him to object. You can't hide something like this from Dominic, he is going to be the Don and a better role model in Adriana's life than Theo.

"She is going to have a fucking heart attack when you tell her this" I muttered, staring at my father.

I genuinely felt bad for her, she was going to spend the rest of her life with a man like me. A heartless, controlling bastard.

"You don't have an option Dante, only when you are married to her, you  take over as the Don"

Before I could give my two cents the doors opened, swiftly, without a knock, and I didn't even need to look. Adriana is the only one who has the audacity to walk into my office, without my permission. She is also the only one allowed inside without a security check. In her usual formal attire, she wore a white button-up tucked inside her pants and a black tie around her neck.

"Where is Dominic?" she asks, immediately, looking at us with raised brows. She tenses when she sees both her and my father, she’s familiar with my hatred for him, and I can just hope she has caught on.

"I need to talk to you, separately" Theodore started, as Adriana walked towards me, quickly grinning at me before she sat down beside me. Her face losing the girlish charm she just flashed before she turned back to her father, her body tense.

"Ana you and Dante are getting married" Theodore puts out, in a single fucking breath making me hate him even more. The office is pulled into a sudden silence, tension tearing each one of us apart.

"What?" She breaths, sharply, trying not to raise her voice. Her face was draining of life because of the information shoved in her face. She bites the inside of her cheek when no one bothers replying, a small sigh escaping her lips.

I gave Theodore an irritated look, he could have told her that subtly. My attention zeros back on the woman beside me, she didn't look like she was going to shoot anyone, much to my dismay, at least that way I'd know how to talk her out of it. Her gaze coasted over her father, spite swirling in those pretty brown eyes.

Yet I could see the fear plastered across her face. She obviously wasn't thrilled. I lean towards her, softly telling her to breathe as my finger brushes her knuckles. Her face tilted towards me, her palm turning to mine, gathering what little words she could before she looked back at Theodore.

"Dad, I am just twenty-two" she said in an unusually soft voice but bordering violence, making me wince inaudibly. Out of all the ways this could have gone, I didn't prepare for this.

"Dante is just twenty-four and you knew this was coming the day the treaty was signed" Theodore dismissed, not bothering to console his daughter, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Why can't it be Bella, she is older than me. I thought it would be her?" she asked timidly, the anger fading as she came to terms with reality. She knew she couldn't dig her way out of this violence.

I was appalled by what she just said, yet that wasn't what bothered me. She sounded so unsure, defeated even and I wasn't familiar with that side of Adriana. I knew the Adriana who would know how to deal with this situation, who would know exactly what is supposed to be said

"Ana, you understand this business better than her. And Isabella made it very clear that she wants to do nothing with the family business"

Isabella isn't someone with whom I can hold a conversation. She and I, as adults, have never talked, just exchanged greetings. She isn't a woman who is going to be tied down by a man this soon, and I didn't want to be the one doing that. That wouldn't cater to my image, I can't have a Donna who's slept with half my men.

Adriana was Dominic's second, she basically knew this was coming. She was the one who had finalized this deal, but, to be fair to her she really must have thought that it would be Isabella getting married.

"So that's it, I get married at twenty-two and I have no say in this?" she blinks, silently pleading with her father to give her an alternative that wouldn't tie her to me.

"You can marry Fredrick Bianchi, he's a Don too" my father said, smiling mischievously at her. He was just trying to help her, get her to laugh but it was a pathetic attempt.

Bianchi was pathetic, at everything. Being a man, being a don, and at business. He'd probably be thrilled to marry Adriana, she could handle the syndicate better than him. My father knew that Adriana wouldn't pick him, ever and that's why he made the offer.

"No thank you" Adriana replied playfully, forcing a smile and yet the reluctance shined bright on her features

"Yes, you either marry Fredrick or Dante" Theodore smirked, my fists tightening as I tried my best not to knock out this man. He wasn't helping.

"Looks like I am stuck with you" she chuckled softly and I smiled at her. Fuck me, this marriage is either going to kill me or her, if we don't kill each other.

She still doesn't deserve this shit

"You took it better than I thought"

"What am I supposed to do dad? Cry about it?" she asked, sighing, not even bothering to hide her disapproval, her teeth biting down on her lips.

"Alright then, we'll see you in the evening. We will announce the alliance and we will also announce your engagement. I want both of you to be there together" Theodore said, standing up. If he weren't my father's best friend, I would have punched him in his hideous face

"What time ?"

"Seven" he replied before leaving and Adriana sighed in relief as soon as they left, good fucking riddance.

"That's how suffocating he's become?" I ask softly, turning her towards me. A knife twisted in my insides as her eyes glittered with tears before she blinked them away. She was fucking gorgeous, there were no two ways about that.

"To the point of resentment" she shuddered, pulling her hand back as she stared at me.

"I'm appalled that you'd suggest Isabella’s name" I grunt, glaring at her. She rolls her eyes at me, biting back a smile.

"This is fucking weird" she offers, groaning as she threw her head back, shutting her eyes close. I'm tempted to grab her, having my fingers against her but I settle for a chuckle, having her attention back.

"It isn't, you are thinking way ahead. Nothing changes" I shrug, my voice deliberately soft. She can blatantly flirt with me, keep up with my vile remarks about bedding her, and not extend that privilege to anyone else. There was nothing remotely weird about this, at least right now.

"Oh yeah?" she snaps, her body turning towards me as determination burned through her eyes. She was ready to give me a piece of her mind but my fingers curled around her chin, matching our gaze.

"It's at least two months away, don't make it weird before it has to be" I say, my voice firm as my eyes sweep over her body. She squirms, slapping my hands away, rolling her eyes, again. I clutch her face between my fingers again, daring her to repeat that. Her shoulder drooped, her fingers going around my wrist, settling my hand in her lap.

"Are you sure you are not with so-

Before she could complete the intercom buzzed, my third, Luca, informed me that Tatiana was here to see me. I groan in annoyance, there is only so much a man can deal with at a time. My annoyance makes the woman beside me smile, her eyes twinkling. I have to force myself to not smile at her, instead, sending a glare her way, flicking her forehead.

"Send her through" I sigh, irritated

Before I could turn back to Adrian, her slender fingers try to flick me and I grasp her fingers in my hand, twisting it lightly. She hisses, struggling before I let her free

"You want to try that again tesoro?" I dare, warning shone clear through my voice. I might like this woman, but she isn't getting away with this shit. She looks me dead in the eye, raising her other hand, combing my hair away from my face before she flicks my forehead.

"Sweetheart sound better, Don" she sasses, smirking softly, almost giggling at her own audacity.

"Why you little brat" I growled out, reaching for her neck, interrupted by the clicking of heels. There stood Tatiana at a model's height, in her red dress, her attention on the woman beside me. She looked something out of Playboy's magazine with that hairdo and clothes.

"Romano" she spat, sneering at Adriana

"Bianchi" Adriana smirked, sitting back, knowing well what was irritating Tatiana

Tatiana Bianchi was Fredrick's cousin. An extremely desperate woman who seems after my life. She was Dominic's woman a few months ago, now she wants to be mine. Adriana detested this woman, she was the perfect woman in her mother's eyes, always comparing her daughter to this devil.

She is going to stir up trouble.

"Dante"

"That's Don for you" I grunted, irritation pricking through me. I want her out, last time she was here, she had taken the liberty to sit in my lap and almost get her throat slit.

"So I heard about the ball tonight" she said, her teeth clamping down on her lips. She looked ridiculous, unlike Adriana a few moments ago.

"Are we going together? Again?" she emphasized, throwing a smirk towards Adriana who looked rather amused.

Adriana didn't give two flying fucks, it was her who managed to talk me into going with Tatiana a month ago. To cater to my mother's unreasonable demands. She knew I despised this woman, she wasn't my type, far from it.

"No" I dismissed, hoping she'd leave.

"But baby we'll look so good together" she whined, her strong perfume engulfing both of us as she walked towards me, leaning. Adriana let go of my wrist that she was holding, physically distancing herself, thoroughly entertained.

"Adrian's accompanying me today" I say, feeling Adrian's glare for dragging her into the conversation. I smiled at my fiance sweetly, as she scowled at me.

"Why" Tatiana spat, almost distastefully, earning Adrian's attention now.

"Because he's marrying me" Adriana blinks up, innocently, catching Tatiana off guard and rendering her speechless. She tries to say something but stutters, choking on words. I have to assume it's an overreaction, she can't be that smitten with me.

"No, you aren't" Tatian spit, almost crying out

She is, and my fiance finds it comical, i see the mischievous smile trying to break.

"Oh, you didn't know" she says softly, her voice sympathetic, mischief dancing in her eyes a d a grin dancing on her lips.

Sly woman

"You are such a whore, stealing other men" she sneered, looking at Adriana, making her couple.

What?

It ticks me off, the fucking audacity. I didn't fucking care much about what this woman said but it was about principle, you can't walk into a Don's office and call his fiance a whore, disrespect her. It gets you shot, tortured, or better yet, your tongue carved out.

"You have a man, who? Last time I remember Dominic's bedding women and Dante's my fiance” Adriana chuckled, mirthlessly, unbothered by the word Tatiana used. Adriana's first approach was never violent, it's a waste of energy she says.

"You are one-

"Tatiana, leave" I glowered, balling my fists, gritting my teeth.

"But Dante-

"Out" I almost snapped, as my irritation flared.

She narrowed her eyes at Adriana before giving me a disappointed look, only to receive a blank stare from me. She can't come into my office and call this woman names, it just wasn't fucking acceptable.

"I won't wait for you forever" she said and I laugh, my laughter bouncing off the walls, what is this? A teenage fucking drama?

"I don't care Tatiana" I shook my head realizing how delusional she is.

I see her eyes water and I don't understand why, I have been telling her this since the beginning. She stays rooted for a minute before she turns around to leave

"You do know that it's your mother who sends her here?" her eyes darted up at me, amused and all I could do was nod my head.

"I do"

"I don't like her much" she grimaced, laughing softly

A part of her irritation rose because her mother adored Tatiana, more than she adored her own daughter and constantly compared Adriana to her. She wanted Dominic to marry Tatiana.

"You're petty" I remark, looking at her, thoroughly amused. She curls her bottom limp, frowning at me as she cocked her head to the side.

"I am not" she protested, her frown deepening.

"Whatever you say sweetheart" I chuckle, patronizingly. She throws me an irritated look, mumbling something under her breath, shutting up real quick when I raise my brows at her.

"I won't be there by seven" she said, getting up

"You will" I demand, my voice hard.

"I have a meeting till seven" she sighs, turning around as she stood before me

"I had one till eight but I am going to cancel it and so are you. I am supposed to be there on time and you are supposed to be with me " I dismissed, my voice sharp as I glared up at her.

She raised her eyebrows at me, suprised.

"First of all don't use that tone with me, second you and Dominic are supposed to be on time, not me" she started

"And have some fucking sympathy, your mother is going to grill me. And so will my mother. Can you fucking imagine? I try so hard to avoid both of them and now I'll be at their mercy" she mumbled, lips settling in a faint pout, throwing her hands up like a child

"And if you don't show up with me then you'll have to deal with Theodore and he isn't going to let you off the hook either" I reminded, getting up and walking to my desk.

She frowned, looking at me. She was scanning her brain for excuses, but I already knew that none of them would work. She surrenders, saying that she will be there on time but I doubt it, she caved in so easily.

"Adriana I am serious"

"So am I" she said with a straight face

No, she isn't

"You know what Adriana, seven or eight, just make it there alive. Alright?" I sighed, sitting back in my chair, skimming through the documents, earning her smile.

"I'll call you ten minutes before"