Then Nora walked into his life.
I wasn't there for most of it. I was in a hospital bed, machines beeping, nurses checking vitals, my body fighting to remember how to exist. But I heard the stories.
Pietro fell for her. Hard. Fast. Completely.
She's pregnant now. His child growing inside her. His family expanding. His future taking shape.
Because he chose her.
Because he wanted her.
Because love made him better. Stronger. More focused.
And me?
I get a transaction.
A business deal wrapped in wedding vows.
Some girl who'll stand beside me at the altar and see a wheelchair instead of a husband. Who'll lie next to me at night and wonder what she did to deserve this. Who'll smile for the family and count the days until she can escape.
This is different, I tell myself.This isn't about love. This is about proving you can lead.
Giuseppe made that clear.
Our father. The great Don. The man who built this empire from nothing and expected his sons to carry it forward.
Every son must be trained to lead.
Every son must be ready.
Every son must prove himself worthy.
I was the one who took it seriously. Riccardo was the eldest, the natural heir, but I was the one who studied. Who trained. Who memorized every alliance, every enemy, every weakness in our organization.
I was supposed to be Don.
I was ready to be Don.
Then a bullet tore through my spine and everything changed.
Now I'm here. In this bed. In this room. Waiting for my brother to decide if I'm stable enough to lead the family.
And the test?
Marriage.
My hands curl into fists.
The sheets bunch under my fingers.
I think about the Romano girl. Whichever one they choose. Whichever one gets sacrificed to pay her father's debts.
She'll hate me.
Of course she will.
She'll walk into this compound and see the walls closing in. She'll meet my brothers and wonder which one she should have married instead. She'll look at me and realize she's been traded to a man who can't even stand at his own wedding.