Elio knew it wouldn't be easy to get his family to accept or agree with this madness. He wasn't even convinced himself. However, he was sure they would support him no matter what.
Dinner went by peacefully, between trivial conversations and the occasional joke, which helped calm his nerves and act like his usual self. Elio wished the moment of clearing the dishes would never come. Things were fine just the way they were.
His mother noticed. He usually talked the most during meals, communicating easily with everyone, but today was completely different. He barely uttered a few words. Elio thought he could fool her, but to his misfortune, or perhaps his fortune, he was an open book to Isabella's eyes.
Isabella had made tea to drink before bed. They stayed to have some while the evening news played on the screen: an abandoned ship full of human remains had been found.
Elio had his eyes on the television, but he wasn't paying any attention to it. His thoughts were elsewhere. He let out a sigh as he took a sip of the hot liquid from his cup.
"Brother, Mom... there's something I want to talk to you about."
They gave the boy their full attention. He was practically trembling with nerves. Elio stared at the liquid in his cup, watching his reflection in it.
Elio's father, Dante Mancini, had belonged to the Mancini Rizzo family, a mafia that had begun seizing control of the eastern part of the country years ago, when Elio was just a child.
However, his father had been stripped of his position by his power-hungry sisters. Because of that, the Mancini family had suffered financial hardship and had been forced to take whatever work they could find.
They had caused tremendous damage to his family. No member of the family formed by Dante and Isabella was part of that mafia anymore, with the exception of one of their daughters. Their grandfather had insisted that Carlo, as the firstborn, take the reins of the business after his father's death, but Carlo had refused, wanting nothing more to do with the mafia.
And now, right at this moment, Elio was about to tell them that the head of the Di Marco mafia family had proposed he marry his grandson.
Elio's mother took his hand, which rested on the cup with his name printed on it.
She was a beautiful woman, kind and deeply understanding with her children. She had excellent communication with all of them, despite how many there were in the family. She always knew what to say, when, and how.
"Tell us, son."
Isabella could feel her son's worry. It was like a maternal sixth sense. Elio had always expressed his thoughts, even when it made others uncomfortable, people who weren't accustomed to hearing his truths delivered so bluntly.
Elio was grateful to have a mother like her. He knew he could confide anything in her, and she, no matter what, would give him the best advice without forcing him to do anything he didn't want to.
"Alright. You know Mr. Di Marco, don't you?"
They nodded in response.
Isabella had worked for many years with Mr. Luigi Mandeli, and by his side, she had come to know different mafia bosses, among them Mr. Gabriele Di Marco.
Carlo, on the other hand, had met him at a business meeting, because Gabriele Di Marco, despite being a mafioso, was an "upstanding" businessman in the world of commerce. Carlo had met with several businessmen for a televised event, and that was where he'd had the pleasure of meeting him. Though his first impression was of an authoritarian man without scruples.
"What about him?"
Carlo seemed somewhat impatient about what his younger brother was going to say. Elio simply took a deep breath and let all the air out a few seconds later.
"Let's say we ran into each other. He... made me a proposal." Elio set his cup aside and interlaced his fingers on the table, perhaps searching for the courage to speak. He was silent for several seconds before dropping the bomb. "He wants me to marry his grandson."
His younger sister, who was drinking tea, spat it across the dining table.
Nobody said a word about her reaction, since they were all still processing the information.
Isabella set her cup aside. She looked at him for a few seconds and tried to understand why Mr. Gabriele Di Marco would want her son to marry his only grandson.
Carlo, on the other hand, simply processed the information. In the end, he couldn't interfere in his younger brother's life. He wanted them to have freedom and to learn to make decisions, and to suffer or enjoy the consequences of those decisions. However, a marriage was a serious concern, even more so with a man like that.
"Is he at least attractive?"
Annalise broke the silence that had settled over them. Elio was inwardly grateful that she was the one to speak first.
Of all his siblings, he was closest to his younger sister. He felt the need to protect her at all times. Besides, Anna's personality was easygoing, cheerful, and upbeat.
Elio and Annalise looked very much alike physically. There were even times when people thought they were twins. They liked to play along with it. They'd been born in the same month and on the same day, but with a three-year age difference.
"Yes, he is." Elio played along. He hoped the mood would lighten a bit.
Little Anna gave him a mischievous grin, and Elio's lips curved into a slight, genuine smile.
"Son."
Isabella, who had always shown a cheerful demeanor, now wore a serious expression. Elio recognized it. It was the same face she'd made years ago, when his second oldest sister had chosen to stay with their father's side of the family.
"Mother, I... I haven't accepted anything."
Isabella's face, which had lost all its color, recovered slightly. At least her son was still thinking things through.
Years ago, they had decided to distance themselves from everything related to the mafias. When she was young, her family had forced her to marry the only son of the Mancini family, all because of money. Her family hadn't been willing to lose their social standing and had agreed to sell her off to help themselves financially.
She had witnessed the abuses of the Mancini family up close. Grandfather Mancini was a somewhat violent, unfaithful, and ruthless person. He had always shown favoritism toward Dante, her husband. Because of that, his daughters, Dante's sisters, grew to hate her more with each passing day. They had made life impossible for her and her children while they lived there.
When they left the Mancini Rizzo household, already several years ago, they decided not to get involved in Grandfather Mancini's business.
Honestly, for the young Elio of that time, it had been hard to break away from his family. He didn't understand a lot of things and mistakenly thought his mother was making a mistake. Between him and his older brother Carlo, Elio had always been the one more interested in his paternal grandfather's businesses. He had dreamed of running his companies. Obviously, back then, Elio knew nothing about the mafia.
However, he chose to follow his family. What mattered most to him at the time was his mother and her well-being. Even if he disagreed, he would always support her.
Elio's mother and father had lived happily with their children away from that family, for a time. But the Mancini sisters, all three of them, continued to harass their younger brother.
She, Isabella, knew perfectly well the risks of her son getting involved with a family like that. Perhaps the Mancinis weren't all that powerful, but if they were capable of what they'd done, the Di Marcos could destroy them with a single order.
They had the protection of the Mandeli family. However, she was certain that once Elio's grandparents found out about the marriage, he would be in danger. The Mancini family and the Di Marco family had been in a dispute lately over what had happened years ago.
"What are you thinking of doing? You know I don't meddle in your life, but this... it's very risky, son. I don't want you to get hurt, and you know your grandfather..."
"I know," he interrupted. "But this opportunity would help me pay for university and tuition, even without working... Besides, our debts, the rent, all the bills, none of it is cheap."
"You don't have to do this because of the debts," Carlo intervened. "I'll take care of them. You don't have to do that. As for university, we can support you."
Elio saw the worry etched on his family's faces. Even he himself wasn't sure about taking the risk. He pressed his fingers against the glass cup, lowering his gaze.
He saw his reflection in the still tea inside his cup. He wondered whether he was truly prepared to take on a responsibility as enormous as marriage. Besides, he was barely about to turn twenty, and the other man was already thirty-five.
Elio gave himself a mental slap. He felt stupid for even considering the possibility of getting married. At least now he could be sure his family would help him. And even though things would be difficult, it was better to face obstacles than to accept a marriage to a complete stranger.
He felt relieved. His lips formed a wide smile and he looked up. His eyes curved into half-moons as that smile stretched even wider. "Thank you," he whispered.
...
In a bar in the southeast of the country, people came and went looking for fun in games of chance, betting large sums of money. Some even wagered their belongings: phones, watches, cars. The most extreme ones bet their own homes.
The atmosphere was heavy. Here and there, someone fought with their opponents over cheating during a game. Losing wasn't an option, especially not when their real estate was on the line.
The owner of the place frequently had to have the troublemakers thrown out by force. He wouldn't tolerate problems in his bar. He'd laugh at the poor idiots who thought it was the "players" who were cheating.
Some of the players were mere employees. The owner was a complete con artist who knew exactly who to fleece and send packing.
The dark-haired man observed everything from the second floor, where only VIP guests were allowed. His appearance commanded respect and fear. He always wore a dress shirt, sometimes rolled to the elbows, a tie and vest, both black, with a patch over his left eye leaving only his yellow right eye visible, and dark gloves up to his wrists.
Dragon, as he'd been nicknamed in the underworld, was one of those who remained on the sidelines of every mafia yet did business with all of them. He was a businessman who preferred money over the "friendship" of any boss.
"Sir."
His subordinate's voice behind him made him stop watching the girl seated at one of the tables below. She was truly gorgeous. She had prominent breasts, a slim waist, and thick thighs. Her face was pretty and delicate. If the man hadn't interrupted his view, he'd surely already be sending someone to fetch her and bring her to his private room.
"What is it?"
"We found him, sir."
Dragon's lips curved into a gleeful, malicious smile. After years of searching and money wasted, he had finally tracked the man down. In the end, his desperate attempt to hide had failed, and now there was no escape.
Dragon flicked his cigarette away and crushed it out viciously. It was his way of expressing what he'd do once he got his hands on him.
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Comments
Eian2000
Elio life is mess in many ways
2025-06-30
0