Dante Marcondes

My name is Dante Marcondes. I'm thirty-four years old.

My name isn't just a name—it's a sentence. I'm the Don of the Italian mafia, the man who commands the entire national territory and beyond its borders. Where I walk, silence falls. Where I look, heads bow. It isn't just respect—it's fear. And I prefer it that way. Fear keeps order. Fear keeps alive those who know how to behave. My presence is lethal, my word is law, and betrayal of my honor is the one thing I never forgive—or at least, that's what I used to think.

Even I, with the world at my feet, wear chains. They aren't made of iron. They're made of blood, of tradition, and of agreements that were forced upon me.

My father, Giovanni Marcondes, was alive, strong, and seated in the main armchair of our boardroom, watching everything with eyes that had always struck me as hard, calculating, and empty. He was the one who built the empire, and even after handing me the reins, he continued to control every step, every decision, as if I were still a child who didn't know how to defend himself.

It was he who had decided, months ago, my fate:

"Dante, to hold power, to seal peace, and to strengthen our name, you will marry Valentina. She comes from a powerful lineage, a good family, with tradition and influence. This is honor. This is what a leader does—he sacrifices what he wants for the good of the organization."

I hated every syllable of those words.

I'd known Valentina since the first day she appeared at our events. She was beautiful, yes—the kind of woman made to grace magazine covers and smile for photographs. But one look into those pale eyes was enough to see the emptiness. She was cold, opportunistic, and every gesture she made screamed that she only stayed close to me for power, for money, for status. She didn't love me—never had—and I felt nothing but revulsion at the thought of having her by my side for the rest of my life.

We were in the main hall of the mansion, where all decisions were discussed. At my side stood my brothers—the only people in the world I truly trusted, or at least the only ones who didn't look at me like a chess piece.

Lorenzo, the middle brother, was my consigliere: my right hand, the man who handled strategy, law, and everything that involved secrets. He wore an impeccable suit, his expression perpetually serious, his gaze one that never missed a single detail.

Matteo, the youngest, had the fire of youth and the courage of a lion. He didn't like rules, didn't accept being told what to do, and always spoke his mind without filters or fear.

Giovanni settled deeper into his armchair, crossing his hands over his chest, and fixed me with that authoritarian stare we'd been taught to obey since childhood.

"The wedding is set for two weeks from now," he said, his voice deep and unmistakable. "You know what this union means. It's the most important alliance we've ever made. Valentina is a suitable woman—she comes from a respectable family, capable of keeping our name high. Honor our blood, son. Don't disappoint me."

He paused, looking at each of us in turn, and added:

"As for your bachelor party... I won't be able to attend. I have important business outside the city, meetings I can't postpone. But I want everything done the way tradition demands: celebrations, only trusted men, no scandals. You're the Don, Dante. Everything you do is watched. Don't give anyone reason to criticize."

I nodded, without saying a word. On the outside, I kept the cold, untouchable composure I always wore. Inside, I felt nothing but exhaustion and a quiet rage that grew with each passing day.

When Giovanni left the room, the heavy door closing behind him, Lorenzo approached slowly, his eyes bright with that sharp intelligence only he possessed. He waited until our father's footsteps had faded down the corridor before speaking, low but firm:

"I don't trust her, Dante. And I trust even less the way Father looks at her, the way he talks to her, the way they understand each other with just a glance. Since this deal was sealed, I've had Valentina investigated thoroughly. Surveillance, wiretaps, everything I could. If it's proven she has a lover, that she's betraying the commitment before it even exists... the marriage contract loses all value. No alliance survives on lies and betrayal. And more—if Father is involved, the way I suspect... we have bigger problems than an arranged marriage."

Matteo slammed his hand on the table, impatient, with that explosive way that was uniquely his.

"Why assume Father's involved? Why look for complications? Just cancel the whole thing, end of story! You're the Don, Dante! You run everything, you outrank everyone—him most of all. You don't need proof, you don't need justification. If you don't want to marry her, don't. Who's going to force you?"

I let out a heavy sigh, rubbing my face, feeling the weight of leading a family where not everyone was loyal.

"It's not that simple, brother. If I break the agreement without apparent cause, we declare war on her family, and Father will use it against me—he'll say I'm irresponsible, that I don't know how to lead. And war means blood, it means lives lost, it means instability across the empire. I don't want that. Not now. And none of us wants to accuse Father outright—we just want certainty." Matteo, of the three of us, was the most attached to our father; it was almost funny how he admired the man the rest of us despised.

I looked directly at Lorenzo, with all the seriousness in the world, the usual coldness returning to dominate every word:

"Bring me proof. Concrete proof—photos, recordings, witnesses. Prove to me that she's cheating, that she's deceiving us, that she's nothing but a walking lie... and then, yes, we end the contract. We end the alliance. And if you discover that our own father is on her side, plotting against me... then we remind him who really commands here. No one deceives a Marcondes and walks away unscathed. No one."

Lorenzo nodded, already thinking through his next steps. Matteo muttered something about "wasting time on useless people," but I'd already made my decision.

"Now, let's go," I said, straightening my suit and reclaiming every ounce of the commanding presence that everyone feared. "The bachelor party awaits. We'll follow tradition, as he asked. And we'll wait—because the truth always comes out. And when it does, I'll be the first to collect the price."

We left the room side by side, the three brothers, heading into the night that would change everything. I didn't know it yet, but that very night, fate would introduce me to the person who would not only save my life, but also help me uncover every betrayal hidden beneath my own roof.

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