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My dad’s words make me raise my eyebrows. He rarely cusses and he never cusses at Dante.
“You need to find a suitable new husband for Aria. Someone high ranking. Once word gets out about all of this, her reputation will be hurt. Find a solution.” He goes silent again.
Footsteps get closer to me.
My dad.
I scramble to my feet but barely make it a step when he spots me. “Aria?”
“Dad.”
He glances down at the phone in his hand. “Were you listening?”
“Yes.” I will keep my head high and feel no shame. I have a right to know what will become of my future.
He sighs. “So then you know that you’re engagement to Viktor Smirnov is called off.”
“Why exactly?”
“Apparently, he loves his wife and wants to stay married to her. I guess she’s some Bratva girl no one knew about. Inessa Petrov. He’s not going to leave her.”
“Dante could just kill the girl.”
He blinks. “Are you being serious or sarcastic right now?”
I huff and roll my eyes. “I’m sarcastic, Dad. But… seriously though, why can’t Dante just kill her? Then Viktor would be free to marry me.”
“I thought you weren’t happy about getting married to Viktor.”
“I’m not. But I don’t like being slighted.”
“Aria, Dante isn’t going to murder an innocent woman.”
I shrug. “Why not? The Dante I remember from my childhood wouldn’t have hesitated to get the job done.” But ever since he married Nadia and made peace with Erik, he’s gone soft.
“Inessa is an innocent woman and it would only upset Viktor. He would never make peace with Dante then. Apparently, Viktorhas agreed to make peace with them as long as he can remain married to his wife. Erik agreed even though Dante wasn’t happy about it.”
“So Dante is Erik’s little lapdog now? Erik calls all the shots?” I shudder at the thought. A Russian in control of an Italian? It’s disgusting.
“It appears so. You’re engagement to Viktor is called off. But don’t worry. Dante and I will find someone even better for you. An even higher ranking Mafia man. Won’t that make you happy?”
It would but I still want the ability to choose the man I marry. Is that so much to ask?
Arranged marriages are common in my world. So common that marrying for love is seen as the strange thing to do.
I’ve known my duty all my life.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t chafe under it. I want to marry a handsome man with prestige and money and status.
I just want to choose him myself.
“Find me someone good,” I snap. “I won’t marry a man who disrespects me.” I flip my hair over my shoulder and storm upstairs.
My dad doesn’t say a word. He never does. When it comes to me, he gives in so easily.
The tea function is set inside the restaurant at The Plaza hotel. Tons of Mafia women are in attendance. Older women who are already married and some younger women like myself who are looking for husbands. I aspire to be like these older women. Married to wealthy men. Some are widows with the freedom to spend their husband’s money and do as they wish.
“Aria,” Janet calls out, motioning me over. She’s a forty-something woman who always brags about how wonderful her husband is. I think she’s full of shit. No one’s husband isthatamazing.