Page 5 of Forgive Me, Father (Don #1)

FIVE

THE LITTLE RUNAWAY

Nico took me to the spare room and closed the door behind me. He didn’t even ask if I wanted something to drink.

The room was obnoxiously big and my heart started to stammer. Nothing felt secondary as I tried to take in the glittering skyline, spilling golden city lights across the polished floors through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

A bed dressed in crisp white linen and a charcoal throw against a wall of matte black paneling looked inviting, and I realized just how tired I was.

Who would’ve thought running away from your own wedding could be this exhausting?

I sat down on the edge as my heart still beat like a drum.

I had no idea who Alfonso was or where in the Sovereign circle he belonged.

He was undeniably gorgeous, and I was certain that if he held a higher position, I would’ve recognized his face by now.

But I didn’t. Which meant he couldn’t be that high up, right?

Then again, there were many Don families.

Countless tiers, and at least a hundred families per tier.

My father was living in a fantasy, thinking that he could make the inner circle notice us.

I skimmed through the contract and realized that Alfonso must have contemplated this for days because it was a solid contract.

It carried the date, but not the names. His last name was missing, as well as all of mine. There were open spaces for us to write down that information, along with our addresses.

Again, his was open. But I knew he spoke Italian, meaning he could be of the Italian Dons. They were of a higher class than the American Dons, at least in father’s opinion, which was a plus for me.

I wondered what my father was going through. He didn’t really deserve this at all, me rebelling against this merger, but what else could I do? Philip had broken me. He’d shattered my soul, and who knew, maybe this new merger might make his fantasy come true even faster.

Alfonso definitely radiated Don energy, but the number under his left eye made me pause.

The Dons rarely got their hands dirty, men like Nico handled that for them, and Nico didn’t bear the mark.

So, what did that make Alfonso? Was he a Don’s bodyguard?

The thought alone sent a chill through me.

My father would lose his mind if that were the case.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and looked back down at the contract. Next to date of marriage ceremony, there was TBA. The location, he’d left that open as well.

Section three was the declaration. This was the only part I was interested in, as it was where I would learn what he wanted and what I would get in return.

Clause One: Legal Capacity and Intent

Both Parties affirm that they are legally free to marry, having no existing marital obligations or legal impediments.

The Parties acknowledge their full understanding of the legal responsibilities, rights, and consequences conferred by marriage.

This clause is entered into by mutual consent, and with full recognition that, while the marriage may be based on business considerations, the choice to enter into it is voluntary and without coercion.

That wasn’t a lie. This was my choice.

Clause Two: Mutual Support and Obligation

The Parties agree to support one another within the bounds of marriage, both emotionally and materially, as reasonably expected under the law and as personally negotiated herein. Responsibilities and rights will be shared in good faith and as outlined in the provisions of this Agreement.

What responsibilities? I turned the page and the responsibilities followed.

Responsibilities:

The wife shall remain loyal to the husband in all circumstances, both public and private.

The wife is obligated to fulfill her duties as the spouse of a Don, adhering to all expectations and responsibilities associated with that role.

My throat closed. He was a Don.

3.The wife shall provide the husband with at least one male heir.

4. After the birth of said heir, the wife may then make personal decisions regarding her actions and lifestyle, subject to mutual agreement.

5.The wife shall accompany the husband to all events, regardless of personal preference or desire to attend.

6.The wife is obligated to meet the husband's physical, emotional, and sexual needs to the best of her abilities, ensuring his satisfaction in these areas.

7.The wife shall make every reasonable effort to maintain the husband's happiness, both in private and public matters.

8.The wife shall refrain from involving herself in the husband's business affairs and shall adopt a position of submission, allowing the husband to govern and manage his household as he sees fit.

That one was going to be hard. I wasn’t the submissive kind, and Philip had known that. He’d understood that I would respect him in front of friends, family, and other Dons. This guy didn’t.

9. The wife shall relinquish all rights to any children born from the marriage should she choose to terminate this contract prior to the child's legal adulthood, thereby forfeiting any claim or custody rights.

10. Upon marriage, the wife acknowledges that she becomes the property of the husband. She shall be subject to his authority, and he retains full control over her actions, decisions, and person, with the sole discretion to act as he deems fit.

I didn’t like this contract at all, but then again, the one I was going to sign with Philip wasn’t much different.

Tears pricked in my eyes. I wasn’t going to get a better life by signing up for this, but it was the only way out of the merger my father wanted me to complete.

My eyes scanned through his responsibilities.

There weren’t many. His duties were simple: protect her, give her whatever she wanted, and if she fulfilled the contract for ten years, having provided him with a son, he would allow her to leave.

She would receive a settlement equivalent to ten million, adjusted for the economy's growth, and be free to start over.

Without the child, of course.

It didn’t sound so bad. Ten years, and then I could walk away with whatever I desired. That was doable.

The financial terms were entirely his to manage. There was no mention of a merger or anything beyond that, something I found curious. I wondered if he would change that, or if I’d have to make him.

I could arrange to get my father’s assets to him, at least make him proud of this new merger. From what I saw in this contract, there was no doubt a prenup to sign, especially given the wealth involved. It wasn’t hard to figure out that Alfonso was affluent, his wealth practically screamed it.

You didn’t need an accounting degree to see that. He had laid out every detail of his assets in this document, and the list alone spanned four pages.

Fuck, how far up the circle was this guy?

Amendment and termination followed, basically repeating what I had already read.

And then it was just signatures. It was a straightforward contract stating what I would have to do and what I would have to give up. A child.

I didn’t know if I could, but that was a then problem and not to be worried about now.

I had no idea how my father would feel about this merger; I just hoped and prayed that they were not going to abandon me.

My gaze landed on the pen in the holder sitting on the desk. I decided fuck this .

Mother would drag me down the aisle if she got her hands on me now, so I filled out my name and everything else. Afterwards, I marched back to his office. Didn’t even knock and opened the door.

He was on the phone and simply stared at me. Then he nodded.

I closed the door behind me, the soft click echoing in the still room.

Every step I took toward his desk felt like an eternity, his gaze never once leaving me.

It was as if I were the prey, and he, the most dangerous predator, studying me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

But I wasn’t a helpless victim. I was here of my own accord, walking willingly into his web.

He set the phone down with deliberate slowness, the sound of it hitting the desk sharp in the quiet. Straightening my spine, I forced my pulse to steady, refusing to show the tension rising in my chest.

“I want you to reconsider a merger with S.A.N.T. Distributions. It was what the DaCostas would get if they merged with us.”

He nodded. “I saw. And it would’ve been your father’s biggest mistake.”

“Excuse me?”

“First of all, I’m a businessman, Camilla. I do my research first, and I’m thorough in what I do. The DaCostas are done. They own less than twenty percent of the docks, but I guess it was something they didn’t share with your father.”

“No, that can’t be.”

“You’re calling me a liar?” he tilted his head to the side, assessing me.

I swallowed hard at his tone. I shook my head.

“Someone else owns eighty percent of the docs. They were taking you for a ride; this merger would’ve gotten them out of their debt and probably paid to get back the eighty percent they had lost.”

“How do you know this?”

“I told you, I do my research well. The merger was a mistake. The DaCostas are dead weight. It would’ve pulled your family under, and something tells me that’s the opposite of what your father would’ve wanted.”

My gaze flickered to his. “My grandfather too.”

“Is he still alive?”

I shook my head as I struggle to believe the truth about Victor and Rita DaCosta.

They had been lying to my father, deceiving him, manipulating him.

If my father had known the truth, there was no way he would have ever agreed to this merger.

He had trusted them, believed they were his allies, when all along, they’d been scheming to steal from him, from our family, for their own merits.

A silent, seething rage surged through my veins, cold and sharp, threatening to boil over.

“What is it, piccola fuggitiva ?”

I hated it when he called me that. I didn’t understand the words, but I wasn’t about to tell him to stop. I’d wait until after the marriage, then I’d make it clear.

“My father’s always doing his research. He would’ve figured out that this merger was a mistake. So, why didn’t he?”

Alfonso sat in thought for a minute, and then his green eyes locked with mine. “Because your father has enemies close to him who were probably paid off by the DaCostas to lie to him. It is the only thing that makes sense.”

My mind immediately went to Andrew Westwood. His firm was handling our affairs and accounts. My father’s research .

“He would never believe me.”

“He will believe me .”