Chapter 10 - The Grandfather's Ultimatum: Blood Oaths and Arranged Marriages
We returned to the estate changed. There was an unspoken bond between us now, forged in blood and survival. But our bubble was violently popped the next morning. Don Salvatore summoned us to the grand dining room. Sitting beside him was a terrifying man with silver hair and a jagged scar across his throat: Don Moretti.
"What is this?" Mateo snarled, stepping in front of me protectively.
"A truce," Salvatore said coldly. "The war is costing both families too much money and blood. Don Moretti has agreed to peace."
"At what cost?" I asked, my voice trembling.
Don Moretti smiled, exposing gold teeth. "At the cost of unification. My eldest son is currently unmarried. You, Tessa Vitiello, are the last of the royal bloodline. We marry you to my son, combine the families, and the war ends today."
I felt all the blood drain from my face. "No."
"It is decided," Salvatore slammed his cane down. "It is your duty to this family, Tessa. You will marry Lorenzo Moretti next week."
Mateo drew his gun and aimed it directly at his father's head. "She is marrying no one but me."
The room exploded into chaos. Moretti's guards drew their weapons; Salvatore's guards drew theirs. A Mexican standoff in the dining room.
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"Put the gun down, Mateo," Salvatore commanded, his eyes flashing with fury. "You cannot marry her. She is your cousin."
"Second cousin," Mateo spat. "And I don't give a damn about the rules. If you try to give her to the Morettis, I will slaughter every single man in this room, starting with you, Father."
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