ien
o needs to hear what I act
ntly off the vaulted ceilings of the cathedral as
vesdrop on the pathetic prayers of a ruined family's daughter, but her sheer audacity kept me rooted to the s
marble. "If I have to marry, he must be breathtaking. Built like a Gre
Griffin empire was crumbling into dust, yet this pa
y. If he ever dares to take a mistress, I'll take him to the cleaners. I'll leave
digging child who understood nothing of our world. In the *Famiglia*, marriage wasn't born of love or loyalty; it was a brutal tran
encounter, I turned and
I reached into my tailored coat for my keys, but my instincts flared a fracti
arrow walkway. *Enfor
ness that demanded absolute obedience. "What is the meaning of
My most trusted Soldier. His face was a blank, unr
his tone devoid of its usual deference
er. The Matriarch and the sole
without flinching, "you will marry Francesca Gri
the Don," I commanded, the absolute authority of my
ne m
Elder to force a union if the family's survival or bloodline was at stake. It was a law older than the
er's maneuver distracted me. I calculated the political fallou
of distraction was
I could draw my weapon, he was behind me. A thick cloth, reeking of a
forcers swarmed, pinning my arms with heavy, coordinated precision. I held my breath, fighting the i
stone arches of the clo
truggling to keep the rag over my face as my knees finally buckl
ed me under. Isabella Griffin wanted a loyal Greek god.
d me whole, sealing m
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