"The suffocating aura he carried around himself wherever he goes feels like darkness itself followed him everywhere...now that I think about it, the way people instantly lowered their heads whenever he walked into a room make me want to puke right here and now, like what nonsense is all that for" Azzura said in her again again.

"He is a child for crying out loud and worst of all... I can't forget those terrifying eyes that looked completely emotionless but yet strangely observant" Azzura hated remembering all of these but she couldn't stop herself from taking in every of those details.

"It's enough Azzura, I wouldn't want to hear another word from you again regarding this matter, it has been decided already we are just informing you to have an idea about it and so anything else you have to say is not relevant" Mr. Tommaso screamed at Azzura with great power in his words as the glass in his hand cracked a little.

The room shook under the force in his voice that even the servants standing outside the office doors froze instantly at the great intensity packed in those words.

Azzura herself flinched as she unconsciously took two steps back "did I just flinch at my father's words" she asked herself.

"Father rarely shouted but when he does everyone no matter whom you are listened" Azzura said in her head as she bowed her head slightly from fear that her father raised his voice at her.

"Ohh darling take it easy on her she's just naive" Mrs. Gaia said in a soft voice as she tried pleading with her husband on Azzura's behalf.

"You should talk to your beloved daughter who doesn't see that we are working on creating a bright future for her" Mr Tommaso said in clear anger.

"I won't be quiet dad I am dead tired of how you all boss me around for crying out loud" Azzura spoke out suddenly as she fumes with anger already boiling in her body, her anger was clearly getting a hold of her already, clearly suppressing the fear she felt a few minutes ago.

Azzura's eyes had begun swelling with tears even though she refused to cry before her parent "I hate you both"

"How on earth do you expect me to get married to that wickedly dangerous family, a clan that does every despicable evil in the world tell me how" Azzura said.

"Is that not a show that you need me to be a slave in the guise of being a wife to a big fool who doesn't even know how to speak to a lady pfft never...never" Azzura said as she walks with anger towards the door to leave the room.

But before she could even get to the door "Azzura I hope you understand the rules that speaks against you leaving this room without I or your father's permission?" Mrs. Gaia stopped Azzura on her track with those words as two men in uniform entered the room immediately.

The huge guards dressed fully in black uniforms stepped into the office with very stiff expressions on their faces, these guys were not smiling at all.

Azzura slowly turned around seeing that these men were not joking with her at all and without delay shock flashed through her eyes immediately as it dawned on her that.

"You had guards outside the whole time?" she asked bitterly as she fixed her gaze on her parent but neither of them answered.

The silence itself became the answer she needed "I don't care about your rules or whatever, I have decided and it is final don't you get it?" Azzura shouted but noatter what it all fell on deaf ears.

"I see that you don't understand the situation you are in currently Azzura, let me make it clear to you that right now you are under my roof and as such you do as I say and nothing else will come against that, I don't care if you like it or not I have decided and that is final" Mr. Tommaso said as he stands up slowly from his chair.

Saying those words the atmosphere in the room instantly changed because Mr. Tommaso's height alone was intimidating enough, standing as 6ft2 he was a mini giant.

And combined with the cold authority in his eyes he suddenly looked every bit like the feared clan leader he truly was...the great Sil Lord of the Casa Sil.

Azzura unconsciously stepped backwards once again even though she has seen her father so many times in her years but seeing him in this state was entirely a different ball game.

"You know what, I guess it is better I send you off to the Ndranghetas family mansion. I think that way you will learn and fall in tune with your future husband" Mr. Tommaso said once more as he signals the men who had entered the room earlier.

Azzura's heart nearly stopped because she saw the signal clearly and without delays the men moved towards her.

"What is this, stop it please " Azzura said as she stepped back trying to escape the grip of the men but she was too late because they already had her firmly held in place.

"No!" Mrs. Gaia quickly interrupted.

"Wait" Mrs. Gaia stopped the men from taking Azzura away "darling you should not do that to your only daughter, I think the best shot right now is to have Francesco come to us instead you know our clan isn't the strongest and if I must say it is considered the weakest but we have for years had the backing of the Ndranghetas and that has covered us clearly" Ms. Gaia said as she stands up walking towards Mr. Tommaso.

Mr. Tommaso's jaw tightened as he closed his clenched his fingers into a ball, the truth in Gaia's words stung deeply and he really felt it.

CHAPTER 3

↓

The Sil clan survived because of the Ndranghetas, that in itself is fact that can't be argued about and without them...

The Casa Sil would have been destroyed long ago.

"You see, children do not understand the love and respect they are shown till they have lost it totally and that right now is what we are seeing in our little princess who is still living in her delusional world with a belief system that everything is meant to fall at her feet" Mrs. Gaia continues speaking as she now rest her head on Mr. Tommaso's back.

Azzura stared at her mother in disbelief at what she is seeing "you call this love mother?" she whispered painfully under her breath both both parent heard her clearly.

Mrs. Gaia ignored the question, instead she wrapped her arms gently around Mr. Tommaso while speaking calmly.

"My lovely husband I do understand that we owe the Ndrangheta's so much for the safety and security but have you considered if they feel grateful to us also for saving them in their worst time?" Mrs. Gaia asked in a flirty whisper.

Mr. Tommaso's expression shifted slightly as the memories clearly struck him deeply.

Years ago before his friend Mr Giovanni of the Casa Ndrangheta rose to become this untouchable, Mr. Tommaso had saved his life twice during one of the bloodiest wars in Mafia history.

Back then Giovanni was hunted from all sides, betrayed, cornered by different organizations and almost died because of a mistake he made back then.

But Mr. Tommaso had protected him putting his life on the line to make sure he doesn't die even before realizing he was the heir of the biggest Mafia Family in the world.

And from that day onward, the Ndranghetas never forgot the great hero who saved their lineage.

"Do you think so darling?" Mrs. Gaia asked clearly this time as she moved forward to look directly at Mr. Tommaso who seemed to be so quiet with a creased face clearly showing that he is deeply in thought of such possibilities.

REMINISCING

"Tom you have been a really good friend to me and my household as a whole" Mr Giovanni said "i consider you my savior for so many years and not even a soul knew that you saved my life in my worst times I am really grateful for this" Mr Giovanni said to Mr Tommaso as they both sat in the room that opened to the balcony of Mr Giovanni's mansion as they held glasses filled with wines.

The room itself carried the intimidating aura of the Ndrangheta mansion as dark wooden walls stretched high toward the ceiling while ancient paintings of past clan leaders hung proudly like silent witnesses observing the conversation between the two powerful men.

The faint scent of expensive cigars floated heavily through the air as golden lights from the chandelier reflected softly against the polished black marble floor of the room.

Outside the room armed guards stood like statues, silent and ever alert with a deadly posture ready to bounce on any intruder who dares to misbehave.

Rain poured heavily outside the giant glass windows while thunder rumbled faintly across the dark sky.

"Ohh please Gio you don't have to compliment me to such extent... it is some thing I do not regret doing and I will be more than willing to do it again and again if need be" Mr Tommaso replied.

"After all we have been friends for decades and helping each other isn't something to worry about at all after all I helped before I even knew you were the heir to the Casa Ndrangheta"

Mr. Tommaso said as he smiled lightly lifting the wine glass toward Giovanni before taking another sip of the wine.

But deep inside him...he still remembered that terrible night years ago the night he saved Giovanni, the very one that carried the most danger.

The blood, gunfire and chaos that it carried..the memory remained fresh no matter how many years had passed and the pains still stayed.

Mr Giovanni had been ambushed by rival clans after a business meeting that had gone wrong and nearly every one of his men had died protecting him while bullets tore through the streets endlessly.

Mr Tommaso had arrived at the perfect moment when Giovanni had lost all hope of being saved as backup was not coming just yet.

Mr Tommaso remembered pulling Mr Giovanni into an hidden underground tunnel beneath an abandoned church while enemies searched everywhere above them.

Back then Mr. Giovanni was not the untouchable monster the world feared today, back then he was still learning and he was vulnerable, young and wounded but in ego and knowledge by those who had been before him in the game.

Mr. Tommaso had protected him without hesitation that night.

"That's true Tom and I will want to appreciate you again for that, and it is based on this friendship that I had thought about this matter deeply" Mr Giovanni said as he puts down the glass of wine, turning his full view to face Mr Tommaso.

"You see I have been thinking and I had decided to bring us closer and to join our forces more, we can build a stronger clan that will be able to last for centuries without end"