The Don Madness

it's fate

I stepped out of my car after my bodyguard opened the doors. It’s a cold winter's night, and I feel the need to curl up on my bed covered in a thick duvet rather than come to this hotel for dinner. But my parents were so persistent that I had to come here after they knew I had received an invitation from my betrothed.

So, here I am.

Dressed in a simple yet sophisticated dress, paired with a Dior saddlebag, and high heels. I walked confidently inside the hotel restaurant and the staff member smiled warmly as she greeted me. “Good evening, Miss Sinclair. Mr Giovanni is already waiting. Please come this way.”

I followed her as she led me to the VIP section. My heels clicked on the marble floors as I walked, and my long hair fluttered as well. My eyes wander as I head to the room, but then I frown once I catch a glimpse of someone so close to me.

My lips formed a smile as I was sure that it was my best friend. I stopped and stared. My smile dropped instantly as I noticed that she was being weird because she walked in a hurry in the hallway.

“Sophia!”

It was just me or her face went pale upon hearing my voice, but then she smiled widely.

“Blair!” She calls me and heads to me with the biggest smile. “You are here as well.”

“So, who is the lucky guy that has a chance to have dinner with this model?” I teased her and she flushed as she giggled. “Oh, you keep this one from me.”

She put a strand of her hair in her ear nervously before she answered. “He is a handsome man.”

“Oh, I can tell,” I smirked as I noticed the smear on her lips, and whispered to her ear. “It must be a wild dinner that your lipstick is smeared.”

Sophia’s cheeks burn, she is embarrassed and I know it.

“H-how about you?” She asked. “You have dinner with your colleague or business partner?”

“I told you over the text, I will be having dinner with my betrothed tonight,” I smile. “Alex is already here.”

Her eyes blinked innocently. “Is he? But I don’t even see him.”

Seeing Sophia acting like that made me giggle and feel the urge to tease her some more. “Of course, you wouldn’t even notice, you and your men have your own world.”

Sophia whined and I laughed softly.

We both talked like we hadn’t seen each other for years, and I enjoy talking with Sophia whenever and wherever we are. I always see her as my little sister that I never had and am quite fond of her. Before her, I didn’t have someone so close to me to the point I shared everything and gave her everything.

“I wouldn’t keep you from Alex some more, Blair.” She pecks my cheek as she giggles some more, and I catch an unfamiliar scent on her body. “Hope you end up in a hotel room and getting railed up.”

I laughed softly.

“Like you?”

And she just smiles.

I find it weird because her date is nowhere to be seen.

My eyes followed her as she continued to walk away, probably going to the hotel room that was already booked by her date. I stared at space as I felt something was off, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, and it remained unsettling in my chest.

Until then, the staff called my name and I blinked a few times.

“Lead the way.” I smiled. “I can’t have my fiancé waiting forever.”

Alexei Giovanni is a handsome man. He is tall, and his body is sculpted so perfectly that many women would drool over him. He was born into a Giovanni family, the owners of department stores that are spread all over Europe. Their business was thriving until it fell apart after some scandals, and they were reaching for us.

They needed a large amount of money from our bank, and they practically sold their son to marry me so that my father could fully trust them. After all, being sacredly tied makes us one as family, and the family will never betray each other.

But it’s never easy, being inside an arranged marriage. Not just for him. But for me as well. Thank god, we could make it work as we are so deeply in love now. Who would ever have thought that loving him would be as easy as breathing?

Well, no one.

But God truly could make everything possible.

“There you are, gorgeous.” Alex’s voice greeted me, and it made a smile form on my lips. “I’ve missed you.”

I giggle as I approach him, who is standing in his seat with a pretty bouquet of pink lilies in his hands, and accept that. Oh, to think that I am currently being loved so much by someone I love. Nothing could make me happier even more.

I peck his lips. “I’ve missed you too.”

Tonight, I was happier that I couldn’t even ask for more.

Oh, to be loved so hard like this and not lusted.

I could be at this moment, forever and more.

Evermore.

That is what I always thought, but humans have wishes and the universe has reality.

I forgot that I lived in the real world and not in fantasy. Happy moments could be ruined in minutes. In the middle of our meal, his phone always rang, and he said that it was from the head office — his presence was urgently needed. This is weird because it’s already night and I know that the executives won’t hold a meeting at that time.

“That is alright.” I offered him a small smile. “You shall go now.”

I tried to brush it off, but it just wouldn’t leave my mind.

Something is wrong, so different.

Alexei was never going so suddenly in the middle of our dates, because he always made sure to handle everything first before he went out with me, so nothing could happen in his absence. But now, he seems different and weird.

I was left alone until there was a sudden tap on my shoulder.

“Blair?” I gasped softly and turned, only to find the club owner, Nero Valkov, standing beside me with his men behind him. “Fate arranged for us to meet once again.”

“Valkov,” I call him softly. “What are you doing here?”

“I had dinner with my colleagues.”

“Oh?” I replied softly, and suddenly my mind traveled to Sophia.

Could he be the one who had dinner with her?

Nero seemed to notice my troubled face and I tore my gaze from him.

“Is something bothering you?” and I shook my head in response. “Then why did you look like that, darling?”

I take a deep breath. “Nothing, Valkov.”

“Oh, are we back on a last-name basis again?”

“Nero,” I call him. “Right, Nero.”

He chuckles then caresses my hair before he takes a seat across from me, and I just stare at him in silence. We just met last night, and suddenly he was in my atmosphere — he was practically everywhere. I couldn’t help but be a little cautious about his presence. Especially after our banter last night, once I playfully told him that he could be anything that lurks in the darkness, such as a killer that had been sent for me, he just grinned without giving me an answer.

“I will be your date tonight,” he suddenly announced. “So you won’t be alone.”

I scoff. “Don’t pity me, I don’t mind eating alone and on a date with myself.”

There was a long pause, until then he replied in his sickeningly sweet voice. “I know, but now that I exist for you — so you don’t have to be alone anymore, darling.”

“You can say that your woman.”

“You are my woman.”

I glared at him. “Don’t you have another job rather than sticking to me like glue?”

“No.”

Oh, this man and his annoying demeanor.

“Go bother the next woman,” I paused. “I’m super busy.”

Nero just leans towards me and whispers. “You are my woman, and I should stick around you as I should.” There is a dark gleam in his eyes that I just find — possessiveness, obsession, and desire. “I’m not that i***t man who is stupid enough to leave you alone and let you become a sight for sore eyes without any protections.”

My body shivered as I heard him tell me that in his cold voice, there was a silent warning in there that told me if I didn’t comply with him, I might be in trouble or even worse. So I just continued to eat my meal in silence and decided to keep my mouth shut for the rest of the night.

“Scared?”

“You’ve been watching me?”

“I’m not, sweetheart.” He replied softly. “I accidentally saw you with him, and he suddenly left you alone in the middle of your meal, so I decided to kick my colleague to come to you.”

“You are not following me, aren’t you?”

There is a long pause, his eyes stare at me like a predator stares at his prey.

“Answer me, Nero.”

“What if I do?”

“Why bother to do that?”

“Can’t let a pretty girl be left alone without any protection.” Nero’s knuckles caress my cheek gently, and he let out a low laugh. “Don’t you be afraid of me, Princess.” His voice is soft and soothing now. “I may be dangerous, but I will never hurt you.”

“Maybe not hurt me, but kill me.”

Once again, he grinned and didn’t even give me the answer I needed.

“It will be a waste to end such a pretty thing like you." He paused, his eyes staring into my eyes. "It’ll be better if I keep you.”