Chapter 3
I went back to my rental apartment and told my best friend Nina everything that happened today.
"He can't treat you like this." After hearing everything, Nina almost jumped up from that worn-out sofa.
"What century are we living in? An arranged marriage, and with the mafia?"
I curled up in the other corner of the sofa, arms wrapped tightly around my knees, still wearing that black nun's habit.
"I don't know what to do. Nina, do you think I should go talk to the priest?"
"I feel like I'm just an object, a piece of goods used to pay off debt. I don't want that."
"My mother, at least she followed her own heart and bravely gave birth to me, even though the consequences were terrible; it was still her own choice."
"I don't want to become a victim of this dirty deal without even having the right to choose."
Nina sat down beside me and hugged my thin shoulders tightly, trying to give me some strength.
"I understand, honey, I understand. But Sonya, you need to face reality. He's not some ordinary thug; he's Kane."
"A mafia boss. God, you've crossed the worst person you could cross. You can't escape. Even if you ran to Antarctica, you'd be dragged back."
I was still scared. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "At least, at least let me see what the devil I'm marrying looks like. We can find information about him online, right?"
Nina sighed, grabbed her old laptop with the cracked screen, and placed it on our knees.
Her slender fingers typed the name on the keyboard.
The search engine loaded slowly, each second feeling like torture to my nerves.
God, please hear my prayer. Don't let him be ugly, don't let him be a bad person. I hope I can escape.
Finally, the image results appeared.
Most were blurry candid shots or distant photos from some luxurious charity galas.
But when Nina clicked on a clearer photo, I gasped sharply, my hand instinctively covering my mouth.
The man in the photo wore a perfectly tailored dark suit, standing sideways next to a gleaming black Rolls-Royce, surrounded by bodyguards as he walked toward a grand building.
Despite the low pixels and slightly off-angle, that sharp-featured profile, that tall and powerful build, and that dominating presence that could be felt even through the screen.
Without a doubt, it was the same strange man from the church today, the one who had trapped me with his gaze and branded his mark on my forehead!
"God, how can it be him?" I was genuinely surprised, but also a little happy inside.
Nina then scrolled down the page and found a brief text introduction, reading it aloud softly, "Kane Moretti, thirty-four years old, current head of the Moretti Family, business interests include real estate, import-export trade. Allegedly linked to multiple money laundering, illegal trafficking, and violent incidents. Owns multiple mansions, sports cars, and a private yacht called 'The Siren.' In terms of relationships, has been closely involved with multiple models and actresses, living an extravagant lifestyle. There are also some unverified negative rumors about his special preferences..."
Nina's voice got lower and lower, finally becoming almost a whisper. "God, Sonya, he's seventeen years older than you, and from the sound of it, he's a completely dangerous man!"
I scrolled down and saw a photo of Kane shirtless at a party on a luxurious white yacht.
In the photo, he wore an unusually thick silver chain around his chest, with a pendant that was clearly a miniature, exquisitely crafted model of a Beretta Model 92 pistol.
"Look at this, who wears a gun as jewelry? This guy is a total psycho!"
Nina was very upset, but my eyes were locked on that photo.
In the picture, Kane looked like a lion lazily resting in his own territory—dangerous, powerful, full of raw, undisguised desire to conquer.
That Beretta pistol hanging on his chest didn't look like a weapon, but more like a symbol, a declaration.
A declaration of his power over life and death.
This strangely overlapped with the man from the church today—the one with the Italian accent, elegant manners, but inappropriate behavior—forming an extremely complex and contradictory image.
I was really stunned. God really does have a sense of humor.
Nina thought I was scared stiff and tried to lighten the suffocating atmosphere with a joke. "Hey, look on the bright side. This guy's home is in New York. You'll be moving from our little dump to the big city soon. Then I can have this big bed all to myself and won't have to fight anyone for the blanket anymore!"
"No." I snapped back and shook my head. "I'm not moving. I'm not going to New York either."
Nina suddenly seemed to remember something and slapped her forehead. "Oh, right, Sonya, the landlady came by today. She said by tomorrow at the latest, we have to pay this month's rent and last month's together, or else..."
My face turned white instantly. I pulled out my empty wallet, almost crying.
"I forgot. I gave all my money to Luca today..."
"I have no money left, nothing at all..."
Nina looked at me like this and hugged me with sympathy. "Don't cry, don't cry. We'll figure something out together. There's always a way..."
"I can't let you pay all the rent alone," I sobbed, my heart filled with guilt and helplessness. "Maybe, maybe I can call Father Fabrizio. He might be able to help..."
I suddenly didn't want to continue, because I thought of something better.
If I left, wouldn't we not have to pay the rent?
No, that's too shameful. How could I think like that? Nina is my good friend.
"I can't bear to let you go, Sonya," Nina said, not knowing what I was thinking, hugging me with a muffled voice. "I really don't want you to leave."
My heart ached slightly. Sure enough, God punishes people with evil thoughts.
I hugged Nina, about to say something.
Suddenly, Nina looked up and asked excitedly, "Wait, where did you say the wedding will be held? St. Church?"
I nodded blankly. "That's what my stepfather said."
"At St. Church." Nina's eyes suddenly lit up, her tone becoming cheerful. "That means Kane has property here, too, or he's willing to hold the wedding here. You don't need to go to New York right away. You can stay here, and we can still see each other often!"
This possibility was like a ray of light, instantly illuminating my confused thoughts.
Right, Kane is the leader of the mafia, with vast power. He must have his own residence in Italy.
What if I begged him?
With everything I could offer, humbly asking him to allow me to stay in Italy after marriage, to stay in a place I'm familiar with. That way, I could at least occasionally come back to this small home and see Nina.
That man is dangerous, a devil, but at this moment, he seemed to be the only possible lifeline I could grab onto to temporarily escape the fate of leaving my homeland.
Just as we were immersed in this contradictory and bold idea, my phone suddenly rang without warning.
The screen flashed with a completely unfamiliar caller number.