The Day He Knelt, I Married a Don Novel

Chapter 8 "No... don't be mad." Vito waved his hands frantically. A thin film of moisture quickly welled up in his emerald eyes, making him look like some poor, pitiful puppy. "I was just afraid you'd be disappointed. I wasn't ready." I propped myself up against the headboard and studied him. Something about those familiar green eyes nagged at me. "Have we met before?" Vito nodded eagerly. "You remember? In Central Park!" A memory came back from deep in my mind-Central Park, a chubby kid falling into the lake, me pulling him out, and those striking emerald eyes. I gasped.

"You're that chubby kid!" He nodded, blushing slightly. "I lost weight." We just stared at each other. An awkward silence settled over the room. The butler appeared again. "The Don has been thinking about you since he got back from New York." "He worked hard to arrange this marriage, and it wasn't intended for just anyone." Well, that was true. Our families had been at war for years. Their sudden marriage proposal came out of nowhere. I twitched my lips, remembering how the Andreotti family had pressured my father into agreeing to the alliance. That was definitely some effort.

"I heard the Andreotti family's Don is already in his fifties... Vito strode forward immediately. "That's not true. I'm only twenty-three. Those are just rumors." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I stayed out of sight partly for safety. And also... well, with a face like this, it's complicated." I looked at his beautiful, innocent face and couldn't help smiling. He had a point. If anyone found out the heir to a Mafia empire looked like a pretty little bunny, they'd die laughing. Seeing me laugh so freely, Vito froze for a brief moment before smiling as well.

"You look better like this." Chapter 8 5.88% Getting along with Vito turned out to be unexpectedly easy. If I didn't know that a Mafia heir's identity couldn't be faked, I might have believed he was just some harmless college kid from a rich family. Though he had a stubborn streak that was both endearing and ridiculous. An apple I had bitten and left on the table would later be placed in a velvet box. He said it was because he found the shape of my bite artistic.

He handed me a family heirloom ruby, the passwords to his Swiss bank accounts, and a long list of businesses under his name, without hesitation. I could tell Vito was trying to give me a sense of security, to let me know he was serious about this. After my mother died, I'd gotten used to people's indifference, to having no one to lean on. It was the first time someone had shown me such open, genuine sincerity. Sometimes, I'd catch myself thinking-maybe this marriage of convenience wasn't so bad after all. But the peace didn't last long.

A few of the Andreotti family elders noticed he'd fallen for me. For real. They started showing up at the castle study more often. Their message was clear-I was a Moretti. Our families had been at war for years, and I couldn't be trusted with their secrets. One day, after returning from horseback training, I saw several well-dressed older gentlemen leaving the study with grim looks. When they noticed me, their expressions turned guarded and wary. "I know exactly what I'm doing. Isabella is my donna.

That's not up for debate." "If this happens again, there will be consequences." Vito appeared behind them. The usual warmth in his emerald eyes turned cold in an instant. The sheer force of his authority drained the color from their faces. They held their breath as they bowed and retreated. That's when it really hit me-the man capable of running a Mafia family could never be harmless. He just chose to hide his claws around me. The disturbance seemed to be forcibly suppressed by Vito. A few days later, he insisted that I attend a banquet in full formal attire.

Chapter 8 5.88% 420 For the first time, he took off his mask and personally fastened a century-old ruby necklace around my neck. "They need to see, once and for all, who stands beside me." Shortly after we arrived at the venue, a sharp crack rang out. Chapter 8 5.88% admin