The Mafia’s Forbidden Desire

Gazing at Sofia in her stunning wedding dress, the guilt on my chest from yesterday weighed even more heavily.

I was supposed to have put an end to the inappropriateness that has been going on between Antonio and me a long time ago, but I didn’t, and I hated myself for that.

When he called me a hypocrite, I wanted to be mad at him for calling me that, but I didn’t even have the right to be, because he was damn right. I was a hypocrite. Even worse, I was disgusting. When I caught him cheating, I didn’t even think of my sister. I only thought of myself, how insanely jealous I was, and how desperately I wished I was the one doing that to him. I disgust myself!

I was never supposed to fall for him; I was never supposed to crave his touch; his mere captivating eyes weren’t supposed to do the things they do to me, setting my body on fire. And I definitely wasn’t supposed to feed my attraction to him.

“A wedding day is supposed to be the best day of a woman’s life. But it is the opposite for me; it is the worst day of my life.” Sofia suddenly said, cutting through my thoughts, and I could hear the pain in her voice.

“No. No. Don’t say that.” I told her as I inched closer to her and cupped her face in my palms. “I don’t want you to start off your marriage like this. I want you to be happy in your marriage. I am sure he won’t hurt you.”

I really hoped Antonio would keep his word about not inflicting pain on the woman he married. As much as I was attracted to him and wished I was the one getting married to him, I also wanted my sister to be happy in her marriage. Her happiness mattered to me more than my desires.

“You know how cold he is. Who knows if he’s a woman beater?” She said, worried, and I shook my head.

“If he ever lays a finger on you, I’m just a call away. I would break his bones and make him beg for mercy. I am that strong.” I joked in an attempt to lighten her mood, and it worked as she let out a soft chuckle.

“Oh, please.” She muttered, rolling her eyes.

“But I am serious, though. I will always be here for you. Always!” I assured her, and a lone tear suddenly rolled down her cheek as a smile pulled on her lips.

“I fucking love you, Rosa. And I would greatly miss you.” She said as she pulled me into an embrace.

“This house won’t be the same without you, Sofia.”

We stayed in that position for a few seconds, allowing each other to immerse ourselves in the heartfelt embrace, before finally pulling away.

“Are you ready?” I asked her, and she nodded.

I took her hand into mine and gave it a gentle squeeze before walking her out of the room.

Now that they were officiating the marriage, I had to end my attraction for Antonio by all possible means!

…

The guests were all seated quietly on their seats as they listened intently to witness the officiation of the Russo’s and Moretti’s alliance. I stood behind Sofia, bearing her bouquet, as I watched the man to whom I was irresistibly attracted stand in the alter with my sister.

I had been trying with all my might to avoid eye contact with him, but even without looking straight into his eyes, his presence was doing what it knew how to do best to my body. Make it hot. Out of desperation to see him, my eyes betrayed me, and I subconsciously flicked my gaze at him. My heart stopped for a second. His eyes were on me, staring intently at me and I was unable to avert my gaze from him as we got lost in the depths of each other’s eyes.

Suddenly, a loud sound pierced through the air, pulling me out of my trance, and I flicked my gaze to the crowd to see what was happening.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

In the blink of an eye, a fight broke out, and multiple bullets started flying in the air, causing guests to scream and navigate their way out of the venue.

I stood there, transfixed, unable to move my feet to run or do anything to protect myself as the shock had numbed me.

Suddenly, I heard Antonio scream my name, and before I knew what was happening, I was already on the floor, with him laying on top of me, acting as a human shield.

Everything around us seized to exist as we stared intensely into each other’s eyes, with my breath hitched and my heart beating dangerously fast against my ribcage.

The sound of the gunshots suddenly stopped, and the chaos died down as soon as it began, but the pounding of my heart still remained. Our eyes were still locked on each other, and our laboured breathing was still audible.

I had never craved his touch as much as I did at that moment. It was at that moment that I realised that my attraction for that man would take a lot of effort and therapy to get over because he was like a drug to me. A drug I was addicted to.

“Rosa.” I heard my sister’s tiny voice call, pulling me out of my trance, and I quickly pushed him away from me, causing him to land on his back.

“Sofia. Are you okay?” I asked as I quickly picked myself up from the floor.

I inched closer to her and searched her body with my eyes to make sure she was okay. And when I didn’t find any blood on her, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Are you okay?” I asked again, and she nodded her head, a perplexed look masking her features as she darted her gaze between me and Antonio.

That look wasn’t from the shock of the shootout that just broke out. I could tell from the unmistakable expression on her face that she had figured it out.

“Rosa.” She whispered.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked them back. What does my sister think of me now? I wondered, as a sharp pain clawed at my chest.

Antonio had prioritised protecting me over his bride, and I felt intense guilt as I looked at Sofia. My emotions overwhelmed me, and before I could stop myself, the tears I was trying to hold back streamed down my cheeks.

“Rosa.” She whispered again, a tear rolling down her cheek.