The Pairings
It had been a few minutes since Matteo ended the call. The chilling grin on his face caused silence to cling to the room like smoke.
Meanwhile, Alessandro tapped ash into a crystal tray, his face.... carved from stone.
"Sit down," Alessandro barked at his sons, they obeyed but could not quite shake the feeling of unease from Matteo's call.
The Don didn't care, he leaned forward, as his cigar was clamped between his golden yellow teeth. "You've met the girls, boys. Now you three are going to know who you'll fuckin' chain yourself to; mind, soul, and of course.... body."
Luciano, chuckled slightly under his breath, "Finally, the good part."
Alessandro overlooked and ignored Luciano. He knew Luciano would always be a clown than a son. He instead turned his attention to Dante, jabbing his cigar towards him. "Dante—you'll marry Brittany. The eldest. Fragile, composed. You'll keep her in line."
Dante's brow twitched like he wasn't expecting to hear her name because for him, it was practically an outburst. "Wasn't she engaged to Giovanni De SANTIS?!"
Immediately, the room froze. That name, De Santis was not feared but the name was venom, they were the Valentinis rivals.
The name Giovanni itself carried weight because he was another mafia prince.
Alessandro slammed a fist on the table, rattling the ashtray. "Engagement break! Alliances always shift!" he paused, little calmer now, voice lower but still laced with ice and blade. "That's why she's perfect. Giovanni is a De Santis, and humiliating him, means humiliating the Santis empire, Giovanni's humiliation is our gain, don't forget that. Every time he sees her at your side, it's Valentini spit on his fucking sh*thole of a face."
Luciano, was not joking this time, whistling low "Cold. Father. Even for you."
"Shut that stupid hole in your face you call a mouth, clown!" Alessandro barked, his voice as cold as ever. Then he jabbed his cigar towards him next. "Luciano. You'll take Belle. Quiet, shy, but there's a spark in her. Snuff it out, or use it—I don't care. She'll bend. Make sure she does, you always do."
Luciano leaned back with a shit-eating grin. "Belle, huh? Sweet name. Bet she tastes sweeter. Guess I'll find out on the honeymoon or better still on our wedding night, even this night works."
Matteo barked a laugh, but Alessandro shut it down with a glare that could cut granite.
"And you Matteo," Alessandro said with his voice as hard as steel, "The youngest one, Bianca is it? She is fiery and loud just like you. And maybe, just maybe, she'll slap some sense into you when you get your ass in trouble. Maybe she'll bite back when you slap her, maybe she won't, either ways. Just make her shut her mouth when it counts."
Matteo smirk widened and started licking his lips, "Fiery's fine. I like a little fight before I break 'em."
The brides flinched, shrinking into their chairs.
Alessandro took one long drag of his cigar, exhaled through his nose like a dragon. "This isn't marriage. It's conquest. Lace over steel. You're not husbands—you're predators. And these women are the bridges to an empire. Don't fuck this up, at least not this one for a change."
The Callus Mansion Aftermath
Meanwhile, across town, the Callus mansion was nothing but a shadow of forgotten glory.
Their chandeliers were dim, their halls empty, and their furniture was shrouded in dusty sheets. The once-feared Callus dynasty was now reduced to ghosts in their own home.
In the dining room, Mr. Callus poured himself another glass of brandy, though his hand was shaking. Mrs. Callus clinked her glass to his.
"To survival," she said bitterly. "Our daughters are Valentinis now. We live another day."
They drank, trying to swallow their humiliation and bankruptcy.
But someone else was more humiliated than the feeling of being reduced to nothingness by bank scandals.
Yuna was upstairs alone, in a quiet room at the far end of the hall. She was the illegitimate daughter. The secret. The mistake. Her long black hair fell across her face as she stared out the window.
Immediately, the door burst open, her mother's cold eyes drilling into her. "You're of no use to this family," she hissed. "Your sisters did their duty. You'll marry some lawyer. At least then you won't be a complete waste."
Yuna could not believe it. Yes, she was an illegitimate child, but she believed she deserved better. "No, I won't" she said shaking her head gently, her voice soft but firm.
Her tone wasn't bratty—it was resolute. Like steel wrapped in silk.
Her mother's face flushed red. "You Ungrateful bitch! You think you're better than my daughters because you still have your sheets in place? Huh?!"
But Yuna said nothing more, just turned back to the window. Silent, stubborn. Dangerous in her own way.
The Brothers' Garden Stroll
Back at the Valentini mansion, the three brothers drifted into the moonlit garden, cigars and cigarettes glowing like fireflies in the dark.
Luciano as always jerked off, while exhaling smoke rings into the night. "Well Fuck me sideways. Marriage. I never thought I'd see father chain us like dogs."
Matteo laughed. Harshly. "Marriage?" he paused and raising his voice a bit higher "Please, its just sanctioned p*ssy. At least now the whores won't send me bills for breaking their furniture."
Luciano elbowed him. "You'd break a nun if she bent over too slow."
"Damn right I would, I always break women who get too cocky" Matteo shot back, grinning.
Dante stayed silent until both turned to him. Finally, he muttered, "Marriage is irrelevant. It's war in a bed. Nothing more. And certainly not nothing less."
Luciano stopped grinning. The silence that followed was heavy.
The Callus sisters peeked out nervously from the balcony.
"Oh my God.... He's so handsome" Brittany whispered.
"Luciano's smile, its dangerous, I like danger, he's dangerous and I like 'em" Belle blushed whispering back at Brittany.
Bianca bit her lip, muttering, "Matteo's mine. He just doesn't know it yet."
They giggled nervously, like schoolgirls around predators.
The Call to the Callus Parents
The three brides stumbled upon a phone in the guest room later that night, then Brittany dialed home.
"Father we have good news" Brittany said trying to hide her excitement.
"Just skip the suspense and get to the main talk" Mr. Callus [former Don] replied.
"it's sealed. We're Valentinis now." she finally broke the suspense.
First there was silence, like it was not expected. Then, at the other end of the call came an exhale of relief.
But Belle added quietly, "We… want that Bitch Yuna. As our personal maid."
Shock. Then the line went dead for a moment.
"Yuna? Why.....?" he asked like he was nervous.
"Because she belongs with us," Bianca insisted. "Just make it happen."
The parents exchanged a look they couldn't see. They had no choice.
Who Fucking Died?!
Midnight.
Somewhere in New Verona.
A man sat with his back facing the light and smoke rising around him, in a shadowed room that was only lit by a desk lamp.
The phone rang, he answered.
Then a cold voice spoke from the other end. "He's dead."
"…What the fuck do you mean he's dead?!"
Then....silence. The call then cut.
The shadowed man's fist slammed the desk, rattling the lamp.
War was coming.