Marry the Mafia at Christmas

CHAPTER 5

ELARA

I couldn’t fall asleep all night, not after I learned that my sister had to bear the consequences of my actions last night.

Staring out the window, I wondered what I could do to stop all of this madness from happening. I had spent all day racking my brain, but couldn’t come up with a tangible plan.

As if to mock me, the man in question appeared on my television. Maybe I should have paid more attention to the news, maybe then, I would have known that the man from last night was the well-known Dave Wystan.

“Congratulations on the opening of your newest casino.” The interviewer stated. “No one expected you to venture in that direction.”

The devilishly handsome man smiled. “I am known for doing things that people do not expect.”

I flushed at the statement, feeling as though it was directed at me.

“Do you have any other business venture in mind?” he asked and Dave nodded.

“I am thinking of moving into publications, and I don’t think that is news anymore.”

The interviewer’s eyes widened as though she was surprised by the news, but I know she wasn’t. “Are you looking to invest, or a complete buyout.”

Dave flipped a shoulder. “I am looking for any opportunity that presents itself.”

The soft knock on the door pulled my attention from the television. Before I could respond, the door opened and Emmeline walked in.

“Sorry for disturbing you.” She mumbled, walking further into the room.

Shaking my head, I widened my hand, inviting her for a hug and she ran straight into it, squeezing me hard. I knew it wouldn’t be for long before she started crying.

Just like I predicted, her shoulders started heaving. “I don’t want to get married to Cedric.” She cried into my shoulder. “I want to go to Med school, I want to be the best surgeon, getting married at nineteen to my sister’s ex-fiancé was never part of the plan.”

Her taking the burn of my action was never the plan either. “You won’t be getting married to Cedric,” I promised her, kissing her shoulder blades as I fought my tears. “You will go to Med School, and you will become all that you want to become.”

Pulling back, she wiped her tears. “You can’t be sure of that Elara.” She whispered, “And I don’t want you to pick a fight with Dad, I don’t want him to take you away from me.”

Cupping her cheeks. I wiped her tears with my thumb. “I am making you a promise Emmeline, you are not getting married to Cedric, even if I have to fight Dad for that to happen, I will gladly do that.”

She wrapped her hand around me again, and while she hugged me, I stared at the image of Dave on the screen, an idea popping into my head.

My dad wanted me to bond him and our family to the same boat. I don't think he would be interested in me, a dumped woman betrayed by her fiance at the engagement party, but I might have other jettons he wants.

He looks like a man who will be willing to negotiate. If I am willing to give him what he wants, I believe he will be willing to give me what I want too.

*********************************

I am desperate, desperate to put an end to my parent's excessive lust and hunger for power. They have it, but I guess it is never enough until you get consumed by it.

Standing in front of the gigantic building, I took a deep breath.

After that idea popped into my head last night, I looked Dave up. His connections and establishments made me realize just why my father wanted me to get married to him.

He is the only man who I think is smart and powerful enough to stop my sister Emmeline from getting married to Cedric.

The only problem here is that I am too ashamed to face Dave. I told him not to hunt me down after that night, yet here I am, being the one about to hunt him down.

Fuck my life right now.

After another deep inhale, I walked into the building. Please do not ask me how I got to find out that he often stays at the casino and not at the club where I first met him, I will be too embarrassed to answer that.

I approached the front desk. “I am here to see Mr. Wystan.”

The young lady looked up from her computer screen. The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up with recognition. Dave and I are the talk of the internet after we were photographed together.

“Do you have an appointment with him?” she asked after displaying her lack of professionalism.

“No, I don’t.” Dropping my Birkin bag on the desk, I took notice of how her eyes were trained on it for a while. “Give me just thirty minutes with him, and I will empty the contents of my bag once I am done meeting him and hand the bag over to you.”

She double-blinked skeptically. “You can’t be serious.” Her eyes moved to the bag again.

“Who gives away a Birkin bag just like that?”

A desperate human. “Me, I guess.” I leaned forward with a smile. “So do we have a deal?”

Reaching under her desk, she dropped a card on the table. “That’s for the passway for the elevator.” She replied, “his office is the only one on the tenth floor.”

I winked at her. “Thank you.”

I hurriedly made my way to the elevator, swiped the card, and waited with bated breath as each floor number lighted up.

My plan can’t fail, it is the only shot I have at saving Emmeline from being trapped in a disastrous marriage and crippling her dreams.

****************************

The elevator pinged and I walked out, heading straight towards his secretary’s desk, thinking of how I could convince her to let me see Mr. Wystan.

Thankfully, when I got to her desk, I saw it empty. Taking it as the universe in play, I rushed towards his door and pushed it open, rushing in.

Seated on his black leather chair is the man I gave up my Brikin bag for, with his secretary seated on the other seat. They seem to be discussing something, and I am interrupting.

Dave c****d his head, his eyes flashing with recognition, while his secretary jumped to her feet, approaching me and ready to kick me out.

“What are you doing in here?” she demanded, “Do you have an appointment?”

I opened my mouth to plead with her to let me talk to him for just a few minutes, but Dave beat me to it. “Leave us.” He rasped.

“Just a few minutes of your time.” I requested.

He stared at me unblinkingly. “Leave us Sarah.”

“Yes sir.” She gave him a slight bow before walking away.

Closing his laptop, Dave leaned back, his hand absently rotating the ring on his finger. “I thought we agreed not to stalk each other down after that night?”

“This is strictly business.” I mused, taking a seat. My hands, tightly intertwined with each other rested on my thigh, away from his prying eyes to stop him from seeing just how nervous I am.

“Business?” he drawled out skeptically, “with you?” chuckling, he gestured for me to go on.

I didn’t like the condescending tone he used with me just now, but I let it slide regardless. “I am here to offer you my father’s business.” If he isn’t in control of his business, if he is stripped of his power, then he won’t be able to force Emmeline to get married to Cedric. “You want to go into publishing and I’m offering you the best publishing house in New York.”

Dave stared at me stoically, making it difficult for me to tell whether he was taking me seriously or not. “Say something.” He is unnerving me with his penetrating stare.

“Your fiancé hurt you, why are you punishing your father?” he finally asked, leaning forward. I watched him open the drawer and take out a cigarette stick but he made no move to light it.

“I am not doing this from a place of hurt of being deceived by my fiancé and brother.” Those two can keep f*****g for all I care.

He finally reached for the lighter. “There is another twist to the story?”

“After the news online, my father wants me to bring you home as his son-in-law and have my nineteen-year-old sister Emmeline take my place in the marriage as Cedric's wife.” Just narrating it makes me so ashamed of my parents.

Dave snickered.

“Something funny?” I demanded. He shouldn’t be laughing when I am discussing something this serious.

“It is understandable for your father to think he can control you, but having him believe he can get me as his son-in-law just because he wants that, is crazy.”

“I want you to stop Emmeline from getting married to Cedric. Is that something you can do?”

He lit the cigarette and exhaled smoke. “is this coming from a place of concern or jealousy?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Even if Cedric is offered to me on a platter of gold, I am rejecting him. “Can you save her or not?”

“What do I get in return?” he demanded, the amused twinkle in his eyes disappearing. “I don’t do favours love.”

“My father’s company,” I repeated. “I will give you control over my father’s publishing company and in return, you will stop Emmeline from getting married to Cedric.” The main reason for this marriage is to get funding for the company.

If there is no company, there should be no funding, and if there is no funding, then there should be no marriage.

“I am intrigued Elara.” He rasped, “How do you intend to give me control of your father’s company?”

I know it is not going to be a smooth ride, but I am willing to make it happen. “I have ten percent shares of the company, transferred to me by my grandfather.”

His eyes narrowed. “You are willing to let go of your ten percent shares because of your sister?”

“yes.” I am willing to do so much more for her happiness. “But we have a problem with the transfer of the shares.”

He arched his brow, silently telling me to go on.

“My shares are only transferrable after I get married.”

His frown deepened.

“But we will get divorced after you’ve gotten control of the company.” I quickly added. “I don’t want to be trapped in a marriage with you just as much as you don’t want to be trapped in a marriage with me.”

He stared at me for a while, then all of a sudden, a smile broke out on his lips. “ten percent of your shares, your father’s company, a marriage, and a divorce after I get control of the company. Did I miss anything?”

I nodded. “And in return, you will save my sister.”

He nodded. Squashing the cigarette into the ashtray, he reached for the ring on his finger, pulled it out, and dropped it on the table.

He held my gaze as he slid the ring towards me. “We will have a Christmas wedding if you agree to add your fiancé’s company to the list.”

My eyes widened. “You want Cedric’s company too?” I don’t even know how to make that happen.

He nodded. “All I want is for you to look the other way when I work towards taking his company, and if you say yes to that, I will make this Christmas a memorable one for you.”

His desires should be a red flag to me. This man is crazy for power, maybe more than my father, but then I guess it takes greater evil to defeat evil.

I picked up the ring and slipped it onto my wedding ring finger.