Heartless Mafia Heir

2- “Toast.”

(Larra's POV)

Looking at the vanity mirror in front of me, I was satisfied with the light but glowing bridal makeup on my face.

The most anticipated day was finally happening. It was the afternoon of our wedding and an hour later, we were about to start the ceremony in the church.

Wearing my wedding gown styled in lace, I felt nervous and excited at the same time. I couldn't wait to become Mrs. Fabio Carlos…

Smiling at the mirror and looking forward to the brighter things ahead, I was cut to my thoughts when I heard a few knocks on the door.

“Miss? Miss Larra?” It was Ian’s voice, Fabio's secretary.

I frowned in curiosity. What was he doing here and why did his voice seem to be in a hurry?

I stood and opened the door.

“Miss, something happened…”

My heart pounded with worries. “What happened?” My uneasiness grew. “Where's Fabio?”

He looked away and he seemed bothered.

“Where's him, Ian? What happened?”

“Follow me, and you need to see it right away, Miss.”

I nodded and without second thoughts, I followed and went with Ian.

The car stopped at the residence of the Carloses, where Fabio lives with his father.

Ian accompanied me until the door of his master's room, and then he left.

I opened it and went inside Fabio's room and I could not stop myself anymore from crying like a baby. I hated this feeling! I hated whenever I would worry too much because of the thought that something bad might have happened to the person I love!

“Fabio? Fabio, where are you?!”

I didn't give a damn if I looked like a fool or some crazy teenage girl who was crying badly. I just wanted to see my groom and make sure that he was safe!

“Larra…”

I turned around when I heard that voice and from there, I saw Fabio who was very stunning in his cream-colored wedding suit!

It suited him so well and no words could ever express how much he looked so good on it!

“Fabio!” I ran to him and hugged him.

I heard him smile when he hugged me even tighter.

“I thought something happened to you! I worried a lot!”

“Hssh. I’m sorry, okay? I’m just fine.” He gently brushed the strands of my soft hair. “It was only a show that Ian put on so you would come here because I wanted to surprise you. I’m sorry if I caused you to worry so much.”

When we pulled from the hug, he cupped my cheek and stared at me dearly.

“You are breathtakingly beautiful in your wedding gown, my love…” he complimented me.

“Thanks, Fab. You, too. You are so gorgeous in that suit of yours. I cannot wait to get married to you.”

He smiled and held my hand. “I prepared something for you.”

We walked and he guided me to his balcony.

I almost held my breath when I saw the surprise he prepared for me.

There was a table for two that was well-arranged and decorated. There were fruits, food, and wine bottles with wine glasses. Rose petals were spread on the carpet. So romantic!

“Wow!”

“Did you like it?” he asked positively.

I smiled and nodded.

When we were standing next to the table, he let go of my hand and picked a grape from the fruit platter. He handed it to me.

“Maybe we could do this and enjoy these fruits later, Fab.” I glanced at the wristwatch I wore. “It's only an hour before the wedding ceremony at the church will start. I worry that the priest who will bless our marriage and our witnesses might now be waiting for us to arrive there. We cannot let them wait and we can't be late.”

He smiled. “I know you're too excited, my little bride. But as you said, we still have an hour. So, let's just have some.”

I sighed before submitting.

I looked at the grape in his hand.

“Aside from abundance and health, I had read somewhere that the fruit of grapes also symbolizes faith in promises, and thus, grapes and grapevines are used in celebrations like weddings. When your partner promises to love and cherish you forever, believe in it and have faith in it.”

Wow. That was deep and touching…

I was about to get the grape he was giving me when suddenly he pulled it and withdrew.

I looked at him, a bit puzzled.

He grinned playfully before he put the grape to his lips. Not breaking his eyes to mine, he passed the grape to my mouth using his lips!

My eyes widened and I felt like the chills pierced down my spine! Oh my goodness, that was hot!

Hearing his chuckle was the only time that what he did sync into my mind. I even blinked twice, trying to recover from that knees-melting suave move from him!

I swallowed the grape but immediately frowned when it tasted so sour!

“Hmm! It's so sour!”

When I was about to get it out of my mouth, he immediately said, “Don't spit it!”

As he realized that he raised his voice a bit and overreacted, he sighed and toned down. “Don't spit it. Grapes are good, especially in weddings.”

“Alright.” I just nodded and once again made a face when I swallowed it to my throat.

He smiled as if he was relieved. “Very good girl.” And then he picked another grape from the platter and ate it. “Grapes are tasty. I love them. Want more?”

I nodded.

He grinned playfully and repeated what he did earlier—placing the grape to his lip so he could pass it to my mouth by kissing me. But before he could even do that, I held his chest to gently push him, and sexily, I picked the grape that was on his lips.

“You're getting used to stealing a kiss, my handsome groom!” I accused him in a bubbly tone.

I ate the grape and it tasted sweet, very different from the first one he gave me. “Now, this tastes better.”

I picked another one from the platter and they were really good and sweet. “Why did the first one you give me tasted so sour!”

He shrugged his shoulders, and to my surprise, he stole another kiss on my lips.

“Fabio!” I laughed and softly hit his arm.

He smiled and tilted his head. “Now, let's have a wine toast.”

He poured out the wine into two glasses. I looked around the scenery of his balcony. It was as refreshing here as ever.

“Larra?”

I looked at him and saw the glass he handed to me. I accepted it.

We clinked our glasses and together, we shared the wine of our love.

Everything seemed like a dream and it was almost a perfect fairytale, but not when I started to feel dizzy just a few minutes after I drank the wine!

It was dizzying that I felt like I was losing my senses and my head was hurting. I held my temple and I felt like losing my balance or falling to the ground. My hand held the table for support.

I was also poorly holding my throat as I felt so thirsty like I had been dried and dehydrated from water for a week! Later on, my chest was rapidly beating uncontrollably fast!

I looked at him despite the fact he was getting blurry from my vision.

“W-what did you put in my drink?” I asked, almost not being able to hear my own voice. “Fabio, help me… I… can't… breath…”

I heard him smirk, and he did not move no matter how he saw me struggling.

“Did you seriously think I would marry you for real?” His voice was stern and indifferent.

“W-what do you mean?”

“Do you even know how much I’ve waited for this day to come? To see you running out of your breath and struggling for your life! Honestly speaking, I intentionally put poison in your drink.”

And that explained it!

“Why, Fabio? Why?!”

Now, the bad dream I had was becoming a reality in front of me! Just in another form.

I should've seen that as a premonition but I believed in his deceit! I believed that he loved me and wanted to get married to me!

"Do you think I love you?" He was full of contempt. "How can I love someone who comes from a family that was the reason why I lost my mother so early?!"

I was shocked by his revelation, the pain, and the hatred while he was throwing dagger stares straight at me.

"Didn't you once ask me what happened and why my mom died before I was even raised in this world? That's because of what your family did to mine! Your family's wrongdoings were the reason why I grew up miserably!”

I shook my head, refusing to believe it. My parents were not as bad as he was trying to picture them out!

“You're lying!”

"When I found out that they had been buried in the ground for a long time, I was almost discouraged that I could still avenge my mom. But when I found out that their only child was alive, I knew I could never lose the chance to avenge her through you. You will pay, and I will charge your parents' debt to my family through you!”

Even up to this moment, I was hoping and praying that it was only a nightmare, that this wasn’t happening, and that he didn't poison me on the day of our wedding!

"I don’t want to believe that you hate me!”

Just earlier, he was so sweet to me, kissing me, showering me with compliments, but now, he was saying he wanted me dead so he intentionally put poison on my wine?!

"Hate? Hate is underestimating how I exactly feel! The truth is, I curse you and your family!” His voice thundered.

I could not hold it anymore. My knees gave up and I fell on the floor. Fabio in front of me cared less because all he did was watch me getting tortured by the effects of the poison!

I was crying and I felt like I was suffocating in this unfathomable pain!

"You may be innocent of their sins, but unlucky you, you're still a product of your shameless father, so even in your last moment on earth, I'm going to make sure you’re going to go through what my used-to-be-poor family went through!”

Hearing all these words from the man I once truly loved was like having a set of daggers shoved straight into my heart!

"I was just a baby when my parents worked in your family's business. They were good and hard-working people. They were also loyal to your parents. But what did your family do? What did they exchange for my family’s goodness? When your business almost faced bankruptcy due to your father's negligence and gambling addiction, they blamed my parents for their downfall and accused them of doing something they didn’t. They were fired, and my parents had to suffer. Due to the unimaginable stress, my mom couldn't handle it anymore, and she took her own life!”

Despite the toxicity crawling and eating up my whole system, I was still able to absorb everything he was telling me.

I almost couldn't believe what I heard. I had no idea about this, especially the history of our parents, who have known each other for a long time! I never even thought that what happened to his mother was so tragic!

He continued, "Dad and I had been doing street beggary for years while he supported and raised me alone. While you, what? You lived like a princess! You and your father lived a luxurious life in your comfortable mansion! I could not imagine what my father endured to sustain our daily basic needs. I grew up on the streets, and at a young age, I went through a lot. I learned all kinds of scams, like snatching and hold-ups, just to make money and get rid of my grumbling belly because of a lack of food!"

I shook my head with cold tears. When I coughed, my mouth spitted blood.

“Do you know how we got out of that life and climbed up? My father had almost pawned his soul to the devil! Luckily, one day, he met a big-time businessman in Asia. My father saved this man from his enemies who were about to kill him, and that's when our lives completely changed. We were sheltered, and when the don died of old age, he left all his wealth to us."

I wanted him to stop already because I was feeling bad physically, emotionally, mentally!

But he walked and stopped in front of me and even held my chin without any gentleness, opposite to the Fabio Carlos I used to know, who had always been careful and thoughtful of me. He turned into a beast!

"The world is really round, isn't it? You used to be on top, but now you're simply dusting under my feet. I am the sole son of the renowned Ricardo Carlos, a mafia leader and business mogul with global ties. His heir and soon-to-become Mafia don who will hold not only the resort chain businesses but the casinos we own along with them and the hidden numerous illegal gambling we run from minor to major wagers behind all the authorized commerce.”

He held me and forced me to meet his raging eyes. I wanted to escape from this agony, but I was so powerless to do so!

"Do you have any idea why you lost your jewelry business while still in college? In addition to your dad's negligence, my dad made sure that this would be your last card and that you'd finally crawl through life’s difficulties. Your father had no idea that dad had bought your last card. He just hired someone as a representative. And when he obtained it, he fully destroyed what was left of you. He ruined it to expand his resort chain businesses. We ate and left no crumbs."

Not even in my wildest dreams I imagined that Fabio Carlos played a big part in our downfall!

“There would be no wedding to begin with because I never wanted to marry an enemy!” Those were the last dagger words I heard from him before everything went black.