Stealing the son of the Mafia King

New York

Salvatore's POV

After eating breakfast, we got into the limo. I have all the information I need about Isabella. I know her parents died and how they died. I know that her stupid family did not care about her, and in a way, I feel sorry for her, but I also admire her. I am pissed off at her family for treating her as they did. Her story reminds me of the story of Jennie Casella. Aunt Carol told Maddy and me the whole story of the Casella family and how Jennifer and Logan started it all. I know Isabella was not beaten up by her family like Jennifer, but she was emotionally damaged like Jennifer. I look at the woman working on her laptop while we drive. She does not even look up. I understand she does not want to be touched. She is not used to it. Maybe Aunt Carol can teach her to open up more, but someone with so much emotional damage is usually cold and does not know how to show love. I blame her grandparents for not being there for her and making her think she is not good enough to be loved.

I am sorry that I can not be the one that will teach her to love but to be frank, I do not have an interest in putting effort into her. If I ever get involved with a woman again, it will be to make her the mother of my children, and I do not think Isabella will be a good mother. She is too emotionally unattached to love or show love. She will not be there for her child and may distance herself from the poor child. She is a great businesswoman, and I admire her for still being so loyal to her family that she wants to save the family business even though the family does not give a s**t about her. I will take out that uncle of hers and his family as a gift to her the day our paths separate. I do not believe she will want me to take care of her grandparents, and deep down, she feels she needs to prove herself to the undeserving family.

Isabella Stevens is one of a kind, and it will take a man with a lot of time and the will to guide her into love to win her heart. He will have to be strong and patient with her. On the other hand, I think she will be loyal once she falls in love. Just looking at her being faithful to her family and its businesses makes me think she will be a devoted wife and mother, but I doubt that she will ever find love or that she is looking for love.

"Do I have something on my face?" She asks out of the blue, and I realize I have been staring at her beautiful face all the time.

"No, I was just thinking that so much beauty is wasted on a cold-hearted woman like you," I say.

"Hmm, I will take it as a compliment, and you are not too bad-looking yourself. Now that we have the compliments out of the way, can we talk about something else? Like, when can I take over Harmonies?" Isabella says. I have a feeling she does not like to be complimented as well. I smile and look at her.

"It depends on how you act in Italy. If you are convincing and my uncle and aunt buy this whole marriage bullshit, you can take over harmonies when we return. In the meantime, you can talk to Ricco and tell him what you plan to update the restaurants, and my team of builders can start renovating it for you," I say.

"Only if I pay for it. I do not want to owe you anything," Isabella says.

"Take it as a wedding gift," I say.

"Nope, no gifts. I pay for it," Isabella says. So she does not like gifts either. Well, she will be a low-maintenance wife.

"As you please," I say, as I know it will not help to fight with her, but I am pissed off because no one has ever turned down an offer from the Don of Dons. I am angry that she is so insecure and is hiding her insecurities behind this cold exterior. Isabella has hurt her whole life, but she must learn to start trusting people at some point. What if something happens, and I need her to trust me? I am pissed off at the people that made this woman into what she is today. They do not deserve to be called family, but she stays faithful to their heritage while her uncle gambles it away. She is even willing to marry a stranger to keep the business in the hands of the Stevens family. They do not deserve someone like her. I wonder why she is doing it. Does she hope they will accept her when she saves the family business? I look at her again and frown. What is driving her to be this ambitious? Why is she trying to save what everyone in her family throws away and does not care about? I will have to dig deeper into the Stevens family history. I go to the web page of Charlie's Place, and I read the history behind it all. I know she is the one that did the web page, and when I read about Isabella Johnson Stevens and the history of Charlie's Place, I know that the first Isabella must be her inspiration to do what she is doing. Hmm, interesting.

"You keep frowning and looking at me. Why do you want to marry me if I am so much of a distraction? You can marry my cousin and give me Harmonies. I will not mind," Isabella says.

"You are an interesting person, and I just read the web page of your restaurant group. Did you write about the history of Charlie's Place and explain everything around the restaurant and its name?" I ask. There are even pictures and old news articles of Isabella, Charlie, and later Isabella, Paul, and Charlie.

"I did. I think it is important that people remember my great-great-grandmother and the way she changed the whole restaurant industry in America. She was the only person ready to invent new recipes and try new ideas. I think she inspired many chefs today, including me," Isabella says.

"You are a chef?" I ask. I did not know that.

"Yes, I learned from the best, but I am still learning from chefs worldwide, and I like to keep up with new trends," Isabella says. She shows a little passion when she talks about her restaurants and her job. So maybe not all is lost, and there is still hope for her, but she will not be my problem. The man who falls in love with her one day must bring that passion into their bedroom, not me.

We reach the airport, and I know I must say hello to the Casellas. They will not forgive me if I am in town and do not introduce them to my future wife. I still see them as my family and will never see them as anything else. I wonder how they are doing, as I have not seen them in a long time. I know I will first have to get Isabella to act more naturally toward me, as the Casellas are no fools and will see right through the whole act of Isabella and me being a couple. We will have to seem in love. How the hell am I going to get the Ice Queen to melt a little and act like a future wife to me? I do not know, but I must think of something quickly. I look at Ricco, who is smiling all the time. He put me in this predicament and must help defrost the Ice Queen.

"You will soon meet some of my family and have to act like you are in love with me. You can not be so indifferent to me. I have decided we will have to stay in New York for a few weeks before we go to Italy to get married," I say.

"You have family in the States?" Isabella asks.

"Yes, the Hudsons are family of mine," I say.

"So what is their real surname? I take it they are also part of the Italian Mafia, or they will not be your family," Isabella says. She is too bloody clever for her own good. I can not let the Casellas's secret out. It is not my secret to tell.

"Listen, do not ask questions you do not want answers to. The less you know, the better for your own good," I say.

"They do not concern me, so I do not care if they are part of the Mafia," Isabella says. She closes her laptop as we stop before my jet. We get out of the car and get on the plane. Isabella sits in the first chair she sees, and I let her be. She does not even look interested in my dilemma.

"I will play my part. I guess I will get used to you touching me. We will practice when we are in New York. I have work to do now and can not think about this situation," Isabella says. I let her be. I know she is thinking hard about how to get out of this without having to play my lover and my future wife, but there is no way out of the contract, and she will have to do what I tell her to do. This is getting interesting and challenging for me to see if I can get the Ice Queen to defrost. I smile as I look at her where she is sitting. I do not want her to fall in love with me, but I do want her to know that she is not as cold as she thinks and can be more than just a cold-hearted woman. I want her to see that she has warm Italian blood flowing in her veins and does not have to be like she is, but looking at her and the coldness she radiates makes me wonder if I can melt the ice in her vein and let the warm blood flow. It will not hurt to let her enjoy a kiss or two, but I will leave for New York as I also have to think about what I will do and how I will get past the Casellas. This will all be in vain if they disapprove of my relationship. They will tell Uncle Marcelo and Aunt Carol not to accept her as we are not in love. I also do not want to hurt this woman as she already had so much pain in her life, and I do not want to take advantage of her, but I want to show her that she can be a woman. We might enjoy our time together. Who knows what may happen in the five years we are together? I am only a man and cannot see other women in these five years. Maybe I can show her how it feels to be a woman. Who knows? I do not think she can love anyone, but s*x is not love. We might as well enjoy each other's bodies. I wonder if she even had s*x before. If she did, what the hell did that look like? I bet she does not even know how it feels to be a real woman and how to please a man. If she had a lover before, I bet she only used him to satisfy her and did not care if he was left with no pleasure at all. She looks like she can be a selfish love, but there are ways to make a woman please you while you please her and let her forget that she is an Ice Queen, even if it is only for a few minutes in a warm bed. I smile as I think about what I am thinking. I am only a man but will never force myself onto a woman. Whether she wants me as a lover or not will be her decision.