Chapter 7
Primo’s laughter cut through the night air, but I caught the tremor of uncertainty beneath it. His eyes darted between Adrian and me, searching for some sign this was
all a bluff.
“This is your revenge? Bringing some random guy into our world?” He straightened his jacket, trying to regain his composure. “You have no idea what you’re doing. This isn’t some game where you can just drag civilians into our business.”
I kept my hand on Adrian’s arm, feeling the coiled strength beneath his suit. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t even flinched at Primo’s
words.
“You think he knows who we really are? What our families do?” Primo’s voice
dropped lower, more menacing. “You’re going to get him killed, Asteria. Is that what you want? To watch another man die because of your stupid choices?”
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“I don’t care who you are.” Adrian’s voice carried across the parking lot, quiet but firm. Each word precise, measured. “Your family connections mean nothing to me. I’m marrying Asteria.”
The simple declaration hung in the air between us. No flowery promises, no dramatic declarations just absolute certainty.
Primo’s face twisted. “You don’t care? You hear that, Yesha? This fool doesn’t care.” He took a step forward. “Do you have any idea what you’re stepping into?”
Adrian didn’t budge. “I believe I made. myself clear.”
The calm response seemed to infuriate
Primo more than any challenge could have. His knuckles went white where they gripped his car door.
“Clear? Nothing about this is clear. You think you can just walk in here and-”
“Yes.” Adrian cut him off. “That’s exactly
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what I think. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I believe this conversation is finished.”
Primo slammed his fist against the car hood. “Here’s how this ends, Asteria. You marry me, complete the merger, and once it’s done, I’ll give you your precious divorce. Then you can fuck whoever you want.” His eyes narrowed at Adrian. “But if you try to ruin this by marrying someone else or running to your family – I’ll destroy them. One. By. One.”
My breath caught. The parking lot lights cast harsh shadows across his face, transforming him into something barely
human.
“You have no idea how far my reach. extends. The big five families? They’re all in my pocket. Your family’s empire would crumble before morning.” He straightened his tie with steady hands. “So what’s it going to be?”
The threat hung heavy in the air. I knew Primo. He never made empty threats. The
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memory of what he’d done to others who’d crossed him flashed through my mind.
My family’s faces floated before me. One wrong move and they’d all disappear.
But I couldn’t let him win.
I lifted my chin, met his gaze. “No.”
The single word dropped like a stone between us. Primo’s face went completely still, the kind of stillness that preceded his worst violence.
“What did you say?”
“I said no.” My voice stayed steady despite my racing heart. “I won’t let you control me anymore.”
Primo’s laughter rang out again, this time with a cruel edge that made my skin crawl.
“Look at you, trying to act tough. We both know how this ends, Asteria.” He stepped closer, his cologne mixing with the night air. “You’re going to marry me. That’s it. I don’t care what you do after that run
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away, cry, fuck whoever you want. But the marriage happens.”
My throat tightened. The worst part was, he wasn’t wrong. My family meant everything to me. The thought of them suffering because of my choices…
“Your brave face will crack soon enough.” Primo’s voice softened, almost gentle. “You’ve always put family first. That’s what I love about you. So loyal, so… predictable.”
Yesha smirked from beside his car, clearly enjoying my internal struggle. She knew as well as I did that Primo had me cornered.
I felt Adrian’s arm tense under
under my hand.
“The Bratva sends their regards,” Adrian said quietly.
The words hit like a physical blow. Primo’s face drained of color. Even Yesha’s smirk
vanished.
“What did you say?” Primo’s voice came out barely above a whisper.
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“You heard me.” Adrian’s tone remained
conversational, but something dangerous lurked beneath it. “Should I mention the
Yakuza as well? Or perhaps the Triads would interest you more?”
I stared at Adrian, my mind racing. Those weren’t just random names he was throwing out – they were the three major criminal organizations that even the big five families feared.
Primo took an unconscious step back. “Who are you?”
“Someone you really don’t want to threaten.” Adrian’s gray eyes had gone cold as steel. “Now, I believe you were leaving.”
Primo stepped back, one hand resting on his car door.
“You think dropping those names scares me?” His shoulders shook with mirth.
“Please.”
Yesha slid into the passenger seat, her lip curled in a sneer. “It’s obvious he’s bluffing.
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No one connected to those organizations would be stupid enough to announce it in a parking lot.”
I watched Adrian’s face, searching for any sign that they were right. His expression remained impassive, that steel–cold gaze never wavering.
Primo’s eyes narrowed as he studied
Adrian. For a moment, doubt flickered
across his features before he masked it with another laugh.
“Take this loser and go home, Asteria.” He dropped into the driver’s seat, his fingers. drumming against the steering wheel. “In a month, you’ll be walking down the aisle, and this merger will happen whether you like it or not.”
The engine roared to life. Through the tinted window, I caught Yesha’s triumphant smirk before they peeled out of the parking lot, tires squealing against asphalt.
