Chapter 5

"What is this?, what is going on here?"

That was all Angelo could think about as the beautiful young girl who was meant to be his bride stepped in front of him, along with her very dangerous looking father

Herrera scanned Angelo from his head to his feet, he was still looking pretty rough due to the brief fight he had with his brother

"What happened to you boy?, who shows up to a ceremony looking like this?"

Angelo felt stiff after hearing Herrera's husky voice for the first time, but more so because he didn't know how to answer that question

"Well...I..."

"My son confronted some drunkard who tried to ruin this party and put him in his place, I apologize if you do not find his appearance pleasant, let us focus rather on the reason for this event my comrade" Bonucci stepped in for Angelo and pulled him gently so that he could be closer to Loretta, then he made both of them face the crowd

"Mom, did you know about this?" Marcel asked Lucia, who still had disbelief all over her face, "no, no son, not even the slightest clue." Marcel and Giovanni glanced at each other after their mother's response, the three of them could only wonder what on earth Bonucci was up to, and what is was going to mean for them. Bonucci smiled briefly then began to address the crowd again

"Sir Herrera Lorenzo and I have been good friends and partners for a very, very long time now, we the Salvador's and the Lorenzo family have a very long history, ever since my great great grandfather left the Spanish capital and came over here in Italy to begin this great empire which we all know today as the Salvador family"

A huge round of applause followed after, Bonucci waited for the cheers to calm down then continued

"The Salvador's and the Lorenzo's are the biggest and most powerful families in not all of Southern Europe, and we're among the most powerful families in the world as we know it today, and this is why after many generations we have decided to come together as one big family, in a holy matrimony, to join both houses together, and create the greatest!!, and most powerful alliance, that the world has ever seen, because my son here, Angelo Rocco Salvador, will be getting married to her lady Maria Loretta Lorenzo, they will join both our families and will be the force that will strengthen our bond even further, for generations to come!!"

The crowd went crazy again as Bonucci lifted the hands of the betrothed couple in the air, Angelo was furious, and he didn't even try to hide it, Loretta on the other hand was just smiling all through the show, Herrera stood by his daughter's side and just watched the whole thing go, after all, everything was going according to plan.

*****

The engagement party was over by midnight, and guests began to disperse. Loretta and her father had their final greetings with the Salvador's before they went on their way.

Angelo stood at a balcony, just staring at the view of the neighborhood and trying to process everything that just happened, the doors behind him were opened and three body guards, again, walked in to meet Angelo

"What do you want?" he asked coldly without even looking back to see who they were

"Young master, your father sends for you, allow us to lead you to his location"

"No...just tell me where he is."

Bonucci sat in one of his offices with a huge cigar in his mouth, the room was filled with books which were lined by the walls in shelves, as well as paintings and artifacts, some of which dated back to the renaissance. Behind the huge chair he sat in was a large portrait painting of his grandfather, Estupinan Salvador, the man with whom the Salvador family experienced the greatest growth and prosperity under and Bonucci always dreamed of bringing his family back to that level that his grandfather did, a level of almost total domination.

The doors of his office were flung open and Lucia stormed in angrily

"What on earth was that?, what on earth was that?!!!" she screamed at him, he took his cigar out of his mouth and blew some smoke, "what do you want me to say my love?" he answered with a defeated tone

"Anything!!, you could have said anything, so you just pull up one day, bring Angelo back to this house from wherever the hell he was, and now he's getting married, to a Lorenzo!!!, why would you do all of this behind my back?!!"

"What difference would it make if I told you..."

"What do you even mean by that?!!, how can you carry out such a plan and not even say a single thing to your wife!!, you promised that you'll no longer keep secrets from me, so what the hell was that Bonucci?!!"

Bonucci sighed and breathed deeply, "you don't understand my love..."

"Then make me!!!...say something, anything!!, I deserve an explanation!!!"

"Yes father...I do"

Lucia turned back rapidly and Bonucci lifted his head, Angelo was standing at the door, he had changed the bloodied clothes we wore at the ceremony and had a bandage in his forehead and below his lips, he walked slowly towards his parents and Bonucci stood up from his seat.

"My son, I understand that you are confused, but I want you to just trust me and..."

"You lied to me father, I came all the way here because I thought that if I didn't I may never see you again, but that was all just a fucking lie!!!, just to get me to marry some girl that...that I've never even met?!!, what the fuck was all that dad?!!"

"Angelo just listen to me..."

"I won't dad!!, I'm done with this shit!!!" Angelo eyes began to shed as his rage burned hotter, "both of us know that you never cared about me or my mother!!, she wouldn't have died that day if you didn't do so many dirty shit and make so many enemies, you denied me a normal life dad!!, a proper childhood!!!, and now that I'm all grown up, and I have a life of my own you wanna drag me back into this hell hole?!!, no way dad, I'm done with this family, I'm done with this life, and I have nothing!!, absolutely nothing!!, to do with this family anymore, I AM DONE"

The room became silent after Angelo's rant, Lucia clenched her dress while Bonucci stared at Angelo with reddened eyes

"I tried to do this the easy way, I tried to be a calm and peaceful person for once in my life and this is how you talk to me Angelo, or have you forgotten who I am?" Bonucci walked towards Angelo and stood right in front of him, "I am Massimo Bonucci Constantine Salvador, and I'm afraid you do not have a choice in this Angelo, you are to inherit my throne after I die, and marry the Lorenzo girl to increase our family's power, this is the sole purpose for which you were born into this world and the only reason for which you exist, do you understand me Angelo?"

"No" Angelo replied very quickly

"Do not make me hate you Angelo, because if I do..."

"What will you do dad?, kill me?, then do it, I'd rather die than serve the same family that is responsible for my mother's death, so kill me father, but at least I'd never have to see your face again"

Angelo turned around to leave the office, Bonucci gritted his teeth so hard that it became audible

"You step out that door Angelo and you'll cease to be my son!!, you'll seize to be anybody!!, I will take back everything you've ever gotten from this family and this name, I will strip you of everything you've ever owned, everything you have, until you're poorer than the dogs that roam the street, and no matter how hard you try to build a name for yourself, I will tear it down until you break your own wings and crawl back to my feet, this I promise you, Angelo!!"

Angelo paused at the door, Bonucci breathed heavily, his eyes even more reddened, Lucia just stood where she was, she couldn't say anything in this situation. Angelo seemed to contemplate his actions, he stood still at the door for almost a minute, then replied

"I accept your challenge"