Betrothed To The Ruthless Mafia

“Where are we going?” Rosana asked after Sergio took the driver’s seat. He had opened the door for her and helped her into the car.

“Would you rather I ruin the surprise?” Rosana shook her head and he smirked, turning on the engine which roared to life. “Then I would advise you put on your seatbelt, Bambolina”

Rosana put on her seatbelt as instructed and sat quietly. She was still shocked that the ruthless Sergio De Niro had planned a surprise date. He even asked if she had other options aside from the planned date. Was that a change of heart? She wondered.

“Give him a chance…” Rosana remembered Lucretia’s words as she stared out of the window. How come she never thought of that? How come she never considered that even when things began to change between them?

There were a few reasons, one of which included the Mistress and the fact that she still remained by his side even after they got married. Another reason was the several near-death punishments he gave to her. His unpredictable nature was also on the list.

“Thinking about the surprise?” Sergio asked, breaking into her thoughts. He looked away from her and chuckled lightly. “Do not stress your brain, Bambolina, you will never figure it out”

With different thoughts in her mind, Rosana had long forgotten the surprise. She decided not to think much about it because he advised her not to. Even if she did, she’d never figure it out, just as he said.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the Private hangar. Sergio helped her out of the car and together, they started towards the private jet which had been prepared for their flight. The men and women dressed in black suits bowed in respect. They didn’t raise their heads or move an inch until the couple got into the jet.

After settling down, Rosana turned to Sergio. She was anxious and nervous at the same time. “Where are we going?”

He looked up from his phone and replied dryly “Somewhere”

If that was supposed to make her feel better, it didn’t. Not when the jet had taken off to the sky already. “Should I be worried? At least the ‘Somewhere’ should have a name”

Sergio sighed and looked up from his phone again. He appeared bored and tired of her questions. “There is nothing to be worried about, Mi Amore, trust me”

“Trust me…” His words echoed in her head. It felt like a gentle caress and instantly calmed her nerves. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried not to think about the surprise. After some minutes, she drifted off to sleep.

She woke up two hours later to find Sergio’s fixated gaze on her. He had been watching her, quietly. His eyes were not cold but held a little hint of emotions. What could it be? She wondered, looking up at him nervously. For the past month, he had changed. It was even hard for her to remember what his cold and dark side looked like.

“I guess you enjoyed your nap, hmm?” Sergio asked and leaned forward. He looked at her closely as if trying to study her.

“Yes, I… I am sorry I dozed off, I…” She paused and managed a gulp. How long had she drifted off? “Lucretia and I had a busy day…”

Her speech was cut off by a soft kiss which silenced her thoughts and made her toes curl. A sigh ripped out of her chest and she moaned into the kiss. She needed this more than anything. After all the stress and anxieties, it was the only thing that made her feel relieved.

“Who the f*ck is Lucretia or whatever…” Sergio muttered against her lips. “And why the f*ck are you apologizing?”

“Lucretia is…” She started saying but was cut off by another warm kiss.

“Do I look like I care about anyone else, hmm?” Sergio asked and kissed her once more before he finally pulled away. He didn’t want to suffocate her with his kisses. “We are here. Get ready”

Rosana released a deep sigh and tried to tame the flutter of nerves in her stomach. She had not even realized that the jet had landed. Quietly, she stood up and went to use the restroom. When she was done, she fixed her hair and face before heading out to meet Sergio.

“All set!” She breathed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Sergio accessed her and extended his hand which she took nervously.

Together, they alighted the jet and everyone bowed. Three men dressed in black suits stood beside the limousine, waiting to take them to their destination. They wore dark glasses and used in-ear earphones.

Sergio led Rosana towards the middle vehicle and helped her inside before taking the seat beside her. “Welcome to France, Bambolina!”

She gasped, her eyes dilated in shock. She had always wanted to fly to France. It held a lot of treasures she had always dreamt of getting access to. One of them was the Art museum. She always wanted to see the famously French works of the impressionists, paintings by Italian, and Flemish Masters, and more contemporary pieces by other artists.

As if reading her thoughts, Sergio smiled and continued scrolling through his phone. He was amused by how she clung to the window, admiring the city’s infrastructure and elegance.

Soon enough, they arrived at the National Art Museum. “We are here, Boss”

Sergio looked up from his phone and turned to Rosana whose wide gaze was on him. She was pretty shocked and couldn’t believe any of it was real.

“Welcome to The Louvre Museum”

Her mouth dropped open but no words came out. Of course, she knew about the National Art Museum in Paris but only in books and articles. How did Sergio find out she always wanted to visit the Museum? Surely, she did not mention anything about it to him. Or did she?

“The grand exhibition starts in five minutes. Are you sure you still wanna sit in here with your mouth open?”

Rosana slammed her mouth shut and shook her head. She didn’t realize her mouth was wide open the whole time. “Is… Is this the surprise?”

“Why not see for yourself?”

Before she could get the door, it was opened from outside by one of the men. Casting a glance at Sergio, she smiled and got out of the car. There were lots of emotions that whirled inside of her, especially when she looked up at the tall magnificent building.

By size, The Louvre Museum, in Paris, France was the largest museum on earth. It was also one of the best and held works from antiquity to the 19th century. It felt so surreal.

“Shall we?” Sergio went up beside her and asked, placing his hand on the small of her back.

“OMG, YES!!!”

He smiled and led her towards the Museum. Camera lights flashed at them from all angles. There were lots of paparazzi who struggled to take pictures of all the Top men and women from different parts of the world who attended the grand exhibition.

Rosana smiled at them and stepped Inside. Just as Sergio said, the exhibition had just started. Without looking back, she wandered off in excitement, from one artwork to the other.

The Museum displayed works of artists purchased for his own largest piece in an airy, light-flooded hall, an open-air gallery, and a sculpture garden. Rosana didn’t miss any of the works as she was carried away and lost in the Art world. In the workshop area, the casting of bronze sculptures was demonstrated.

“Look…” Rosana whispered to Sergio who had been keeping up with her the whole time. “It is so beautiful!”

Sergio nodded in agreement and looked at the work she was referring to. He had never seen her happier and full of life. She explained things in detail about the different works and also drew his attention to the one she found very interesting and beautiful.

“Oh, look!” She dragged him off just like she had been doing the whole evening. “That is the Eiffel Tower!” “I can take you there so you can see it clearly”

As if she just realized what she had been doing all evening, Rosana turned around and faced him. He didn’t look angry or exhausted. She had talked all evening and dragged him around without a break. Surprisingly, he followed without protest and didn’t interrupt her.

“What are you doing? How did you know about this and my passion for art? How… I do not understand. You flew me down here, followed me around, listened to all my ramblings… And you are still here. What are you doing?”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Sergio smiled and moved closer to her. “Whoever said you were rambling? Point them out and I will gladly put a bullet in their head”

Rosana looked at him closely, her heart beating hard against her chest. She had not looked at him properly all evening. Maybe if she did, she would’ve seen how breathtaking he looked.

Dressed in a black tuxedo, his inky dark hair gleamed beneath the lights. He had an unreadable expression on his face but there was a little bit of warmth. A shudder ripped down her spine as she remembered Lucretia’s words.

“Why did you bring me here?” She asked Instead. “How did you know?”

“I told you I knew a lot about you, Bambolina. Did you think I was lying?”

She bit her lips and looked away. Everything was so overwhelming. “Thank you. I… I always loved Art. I admired every single piece I came across and tried to study them. I started creating mine too but…”

Rosana paused, remembering all the times she drew and painted as a kid. Her mother and brother always encouraged her but her father… He destroyed all her work and forced her to stop.

“You do not have to say it if it makes you uncomfortable.”

She nodded and smiled. “Yes, it does. When I stopped, it felt like a part of me had stopped working altogether.”

Her earlier enthusiasm had dissipated and Sergio was quick to notice it. He wanted to know what made her stop drawing and painting. It was something she loved so much and couldn’t be killed easily. But something had successfully killed it and he wanted to know what. Instead of asking, he pulled her closer to himself and planted a kiss on her forehead.

“It is not too late. You can always pick up the pieces and start over again. Now wipe that frown off your beautiful face and get back to work”

Rosana couldn’t believe it. What happened to Sergio De Niro? She wondered. With the heartbreaking past forgotten, she smiled and did as instructed. She returned to the hall and joined the others, including the different popular artists.

By the time the exhibition was over, Rosana was over-excited and wished it never ended. Sergio was still beside as always.

“Did you like my surprise, Amore mio?” Sergio asked once they got outside.

“I loved it!” She replied beaming with smiles. “Thank you for making my dreams come true. This has got to be the best day of my life”

“We will talk about that later. For now, there’s still one more”

Her eyes widened. One more surprise?!?