Chapter 3 Andy pov
Andy
I couldn’t breathe.
The office suddenly felt too small.
Too quiet.
Too cold.
Dominic Moretti stood a few feet away, his expression unreadable, as if he’d just asked for another signature instead of my little sister.
My little sister.
I looked at him, waiting for the punchline.
It never came.
“…Excuse me?”
His icy blue eyes never left mine.
“You heard me.”
I laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because my brain refused to believe what I’d just heard.
“You want my sister.”
“Yes.”
“As your wife.”
“Yes.”
I rubbed a hand over my face.
“That’s not happening.”
The words left my mouth before I had time to think.
The room fell silent.
Mark shifted his weight but said nothing.
Lucian watched the exchange with an expression that was impossible to read.
Alfred remained perfectly still, his hands clasped behind his back.
Dominic simply stared at me.
“You refused rather quickly.”
“Because she’s not part of this deal.”
“Everything is part of a deal.”
“No.”
I stepped closer, lowering my voice.
“She’s my sister.”
“And?”
I clenched my jaw.
“And she isn’t property.”
For the first time since we’d met years ago, I thought I saw the faintest flicker of emotion in Dominic’s eyes.
Gone so quickly I wondered if I’d imagined it.
“I never said she was.”
“You might as well have.”
“I asked for your permission.”
“You call this asking?”
“I could have demanded.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop another ten degrees.
Every instinct screamed at me to stay calm.
To think.
To choose my next words carefully.
But this wasn’t a shipment.
Or territory.
Or money.
This was Elisa.
The little girl who used to chase me around the backyard with a plastic sword because she wanted to be a pirate.
The stubborn twelve-year-old who punched a boy twice her size for pulling Nicol’s hair.
The sixteen-year-old who cried herself to sleep after our parents died because she thought she had to be strong for me.
I’d promised them.
Standing beside their graves, I’d made a promise.
“I’ll take care of her.”
I hadn’t broken that promise once in twelve years.
I wasn’t about to start now.
“I won’t force her into a marriage.”
Dominic didn’t blink.
“I didn’t ask you to.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“If she refuses…”
He shrugged one shoulder.
“…then she refuses.”
I stared at him.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care what you believe.”
“Then why ask?”
“Because I respect you enough to do it properly.”
His answer caught me off guard.
Respect.
Coming from Dominic Moretti, that word carried more weight than it did from most men.
Still…
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to.”
“No.”
I folded my arms.
“I do.”
He walked toward the window overlooking the gardens.
His gaze settled on the reception below.
I followed it.
Elisa.
She was laughing with Nicol and Amy near the fountain.
She’d somehow convinced three children to chase pigeons across the lawn while their parents watched in amusement.
Even from here, I could tell she was in the middle of telling one of her ridiculous stories.
She threw her hands dramatically into the air.
The kids burst into laughter.
Dominic watched quietly.
“What do you see?” he asked.
I looked back at him.
“My sister.”
“I see someone people naturally follow.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“Look.”
Against my better judgment, I did.
Within seconds, one waiter smiled at Elisa as she stole another dessert.
She winked at him.
Instead of complaining, he laughed.
An older woman stopped to speak with her.
Two security guards smiled as she joked with them.
Even strangers seemed comfortable around her.
Dominic’s voice remained calm.
“People trust her.”
“So?”
“I’ve spent my life making people fear me.”
I looked at him, surprised.
“They obey.”
His eyes never left Elisa.
“But they don’t trust.”
For the first time since he’d arrived today…
I felt like I was seeing the man behind the reputation.
Only for a second.
Then the mask returned.
“I’m building something that will outlive me.”
“So am I.”
“Then you understand.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I understand business.”
I pointed toward the gardens.
“I don’t understand why my sister.”
Silence.
Long enough that I didn’t think he’d answer.
Finally…
“I don’t know.”
That was the last response I expected.
“You… don’t know?”
“I saw her.”
“And?”
“And now I can’t ignore it.”
Mark quietly cleared his throat.
“Dom…”
Dominic lifted one finger.
Mark fell silent immediately.
I looked between them.
None of this made sense.
My sister had never met Dominic.
As far as I knew, she’d barely even spoken his name.
Yet somehow…
After seeing her for less than ten minutes…
He wanted to marry her.
It was insane.
A knock interrupted the silence.
One of my men stepped inside.
“Boss?”
“What?”
“The guests are asking for you.”
“I’ll be there.”
He nodded before closing the door.
I exhaled slowly.
“This conversation isn’t over.”
“I know.”
I picked up the contract from the desk.
Months of negotiations.
Countless meetings.
Years spent building enough trust for this alliance.
If I walked away now…
Dominic wouldn’t retaliate immediately.
He wasn’t emotional.
He was strategic.
But other families would see my refusal as weakness.
The alliance collapsing would shift the balance of power across Los Angeles.
Enemies would move.
Territories would be challenged.
Blood would be spilled.
Not because Dominic wanted revenge.
Because the underworld hated uncertainty.
One decision could start a war.
I looked at Dominic one last time.
“If I even mention this to Elisa…”
He waited.
“…she’ll probably throw a shoe at my head.”
Lucian chuckled.
Mark covered his mouth to hide a smile.
Even Alfred’s lips twitched.
Dominic remained perfectly serious.
“Tell her to aim carefully.”
I blinked.
Had…
Had Dominic Moretti just made a joke?
Apparently I wasn’t the only one wondering.
The silence that followed was almost comical.
I shook my head.
“I’ll talk to her.”
“When?”
“After the reception.”
His expression remained unreadable.
“I’ll wait.”
I walked toward the door, my hand tightening around the handle.
Every instinct told me not to do this.
To protect Elisa.
To tell Dominic to go to hell.
To forget the alliance.
But another voice whispered in the back of my mind.
The voice of the man responsible for hundreds of lives.
If I handled this wrong…
It wouldn’t just be my family that paid the price.
It would be every person who depended on me.
I closed my eyes for a brief second.
“Dad… Mom…
I’m about to break the promise I made to you.
I just pray there’s still a way to keep her safe.”
