Amora.

Mr. Antoniano pats my thigh, gets up, and leaves the room. He was leaving me and his father alone in the room. What is wrong with him? How can he leave me alone with his father like this? Does he not understand?

"want water," Mr. Alessandro says, I shake my head in a no. No voice coming out of my mouth. There is complete silence between us. He does not speak a word, and I don't dare to speak anything. The air is filled with tension.

"Did he do that?" his question brought me out of thought. I looked at him, confused by his words. Seeing my confusion, he points at my neck. A gasp leaves my mouth, and I cover my neck with my hair.

Why did I have to tuck my hair behind my ear?

"no," I say, knowing he is talking about Mr Antoniano, putting that bruise on my neck. Never in the hell do I think Mr Antoniano is capable of hitting me. His words, which he had said a few hours before, rang in my ears.

He can never hit me. And I trust him with that.

Mr. Alessandro keeps a glass of water in front of me. I look at him, and he nods. I take the glass of water and gulp it down in one go. I am so nervous.

"Lex wants to marry you," he says, his eyes leaving my face, and god knows how, but I get the courage to look up and look at him. I nod.

"he won you in a bet with your husband. That's what he said, is that true?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle. I nod my head, "if you answer with words, I would be able to know if he forced you or not", he says.

"no", I say, not wanting him to think that I was forced by Mr. Antoniano.

"he didn't force me. He took me with him with my consent."

"you want to marry him," he asks. I don't know what to say to him. Yes, I want to marry him. But not this way. And I don't want to also hear people say shit about me. How can I marry someone who never in my dream even thought of marrying?

"you don't want to marry him?" Mr. Alessandro asks. I shake my head, conflicted.

"What is wrong?"

"I am married"

Was married.

"he said you took divorce," he says, taken aback by my answer.

"say, he made me divorce my husband, but I am married---- I was married. You tell me, how can a capo marry a divorced woman? I got divorced yesterday. And now I am going to be his wife. I—I--"

He gets up and moves in front of me, sitting on the centrepiece. I look at him, and he keeps his hand on my head, patting it.

"I understand it's a conflict for you. You didn't think you would ever be in this situation. But I promise you, no one will ever say anything against you. And I fulfil my promises. Lex choose you. And maybe this time, choose yourself, amora."

"Should I?" I say, for the last five years, I have done my best to survive with Rocco. I was not happy. Maybe I should choose what makes me happy. Living with my love. The person that I love.

"And before Lex told us about Layal. We were going to get you married with him"

"What!!!!!!!!" I scream at Mr. Alessandro's words. What----

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scream," I say, where is your manner, amora?

"It's okay. Adam, your dad has always been a good man to us. And getting his precious daughter as our daughter-in-law was my dream. But I had to drop it. But maybe life took pity on me and gave you to me"

My eyes filled with tears at his words. He wanted to make me his daughter-in-law.

"you are so beautiful, gentle, soft and kind. Percious. You are so precious. I was so mad the day you married Rocco. But Lex loved someone. I didn't always feel right about loyal, but I didn't point it out."

He holds my hand in his hand. His eyes make contact with me.

"I don't know what happened with Rocco. I don't give fuck, precious. The only thing I know is Lex wants to marry you, and the fact is that he won you in a bet with Rocco. Make my blood boil, but I want you to know. That I don't give a fuck about you being divorced women. I am proud of you. This bruise of your skin, I don't get why Lex has not killed Rocco yet----"

"I stopped him", I interrupt him, not wanting him to think something else.

"See, you still show kindness to people you hurt you. And Lex likes you, I do, and my wife does, too. So, please, I request you. Please marry Lex." his eyes were holding tears, his words sincere. His voice is so soft and gentle, and I know his eye's word is true.

"I--I am already wearing a ring on my wedding finger, which Mr Antoniano put on, so I am marrying him"

He laughs and pats my head.

"Good, then. I can finally fulfil my dream" I smile at him.

"You hungry?" I shake my head in a 'no'

"Can I ask you something?"

"Whatever you want, precious," he said with a smile,

"my parents. My parents don't know any of this. After marrying Rocco, I could talk a lot with Dad and Mom. If you or I could tell Dad about this," I say, hoping I can talk to my dad. I miss him.

"Precious, don't worry. I have called Adam. And he and your mom are going to be here in the evening till then. You spend time with my wife. She is getting so dressed up because she is excited to meet her daughter-in-law."

I smile at him. God knows how long it has been till I have smiled so much.

"you should smile more. God, you are so beautiful," Mr. Alessandro says.

"Dad, are you flirting with my wife?" Mr. Antoniano's voice makes me look at him standing near the door of the room with his mom.

"If I am, what are you going to do," Mr. Alessandro says.

"I will never bring her here. Ever again. She is mine. Don't steal her away from me with your stupid charming smile and flirty words"

"She is not your wife, till yet. I can-----," Mr. Alessandro argues back.

"Both of you shut up", Mrs. Antoniano says in a soft and gentle voice, but anyone can see the no argument the tone holds. And both of them stopped talking. Just looking at each other. Fighting with their eyes.

They are so cute. They are a perfect family. There is so much love and care.

"I don't want my first meeting, and my first impression of my daughter-in-law, to be me shouting at the two of two. And you both know how I am. So, no fighting"

Her eyes hold so much love and power. She smiles and looks at me, and I smile at her. And she sits beside me and holds my hand.

"they are stupid; they do the same thing with me, too. Don't worry. You will get used to it, just ignore them. And you tell me, was the ring he gave was good?" she asked. Her eyes sparkle as she speaks.

It is like they have accepted me.

They have accepted me.

I forward my hand and show her the ring. She looks at it and her eyes, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her eyes were angry. What is wrong?

"Lex Alessandro Antoniano", she says, and Mr Antoniano, who was sitting on the couch, gets up fast and stands straight as if in the military. What is going on?

"you are the capo. And she is going to be your wife. And you have money, but still you do this. I am so disappointed with you. If you don't have some, you should have asked your father. You give her such a small diamond ring."

She was angry because of this. Oh my god. I exhale a breath of relief.

"I liked it", I say, coming to his defence. Mrs Alessandro's eyes look scary, like if looks could kill, Mr Antoniano would be dead by now.

She looks at me, and her eyes change in a second. From scary to pretty. "okay, because you liked it."