A Marriage Contract with the Mafioso

ust and decay. His father's debts, accumulated at breakneck speed over the past few years, were an invisible chain that was suffocating him. One debt after another, ea

ding Ariana every moment that everything she had known - wealth, comf

d a dead father who ultimately left only a broken promise. Ariana bit her lip, her throat tight. She had always admired her father, but he had betrayed her by leaving her family in this ruin. S

almost hear them, their raspy voices in her ears, the pressure of their fingers crossed around her neck. But Ariana wasn't ready to let it happen. She had her o

t this family were as vast as their empire, but what immediately captivated Ariana was a name written at the bottom of the invitation: Rafael Moretti. The name of this enigmatic and ruthless billionaire

e time she felt a strange excitement. Perhaps there was a chance for her to negotiate a less chaotic f

e without overdoing it. She had opted for light makeup, her hair styled in a cascade of perfect curls. She had to look perfect. Not too helpless, not too fragil

all seemed unreal. Men in black suits and women in evening gowns struggled to appear nonchalant, but the atmosphere was palpable, tense. Ariana immediately

ything about him screamed power. Rafael Moretti. He was even more impressive in person. Medium in size, but with an overwhelming presence, he exuded an icy aura, as if the air around him was denser than t

he head. And yet, that was enough to send a strange thrill through her, a th

and, with a calculated gesture, Rafael grabbed his glass without taking his eyes off Ariana , as if he was waiting for somet

t you?" » he asked in a low voice, almost

ension in her shoulders.

oking her up and down. "Your family

judgments. She looked up at him, determined not to be intimidated. "They say that y

iately. He took a sip of his champagne and, without taking his eyes off her, let the silence hang for a few moments

ms to me that you are not here by chance. Yo

orcing herself to remain calm, then she continued in a more confident voice. " Maybe. But you are

th calculated slowness, he whispered, "I have a proposition for you. A business weddi

, but she could not ignore the immense relief it could bring. But what did that mean, r

ower, a man who never offered anything without expecting something in return. But Ariana also knew th

ut slowly, but with a certainty she had ne