His Promise: The Mafia’s Babies by C. Tamika

Chapter 370

“I’m right here.” I looked at the priest, pleading with him to begin the ceremony. My mind was put on saying ‘I do, and with Aria putting ideas in my head, it could go either way.

During the ceremony, I had to remind myself not to yawn and count the minutes. I was bored, tired- and at the same time didn’t want to go home with my new housemates.

Aria, Angelo, guards, maids, gardeners, drivers, and others.

Not that different from a robot, I followed along with everything until we had finally reached the crucial part.

“Vincenzo, do you take Aria to be your wife?”

I’d rather not.

“Do you promise to be faithful to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and to honor her all the days of your life?”

No, and I didn’t like betraying god either.

I turned to the crowd, looking straight into Serena’s eyes, who gave me a reassuring nod.

always been one of my biggest nightmares, and marrying someone who could not reach Se a pity.

Aria was everything I despised in a person, and she was not to blame. This was Oscar Morales’ fault.

“V-Vince?” Aria’s voice trembled as if she had expected me to turn my back.

“I do.” My thoughts went to my family, who needed me the most. I wasn’t doing this for me. I was doing this for the Garcias.

Aria’s hands which had been shaking felt warm and calm at my answer. Her breathing was back to normal, and so was her voice. “Praise the lord.” I could sense her smile through her veil.

The words ‘I do’ came from her mouth as if she had been practicing them for weeks. There was no worry, no doubt only desperation. Yet I could still not help but wonder-why she would want to marry someone like me.

The priest gave us our blessings which I didn’t care for, and Nic came walking with the rings, smiling car

to ear.

Nic didn’t have the right opportunity to meet my wife and was unaware of what kind of monster we would bring into the family.

I could give my oblivious brother the benefit of the doubt.

“Look at you all grown up!” He made a quick comment, in all likelihood waiting for all of this to be over so he could get on that plane and get out of here.

Placing a ring on Aria’s finger and being forced to say words that weren’t true was difficult. Making a promise to provide for our family while knowing I wouldn’t have any children with her in a million years felt even worse, and I felt delighted to get it over with.

Exhausted, 1 pushed through the final minutes and did everything that got expected of me until the ceremony was finally over.

Vincenzo Garcia, who had sworn not to get married, had a wife. A childish one, controlled by her family.

“It is with a great deal of joy and with honor that I to introduce to you this afternoon for the very first time. Mr. and Ms. Vincenzo Garcia-Morales husband and wife.”I listened to the priest’s words, followed by claps and cheers.

Overwhelmed, I stepped back only for Aria to step forward. Whatever the reason, she wouldn’t let go of my hand.

“You may kiss the bride.”

My hands moved to the end of the veil, pushing it over her head. At last, I could see her face; as usual, she looked more beautiful than her ugly heart.

Her dark eyes were glowing, the same as her skin. Her hair was curled to perfection, and I could tell she had put a lot of effort into all of this. More than I would put into this marriage, that’s for sure.

She could’ve fooled anyone else with that sweet smile, though I still believed for her to be the devil.

Aria threw her arms over my shoulder with a victorious grin and pressed her forehead against mine as I had no choice but to stare into those deep brown eyes.

“Can I?” She was kind enough to ask.

No.

“Yes.

That was the only word to be said for Aria to close the small gap between us, connecting our lips.

The kiss was desperate, hungry, like she needed to prove something-and maybe she did.

I felt nothing.

No love, no desire-nothing.

This had never happened to me before, not even with all of the women I had going in and out of the mansion, and it kept me thinking. Just how much did I despise her for her to disgust me like this?

“Vincenzo Morales.” Aria pulled away, giggling with her hand resting on my cheek. “I like the sound of that.”

Like the sound of that?

Was she being serious? © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Don’t forget—it’s Garcia-Morales.” I raised my brows, hChapter 370

Vincenzo

Dazed, I stared at my own reflection in the mirror. My hair which had always reached just above my shoulders, was cut and looked as ridiculous as the suit I was wearing.

Today was my wedding day, and I would not turn back. It had to be done for the family’s good, and I was ready to take responsibility.

I felt nervous and anxious and had no idea how to go from here-but I had no intentions of showing it. As the head of the Garcia, I could not crumble, especially not the with merge happening. Being there for my family and not letting the Morales walk over me was vital.

“You look handsome.” Aunt Nora stood behind me, holding me by my shoulders. She was uncle Bruno’s wife, and by her soft personality, one wouldn’t be able to tell.

“Thank you.” I smiled slightly as Bruno pushed away his wife to fix my tie. Lots of friends and cousins had gathered to support me as my groomsmen, which was something my uncle had pushed for, and all everyone kept telling me was how brave I was for saving the Garcias.

“I’m still pissed at you, but I admire you for doing the right thing.” Bruno slapped my chest, referring to the bakery situation.

Word had traveled fast within the business, but Oscar Morales had not said a word. It wasn’t hard to figure out that my soon-to-be wife had vouched for me and protected me from her father.

Did I feel bad?

No, why should I?

If she hadn’t gone around using my name to scare our partners, I wouldn’t have had to clean up her mess.

I hadn’t seen or spoken to Aria ever since and wished everything would go smoothly. Uncle knew what 1 wanted because I had made it clear. No traditions, no extra stuff-just the vows.

At first, I was okay with whatever the Morales had planned for me and told them I would just go along with it–but giving it a second thought, I knew that was not an option.

Letting them decide for me would make me appear weak and incapable of making my own decisions. Like Aria

That ultimately pushed her to use my name without thinking of any consequences.

As if things couldn’t get worse, one of dad’s old associates-Nico Flores, handed me a key to the secret basement of the Garcia Factory.

Throughout my childhood, I remember that floor was strictly forbidden, and now I had one of dad’s old associates telling me to take the key because he was moving out of the country and didn’t want anything to do with it.

Fabio Garcia was a twisted man. Who knew what he was hiding back there?

Would it be worse than me having to marry Aria?

“Beau, tell me I’m making a mistake.” I beckoned my friend, who disagreed with the marriage. His

disliking of Aria was intense, but our friendship was stronger, and that’s why he was here to support me as my groomsman.

“You’re making a mistake.” Beau nodded, raising his brows. “Right, Christian?”

Displeased, Christian slammed his fist against Beau’s shoulder. “Don’t listen to him!” He said. “You’re doing the right thing, and I’m happy for you.”

Does this look like a happy day to him?

Christian stood behind the marriage and had many good things to say about Aria. Not surprising because, in a way, the two were alike.

They did not care about the consequences and did whatever they desired. The only significant difference would be that Christian did have a mind of his own. As long as he wasn’t forced to listen to his wife.

Serena was his world. I couldn’t tell him about the words Aria had spoken about her. Telling him the truth could jeopardize our friendship and my marriage, but at the same time, there was a slight chance it wouldn’t.

With Christian Lamberti’s unpredictable reactions, it was hard to guess.

I grabbed my phone to look at the time when I had just received a text message from an unknown number.

Was this one of Aria’s schemes again?

0000:

Hey, this is Livia.

I’ve been considering your offer and would love to be your brother’s tutor.

Vince:

Great. When can you start?

Livia:

Whenever you want me to.

Vince:

How about a week from now?

Livia:

Yes.

Knowing Luis would be in good hands calmed my nerves. Just imagining Aria and co interfering with Luis’ education gave me a headache.

Livia had no idea, but she had indeed become a life-saver.

“It’s time to go, Vincenzo!” My brother, Nic, smiled brightly, leading us all out of the room. Out of everyone, he was definitely up there for being the happiest.

He got to move back home, distance himself from the family business, and live his life without any expectations.

I wasn’t angry. I couldn’t be. Nic had worked very hard to keep everything in place while I was recovering mentally and physically. He didn’t have to—but he did because he wanted to be there for his family.

With a sigh, I stopped in my steps and turned to hold Luis’ hands. Despite scolding him about his grades, our bond was still unbreakable, and he was still the most important person

in my life.

“What do you say?” I said. “Are we going to do this? Because if you tell me to walk away—I’ll do it.”

This was his last chance, and everyone anticipated his answer, adding to the pressure. If my brother didn’t want me to get married-that would’ve been it.

I would find another way to protect the Garcias.

“Well,” Luis spoke softly, glancing at every man in the room. “Yes-let’s go.” The halls were filled with his nervous laughter. “Let’s do it!”

1 covered my ears to dismiss the sounds of everyone’s cheers and planted a smile on my lips. Would it be wrong to admit that a small part of me was hoping for Luis to voice his true opinion? As his brother, I could tell he was heavily against this marriage.

Moments later, I stood at the altar, waiting for the bride to arrive. My hands were behind my back, my expression calm, and so did my heart. Many men were nervous on their wedding day, but not

me. I felt nothing but emptiness.

Curious, I looked at the guests. The ‘tacky’ Garcias were on one side, while the ‘wannabe classy’ Morales and the invited families were seated on the other. For people to take us seriously again, it would have to take a bit more than simply saying I do.

My eyes turned to Serena, and I was met with a thumbs up and a comforting smile. ‘Good luck.” She mouthed, melting my heart.

I had always been against marriage, but if I had to marry someone, I would’ve wanted to marry someone like her.

She was kind, sincere, beautiful-funny.

Aria’s beauty didn’t require much explanation, but she was lacking in other areas. I was well aware that no one was perfect, but her hideous and rotten way of thinking itched my skin and had overthrown her beauty.

I tried to appear excited as the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and a group of cute children, including my niece and some cousins, walked down the aisle.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise as the lovely Bride makes her way down the aisle.”

Lovely bride?

Nothing had changed, and I was still filled with emptiness. This was bound to happen with a loveless

marriage—and I was not surprised. This was what Aria had created for herself, and I didn’t do anything to stop it, making me partly responsible.

The door opened, and there she was-Aria with Oscar by her side.

A veil covered her face, most likely for the best since Aria had this strange habit of twitching her lips in nerve-racking situations.

She did have feelings for me.

That’s how I knew the girl must’ve been a nervous wreck.

With the same fabricated smile, I waited until Aria and Oscar had finally reached the altar. “Thanks, daddy.” I heard Aria speak through her veil.

It wasn’t long before I felt a firm grip on my shoulder. My muffin,” Oscar spoke in a low tone. “Mistreat her, make her cry again, and I’ll cut off your head.”

Unbothered, he turned to face the guests and forced my arm into the air. “My son!” He announced. “Let’s welcome him to the family!”

I thanked the man with a dull expression and waited until he had taken his seat before facing his daughter.

Oscar had acknowledged the bakery altercation, and I was glad he did. I was glad he knew he wouldn’t be able to walk over me-not even with a simple threat such as cutting off my head.

My father was Fabio Garcia, meaning I had heard more shocking threats.

One day that man would threaten me with decapitation, the next with starvation-nothing new to me.

Aria’s breathing got heavier, causing me to grab her hands. She was shaking. She looked terrified, and believe it or not-it broke my heart to see her that way.

She was just under as much pressure as I was, and Oscar’s threat had only made things worse,

“Relax, princess.” I took a moment to whisper in her ears, squeezing her hand.

As I was about to pull away, Aria pulled my hand, pulling me closer. “I’m sorry-I’m so sorry.” She whispered, making me wish I could see the look on her face.

She should be sorry.

“I know.”

“You know?” A relieved breath left her mouth. “I should’ve called you and worked through our issues-”

“This is not the time or the place. People are watching I cut her off, pointing my head to the completely silent guests, dying to hear our conversation.

“Okay, okay!” Aria panicked. “I know I’ve been horrible to you and deserve public humiliation, but please, please, please do not leave me at the altar.”

I was too late to cover my mouth as a cackle had already escaped from my lips, making everyone laugh. They had no idea what she had said and thought we had shared a cute moment.

Yes, it was cute-but laughable and pathetic would’ve been a better way to word it. She couldn’t compare

me to my father one day and beg me to stay the next. The way her brains worked did not make sense to

er statement-making my blood boil. It hadn’t been that long since she’d apologized, but she was back at it again.

“Congratulations, princess you finally got what you wanted”