Married To My Father's Enemy: The Mafia King

Arthur’s POV

I've always been a man of shadows. They refer to me as Arthur Romano, the boss, the don, and the black hand.

But that's just a title. It doesn't capture the essence of who I am.

I live to kill. I kill to live.

I was born into a world of crime. My father taught me so well not to trust anyone but myself. Because life is just a gamble, you'll never get another again if you lose.

And I've seen the best and worst of humanity, the greediness and selfishness they might have.

I walked a fine line between law and crime, and that is what makes me who I am now.

I AM THE LAW.

"Mr. Romano, a call for you," Patricia, my secretary, said.

I glanced at her, then put down my pen. I picked up the phone as Patricia connected me to the caller.

"Arthur, how many times have I told you? I want peace, Just give me more time to pay you!" The old man's voice was like nails on a chalkboard, making my blood boil. He was making it incredibly difficult to reach an agreement with him.´

"You've already agreed to the deal, Mr. Gallagher," I said, my voice cold and menacing. "I've made it clear that if you can't pay on time, I'll take everything from you. And when I say everything, I mean it."

"But she's innocent. She doesn't know anything. I can't put my daughter in a miserable life—"

I scoffed. "Miserable life? You've already done that, Mr. Gallagher. Your greed and selfishness have ruined your family. Now, they don't even know you're drowning in debt..."

"You can't do this to me," Mr. Gallagher's voice trembled with anger.

"You're doing this for yourself, Mr. Gallagher," I replied coldly. "You have two days to pay me on time, or else, your family will know everything about what you've done."

***

TWO DAYS LATER,

My phone rang and it was the same person who called me none other than— Lawrence Gallagher.

I picked up the call and took a sip of my whiskey. "Yes?"

"I can't fulfill my promise, Mr. Romano..." I heard him coughing violently. My brows furrowed in doubt.

"Then I'll give you more days..."

He heaved a sigh. "The problem... isn't the money... The problem is I'm running out of time. I was diagnosed with heart disease a year ago, and it's getting worse."

I stood up. "Then what do you want me to do now? Do you want me to call an ambulance for you?"

"We've been rivals for five years," he replied, his voice weak. "I've seen you're a good businessman. Now that my company is failing, please, don't be too harsh on my daughter. She's precious to me... and I apologize if I can't pay on time. It's just that... I can't afford to lose everything while my family blames me."

His breath was ragged, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for him.

Suddenly, the line went dead.

I tried to call him back, but it was too late. He wasn't answering anymore.

I glanced at my secretary and said, "Try to call Mr. Gallagher. Tell him I'll give him three months to pay. He doesn't have to kill himself... damn it."

My secretary tried to call Mr. Gallagher's phone, but no one answered.

And for the first time in my life, I felt guilty.

*****

PRESENT TIME,

Three weeks had passed since Mr. Gallagher's death, and I couldn't shake the memory of his final call. I wanted to find his family, to know everything about them.

All I knew was that he had a daughter, a daughter I'd seen once during a meeting. Her image had been etched into my mind, and I couldn't get her out of my head.

I wanted to find her and make sure she was okay after her father's death.

"Boss, we have a meeting with the Gambinos this afternoon at one of your VIP nightclubs—The El Shadow," my capo, Alejandro, informed me.

I nodded and put on my suit. "Get my car ready. It's going to be a long night."

As Alejandro handed me the car keys at the entrance, I drove into the city center. I wasn't feeling well at all. These meetings were becoming monotonous, especially with the troublesome Gambinos.

I walked into the nightclub, which was filled with music, dancing, laughter, and elite members making fun of each other.

One of my associates, Chris, approached me as soon as he saw me. "Mr. Romano, it's good to see you again. The conference room is ready."

As I was about to walk into the dark hallway, I paused. My eyes had caught someone so familiar.

I stopped and turned around, my heart pounding in my chest.

There she was, a woman with dark brunette hair, porcelain skin, and lips the color of a red-pink rose.

Her green eyes glowed in the darkness, making me gulp. Her beauty mesmerized me. She was dancing alone, enjoying herself.

My smile faded when I realized I knew her.

I walked towards her to rescue her from the men who were trying to get her attention. And as soon as they saw me, the men kept their distance from her.

She slowly turned her head to look at me, her eyes filled with sadness. She touched my neck and asked softly, "H-Hey, handsome, can you take me somewhere? hmm?"

"You're drunk," I replied.

And she laughs sweetly, "I know..."

"Why are you here?" I asked her in a low voice.

She pressed herself closer to me. "Why? Is it wrong to have some fun after all the bad things that have happened in my life? Well, I deserve to have some fun..." then she closed her eyes and leaned in my arms.

"Mr. Romano, they're already waiting for you," Chris said.

I held the gorgeous, drunk woman in my arms and glanced at Chris. "Cancel it," I said.

"What?" he was surprised.

"You heard me. Cancel it."