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CHAPTER1
Sophia
Tonight my family’s announcing my engagement to Nikolai Kozlov, second in line to rule the Kozlov Bratva in New York City. In three short months I’ll be his wife. An arrangement agreed upon by my father and Nik’s uncle to form a stronger alliance.
With clammy palms, I smooth down the front of my dress for what must be the hundredth time as I stare into the full-length mirror. I shouldn’t be nervous, but I am. I’ve been fortunate enough to date my fiancé for the past nine months, if you can call going on all of four dates in that timeframedating.
Honestly, he hasn’t shown much interest in me at all. But at least I was allowed to meet him before our wedding day, some girls are not so lucky. I should be grateful. And yet… Tonight’s engagement party has brought the reality of my situation crashing in, breaking against me like a wave on jagged rocks.
All of this is happening too quickly. I’m not ready.
“You look beautiful, Sophia.”
My gaze flicks over my shoulder in the mirror and lands on my sister’s sweet face. “Thanks. Though, how I look is the least of my concerns tonight.”
Her brow pinches as she walks fully into my bedroom. “What do you mean? Tonight is extremely important to all of us.” Arianna perches on the edge of my bed, her back ramrod straight, and her hands folded. She’s stunning in a satin dress that brings out the green in her hazel eyes. I’m the oldest, but Arianna is the epitome of the perfect mafia princess.
She continues, “Your marriage to Nikolai Kozlov will set Ginevra and I up for good matches of our own. We’re relying on you to pave the way for us. The connections our family will make through your marriage will further cement our authority in this city. No one will dare cross us or the Kozlovs again.”
“You sound like Papa.” I roll my eyes. Arianna has always fallen in line with whatever our father says. Whereas I doubt Ginevra, our youngest sister, is excited about the prospect of agood match. In fact, she’s probably downstairs already causing trouble right now.
Though everything else Arianna says is true. I am paving the way for them, and in the process helping to strengthen my family. I’m the eldest daughter and this is my duty. My own dreams are irrelevant.
Dreams of college, of a normal life, of having any real say in the direction of my life… Those are not possible for me.
Arianna crosses her arms and levels that authoritative look on me that so closely resembles Mama’s. She’s a year younger than me, but most people mistake us for twins. We have the same deep brunette hair with a hint of auburn and are of a similar stature. Though my eyes are dark brown, lacking the myriad colors in her hazel irises.
I turn away from the mirror to study her more closely. Something about the intensity in which she delivered her little pep talk is nagging at the corners of my mind.
“Are you listening to me? Weneedthis union, Soph.”
“You know something,” I practically accuse. “Look at you, you’re all tense—well, more tense than usual.”
She tosses me an exasperated glare.
I ignore it. “What’s going on? Why is my engagement party tonight so important to you?” I lift a brow, both questioning and inflicting my older sister authority on her.
She glances away, and I know my assumption is correct.
“The aunties were talking yesterday, and they let it slip that Papa’s been hinting around at betrothing me to someone very soon.”
Not the aunties again.
“Those old bats just like stirring up trouble. You’re only twenty, and I’m not even married off yet. Surely Papa will wait until my wedding is over before he starts scheming for his next son-in-law.” Itsk. “Besides, you know gossip is a sin, right?”
“Idlegossip is a sin. In our world it’s the only way to get information, skewed as it may be at times.” Arianna leans forward. “But I refuse to sit by and have absolutely no clue about what’s being decided for my future.”
She has a point.Our world.I sometimes forget how we don’t live life like normal people. At least, not since we were young children. Being pulled from private school and having tutors come to the house since the age of thirteen, so we’re not influenced by the outside world, isnotnormal. Spending the past three years studying to be the perfect wife and preparing for our engagements isnotnormal. Most people are in college during this time of their lives.
Above all else, arranged marriages arenot normal.
Yet here we are. I am fifteen minutes away from taking the first step toward my arranged marriage to a man I’ve been out with a total of four times—four times in nine months--but know him well enough to know that I won’t be happy as his wife.
But I have no choice.
I’ve never had a choice in anything. I was born into this family and this is my role to play. Mama hopes I’ll come to love him, like she did with Papa. I don’t have much hope for that.
At least Nik isn’t as bad as other men. He’s young, only five years older than me, and handsome. If he never opened his mouth, I might actually enjoy his company. Unfortunately, Nik is full of opinions. Ones I have to live with.
