Chapter 4
LIANA
“Tomasso Caruso, my name is—”
“Liana DiMaggio,” the older man says with a smile that most would find attractive. But knowing what I know about him, I just raise a brow, making sure to keep my guard up with a man like him.
I extend my hand out, which he looks at before standing from his desk and shaking it.
Before I’m able to pull it away, his grip tightens and he brings it up to his mouth, placing a kiss on it.
I give him the sweetest smile I can muster but internally wince, then subtly wipe my hand on the side of my cashmere coat once he finally releases it.
“Can I take your jacket?” he asks.
“I’m okay, thank you, though. This shouldn’t take long.”
“Please, take a seat, then,” he says, gesturing to the chair behind me with a confident smirk that has me second-guessing how this meeting will go. “What brings you to my place? And alone, might I ask. No guard today?”
“There aren’t any active threats against my family, so having a guard on me twenty-four seven isn’t necessary. Besides, I’m perfectly capable of having a meeting with you on my own.”
Tomasso chuckles. “You’re a spunky little one, aren’t you?”
“If by spunky you mean a woman who can hold her own perfectly fine in a world that’s run by men? Sure, I’m the spunkiest,” I say with a loose shrug but the purest smile on my face.
My remark seems to tug at the corner of Tomasso’s mouth, but he doesn’t respond to it. “What can I help you with, Liana?”
His eyes glisten with intrigue, so I get right to it. I don’t have time to waste. Getting down to business is something I’ve always been good at.
“I’m here on behalf of Gregory Taylor, Colton Taylor’s dad. I’m sure you know him.”
Tomasso laughs again and says, “Of course I know my daughter’s boyfriend’s father. Great guy he is, huh?”
The slight hint of sarcasm in Tomasso’s tone doesn’t bypass me, and it heats my skin that he would treat his daughter’s boyfriend’s family in such regard.
“I’m here to pay off his debt.”
Tomasso lets out a humorous scoff. “And why would a sweet little thing like you want to do that?”
“Alessia means a lot to me and I want to see her happy. You holding this debt over Colton’s head, destroying his career in football, is only going to hurt her.”
“Alessia will get over it,” he chides. “There are plenty of men in this world that would be honored to have her as a wife.”
“But she loves Colton,” I state, the protective instinct for her coming out in me.
“And I’ve let her have her fun with him, but once she realizes he’s just a useless little athlete that will never amount to anything more after I’m through with him, she’ll move on to someone much better. Much more fitting for our family.”
I let out a sigh, now understanding why Tomasso won’t take his daughter’s money. He wants to control her and marry her off to benefit him.
Arranged marriages are common in our world, but it still grates on my nerves knowing men like this exist. How can a father force his daughter to marry one man when she’s clearly in love with another?
It’s why I’m grateful to be in the family I’m in. If my parents were alive, I don’t think they would’ve made me marry someone. Would they have wanted to set me up? Sure, but they wouldn’t have made me marry a man if I was adamant about being with someone else.
But with them passing away from a plane crash over a decade ago, I now have my cousin Matteo to look to for guidance with that, and I know he wouldn’t make me marry someone I didn’t want to. I have zero plans of marrying anyone in this world, and he backs me up on that decision.
Getting into fashion has always been a dream of mine, and now that I’ve built my empire, it’s my main focus in life. I don’t need a man right now, and I sure as hell don’t need someone like Tomasso Caruso who wants to control me.
“Money, power, and control are all that matter to men like you, and I’m here to offer you a significant amount of money on behalf of Gregory and Colton Taylor,” I say.
Tomasso raises a brow but remains silent, so I continue.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and bring up my financial adviser’s phone number.
“Name your price. Whatever the number is, I’ll call my financial adviser now to get it wired to your account immediately.”
Tomasso is silent for a moment, then lets out a laugh. “You think your money means anything to me?”
“Of course I do. It’s all men like you care about.”
He leans forward in his seat and places his forearms on his desk. “I’d be lying if I said your offer wasn’t tempting, Liana …” He narrows his gaze on me, studying me, and when he sits back in his chair, he says, “But I’m going to have to politely decline.”
“And why’s that?” I ask, trying to mask my irritation.
“Let’s just say there’s a higher power in play here, and you’ve been marked.”
My brow furrows. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, come on, Liana. You’re clearly an intelligent young lady. What do you think I could be referring to … Or should I say who?”
I rack my brain, trying to figure out what he means, but nothing comes to mind. Higher power? As in his don, Andreas Bonetti? What the hell would he have against me?
“What you’re saying doesn’t make any sense. I’ve been marked by Andreas Bonetti?”
“Close, but not quite.”
“Enlighten me, then, Tomasso,” I say, frustration yielding my voice.
“I don’t think I will.” His cocky tone makes me want to smack the smirk right off his face. This has been a huge waste of time. Why did I think I’d be able to come and pay off Gregory Taylor’s debts? I should’ve known negotiating with a capo would get me absolutely nowhere.
Pushing myself up to a stand, I shove my phone back in my pocket and say, “This has clearly been a waste of time, so I’ll see myself out.
But let me leave you with one piece of advice—don’t do this to your daughter, because turning her against you will only disappoint you in the end.
If you want any relationship with her, you’ll stop trying to control her and let her be happy. ”
His jaw clicks, so I know I’ve struck a nerve, which puts a condescending smile on my face as I turn around and walk toward the door.
I place my hand on the handle but am halted when Tomasso’s voice fills the air. “Good luck, Liana DiMaggio. I have a feeling you’re going to need it for what’s to come.”
The underlying threat in his tone makes me want to ask more questions, but he won’t give me anything, so I continue to push through the door.
I have no idea what Andreas Bonetti could want with me, but I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.