“I’m going to pretend we never had this conversation,” he said finally. “You’ll get married to Fabio as planned,” he said, “and immediately resume your responsibilities with the company.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. My father was actually going to force me to marry a man I detested. “So this is not a request, but a command?”
“Sienna, you have been pampered for a long time—”
“I have not been pampered!” I cried in frustration.
“But it cannot go on any longer,” he carried on, completely unmoved by my outburst. “You are an adult now, and you need to act—”
“Okay, just one year,” I cut in desperately. “Give me at least one year to do what I want. Afterwards, I will do all that you ask.”
“No,” he said coldly and started to walk away.
I jumped in front of him and grabbed onto his arm. “Papa!”
He tore his arm away from my grasp and took a step back. I could see the growing annoyance in his eyes. My father expected total obedience from everyone he dealt with. With exception of Nonna, I had never seen anyone dare talk back to him. “You don’t know the wars that we are constantly fighting here. You have been shielded from all of it, but that cannot go on any longer. You cannot get a year. I could be killed tomorrow and there is no way in hell I am leaving this world without ensuring that you’re settled and in safe hands.”
“I could die tomorrow too,” I yelled back at him.
He stilled.
“Have you thought of that?” I demanded. “I could die tomorrow and all that you’d have is regrets that you did not grant me the one request I’ve ever made to you.”
He smiled, but it was dark and mocking. “I was mistaken in thinking you are now a woman. You’re still a very selfish and immature child.”
“With all due respect, Papa, you’re the one who is being selfish right now. Why are your desires more important than mine? You do exactly what you want with your life. Why can’t I?”
“Because you don’t own yourself—”
My jaw dropped. “Who owns me? You? I’m a chattel? Part of your holdings and possessions?” I held his gaze, daring him to respond.
He didn’t allow himself to be diverted from his path. “Your betrothal has already been set in place. You will be married to Fabio, and afterwards if you still want to take a year off to do whatever you want, then that will be up to you and your husband. But nothing will change your impending marriage—”
I decided to stop pretending to be civil. I clenched my fists to my sides. “I will absolutely not get married to Fabio.” I had only asked for a year so I could find a way to either change my fate of being attached to a man like Fabio, buy me time to plan some sort of escape. There was nothing left to do but stand my ground.
“You will,” he said and turned away to leave, as my willingness was of no consequence, his decision was all that mattered.
“Have you spent any time with him, Papa?”
He did not stop walking towards the door.
“You’re usually a great judge of character,” I shouted, “so I refuse to believe that you haven’t noticed the absolute rubbish of a human being he is. He is obnoxious, egoistic, loud, and downright rude. Is that the kind of man you want to give me away to? Will your mind truly be at peace? If that's the case, then I don’t think you even deserve to be called my father."
He stopped in his tracks then, and turned around to face me.
We glared at each other.
“I will not marry Fabio, Papa,” I declared. “And there’s nothing you can do about it. Unless you plan to drag me kicking and screaming down the aisle. And even if you do that, are you going to force me to agree to the vows? Remember that old saying Nonna loves to repeat. ‘You can take a horse to the bank, but you can’t force it to drink water.’ Unless of course, you intend to kill me and marry him to my dead body. If that works for you, then go right ahead.”
He walked back to me.
My heart jumped into my throat at the fury in his eyes.
I saw it coming but it happened so fast I couldn’t dodge it in time. His hand flew backwards, then forwards, and struck my cheek with such a violent force, I lost my balance as my body tilted backwards. My hand shot out towards the table with the hope of breaking my fall by catching the edge. I caught it, but the table turned over with me. I landed on the floor on my ass, the table nearly hitting me on the head. I looked up at him in shock. He had never hit me before, but I had never disobeyed him before either.