Chapter 8 Marry My Heir

• “So, you do remember me. Excellent!” the boss said with a warm smile that showed off the wrinkles around the corners of his eyes.
• I have to say that I did not expect the kind-hearted uncle to be a mafia boss. In other words, I did not expect the mafia boss to be a smiley uncle figure.
• “Yeah…umm…hello…once again, I guess,” I stammered when I finally found my tongue.
• “Have a drink, dear. You look a little tired from the trip. It must have been a long one…” the boss said as he gestured to a glass or water that was placed on the coffee table.
• “Thank you…” I whispered as I reached for the glass.
• “Did my men treat you roughly? I did order them to be gentle with you…as gentle as handling a feather,” the boss asked, suddenly his gaze was serious.
• For some reason, I figured that I shouldn’t tell him that they bounded my hands and feet and taped my mouth shut.
• “I’m fine…thank you. More importantly, why…am I here?” I asked in confusion. I mean, there’s the matter of my parent’s debt but…
• “Five hundred million dollars,” The boss began speaking.
• “If it’s the money. I don’t have it right now, but I swear, I’ll work or do whatever it takes, and I’ll pay you back. Please!” I cut in desperately.
• “Oh…you’d do anything, huh?” the old man said, his eyes twinkling.
• “Umm…anything…not illegal, I guess…” I said my voice trailing off.
• “Hahaha! You’re such a good girl and I like that so much. I knew you were such a good girl the first time we ran into each other,” the boss said after laughing out loud at my words.
• “Umm…so about the debt…” I began saying hesitantly.
• “About the money, I don’t want it back,” the boss said bluntly as he waved his hand like it was nothing.
• “Really?!” I asked in surprise, but I could feel the sense of relief flooding through my body. I mean, let’s be realistic, I probably won’t earn even close to that amount in my lifetime.
• “Of course. Instead, I want you to marry my son,” the boss stated, his tone suddenly very serious.
• “WHAT?!” I shouted in shock before choking on the water that I had been drinking.
• **cough cough cough**
• “Are you…ok?” the boss said as he watched me cough and choke on the water.
• “…yeah…” I whispered between ragged breath as my coughing started to subsize.
• “So, I was saying…that I want you to marry my son,” the boss said seriously as he smiled with satisfaction.
• “Is this some sort of bad joke?!” I exclaimed in shock.
• ‘…the boss is…a very serious man. Watch what you do and say if you want to live to see the light of dawn,’
• I heard the stern voice of the man in black from before and I felt goosebumps on my whole body. Shit, did I just say the wrong thing just now?
• “You did just say that you would do anything,” the boss reminded me with a grin.
• “But marrying your son is…” I began protesting.
• “I can understand why you might think I’m joking; however, I am dead serious. I want you to marry my son,” the boss repeated, his eyes never leaving my face as he continued to observe my every reaction.
• I felt exposed. I felt like he could read me like an open book…
• “But I…I’m very sorry but I can’t imagine marrying someone I don’t even know…I don’t even love…” I began explaining the best that I could. Not to mention, above all else, I could never marry a mafia.
• “I totally understand. That won’t be a problem at all. You’ll definitely fall in love with my son,” the boss said with confidence as he waved his hand as if brushing away from concern.
• “No…I…I can’t marry your son, I’m sorry but…is there something else that I can do to repay the debt instead?” I said with a clear plead in my voice.
• “Perhaps we could cut you apart and sell all of your organs in the black market. I don’t know, maybe even then you won’t amount to five hundred million dollars…” the boss said as he looked me up and down as if appraising my worth.
• “Please let me go home. I have a very old grandmother and we don’t have anyone else apart from each other. I need to be there to take care of her…” I pleaded with him.
• “If you marry into this family, you will have it all. Power, wealth, fame and whatever it is that you need. I only have one son and he will take over as my heir,” the boss said passionately.
• Marry his son?! That is crazy. I have only thought of marriage once before but…I guess, things just didn’t work out…
• Anyways, if I ever get married, I don’t want to marry the heir of a mafia gang!
• “What happens…if I refuse?” I asked in a small hesitant voice.
• “Hahaha! Seriously, honey dear, what makes you think that you can refuse? I didn’t bring you all the way to my base just so you can turn down my offer and waltz right out. Only the mafia top members know where this place is, I can’t let you leave now that you’ve been here, you know…” the boss said sweetly as he continued to smile gently at me.
• However, his actions couldn’t be more of a stark contrast to his words when he slowly placed a black object onto the coffee table. I realized to my utter shock that it was a gun.
• “You’re going to marry my son just as the contract says,” the old man said firmly.
• “The contract?” I asked in confusion. There’s something about this ridiculous arrangement in the contract?
• “Exactly. See the terms for yourself,” the boss said as he gestured towards the papers of the contract.
• “What the…” I muttered to myself as my eyes scanned the terms of the document.
• On the very last page, the term states that ‘in the event that the debt cannot be repaid, debtors agree to let their daughter, Miss Malissa Maxford, marry a member of the lender’s family based on the lender’s choice without exception.’
• What kind of out-of-this-world term is that? How can my parents sign such a thing? Were they so sure that they would be able to pay back the debt no matter what?
• --To be continued…