Chapter 4 The Unlikely Heir

• The tension in the room was palpable as Tony delivered a swift nudge to Vincenzo's arm, his expression a mixture of annoyance and disbelief.
• "You idiot, Vincenzo," Tony growled, "that's my father!"
• Vincenzo's face turned pale as he realized his mistake, quickly backing away from Tony's father, Antonio "The Jackal" Mancini, one of the most feared mafia leaders in the city.
• The older man stood in the doorway of the mansion’s basement, his piercing eyes surveying the chaotic scene before him.
• "Well, this is a surprise," Antonio said, his voice smooth but dangerous. He eyed Vincenzo with a cold, calculated gaze.
• “What the hell are you doing in my house, Vincenzo? Didn’t I make it clear that our families are not to cross paths?"
• Vincenzo, ever the slippery character, forced a smile as he inched toward the exit.
• “Ah, Lord Mancini, it’s not what it looks like. I was just, uh… paying a visit to Tony here. You know, a friendly check-in."
• Antonio's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward.
• “In my basement? During an interrogation? And here I was thinking you had a shred of common sense."
• Seeing the look on Antonio’s face, Vincenzo decided that discretion was indeed the better part of valor. He raised his hands in mock surrender.
• “I’ll just show myself out," he mumbled, edging toward the door as quickly as possible.
• "Yeah, you better run," Tony muttered under his breath as Vincenzo bolted up the stairs, disappearing from sight. Tony shook his head, exasperated by the whole situation.
• Antonio turned his gaze back to Tony, raising an eyebrow.
• “What’s a fool like Vincenzo doing in our mansion? You do realize the ongoing war between our organizations is because of idiots like him, right?"
• Tony shrugged nonchalantly.
• “It’s not personal, Pop. Just business. Our families aren’t at war—our organizations are. Besides, he walked in, so I might as well get some use out of him. Maybe bleed a little information from him while we’re at it."
• Antonio sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You’re going to get yourself killed one day with that attitude, Tony."
• Before Tony could respond, Antonio’s eyes drifted to Marissa, who was still sitting in the chair, looking thoroughly traumatized.
• Her eyes met his for a brief moment, and she quickly looked away, hoping to make herself as small and invisible as possible.
• Antonio smirked, a slow, amused smile creeping across his face as he observed the scene.
• “Well, well, well," he drawled, "what do we have here? You’ve got yourself a pretty little hostage, huh, Tony? Or is she something else?"
• Tony’s mind raced as he tried to come up with an explanation, but before he could speak, Antonio continued, his tone taking on a mocking edge.
• "Don’t tell me… you’re into this sort of thing, huh? I never took you for the BDSM type."
• Tony’s eyes widened in horror, realizing what his father was insinuating. "No! Pop, it’s not like that—"
• But Antonio was already chuckling to himself, shaking his head in disbelief.
• “I knew you had a wild side, Tony, but I didn’t think it extended to tying up innocent girls in the basement." He looked at Marissa again, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "So, are you into this too, sweetheart? Or is Tony just showing off?"
• Marissa felt her face flush with embarrassment, desperately wishing she could sink into the floor and disappear. "I-I’m not… it’s not…"
• Antonio held up a hand, cutting off her stammering explanation.
• “Relax, I’m just messing with you. Though I have to say, Tony, this is one hell of a way to introduce a girl to the family."
• Tony was about to protest further when Antonio’s expression suddenly turned serious. He glanced around the basement, taking in the situation with a more critical eye.
• “But on a more pressing note, what’s really going on here, Tony? You know I don’t tolerate loose ends."
• Tony swallowed hard, realizing he needed to tread carefully.
• “Pop, it’s not what it looks like. Marissa here—she just got caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. She’s not a threat."
• "Not a threat?" Antonio repeated, his tone skeptical. He walked over to Marissa, looking down at her with a piercing gaze. "If she’s not a threat, why is she tied to a chair in my basement? What did you get yourself into, Tony?"
• Tony hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "She… she stumbled into one of our operations. Vincenzo thought she was a spy, but she’s not. She’s just a student who got lost. I was handling it."
• Antonio raised an eyebrow. "Handling it? And by handling it, you mean what exactly? Interrogating her until she cracks? What’s the plan here, Tony?"
• Tony shifted uncomfortably, feeling his father’s scrutiny. "I wasn’t going to hurt her, Pop. I was just… trying to get some answers. Make sure she wasn’t a threat."
• Antonio shook his head in disappointment. "Tony, you know better than to make a mess like this. We don’t need any more heat on us right now, especially not with the Fedorov family breathing down our necks."
• Marissa, sensing an opportunity to plead her case, finally found her voice.
• “Please, Lord Mancini… I didn’t mean to get involved in any of this. I really was just lost. I don’t know anything about your operations. I swear."
• Antonio studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to Marissa’s surprise, he nodded slowly.
• “You might be telling the truth, girl. But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. You’ve seen things you shouldn’t have seen, and that’s a problem."
• Marissa’s heart sank. "I won’t tell anyone, I promise. I just want to go home."
• Tony, sensing his father’s resolve, quickly interjected. "Pop, I’ve got this under control. She’s not going to talk. I’ll make sure of it."
• Antonio gave Tony a long, hard look, as if weighing his son’s words. "You’re sure about that?"
• Tony nodded firmly. "I’m sure. I’ll handle it."
• For a long moment, there was silence in the room as Antonio considered his options.
• Finally, he sighed, rubbing his temples as if the whole situation had given him a headache.
• “Alright, Tony. I’m going to trust you on this one. But you better make sure she doesn’t cause any more problems. And that means taking care of this mess properly."
• Tony felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Thanks, Pop. I won’t let you down."
• Antonio gave him a curt nod, then turned his attention back to Marissa.
• “You’re lucky my son’s got a soft spot for pretty girl," he said, his tone less harsh than before. "But don’t mistake his kindness for weakness. If you cross us, there won’t be a second chance."
• Marissa nodded quickly, her heart pounding in her chest. "I understand."
• Antonio straightened up, turning to leave. But just before he exited the basement, he stopped and glanced back at Tony.
• “One more thing," he said, his tone carrying the weight of authority. "You’re not getting any younger, Tony. It’s time you started thinking about the future."
• Tony frowned, not sure where his father was going with this. "What do you mean?"
• Antonio’s expression softened, just slightly. "You’re going to be the one who carries on the Mancini legacy. But to do that, you need to settle down. Get married. Have a family."
• Tony’s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what? Are you serious?"
• "As serious as a heart attack," Antonio replied, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I’m not getting any younger, and neither are you. The organization needs a leader who can think about more than just today. We need someone who can think about the future."
• Tony looked at his father, speechless. This was the last thing he had expected to hear today. "I’m not ready for that, Pop. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now."
• Antonio waved a hand dismissively. "I’m not asking, Tony. I’m telling. You need to find someone and start a family. And soon."
• Tony opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Antonio’s eyes flicked back to Marissa, who was still sitting quietly in the chair.
• A slow, mischievous smile spread across Antonio’s face. "And judging by the way you’re handling things down here," he added, "it seems you might already have a candidate in mind."
• Tony’s face turned crimson as he realized what his father was implying. "Pop, it’s not like that—"
• But Antonio just chuckled, shaking his head. "Whatever you say, Tony. Just make sure you do what needs to be done. Time’s running out." With that, he turned and walked out of the basement, leaving Tony and Marissa alone.
• For a moment, there was silence as Tony stared after his father, trying to process everything that had just happened.
• Then he sighed, running a hand through his hair as he turned to Marissa.
• "Well, that was… something," Tony muttered, still flustered by the whole conversation.
• Marissa, who had been silently watching the exchange, finally found her voice. "Your father… he thinks we’re…"
• "Yeah," Tony said, still trying to wrap his head around the idea. "He’s got it in his head that I need to settle down. And now he thinks you’re the one I should do it with."
• Marissa blinked, the absurdity of the situation finally sinking in.
• “That’s… ridiculous," she said, though a small part of her couldn’t help but find the situation darkly humorous.
• Tony couldn’t help but laugh, a slightly hysterical sound. "Tell me about it. I never thought I’d see the day when my father started playing matchmaker."
• Marissa looked at him, her expression softening slightly. "So… what happens now?"
• Tony sighed, shaking his head. "I don’t know, Marissa. I really don’t know." He looked at her, a mix of frustration and resignation in his eyes. "But one thing’s for sure—we’re in this together now. Whether we like it or not."
• Marissa felt a shiver run down her spine at his words, a mixture of fear and a strange, inexplicable thrill.
• She had no idea what the future held, but one thing was clear: her life had taken a turn she never could have anticipated.
• “No! No no no!”
• *