A Lifetime With You by Athrhteera

Chapter

Alena

21

I pulled the front door open, revealing Alexei standing with his arms tucked inside his pants' pockets. He was dressed for work in his white buttoned-down shirt and black slacks but a few of his buttons were undone. The last time I saw him was months ago and feeling betrayed by my own brother, I didn't miss him much but if he came here to make amends, I was willing to put my feelings aside.. "Alexei, what are you doing here?" I asked, frowning.

"I came to see you to talk. Can I come inside, or should we go somewhere else?"

I stepped aside, letting him in..

Matteo wasn't home because he was at work, keeping up the pretenses of his company for the sake of money laundering. In fact, it was a legal company, but nobody knew about the money except for his employees. They signed an agreement to keep it a secret. just didn't expect to see you here. How did you know where I live, anyway?"

"I have my ways." The cliché answer from anyone as mysterious as Alexei.

If I were to ask Matteo about the private things he knew, he was going to give me the same answer, too. People like them, in the mafia, they never told the truth about a lot of things especially if it involved their work activities. do you want coffee?"

I

"Right...

We made our way towards the kitchen, and I served him a cup of coffee, it felt needed to at least get him something to drink. "Thank you, Alena."

We kept quiet for a while as he took a seat near the kitchen island. I was waiting for him to start talking about whatever he wanted to talk but he was taking his time-I didn't want to rush him or anything so, I kept quiet. your husband home?" He asked, putting the cup down.

"Is "No, he's at work. Is s something the matter, Alexei?" "I just came to

..

to see my little sister. I don't want to see him," he replied before grabbing my hand, caressing the back of it.

Honestly, I missed when we were younger because things were simple. We didn't have a lot to think about. All we knew was fun and enjoyment but now we couldn't stop thinking about our future, about our lives. We had to push aside our sibling bond. We had to be more selfish.

"Do you really hate him that much? Did he ever cross you in the mafia or is it just a Russian and Italian thing? Do you really not like him, or you just don't like him because he's Italian?" I asked, crossing my arms. "A little bit of both." He smiled.

actually a decent

that

Papa were planning up to marry me to Viktor. You, out of everyone, knew just how much I wanted my own control in life. Why didn't you stop him, Alyosha? Why did you let him go on

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put the Bratva first. Besides, Viktor is a good man. He's Russian and if he does anything to hurt you, we'd hurt him first. He'd never do anything crazy. "That's what you say. He might not hurt me, but I can't ever love him. Do

than just yourself." "That's wher where you're wrong "You don't get to family you're born into. And you don't get to say that either because you married an Italian mafia. What do you expect for your children? To not take over Matteo when the time comes? He has a big responsibility, Alena." "When you have a son, do you think he gets to choose what he can do in life?" He continued to speak, "Reality check, Alena. He needs to take over the mafia. He needs to do the killings. He needs to do the torturing. None of your children's hands would be clean." "No, my chil children will get to

choose which sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I never wanted anything to do with the Bratva. I didn't ask to be a part of it." I kept

to have a choice. They were going to inherit the mafia and they were going to do all

that's a lie, little

breathed out,

all the way to my house to manipulate

do you

way here to see you so we could talk just like how we used to when we were younger. You need

Your

A

pictures. They were wedding pictures of Matteo with

phone

kissed, and I felt as I was being betrayed. I swiped to find another picture of them kissing on a secluded beach. It was clear because he had a band on his finger in every single photo and so did, she. She had dark blonde hair and beautiful features.

you he was married?" He asked, shoving the phone

are old

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I

if iny answer was the truth. I felt betrayed but I didn't have the right to. She was probably an important part in his life before he knew me-something probably happened to her, and she was gone. Our marriage was a lie in the first place, maybe he

"I

hear this

of investigating to check up on him. It was hard to find anything at first because let me tell you, Alena, he's good at keeping himself hidden. But once I did a little extra digging, everything was out in

"So, what did he promise you when you married him? Because as far as I could tell, your marriage isn't valid. He's still married to someone else. And for someone who's a Catholic, I don't

all those nights alone... he was seeing his real wife and got home pretty late to you. Has it ever occurred to you that men in the mafia are not really good men? Some of them are but you get my point. They're not saints. We're not saints." Tears were beginning to stream down my cheeks, and I wipe them away quickly. Alexei didn't have to see

can leave the way you came," I

now than

can leave." I spoke through gritted teeth, trying

heard the front door closing shut, I began to let the tears escape. I fell onto the