Adrian Marco Irene Cast NovelThe Lottery of Fate

Every Christmas Eve, the heir of the Marco mafia familyAdrian Marco, must follow the family tradition:
Draw a name to decide whether hes allowed to marry me.
Because I, Irene Cast, am not mafia-born.
Unless he draws the slip with my name on it, he cant take me as his wife.
For four years, Adrian has drawn four times.
And not once did he draw my name.
I always thought he fought with his family because of me
that he was willing to risk losing his position as the Don, just to choose me.
Every time he failed, he held me so tightly and whispered,
Its okay. Theres always next year.
And I loved him so much it hurt.
Hurt enough that I was willing to wait, year after year.
This year, I told myself:
If he still doesnt draw my name
Ill secretly switch the result.
I sneaked to the door of Adrians study, and heard his younger brother ask:
Don every year you do draw Irene's name. Why do you pretend you didnt? Is it because you still cant let Sera go?
But he simply said, in a flat voice,
Sera needs me for something urgent.
Do what you always do: swap Irenes name for a blank one.
He walked out without looking back.
Instead of swapping, he tossed the blank slip into the trash,
left the one with my name on the table, and hurried after Adrian.
I went inside, picked up the blank slip from the trash, and replaced the one with my name.
Watching my own name fall into the garbage.
AdrianI dont want to wait and marry you anymore.
Ill grant you your choice.
Chapter 1
Adrian came back from seeing Sera and found me waiting for him in the living room.
He shrugged off his coat, pulled me straight into his arms, his voice low and aching:
Waiting this early for the results? My principessa.
The butler brought over the slip hed drawn.
And just like every year, Adrian held it with that same careful, heart-aching tenderness, ready to open it for me.
I stared at him in a daze.
All these years, I thought the disappointment in his voice, every time he said I didnt draw it, was real.
I never imagined it was all a performance.
He cupped my face in both hands.
No matter what it says, my love for you doesnt change. You know that, right?
I gave him a smile, soundless, strengthless.
The butler opened the slip.
A blank one.
Exactly the one I had put there.
And I stayed perfectly calm.
Adrians brows drew together.
He noticed something was wrongnoticed how I wasnt reacting like every other year,
not crying, not breaking down, not begging him to hold me.
He tried carefully, almost gently:
Irene? Why are you so quiet this year?
He brushed his fingers through my hair.
Well get it next year. If I dont draw your name, Im not marrying anyone else.
I tugged at the corner of my lips.
Theres no need. Not anymore.
You should just follow the familys plan and marry Sera.
Adrian froze.
His expression darkened, bit by bit.
Irene you really dont trust me?
My principessa, he murmured, gentle but firm,
yes, the elders keep saying marrying a Moretti heiress would secure my position.
Theyre terrified Sera might marry the Detroit heir and make my position collapse overnight.
He let out a quiet, almost helpless laugh.
Thats exactly why none of them could ever be the Don.
His thumb brushed my cheek as he spoke, voice low, calm, and absolutely certain:
Power isnt built by who I marry.
Its built by the casinos I own, the ports that run under my name, and the money I moveenough that even the Feds think twice before knocking.
He sighed, reaching for me.
I only love you. Youre the only one Ive ever wanted to marry.
Why do you think I fight them every year?
I stepped away from his hands without making a sound.
Then I asked quietly, You never felt guilty toward Sera, did you?
Adrian stopped.
Then let out a soft, helpless laugh.
Of course not. Love cant be forced.
Ill admit it, she has sacrificed a lot for me.
Born a Moretti heiress, yet she stayed by my side as nothing more than my assistant.
One time she got drunk, clung to me, crying saying my wedding day would be the darkest day of her life.
But she and I both know the truth. She knows I dont love her.
She knows I only love you.
All I can say is maybe the reason I havent drawn your name all these years is... Gods will.
My chest went cold.
And suddenly I understood.
This was why he agreed to that stupid draw-a-name-and-marry-her rule.
If he drew my name, hed have to marry me
and everyone would think he was breaking the families agreement.
Trouble. Pressure. Questions he didnt want.
But if my name never showed up
he could keep me, but never have to put a ring on my finger,
never risk his position as Don.
My four years of waiting werent loyalty.
They were his way of smoothing things over with Sera,
and keeping his title as the Great Lakes Don steady.
Hed already cut me out in his head, already used me where it benefitted him
and still had the nerve to look at me like he was the one who loved deepest.
When we had just started dating, Sera was forced to put her engagement with him on hold because of me..
At a banquet, people pointed at her, mocking her for being cast aside by Adrian.
I stood at the end of the hall, watching her surrounded, pale, clutching her glass.
And Adrian?
He gave her nothing more than a chilly glance, then closed his hand around mine and pulled me away.
Back then, I thought that was devotion.
Thought he was choosing me with unwavering resolve.
All those soft My principessa had felt like love.
But now its painfully clear:
If he married Sera, hed lose me.
If he married me, he might lose his title.
So he chose to marry neither
and disguised it as Gods choice through that draw,
so he wouldnt have to lose anything at all.
Christmas had always been my personal day of suffering,
but this year
this year is the worst.
And yet
as much as it hurts, at least I finally see the truth.
And Im done staying trapped in this.
I slipped into an empty corner, pulled out my phone, and dialed my mother.
What was the draw result this year? she asked, her voice full of concern.
Can you two get married?
Mom Im coming home.
Ill go through with the engagement you and Dad arranged.
Chapter 2
My mothers voice came through the phone, warm and decisive.
Alright. One week from now, come back to Miami. Ill arrange everything.
Mm. Thanks, Mom for arranging the wedding.
I hung up.
And immediately
A voice behind me:
Wedding? Irene Im sorry, but your ceremony with the Don has to be postponed. Again.
I turned.
Adrians younger brother was somehow already standing behind me.
He sighed loudly.
Damn. We couldve started planning it this time. Why did it change again?
The look on his face said everything
awkward, uneasy, and a kind of quiet outrage on my behalf, like even he thought Adrian was pushing it.
I swear I
I knew exactly what he wanted to say.
He was this close to saying it: I swear I swapped it. I left your name in there.
I gave him a calm smile just as Adrian walked over and wrapped an arm around my waist.
What do you mean, wedding?
His voice was commanding, utterly sure.