Surrender to the Don's Embrace
Chapter 7

7

MILLIE

My eyes darted toward my bed. This was a horrible reminder of what would happen soon.

"There's something else. Are you taking the pill?"

Color drained from my face as I stared at him. "Of course not."

Gio scrutinized me with unsettling calm. "Your mother could have made you start it in preparation for the wedding."

I was pretty sure I was going to have a nervous breakdown any moment. "My mother would never do that. She won't even talk to me about these things."

Gio raised one eyebrow. "But you do know what happens between a man and a woman on a wedding night?" He was mocking me, the bastard.

"I do know what happens between normal couples. In our case, I think the word you're looking for is rape."

Gio's eyes flashed with emotion. "I want you to start taking the pill." He handed me a small packet. It was birth control.

"Do I need to see a doctor before I start taking birth control?"

"We have a doctor who's been working for the Familia for decades. This is from him. You need to start taking the pill immediately. It takes 48 hours for them to start working."

I couldn't believe him. He seemed really eager to sleep with me. My stomach tightened. "And what if I don't?"

Gio shrugged. "Then I'll use a condom. Either way, on our wedding night, you are mine."

He opened the door and gestured for me to move. As if in a trance, I walked into the living area of the suite. I hadn't meant to make him angry, but now it was too late. It probably wasn't the last time anyway. Enrique stood beside Harper and Sienna, looking annoyed. He frowned at Gio. "What are you doing here?"

"You should pay better attention in the future and keep your breaks to a minimum," Gio told him.

"I was gone for only a few minutes, and there were guards in front of the other doors."

Harper smirked. Sebastian's eyes were locked on her. "What are you looking at?" she snapped.

Sebastian leaned forward. "At your hot body."

"Then keep looking." She gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Because that's all you ever get to do with my hot body."

"Stop it," Enrique warned.

I wasn't looking at him but at Sebastian, who had a calculating expression on his face.

"Dario will take over the watch duty until the wedding," Gio said. Enrique opened his mouth, but Gio raised a hand. "It's done." He turned to Dario, who straightened at once. They walked a few steps away from

us.

Harper pressed up to me. "What does he mean?"

"Dario is my new bodyguard."

"He just wants to control you."

"Shh." I was watching Gio and Dario. After a moment, Dario glanced at Sienna, then nodded and said something.

They finally returned to us. "Dario will stay with you," Gio said simply. He was so cold since I'd as good as called him a monster.

"And what am I supposed to do?" Enrique asked.

"You can guard their door."

"Or you can join our stag party," Sebastian suggested.

"I'm not interested," Enrique said.

Gio shrugged. "Suit yourself. Old Pearce is coming with us."

My father would go with them? I didn't even want to know what they were up to.

Gio turned to me. "Remember what I told you."

I didn't say anything, only clutched the pill packet in my hand. Without another word, Gio and Sebastian left. Dario held the door open. "You can leave too," he told Enrique, who glared but walked out after a moment. Dario shut the door and locked it.

Harper gaped. "You can't be serious." S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Dario stood by the door, his arms folded in front of him, unmoved by the conversation.

"Come, Harper," I urged, pulling her towards the couch where Sienna was already perched on the armchair, captivated by Dario's presence.

Harper noticed the birth control pills in my hand. "What's that for?" She asked out of curiosity.

"Birth control," I replied.

Harper was quick to voice her

disapproval, suspecting that Gio had given them to me with ulterior motives for our wedding night. I

reluctantly admitted that I had to et

take them, fearing Gio's anger didn't comply. Despite her reservations, Harper agreed to drop the subject and watch a movie to distract ourselves. However, it was hard to focus with Dario keeping a watchful eye on us.

"Will you stand there all night?" I finally asked, feeling uneasy. "At least sit down."

Dario moved to the empty armchair and sat, taking off his jacket to reveal a white shirt with guns and a knife secured in a holster.

Sienna was intrigued and approached him, hoping to elicit a reaction. She sat on his lap, causing him to tense up. I intervened, pulling Sienna away and scolding her for her behavior, concerned that some men might misinterpret her actions and harm her.

Harper chimed in, adding her own warning, though she received a glare from me for her remark. As Sienna went to bed, I apologized for her actions, explaining that she didn't understand the potential danger she could be in.

Dario disclosed that he was twenty years old and had been working for Gio for four years, becoming a made man six years ago due to his loyalty, not just his combat skills. Harper probed further, asking if he was trusted not to pursue a relationship with me. He assured us that Gio knew he could be trusted with what belonged to him.

Harper continued her inquiry, questioning where Gio and the other men were going for their stag night. Although Dario didn't answer, Harper speculated they would be visiting strip clubs and brothels, expressing her frustration with the double standards imposed on women in their world.

Dario calmly replied that he didn't make the rules but was tasked with ensuring they were followed. Harper accused him of being a warden rather than a protector. She wondered why men could freely engage in promiscuous behavior while women were expected to remain chaste until marriage.

Dario countered by explaining that he was also protecting men who might not know who I was and could unknowingly cross boundaries. Harper was taken aback, and I furrowed my brow, contemplating his perspective.

"In the end," Harper said, "my father would still be the one to deal with any man who dared to touch me. He treasures me too much to let anyone ruin me."

The room fell into silence as we all processed the complex dynamics of our world and the weight of the expectations placed upon us.

For the first time, I came to the realization that just because I had been promised to Gio, it didn't guarantee that Harper wouldn't be forced into marrying someone else. The weight of this truth hit me, and I suddenly felt overwhelmingly weary. "I'm going to bed," I announced.

Throughout the night, I lay awake, my mind racing with thoughts of escaping the impending wedding. Yet, every plan seemed to lead to difficult choices. If I ran away, Harper Would likely join me, but what about Sienna? I couldn't ensure their safety together. And what about Sebastian? Or my mother? Leaving everything behind felt like

abandoning my entire life, even though it wasn't much of a life with Gio. Maybe I was being a coward, but deep down, I knew that marrying a man like Gio would demand more courage than running away.

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