Drakes POV

My kid brother Riley is getting married tomorrow. He had been begging me to attend his wedding but I couldn’t give him a definite answer because I wasn’t sure I was ready to come back home after so many years.

I had a fallout with my parents many years ago. They had wanted me to give up my dreams and aspirations and take over the family business after my father retired but I wanted more than that, I wanted to travel around the world, meet people and expand our business and make it worldwide.

Our family is wealthy and influential in the country but I want more than that, I desire to make money my own way and become famous through my own hard work but my family just wanted me to pick up from where my father stopped and settle down to live a quiet life. I had a huge argument with them after they tried to force me into an arranged marriage. They can be so overbearing, they plan our lives and expect us to live according to their script. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I left Los Angeles and I moved over to New York City, where I set out to expand our family's business without their knowledge.

Riley was made to run the company while I was gone. He was twenty-five years old when he started working in our company as acting CEO. I coordinated with him from my base in New York, working with him to take our business nationwide, and together, we have succeeded in achieving much more than I had ever dreamed of. Our company is much bigger and we have set up several branches in more than ten different countries. So it is safe to say that we are not just wealthy, we are famous and influential. I even indulged myself and satisfied my desire to own my brand, my own very company, one that bears my name and not my family's name.

But, It's been ten years since I left, and I think it is high time I come back home and sort out the issue with my family. That is why I came back for Riley’s wedding, I was hoping to use this as an opportunity to speak to my parents and apologize for running away and abandoning my responsibilities.

Who would have thought that the wedding would be canceled after their bachelor/bachelorette party?

A part of me wants to blame myself for what is happening right now, but it’s not my fault, is it?

…FLASHBACK…

I was in my hotel room, watching one of my favorite shows on TV when I noticed that someone was tampering with my door lock from outside. I turned off the light immediately and lay still on the bed, pretending to be asleep so I can catch whoever is trying to break into my room. This is so unacceptable, it could be one of our staffers that’s stealing from our clients. I’ll fucking deal with whoever it is, I’ll not let this slide. I laid still and watched the door close, but no burglar walked in through that door, instead, I was greeted with the warm presence of a woman.

She nearly tripped and fell when she walked in through the door, and I realized that this is no burglar, it was just a very drunk woman that has no idea of where she is or what she is doing at the moment. She must be from the party downstairs and she reeks of alcohol. On the other hand, she is extremely beautiful, so curvy and elegant. I couldn’t see her clearly because the room is very dark but I caught a clear glimpse of her stunning beauty when she walked in through the door. She staggered forward and slumped on the bed, heaving a sigh of relief as she enjoyed the comfy bed, my bed.

“Who is this woman and what the hell am I going to do with her?” I thought within me as I watched her lying face-down on the bed. There is absolutely nothing I can do to get her out of this room without creating a scene and embarrassing her. I’ll just let her sleep off her highness, I’m sure she’ll be somber in the morning and we can then sort out this misunderstanding. I’ll have to take the couch tonight so she doesn’t have crazy thoughts when she sees me by her side in the morning. I’m guessing she is one of Riley’s guests and she is also going to be at the wedding tomorrow, it would be a shame if she creates a scene at my brother’s wedding because of me, my parents would never forgive me.

I tried to gently move out of the bed so I don’t wake her up, then she stretched her hand and grabbed me, making me still in my movement. She touched my bare chest with her soft warm hands, sending shivers down my spine. Then she raised her head and squinted her eyes to gaze properly at me, causing my heart to beat faster as I anticipated her reaction when she notices my presence. Surprisingly, she doesn’t scream or scurry away when she saw me, instead, she flirted with me, moving her soft, warm palm on my chest, sending warm tingles all over my body. From her words, I could tell that she is so drunk and she is mistaking me for someone else, my rational side was telling me to stop her but my body was sending different signals to my brain, eliminating every sane thought from my head.

No woman has ever made me feel this good. My chest is filled with her sweet fragrance, pulling me closer to her, I know the right thing to do was to stop her because I am not who she thinks I am, but I wanted this, I wanted her so badly, which is so weird because I don’t even know her. She kissed me passionately, moaning into the kiss as she kissed me all over, eliciting a groan out of me. I tried to, believe me, I really wanted to stop her, but it felt so good as she pleasures me, it felt so fucking good. I know she wouldn’t remember a thing by tomorrow, so I relaxed and let her suck me off, sending waves and waves of pleasure rippling through my whole body as she takes my dick in her mouth like a pro, taking me to the back of her throat like a fucking expert. Damn! I nearly released my cum in her throat.

I’ve never experienced something like this in my whole life. The fact that she is still a virgin is quite surprising. I couldn’t leave her in her aroused state after she just pleasured me so well. I decided to return the favor and make her feel as good as she just made me feel. I was heading down to her juicy honeypot when she mentioned a name that made me pause immediately,

“Yes Riley, that feels so fucking good.” She moaned out in pleasure, making me halt, as I tried to comprehend her words. It’s got to be another Riley, right

I mean, there is no way in hell that I’m going to believe that I just had so much fun with my brother's bride-to-be, it’s definitely not her. She wouldn’t be fooling around on the night before her wedding.  Should have stopped her at this moment, I could have called someone in here to take her to her room and make sure she is okay, but I couldn’t deny myself this much pleasure. I couldn’t stop, even if wanted to. It’s too late to back down now, I need to see this to the end,  I need to make her cum, besides, she would never be able to remember any of this by tomorrow, after all, I’m not planning on taking her virginity, it belongs to the Riley as she mentioned earlier, the Riley whom I know is certainly not my brother.

After making her cum so hard, I watched her snuggle closer to me, drifting off to sleep. She is so drunk and exhausted from our little sexual escapade, and I adored her beauty. She is so gorgeous, so amazing and I want her for myself. It’s quite unfortunate that she belongs to another man.

…END OF FLASHBACK…

I mean, There I was sitting on my own when she walked into my room. Yes, I knew she was drunk and I could have at least stopped her from making a fool of herself, but I couldn’t help it, okay?

I’m a man, and I have feelings as well. How on earth am I supposed to say no to such a beautiful lady, especially when she was touching me in all the right places, making me feel so damn good. I gave in to my desires and I had fun with her. You can sue me for it, but that wouldn’t change the fact that I had fun with her and I don’t regret it.

I would have tried to talk to her in the morning, but she woke up way earlier than I expected, and when she realized that she was not in her room, she flew into a panic and ran out of my room like her life depended on it. I ran after her in a bid to stop her and explain to her that nothing happened, and maybe get her number, but I couldn’t do any of that because she had a much bigger surprise waiting for her in her friend's room.

She caught her best friend screwing her husband-to-be, who happens to be my kid brother, Riley. That fucking did it. She ran out of the hotel like a lunatic, sobbing sadly. She was distracted and confused. She wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings and she nearly got hit by a car. She came this close to getting hit by a car, the shock and heartbreak were just too much for her, and she passed out on the street, lying helplessly on the road.

I never showed my face, I kept lurking in the dark, observing from a safe distance. I waited a few minutes to give my brother a chance to save his fiancee and make things right, but he never came for her, he couldn’t care less about her safety. I had to take her to the hospital, I know this shouldn’t be my problem, I mean, I don’t even know this girl. But seeing her lying helplessly on the street made me realize that I’m now involved in this matter, whether I care to admit it or not.

“Are you sure you will be okay without me?” Liam let out as soon as I stepped out of the hospital that Saturday morning. I have been in this hospital for a couple of hours, I had to stay back and make sure she was okay and when I confirmed from the doctor that everything is going to be okay, I left her in the hospital.

“I’ll be fine man. They are still my parents, it’s not like they are going to kill me or do anything to hurt me. Just make sure she gets home safely, I’ll meet you back at the hotel.” I responded.

“And why do you care so much about this girl, Drake?

She is still your brother's fiancee and last I checked, you are still in a relationship with Rosalie.” he did a quote in the air when mentioning her name and he scoffed at the end. He never hides the fact that he hates Rosalie, and she makes it quite clear to him that the feeling is mutual. I have never understood the conflict between them, but I try to keep the peace between them before it could get more conflicting. I try to limit their interactions, making sure they have no reason to see or speak with each other.

“I know she belongs to my brother, but I still need to look out for her, Liam. Besides, Rosalie is no longer my girlfriend. She left me two weeks ago, remember?”

“Yeah, whatever. Just don’t go having any funny ideas about that girl, she is taken!” he let out sternly, throwing his hand in frustration as he turned around and went back into the hospital.

I almost laughed at his theatrics. I wonder what he is going to say when he finds out that she had been in my room last night. I’m sure he would never stop teasing me about it. Gosh, what was I ever thinking?

I went back to the hotel and had a quick shower. The news of Riley’s canceled wedding is everywhere in town. Their wedding was supposed to be today, and everyone was looking forward to it because it was supposed to be the talk of the town. Our family is so popular in this city, we practically run this city. And from what I heard, her family is doing great as well. They are going through a rough time, but then again, that is how business is. I’m sure her father would sort out it out in no time.

I felt uncomfortable as I stepped down from my Porsche, the news about my brother's breakup is everywhere. And there is a leaked video of my brother and the girl he screwed last night. That video is supposed to be confidential, I wonder how it got leaked.

As I walked into the hotel lobby, I spotted the girl causing this whole scandal, the same girl that had been with Riley last night. She was having a conversation with the receptionist, the same one that had given me the key to my room last night. I saw her passing a brown envelope to the receptionist before turning to leave the lobby. I guess she is checking out of the hotel because she had her luggage with her.

I did not stop, and I acted oblivious to their dealings, but something else caught my attention and I realized that something else is going on here. From the glass doors of the elevator, I saw her walk toward a black SUV that is parked in front of the hotel. The driver came down and took her luggage from her, putting it at the back of the car. Then she opened the back door and stepped into the SUV and just before she shut the door, someone sitting in the back seat of that SUV leaned down to place a peck on her cheek.

I know him, I’ve heard so much about him and I know what he is capable of. His name is Austin Foster. He is a member of the Russian organized crime or Russian mafia, otherwise known as Bratva. He is a notorious criminal, and he is wanted in many countries for drugs and human trafficking.

I may not be Bratva, but I am the Godfather and the Bratva pakhan cannot dare to cross me. I don’t know how Riley got himself involved with these guys, but I’m certainly going to get to the root of this matter.

Mia's POV

“How is he, Carrie?” I asked her when she stepped out of his hospital room, but she didn’t get a chance to respond to my question because mom was right behind her and mom pulled her back so she doesn’t answer me.

“What do you care?” mom snorted, eying me angrily.

“Mom…” I started but she put up her palm to stop me before I continued.

“You had only one task, Mia. Just one task, but you failed to carry it out. You failed your family and you put your dad in the hospital. I will not forgive you if anything happens to your father or to anyone of us.” She scolded in anger before walking away, leaving Carrie and I standing in front of dads hospital room, looking so confused and frustrated at the same time.

“How is he?” I managed to speak out after some seconds.

“His condition has been stabilized, for now, Mia. But the doctor warns that we should not do anything to upset him anymore or we could lose him the next time he has another heart attack.” Carrie explained calmly. You could tell from her tone that she doesn’t want to lose him. I feel exactly the same way, I can’t bear to think of a life without my father, but how on earth am I supposed to forgive Riley, how do accept him back into my life?

He would never treat me right, he would always cheat on me because he knows that I would always come back to him, he knows that I would never leave because my family cannot survive without their help. What the hell am I going to do, how do I get out of this pickle? The door was opened from within and the doctor peeked out of the room, looking at my mom's disappearing figure before turning to Carrie and I…

“Ummm,

Which of you is Mia?” he asked brusquely, looking at the both of us for answers. I indicated to him that I am Mia, smiling nervously as I looked at him.

“You can come in now, Mia. Your father is asking for you.” He told me.

“Oh, one more thing Miss,” he called out to me as I took a step towards the door. I stopped and turned to him once more, flashing him that same nervous smile that I keep giving to everyone since we arrived at this hospital.

“Don’t say anything to get him upset, hanging on a thin thread here.” He added, offering me his best platonic smile. I have no idea why he would say that to me. I’ve been standing out here just to avoid a situation like this, I don’t want to upset dad anymore, so I stood outside his hospital room like a fucking stranger while my mom and my sister went in with dad. And now I’m staring at the doctor and he is making it sound like I am the reason behind my father's current situation. I know that he doesn’t know about the issues we are facing as a family, but I can’t help but feel a little awkward when he told me not to do or say anything to upset my father. He sounded as if he knows everything already, and it made me feel so embarrassed because I know that there is no way he would know about all these things, except my mom had been running her mouth… again.

I took slow steps as I walked toward my father’s bed. He is lying on one of those electrical gynaeco hospital beds that has a Bed frame and foot made of steel tube, Pre-treated and epoxy powder coated. The mattress is made of high-density polyurethane foam and covered with washable faux leather that is also waterproof. And then there are the six functions adjusted by electric and manual. The bed has been adjusted to a sitting position and dad is sitting with his back resting on the backrest. He has a warm smile on his face as I approached him, and I feel so guilty for being the reason why he is lying on that hospital bed. He should be at home with his family, but here he is, lying on a stupid hospital bed, looking so weak.

“Come here, Mia-Mia,” he beckoned to me with his hand. He still has that warm smile on his face and I wish I can reciprocate his warm gestures, but I just don’t know where to begin.

“It is not your fault, Mia. It’s just my stupid heart disease.” He joked, eliciting a smile from me.

“I’m sorry, dad. I never meant to hurt you, I never wished for any of this to happen, I always wanted a happily ever after, and Riley won’t give it to me because he is a cheating bastard and he makes me so damn upset.” I said it in such a hurry, I did not realize that I was screaming at my father again until I heard the sound of the beeping monitors that indicated that his blood pressure was rising again. He was glaring at me in shock and I felt ashamed of myself because I never meant to say all this to him while he is lying on the hospital bed. My hand flew to my mouth in shock and I tried to stop myself from saying something that might aggravate his condition.

“Family is all about making sacrifices, Mia-Mia. Do this for your family, do this for me, my daughter.” He let out calmly. He stretched out his hand and took my palm in his, pulling me closer. He had this sad look in his eyes that made it practically impossible for me to reject Riley. He kept looking at me, his sad eyes pleading for me to accept his request. If I keep fighting this, his heart may give out once more and it would be my fault if he dies in this hospital bed. I looked deeply into his eyes, weighing my options, trying to find another way to help my family. But there was no other way, I have to accept to marry that cheating bastard. That is the only way.

“Fine. I’ll marry him.” I responded firmly and I turned around and walked towards the exit, stepping out of his room to give him time to rest. The longer I stay in here, the more furious I become. I can’t believe that they are trading my happiness for business, it’s so preposterous.

“You are doing the right thing, Mia-Mia. You will never regret your actions.” He called out to me as I left. I scoffed at his words because I know that he is just trying to make me feel better. I also wondered how his voice got louder all of a sudden, but I didn’t think too much about it, I just left him to see to the details and arrange a reconciliation meeting with the Osbornes. Besides, I know that if I stay there one more minute, I would say something to provoke him, and mom would lash out at me once more.

Mom and Carrie stumbled into the room when I opened the door. Obviously, they were eavesdropping on my conversation with dad. Good thing they regained their stamina before falling to the floor because I would have stood there and watched them fall without lending a hand. I ignored them and walked away, I need some time alone, I need to drown myself in alcohol and forget about my miserable life.

“I’m so proud of you, Mia-Mia. You have no idea what this means to all of us. I’ll go in now and discuss it with your father, we would fix a lunch date with the Osbornes tomorrow. You are such an amazing child,” mom keeps praising me, but I don’t give a damn about her praises. I kept walking away, ignoring her. I could hear her voice in the distance as she urged my sister to come after me and make sure I’m okay. I heard the clinking of her heels on the tiles as she ran after me, calling out to me. I ignore her and kept on walking, I knew she would catch up with me in a while, so there was no need to wait around for her.

“Come on, Mia, wait up”

“You don’t intend to walk home, do you?”

“Mia-Mia, wait up!” she kept on calling, but I ignored her. I sighted a bar up ahead, and that is exactly where I’m headed.

“Extra dry Martini, please,” I ordered the bartender as I sat on the bar stool.

“Better still, make it a bone dry Martini.” Carrie added, smiling seductively at the bartender