Adele was waiting in her room for Antonio to bring Angelo to her again after he had seen a doctor. Francesco had gone downstairs to the party again to avoid seeing Angelo with Adele and also to give her privacy with her brother.

A knock came and Antonio entered with Angelo. Antonio nodded respectfully to Adele and then roughly told Angelo to stand next to the pole again.

This security arrangement about when Adele was alone with Angelo made no sense. Adele couldn't understand what Angelo could do in that heavily guarded mansion that he was restrained for it when they were alone but didn't object as Antonio handcuffed Angelo's hands behind a pillar like pole leaving him standing and left.

As the door closed behind Antonio, it was Angelo who spoke first this time " Antonio told me you want to see me. But I said what I had to say Adele. I will try to get you out of here. I have until you get married. Then I would back off. What else is there to say? We got interrupted the last time but what is there to discuss? ........ All he has done is rushing you into a long distance relationship and then after bringing you here for hardly a few days, he expects you to agree to be his wife. Do you know half the things he does when he is not with you? Has he told you about how he makes his money? Why is he in a rush to marry you? Don't you think all this secrecy is telling you to run a mile. A husband and wife must have no secrets but Francesco has too many secrets he can never tell you and others around him are sworn to secrecy too. Have you heard of the code of omertà. This code bounds every member in his organisation together. I have sworn by it too. But you haven't. You still can save yourself. You must leave Adele. Leave with me. It's worth a chance. Even if you get caught, you would live. No one would hurt you. You must run as far as you can from here when you get the chance because you are still not married yet...."

Adele sighed and walked to Angelo standing in front of him " Angelo, what you don't understand is that... ... I chose to say yes to Francesco's hand in marriage. He is my fiancé...."

Angelo spoke " What's there not to understand? You made a mistake by agreeing to marry Francesco. He would not have forced you. I don't understand why you said yes. But that's besides the point. The point is I will spend every last ounce of energy I have to get you out of here."

Adele crossed her arms over her chest as she was shaking her head standing in front of her brother "Angelo, firstly be reasonable. You can't get me out of here. Not unless you betray Francesco. You are watched closely now. You can't execute any plans and I am glad you can't. It would be pointless to risk your life again for nothing. I am happy to stay here...."

Angelo was looking at Adele with a strange look "You can't be happy here. Adele, you are surrounded by dangerous criminals. Its not too late to leave. You are not sworn by Omerta yet. I have sworn by it. Omerta is a code of silence that can't be broken by any one. You do that and you die. I don't want you to die Adele. You are my sister. Look at what happened to Francesco's mother. She betrayed Francesco's father and broke the code. Paulo didn't decide to kill her straight away but he eventually decided to."

Adele was looking at Angelo with questioning eyes "What are you talking about? What do you know about these matters? Francesco's mother got a divorce..."

Angelo spoke "Why do you think that was? She betrayed her husband. She had a cousin .... a senator who was after her husband. He invited her to his home and she went there without Paulo's knowledge. She thought she was helping her husbands case so he wont go to jail and was compromising with the senator. Then what do you think happened. She gave too many information out and then there was an investigation..... Paulo found out his wife had gone behind his back. He eventually went after the case and managed to dismiss the case by bribing the judge and destroyed all the tapes recorded by his wife. That wasn't the end. That was the beginning of tension. Paulo never forgave his wife but didn't have a choice but to live with her. His wife was pregnant with Francesco at the time by the way. So it added up to years of tension until they got a divorce. You may think Francesco would be different and he might be. He might be like his uncle Piero. Did I forget to mention that Piero's wife also was there with her in that meeting. There was a different outcome for her. Piero forgave her but she couldn't stay because she didn't want the same life for Antonio. Once she found out she was pregnant she left to give Antonio a better life. But she failed. Piero got to her first and took back his heir...."

Adele was speechless. She was looking at Angelo with shock but then she managed to find her voice and interrupt "How do you know all this? Angelo? How do you know all this?"

Angelo spoke "It doesn't matter. Your future matters."

Adele spoke "I need to know where you heard all this?"

Angelo sighed "I heard it from Ambrogio."

Adele spoke "He told you this account that convinced you to try to get me out of here.... It is the reason you are like this. Isn't it?..."

Angelo spoke "Of course it wasn't the only reason. I have many reasons. I have seen enough criminals in this mansion to know the environment you will be raising your children in. This place is the worst place on earth to raise a child. Why do you think Francesco's mother told her cousin the secrets of her husband. She was desperate. When you become pregnant who is to say you wont be desperate to save your child like how she did. Part of the reason Paulo never forgave his wife was how she had endangered their child. If the senator had managed to take Paulo to custody his empire could crumble. Piero could save it and his business wouldn't have been destroyed but it would have crumbled. Francesco could be dead for all Paulo knew if the woman was shot by the police or by someone from a rival mob. Francesco's father hated his wife for how she had endangered herself and her child. These people don't mess around when it comes to their child. Francesco loves you but he would love your child more than loving you and so would his people. If Francesco dies, your child would be the one your guards follow. You will be followed but your word is below your own child's if Francesco dies. If Francesco is not there, your child can even order his men to kill you and the guards would do it without question ....."

Adele spoke "Hold it Angelo. How can you make such judgment? You can't be sure? You are getting ahead of yourself here..."

Angelo spoke "I am sure. Its the rules Adele. its the rules within Francesco's organisation. How much do you know about Francesco? Has he even told you about the mother who abandoned him. In his mind, he is blanking out the part that his mother betrayed his father. he can't deal with that. His mother was beaten up in front of him so he hates his father and overlooks his mothers sins but he knows all about it. But he can't admit to himself that his father was right to not trust his mother to betray him again so he had to get the divorce so she didn't endanger his children. Is it coincidence that just when Francesco been appointed head of family and has established himself, his father is getting back together with his mother? It's all from Ambrogio. But never mind all this. What about what you see around you? I was on the deck of the ship with Ambrogio's men, I have been in presence of Francesco's men, I have seen what they do more that you have. They are all cold blooded killers. All of them. You have to get out of here. Adele please. Francesco maybe good to you now but what about later?..."

Adele whispered "He loves me and I love him..."

Angelo spoke "I know that.... Paulo loved his wife too and he beat her up in front of Francesco just to deter her from betraying him again and being forced to kill her. One of the reasons Paulo never became as powerful as Francesco was because he was more merciful than Francesco is. You may look at me like I am crazy but its true. According to Ambrogio and the accounts his father told him, Paulo was not as cruel as Francesco is when it comes to dealing with his enemies and those who betray him. Paulo didn't kill his wife even though he had to. Another thing Adele. All those years ago when Paulo had abducted his wife, that was the time he wanted to prove his power and show a strong front that he had to punish his wife. I even don't know if he wanted to fully go through with it But Ambrogio says that he didn't. He wanted to torture her but not kill her. Piero saved the day and Paulo was glad he did....."

Adele spoke "Why does Ambrogio know so much?...."

Angelo spoke "Ambrogios's father is friends with Paulo and Piero. He was invited to the wedding where Paulo was going to be re-married to his ex wife in Sicily on the same day he was assassinated ironically by Ambrogio. He told me he wanted to injure Piero but not Paulo. Paulo took the bullet instead and lucky he didn't die. Ambrogio wanted to just make a statement and injure Piero because apparently Antonio disrespected his family by breaking up with his sister, Amaranta. So he tried to get revenge this way. He came up with a plan to make it even with the Rosarios for this dishonour. His other option was to come after you. But he loves you based on the time he met you. He wanted to help me save you to humiliate Francesco and also see if you felt the same about him but then his plan changed when his sister got captured. He had to give priority to saving his sister. But I thought I could trust him to help me save you but I was wrong. He didn't have what it took to attack Francesco and take you away from here."

Adele spoke "Can you hear yourself? He said he loves me. Don't you see how dangerous it is for me? he would have taken me for himself against my will if he had his way. How could you trust him?"

Angelo spoke "I am sorry for that. I can't apologise enough. Later when I thought back I knew I had acted out of desperation to trust him. I saw his men and what kind of psychos they were and realised my mistake. But for all its worth I do trust him that he didn't want to hurt you. I questioned him about his motives. He said his mother had raised him to respect women. He said he was not ever going to force you to do anything. He said his own father was going to punish him severely if he dishonoured a woman. He says that now but when his father is not around then there is no guarantee he wont do the opposite. I realised I couldn't trust him then. Just like how I can't trust Francesco to not to hurt you. I am so scared Adele. what if he hurts you. I can't live with myself if he does. I would rather die trying to save you than stand by and watch him hurt you one day. These people are ruthless. I have seen their cruelty. I have heard screams of agony from the people that cross Ambrogio and Francesco. I am petrified for you since you have to live with the heartless man you are to marry for all your life with no escape. I wont trust any one else this time round when I try to save you. I will do it alone. All alone.....I am so sorry I am a weak brother in many ways but I will die for you Adele. That is my mission in life. " Then tears ran down his cheeks

Adele reached her hands up to his brothers face and cupped his cheeks "Angelo ..... I would never forgive you if you risked your life for me. I am an adult now. I make my own decisions. I knew what I was letting myself into when I agreed to marry Francesco. I didn't know the details but I knew I was letting myself into a life of sacrifice and compromise. I love Francesco enough to sacrifice anything to be with him. Even if its my life or my freedom. I can tell you that a mother's love for their child is nothing a man can understand. I can tell you now that I would run in front fo a train for my child. I would die for my child. I would raise my children with Francesco and leave myself to fate. I believe anything happened for a reason. I believe I met him for a reason...."

Angelo was shaking his head as he was sobbing "No Adele. Don't give in. Why can't you see that you still can save yourself? You are not married yet. Please Adele. Run to a convent and stay there or we can go abroad..."

Adele sighed "Angelo, you have to accept that my fate was sealed when I met Francesco. I am bound to him. the day he fell in love with me I became his. No matter where I run, his enemies know I am his and his allies will know I am his. There is no running away from Francesco."

Angelo sobbed and looked at Adele pleadingly "We will go to the FBI then. We find someone who can help..."

Adele sighed "You don't get it. Even if running away was an option and was practical I wouldn't take it. Hear me Angelo..... I can't accept your way of thinking because I simply can't see myself with anyone but Francesco. It took me a while to realise it but I don't want to be with any other man but Francesco. You may tell me lets run away and join a convent to be safe from Francesco. But I can't do that. I love Francesco. I actually want to spend the rest of my life with him. You will understand when you reach the stage where you ask a woman to marry you. You will know by looking into her eyes that you don't want to be anywhere else but there. Thats what Anna made me realise at that Hollywood party before Francesco proposed to me. She said to me words that opened my eyes. She told me "love is love no matter when it happened". She is right. I loved Francesco ten years ago, I truly loved him. When I searched my soul I realised I still love Francesco. He has changed. I fear him but I .... trust him. I know he may hurt me one day. That is a possibility but he hasn't. I can't judge him based on what his father has done. I love him enough to take a chance on him. I am sorry..."

Angelo closed his eyes as more tears were escaping his eyes "What if you don't love him....? What if you don't? All these years you never said you loved him"

Adele spoke "But I do love him. I was afraid to admit it because he wasn't around. I though he had abandoned me. When I thought of Francesco all these years it broke my heart.... But then now that I am with him, I can see myself by his side for all eternity. He is a criminal but I don't have a choice but to stay with him because I love him and can't see myself with anyone else. No human is perfect. I want to be his wife until I take my last breath Angelo that is all I know. You may say I have choices but I don't want choices. I want a life with Francesco. It maybe a bitter life. It maybe a painful life but I will fight for my life and for the man I love."

Angelo opened his eyes and spoke desperately "How do you know you love him? How can you be so sure?"

Adele took a deep breath "You will know when you fall in love. You will know only then that when the one you truly love is in front of you and you can't move away. You will keep moving all your life. You will keep changing your life but when the one you love is in front of you, then you wouldn't want to be anywhere else but with them and the thought of being elsewhere would make no sense. It makes no sense for me to leave Francesco. I can't describe it. When he bent down on one knee and proposed to me, I felt that was the moment I became bound to him. You may say I am not married yet but for me that moment was the moment I promised myself to him for eternity. I promised myself to Francesco to become his wife to honour him and cherish him all my life when he bent down on one knee and honoured his word from all those years ago that he wont ever love another and only wants me. I will be Francesco's partner in life. I can't accept your reasoning to leave him. I will never leave him." Adele became emotional at this point and cried with her brother.

Angelo knew it was all over. His sister was condemned to a marriage that he was too late to stop and maybe could never stop. Maybe Adele was right and there was no point. In his heart Angelo said a prayer as he wept and asked for his innocent sister to be protected from harm. There was nothing else he could do but pray.

Angelo looked at his sister with tearful eyes and whispered "Promise me one thing.... Promise me that you will tell me when he threatens you or hurts you. I beg you. I need to know. I will be there. I will work for him obediently and my only aim in life would be to protect you. I am weak but I would do what I can alongside you in this life you see yourself in. I can't change your mind. I know that. But I will be there if you need me Adele. Always..."