Scheming Heart (Available on Amazon Kindle)

Chapter 1

SUMMER, 1955

ALFONSO

"You want me to find what?!"

"A wife." My father, Salvatore Orsini, announced calmly, sitting in his study table on the library of the Orsini Vineyard.

I snorted at him while sitting back to my chair across to his table. "I am still young to take a wife, padre."

My father's eyes narrowed in my direction. "You are not getting any younger, Alfonso. As the heir to the Orsini Vineyard I think it's time for you to take a wife and have family of your own. You are not getting any younger, boy."

I snorted again, stretching my legs in front of me. I know coming here to chat with him was pointless when we would start lecturing me again with life. "I am still young to think about settling down."

"You are already twenty-five!" The old man snapped at me. "When do you think the right time to get married? When you are too old enough to produce an heir?"

I grimaced at my father's words. Why my parents are so eager for me to get married? Hell, I think I am still young to think about settling down. And there's this woman I like but I don't think she's will accept my proposal since she's starting to get recognize in the film industry. Besides, I only dated her once and it never happened again because the paparazzi might get a wind of our rendezvous. Her manager was very strict about her dating life that might ruin her budding career and I understand that.

"Do you have problems finding a good woman to be your wife?" Padre stated, dragging me out of my reverie. "Do you want me to tell your mother to find you a suitable wife?"

"No!" I replied repulsively. "I am not yet ready to settle down."

My father's dark eyes flashed irritably in my direction. "When will you grow up, Alfonso? Haven't you had enough of your name always associated with different woman in the tabloids almost every week? How will you be able to manage the Orsini Industries with your irresponsible nature?"

I snorted at him. "Dio. I am not aware that you are reading gossip column."

"Thanks to you." The old man replied sarcastically. "I need to keep track on my playboy son antics through those trash papers."

I pointedly ignore my father's sermon. I knew coming here would end like this. This is not the first time we have this conversation. He's very vocal about wanting me to take a wife since I graduated in college. Salvatore Orsini thinks that if I start my family now I might eligible to take the reign as the head of the Orsini Industries.

"I'm warning you, Alfonso." My father said strictly. "I don't want to see your name on the tabloids ever again with your escapades. Or you will leave me no choice but to disinherit you."

"You can't be serious!" My eyes widened in disbelief in his direction as I sat up straight from my chair. "I am your only child."

Salvatore pointedly look at me with his stoic face. "I will make your cousin, Piero, as my sole heir."

I exhaled a loud breath as I leaned back on my chair. "Why do you need to be such pain in the ass, Padre? How can you give me such ultimatum?"

"You leave me no choice, figlio. Your womanizing ways along with the Duke of Caprielle are giving me headache every morning. I think the only way for you to stop dragging our family name in the mud is for you to take a wife."

I groaned loudly. "Oh, God! Are we back to this thing again?"

My father smiled thinly in my direction. "We never left the subject, boy."