A BRIDE FOR THE MAFIA LORD

"You can't do that!" I glared at my father, my heart filled with anger. After everything I explained to him, he still chose to side with his precious biological daughter, Marianne. "Why? Why did you even adopt me if you were going to treat me like this?" I shouted, tears streaming down my face."Victoria, you're doing this for the family. Think of it as paying back for all the food, the credit cards, the house—everything we've given you," my father said, his voice cold and indifferent. I gasped in disbelief."Payback? Is that all I am to you? A debt you need to settle? Fine, I'm just an orphan you brought in to clear your conscience. But what about Clifton and Marianne? How long has this been going on? They're getting married tomorrow, and no one—no one told me!""Were you blind?" My mother's voice cut through, and I turned to face her. She was dressed in a sleek red gown, her hair styled perfectly, as if none of this chaos affected her. "How pathetic were you to think Clinton would s

VINCENZO VOLKOV ;"Enough of this!" I shouted, pacing back and forth in my father’s office. The one thing I hate about the Volkov family is how they expect you to follow their footsteps, even if you don’t fit."Calm down, Vee," my twin brother Lorenzo said, and I scoffed, running my hands through my hair."Do you have no respect for me? Your father!" Don Roberto, my father, yelled, but I smirked, knowing I had no love left for him after what he did. He made me let go of the only person I ever loved."What is going on here? Have you lost your mind? Tell me!" My older brother, the one I sometimes wished I was as tough as, demanded. He was the perfect son, always following the family rules. My father pretended not to play favorites, but Nikolai always got 70% of everything, including the most powerful mafia organization, the Bravata."Tell him, Don! I don’t want any of this!" I said, frustration boiling inside me. Why couldn’t they just let me be? Why must I follow in their footsteps?"D

VINCENZO VOLKOV ;By five in the morning, I was already up, going through my usual routine before heading downstairs. What I didn’t expect was to find Victoria sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep. She looked almost childlike, curled into herself as if trying to disappear into the cushions.Her dress, if you could even call it that, had ridden up so high that half of her bare skin was exposed. I paused, narrowing my eyes. What kind of stunt was this?I moved toward her slowly, making sure not to wake her—though I wasn’t sure why I cared. I tugged the dress down, covering her with a blanket. Then I sat down on the nearby couch, watching her. The thought crossed my mind—I could end her right now. Strangle her without a sound, and no one would question it. No one would dare. Except, maybe, Nikolai."Wake up!" I barked, launching a slipper straight at her head. She groaned and stirred, yawning loudly as she stretched out like she didn’t have a care in the world.A small knife tumbled f

VICTORIA WASHINGTON ; I watched the maid bow her head, her eyes downcast as she delivered the news. "I'm sorry, but you can't have breakfast once the time has passed. It's the law, and I can't go against it."Frustration bubbled inside me. "What kind of law is that?!" I exclaimed, feeling my anger rise. “Are you serious? Do you want me to die of hunger? What kind of person makes such a ridiculous rule?”I threw my hands up in disbelief, my voice echoing through the hallway. "Vincenzo!! Do you want me to starve? What kind of monster makes laws like this?!"The maid flinched at my outburst, looking even more nervous. I could see her trying to keep her composure, but I didn’t care. I was tired of this absurdity. How could anyone think it was acceptable to enforce such a stupid rule?"Do you have any idea how insane this is?" I continued, my frustration spilling over. "I'm not asking for a five-course meal, just something to eat! Is that too much to ask for?"The maid's silence only fuel

VICTORIA WASHINGTON I exhaled deeply, standing up and running my fingers through my hair. I couldn’t skip lunch—I hadn’t even had breakfast.No matter how hard I tried to calm myself, my heartbeat only quickened. I was terrified of what might happen next.If what Vincenzo said was true, I was in serious trouble—no, I was at a dead end. Once I returned from lunch, I would do some research on the Mafia and see if there was any connection to him or if he was just playing mind games with me.As I descended the stairs, I stared down the length of the dining room. Four maids bustled about in the corner, while five bodyguards stood watch, their presence both imposing and unsettling.I walked cautiously toward the dining table, careful not to trip or glance around—those men scared me to death.“Come sit,” Vincenzo said, tapping his lap. My lips parted slightly as I looked from him to his lap and back to his face.He couldn’t be serious, could he?I moved closer, shivering, praying this would