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BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 141
CHAPTER 141WATCHINGNARRATOR’S POVThe Moretti estate had become unbearable for Valentina. No one was cruel to her or insulted her. That would have been easier to endure if it was like that. Instead, it was the little things.Valentina stood on the second-floor balcony overlooking the gardens, one hand resting lightly against the stone railing as her eyes followed the movement below. Lucien was walking beside Chiara. It wasn’t in front or behind her, it was beside her. She watched him slow his stride almost imperceptibly when Chiara stopped to admire something in the flowerbeds. He never appeared impatient. He simply waited until she started walking again before matching her pace.It was so subtle most people wouldn’t have noticed. Valentina did, because she had spent her entire life learning how people looked at her. Now she was learning how Lucien looked at someone else.A maid approached Chiara carrying a fresh cup of tea. Chiara accepted it with visible surprise.“You didn’t hav
BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 140
CHAPTER 140UNSPOKEN RULESLUCIENThe estate functioned with the kind of precision most people mistook for perfection. It wasn’t. But the thing is, perfection didn’t exist. There were only routines refined through years of discipline, corrected whenever flaws appeared. Every servant knew where they were expected to be. Every guard understood his patrol. Every member of the household carried responsibilities that rarely needed repeating. That was how I preferred it. Predictability made mistakes easier to notice.I crossed the eastern corridor shortly after breakfast, reviewing the day’s schedule in silence while Marco walked half a step behind me. “The shipment from Genoa arrived before dawn,” he said, reading from a tablet. “Everything has been accounted for.” I nodded. “The meeting with the bankers has been moved to two.”“Good.”“The lawyers are still waiting for your signature.”“They’ll wait a little longer.” Marco made another note without comment. Before we reached the main stai
BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 139
CHAPTER 139THE WRONG SISTERCHIARA I woke to gentle knocking instead of the alarm I’d begun setting for myself every night. “Come in,” I called softly. The door opened, and one of the younger housemaids stepped inside carrying a silver tray. Steam curled from a porcelain teapot, and beside it sat two small pastries dusted lightly with powdered sugar. She smiled warmly. “Good morning, Madam.”“Good morning.”She crossed the room and carefully placed the tray on the small table near the window. “I brought your tea.”I stared at it in confusion. “But I didn’t ask for tea.”The maid hesitated for only a second before answering. “No, Madam. But Don Moretti mentioned this was the blend you preferred.” My eyes fell to the delicate teacup. It was the same tea Lucien had poured for me several days earlier. “I thought you might like it before breakfast.”“You didn’t have to.”Her smile widened slightly. “It wasn’t any trouble, Madam.” There it was again. Madam. The word still sounded strange
BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 138
CHAPTER 138THE PERFORMANCE LUCIEN By the following afternoon, I had reached a conclusion. Valentina Rossi was predictable. She hid it well. Better than most people would. But jealousy had its own language. A tightened jaw. A smile that never quite reached the eyes. The brief hesitation before speaking. For a fraction of a second she forgot to breathe whenever Chiara stood too close to me.Yesterday confirmed what I already suspected. She wasn’t angry because Chiara was pretending to be her. She was angry because my attention remained on the wrong sister. I was happy about that. It meant she was becoming emotional. And emotional people made mistakes. Exactly what I needed. I intended to help her lose what little control she still possessed.******Lunch was served on the terrace overlooking the gardens. The weather was pleasant enough that even Marco abandoned his office for an hour. Valentina arrived first. Perfectly dressed and composed. She greeted everyone with effortless grace
BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 137
CHAPTER 137BORROWED HAPPINESSCHIARAWhen one of the housemaids knocked on my bedroom door shortly after breakfast, my first thought was that something had gone wrong.“Mrs. Moretti?”I looked up from the book resting in my lap. “Yes?”“Don Moretti would like to see you in his office.”My stomach tightened immediately. “Did… did he say why?”The maid shook her head politely. “No, ma’am.”After she left, I remained seated for another moment, staring at the closed door. Had I done something wrong? I replayed yesterday in my mind. Dinner. The conversation with Valentina. Nothing came to mind. Still, Lucien rarely summoned me without a reason. He never really summons me at all.I smoothed the wrinkles from my dress before making my way toward his office. The closer I got, the louder my heartbeat became. I knocked softly.“Come in.”I stepped inside. Lucien was standing near the window while Marco remained beside his desk, sorting through several files. Both men looked up. Immediately, I
BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 136
CHAPTER 136A DANGEROUS HABITLUCIEN The estate had returned to its usual rhythm. Servants crossed the corridors with practiced efficiency. Meetings came and went. Reports continued piling onto my desk. Nothing about the day was unusual. Or at least, that was what I told myself.I left the office shortly before noon, intending to inspect the newly arrived security equipment in the west wing. As I walked through the corridor, my eyes drifted toward the reading room. Empty. I continued walking. Near the staircase, two housemaids bowed respectfully as they passed. Neither of them being the person I had unconsciously expected to see.By the time I reached the west wing, I realized I hadn’t paid attention to a single word the security chief had said. My attention had been elsewhere. I dismissed the meeting early. On the walk back, I passed the conservatory. Without thinking, I glanced inside. Empty. I frowned. Why? Why had I looked?I continued toward the dining room. Lunch had already be
BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 2
CHAPTER 2 NO ESCAPE The barrel was the coldest thing I've ever felt on my skin. Is this how I die!? His green eyes didn't blink, and the gun didn't waver either. My knees went liquid, and my lungs seized, but the only sound in the room was my own heartbeat trying to punch through its ribs
BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 1
CHAPTER 1 THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE CHIARA “What the—” The water hit me like a fist. I didn't just wake up… I drowned. Gasping and choking, I scrambled upright as the freezing water flooded my nose and mouth, and for a moment I forgot how to breathe. Mum stood over me, the empty bucket swing
BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 5
CHAPTER 5 WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? "You're not Valentina." At first, my mind refused to register what he just said. It didn't feel like a sentence meant for me. It just hung in the air between us while my heartbeat turned erratic inside my chest. Lucien stood watching me like he was waiting
BLOOD AND VOWS: THE MAFIA WRONG BRIDE 4
CHAPTER 4 I’M NOT HER. The new room was smaller… I realized it the moment I opened my eyes. It had a smaller bed, a smaller fireplace, and smaller walls closing tighter around me, like the house itself had grown tired of my attempts to escape. And oh… the windows no longer opened. I stood
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