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Chapter 59

Author: Hewrite
last update publish date: 2025-11-20 19:08:50

~ANYA POV~

The evening air is cool against my skin. The faint sound of the sprinklers whispers across the wide garden, leaving the air heavy with the scent of wet grass and flowers. I drag my fingers across the soft petals of a white rose, feeling the delicate coolness on my fingertips.

For a moment, I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, hoping the scent will calm the storm in my chest.

It doesn't.

All I can think about is Emilio and Athena.

Are they safe? I hope they leave Italy. Do they eve
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  • CALAVERA: The Mafia’s Caged Bride    Epilogue

    THE ACCEPTANCE~ANYA POV~(Three years later)The Paris house smelled like vanilla cake and chaos, balloons tied to every available surface because Marcello had insisted on "a million balloons" for his sixth birthday party.I was standing on a stepladder trying to hang a banner that read "Joyeux Anniversaire" in glittery letters while my very pregnant belly made the whole operation awfully more difficult than it should have been."Let me do that," César said from below, his hands coming to steady my hips. "You're going to fall and then I will have to explain to the doctor why my five-months-pregnant wife was climbing ladders.""I'm fine," I said, but I let him help me down anyway because my center of balance had shifted and the last thing I needed was to end up in the emergency room on Marcello's birthday.Three years.It had been three years since that trip to Marbella, since visiting Diego's grave, since admitting to my mother that I loved César even though I didn't want to.Three y

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    ~ANYA POV~The cemetery was on a hill overlooking the village, old stone walls surrounding graves that dated back centuries, and Diego's was in the newer section, a simple marble headstone that read "Diego Torres, Beloved Son and Brother, Gone Too Soon."I stood in front of it with Marcello's hand in mine while my mother and Emilio stayed back to give us space, and César stood even further away with his guards, respecting the boundary."Who is this, Mama?" Marcello asked, looking at the headstone."This is your Uncle Diego," I said, my voice thick. "Remember him, my brother. He was very brave and very kind and he loved me very much.""Where is he?""He's in heaven, baby.""Why?"How do you explain murder to a three-year-old? How do you tell him that his father killed his uncle? How do you reconcile those two truths?"Because sometimes people go to heaven before we're ready," I said. "And we miss them very much."I knelt down in front of the grave, pulling Marcello down with me."Diego

  • CALAVERA: The Mafia’s Caged Bride    183

    THE HOMECOMING~ANYA POV~The drive from Marbella to Mijas took less than an hour but felt like crossing between two different worlds, the polished wealth of the coast giving way to whitewashed villages clinging to hillsides, narrow streets barely wide enough for our armored SUV, and with every kilometer closer to my childhood home. I felt myself becoming smaller, younger, the version of myself that existed before César Navarro saw me at that alley and decided I was his.Marcello was pressed against the window watching the landscape change, pointing out things that caught his attention...a donkey in a field, colorful flowers spilling from balconies, old men playing cards in the shade...and César sat beside me with his hand on my thigh, silent but present, while two more SUVs followed behind us carrying enough security to invade a small country."That's excessive," I had said when I saw the convoy forming."That's necessary," César had corrected. "Your family lives in the open. No wal

  • CALAVERA: The Mafia’s Caged Bride    182

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  • CALAVERA: The Mafia’s Caged Bride    180

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    ~ANYA POV~I turned, forcing my foot forward again. Pain cut through me like hot knives. Each step made my breath short and sharp. My toes curled in my shoes. Blood kept coming, warm and sticky. The sound of it was loud in my ears, like someone pouring water slowly. I bit my lips so hard to keep fr

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    ~ANYA'S POV~ The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was how heavy the air felt. It was quiet, too quiet, like the world itself was holding its breath. The curtains were drawn halfway, and a pale light spilled into the room, slicing through the dust floating lazily in the air. My throat bu

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    ~THIRD PERSON POV~Anya's head dropped against his chest like a broken doll. Her body went limp in his arms, soft and weightless. César looked down at her pale face, She didn't move, didn't stir. Her breathing was shallow, almost fading.The room behind them was quiet now, only the low hum of fear

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    ~ANYA’S POV~I slowly opened my eyes with a groan. My body felt like lead, the space beside me was empty and my throat was indescribably dehydrated and sore.I dazedly ran a hand through my hair and smelled the faint scent of shampoo; it wasn't rough, but smooth, like someone had taken their time t

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