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Chapter 18 – Blood on the Pavement

Author: Pauline Maxwell
last update Petsa ng paglalathala: 2025-12-03 22:16:43

The rain fell hard that night—fast, cold, and relentless—pounding against the mansion windows like impatient fists. Mia stood in the hallway, arms wrapped around herself, pacing back and forth as the storm howled outside.

Mark had been gone for hours.

Too many hours.

He’d left on a routine mission—nothing dangerous, nothing unusual. “Just business,” he’d said. But something in his eyes had been different. Distant. Controlled. Like he was hiding the storm inside him.

She told herself she didn’t
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  • Enemies At The Altar    Chapter 88

    “Hey, darling.” Mark reached out gently, brushing a stray lock of hair from Mia’s face. His hand lingered on her cheek, warm and steady.“Darling? That’s new,” Mia teased, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “I never imagined a cold, ruthless mafia boss like you could have such a cute side.”Mark grinned, amusement lighting his eyes. “What, you don’t like it? Huh, wifey?”“Wifey, Mark. Stop joking around. My dad’s upstairs.”“Alright,” he said with a nod, but his gaze remained on her, filled with quiet concern. “But seriously—are you okay?”Mia nodded firmly. “Better than okay.”“And him?” Mark asked, his voice dropping to a low, cautious tone.“Gone,” she said simply, her voice steady."Finally", Mark’s lips twitched into the smallest, most genuine smile she had seen from him in a long time. “Good. Because that guy was one crazy ex.”Mia glanced at him, cheeks flushing, teasing now. “Took you long enough.”Mark leaned in slightly, his voice rough with playful amusement. “I wanted to ma

  • Enemies At The Altar    Chapter 87

    In the next few hours, the air in the main hall felt heavier than usual. Word had spread quickly. Ethan had been brought in. Alive. That alone was enough to draw attention. Men stood along the edges of the room—silent, watchful. No one spoke above a murmur. No one dared disrupt what was about to happen.At the far end, Don Romano sat. Calm. Composed. Dangerous. Mia stood a few steps behind him, her arms folded lightly, her expression controlled. But her eyes—her eyes were fixed on the man being dragged in. Ethan. Bruised. Blood dried along his jaw. His shirt was torn, his hands bound tightly in front of him. But he was still standing. And still breathing. That was deliberate.Mark walked in behind them. Slow. Measured. No rush. No visible anger. And somehow, that was more unsettling than anything else.Ethan lifted his head the moment he saw Mia. Something flickered across his face. Not regret but something twisted.“Mia,” he rasped.Her expression didn’t change. Not this time.“Don’t

  • Enemies At The Altar    Chapter 86

    The tray remained between them, half-empty. The coffee had cooled, but neither seemed inclined to finish it. Mia sat cross-legged on the bed, studying Mark as if trying to solve a puzzle without instructions. He noticed her gaze.“You’re staring again,” he said.“No, I’m just studying you,” she corrected.“That sounds worse.”She tilted her head thoughtfully. “You don’t talk much about yourself.”“There’s not much to say.”“That’s a lie.”He leaned back against the headboard, arms loosely folded. “Is it?”“Yes,” she replied simply. “You just don’t let people see it.”He made no denial, his silence saying enough.Mia picked up a piece of fruit but didn’t eat it, holding it between her fingers while she thought. “No shouting today?” she asked.He raised a brow. “Is that your plan?”“No, I’m trying something new.”“That’s concerning.”She ignored the comment. “I don’t want to fight with you every time we talk,” she said quietly. “It’s exhausting.”“It is.”“Mark, stop interrupting me,” s

  • Enemies At The Altar    Chapter 85

    Morning arrived softly, its light slipping through the curtains like a tender secret. Mia woke slowly, her body still wrapped in warmth and stillness. For a moment, she didn’t move—she simply felt. The steady presence beside her, something solid and real. Her lashes fluttered open, and there he was: Mark. Exactly where he promised he’d be.The realization settled in her chest, unfamiliar and thrilling, tinged with a hint of danger. He was asleep—not the guarded, half-aware version she knew, but truly at peace. His face relaxed, breaths even, arm resting lightly where it had been all night. In this quiet stillness, he seemed different—softer, younger, less untouchable.Mia shifted gently, careful not to wake him. Her eyes traced his features anew, as if seeing him for the very first time, free from the weight of everything else. Her hand moved slowly, hesitantly, a featherlight touch against the tip of his nose. A playful, delicate gesture. She froze, breath caught—but he remained lost

  • Enemies At The Altar    Chapter 84

    The house was quiet. Not peaceful—just the heavy silence after the storm, when everything stopped but the feelings no one wanted to face.Mia sat on the edge of her bed, still in the same clothes, fingers gripping her sleeves. She hadn’t moved much since she got back. Every time she closed her eyes, the images came flooding back—the chair, the ropes, Ethan’s voice, the door crashing open, Mark.Her chest tightened. She pressed her palms together, trying to steady the storm inside her, but it didn’t help. It wasn’t fear anymore. It was something quieter, darker, and it stayed.A soft knock at the door.She didn’t answer. Not because she didn’t hear it—because she knew who it was.The door opened just a crack.“Are you awake?” Mark’s voice was low, careful.She looked up. He stood there, no jacket, sleeves rolled, like he hadn’t fully come down either.Neither spoke for a moment. Then she nodded.“I couldn’t sleep.”He stepped in silently, closing the door behind him.“I figured.”He di

  • Enemies At The Altar    Chapter 83

    The mansion gates swung open before the car even came to a stop.Word had traveled faster than the convoy.By the time Mark helped Mia out, half the household staff and the security team were already gathered near the entrance, the air thick with tension.At the top of the marble steps stood Don Romano.He didn’t look like the powerful man who ruled half the city. He looked like a father who had waited too long.“Mia.”Before she could take a step forward, he pulled her into a tight embrace. For a moment, she stiffened—then the exhaustion buried deep in her bones won. She wrapped her arms around him.“You’re hurt?” he demanded, pulling back to examine her face.“I’m fine.”But his eyes caught the fresh bruise on her cheek.His jaw clenched, hardening instantly.“Ethan?”Mark answered without hesitation.“He won’t touch her again.”Romano held Mark’s gaze. For a long moment, loyalty and challenge flickered silently between the two men.Finally, Romano nodded once.“Good.”He placed a g

  • Enemies At The Altar    Ch. 22 – Blood on the Tiles

    For a moment, everything stopped.The mansion corridor—usually polished, quiet, almost museum-still—was chaos frozen mid-breath. The shattered vase lay in pieces, blood streaked across the marble like someone had dragged a paintbrush dipped in crimson, and the heavy scent of gunpowder lingered in t

  • Enemies At The Altar    Ch. 21 – The Intrusion

    The window shattered like a gunshot.Glass scattered across the floor. Cold night air swept into the office, carrying a scent that made Mia’s heart stop—Cologne she knew.Breath she once kissed.A presence she now feared.“Ethan…” she whispered, her voice barely air.A shadow stepped halfway throu

  • Enemies At The Altar    Ch. 20 – The Betrayal

    The mansion was too quiet.Hours had passed since Mark fell asleep, his breathing finally evening out as the painkillers pulled him deep under. Mia stayed by his bedside longer than she planned—longer than she should have. But the quiet of the night and the warmth of his hand around hers held her c

  • Enemies At The Altar    Chapter 19 – Torn Loyalties

    The door clicked softly behind the doctor, leaving the room steeped in a tense, fragile quiet. Mia stood frozen near the nightstand, fingers curled around a damp cloth she’d been using to dab the blood from Mark’s brow. She hadn’t even realized she’d kept holding it. Her heart was still slamming ag

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