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45. Debts and Consequences
Last Updated:
2025-04-11 10:40:39
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His Hired Lover 63. Escape
SOFIA’s POVI didn’t wait for Rios after the flight. I went straight to my bedroom and hurled some clothes into the suitcase.I felt so mad inside, but I wasn’t going to say that in front of his face. I already told him I called Mina and the two of us were going somewhere. My clothes looked wrinkled and uneven, but I didn’t care. My passport sat open on the desk beside my phone. One word blinked at me from the itinerary email: Spain. I had to breathe. I had to remind myself to continue existing outside of him.The door swung open hard. Then Rios's voice cracked through the silence like glass. "You're going where?"I didn’t turn. "Spain."He stepped in, closing the door with a thud. "Now? After everything that just happened? We just came back from the Tribunal."I zipped the suitcase halfway. "Exactly because of everything that just happened.""Sofia, you can’t do this. You're still legally bound to me. And the contract—""Yes, I know," I snapped. "And I am not running away, okay? But y
His Hired Lover 62. Of Grief and Revenge
The funeral passed quietly. The Sandoval estate, tucked behind high iron gates and hedges too well-groomed for grief, saw only a handful of visitors. Men in charcoal suits exchanged brief nods as women in their black dresses stood side by side. Many of those who attended Beatrice Sandoval’s last farewell were old associates, syndicate men, and loyalists who owed their lives or fortunes to Rodulf. There were no sobs and no flowery speeches. The grieving father only saw grim faces and a sky too blue for a coffin where his daughter lay. Rodulf stood still, his hand resting on the coffin's edge. He didn’t blink as it was lowered into the earth. The priest mumbled something about peace and eternal light, but Rodulf heard only a voice from years ago. He could hear the younger and brighter version of his daughter. She was a brat indeed, but at least she was alive.“Daddy, please! There's nothing I want to marry with, only Rios. You have to find a way for him and me to get married.”She was
His Hired Lover 61. Clarity
Rios walked beside his wife and felt like he was leading a queen into the throng of people beneath the stairs. Her delicate hand rested lightly on his arm, and the mask simmering under the ballroom lights hid the bruises on her pretty face. He had managed to convince her to come with him to this last event of the annual tribunal, and he was prouder than ever to call her his. The silk of her gown clung beautifully to her curves, and—God, her eyes—were the only thing in the room that kept him grounded. He had seen many beautiful women. He had watched them crawl through diamonds and power, but Sofia had that gaze that automatically pulled every eye in the room. Just like what was happening now. As they stepped into the masquerade, everyone turned. Even the big Mafia bosses nodded at every step they took. They were looking at her. He felt proud of his wife, but his fingers still tensed against her arm. Every fucking one of them seemed to be undressing her—and not even pretending they we
His Hired Lover 60. Fire and Pain
SOFIA’S POVThe sheets felt like velvet against my raw skin, but every movement sent sparks of pain shooting up my ribs.Violet bruises were still decorating my arms, and deep purple and sickly yellow could be seen in some areas of my thighs and face. These were souvenirs from Beatrice's goons before the duel. And when I fought with Beatrice, my lower lip was split and felt tender to the touch. One eye still refused to open fully. It still looked puffed and angry that I refused to look at the mirror. Other bruises had also started to bloom darkly over my ribs and arms, purpling my thighs, and feathering my jawline. I barely recognized myself.And I remembered.I remembered the girl who used to flinch from her own reflection. The girl with the crooked, ugly nose, and the girl whose cheek had been carved by a childhood accident. I left my hometown and found a guy who financed my whims, then I had surgeries later. Back then, before the surgical operation, I hated every inch of my face.
His Hired Lover 59. A Choice to Consider
A voice thundered from the head of the tribunal table. "You are given a choice. Become officially part of the Mafia or—"But before the threat could settle, Sofia’s voice cut through the thick, suffocating air. "No," she said sharply as her fists clenched at her sides. "I just did what I needed to do."Sasha looked over her shoulder, locking eyes with Aunt Rita as they listened to Sofia's voice filling the place. Sasha felt a knot forming in her stomach. Why would Sofia turn down an offer that would surely shield her against the Sandovals’ wrath? Just earlier, Sofia had survived the duel against that spoiled Mafia heiress, Beatrice. The bitch was finally dead—not by their hands, but it didn’t matter. Rios’s contract wife had done it for them. Relief flickered in Sasha’s chest, but it tangled with a gnawing worry. Surely, Beatrice’s death was bound to blow up the tension between the Sandovals and their family. Across the field, Rios was already leading Sofia out, cradling her like she
His Hired Lover 58. The Duel
SOFIA’s POVI woke up in a cell. Concrete walls, gray and sweating with cold, welcomed my vision. When I looked around, I only saw a single steel bed bolted to the floor. There was also one toilet in the corner. It was clean, but rust was forming around its edges. My wrists were chained to the wall, heavy and short enough that I couldn’t sit up straight. Also, my face throbbed. Each pulse sent a sharp and steady ache in my jaw and my cheekbones. I then remembered the two men in masks. Their knuckles cracked before they landed their blows. They made sure to knock the breath out of me, again and again, until all I could do was gasp and fade. Then I remembered the wooden box after that. I felt I was floating before fading out again.And now, I was in a cell.“Help!” I shouted. “Somebody… help me!” But only the echoes of my voice answered my call.Suddenly, the metal door creaked. I flinched and felt a slight relief upon seeing my husband.“Oh, babe,” he whispered as he stepped inside, c
His Hired Lover 57. In Session
Once everyone was seated, the room fell into silence as Rios stepped into the circle. Torchlight flickered off the walls, and only the rustle of papers and the waves outside could be heard. At the center of the round table, the thick and almost ancient Secret Ledger lay unopened. Rios placed his palm on the book, and one by one, the bosses rose from their high-backed chairs, their footsteps echoing as they moved to perform the ritual before formally going into session.Kenji Takahashi bowed stiffly before placing his hand on the cover. Rika followed quickly. Next to her was Vittorino Mancini, who muttered something in Italian under his breath and kissed two fingers before pressing them to the spine of the book. Luca Bellanti grunted and followed suit. Then Gabriel Fonseca approached slowly, crossed himself, and whispered a blessing that sounded more like a curse because of his language. Meanwhile, Catalina Cabrerra didn't speak.Beatrice Sandoval placed her hand on the Ledger next, s
His Hired Lover 56. The Coming of the Gods
Each major international Mafia Boss was required by the Ledger to bring one allied or subordinate family into the Tribunal. Each ally would serve as a witness and backup power. Rios recalled that there would be ten power seats from the active circle, which were the five global syndicate leaders and their invited family bosses.Not long after, the esteemed bosses were arriving one by one.“Firipin e okaerinasai,” greeted Rios as he and Kenji Takahashi bowed formally toward each other. The serious man, whose voice was soft but always made Rios nervous, had come all the way from Osaka, Japan. Takahashi was a former enforcer in the Yamaguchi-gumi syndicate, but had risen as the leader of his own splinter group. He didn’t talk much, but when it came to business, he was always eager to share how he grew his empire, which was through tech, crypto laundering, and, of course, his brutal efficiency. He was known as the kind of man who eliminated rivals before they even spoke. The Japanese man w
His Hired Lover 55. Cardinal Rules
Rios stood in front of the grand hall where his private meetings with the Mafia were often held. The sound of the waves outside the building called loudly, but the silence only drowned out the impending excitement.In about three hours, the Mafia Tribunal would be held on this private island in Batangas. His family called the venue Taal Island Fortress—a private ancestral estate on a volcanic island in the country. For years, the Alcaraz family had owned such an esteemed, secluded place that could only be reached by chopper or private boat. No wonder it had been one of the places the Sandoval family had been eyeing.Rios heaved a nervous sigh. The annual Tribunal required each Mafia Boss to bring at least one prominent Mafia family from their turf. In the Philippines, only the Alcarazes and the Sandovals controlled most of the regions. It automatically meant Rios had to bring the Sandovals with him. The invitations had been sent. Somewhere deep in his mind, he hoped and prayed none of
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