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CHAPTER 39

Author: Natalie May
last update Last Updated: 2026-01-31 06:06:21

VALENTINA

My chest still ached when I thought about what had happened that morning between Adrian and Stefan.

The boy’s reaction to his father had been heartbreaking, but almost worse was the look on Adrian’s face. For all his hardness and authority, I could tell it hurt him deeply. He tried to hide it, bury it under control and discipline, but I saw it. I wasn’t sure how to help, but I knew I had to try.

What I couldn’t understand was why. Stefan didn’t shrink away as though Adrian had hurt h
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  • Married To Danger   CHAPTER 57

    ADRIANTHE PASTThat day unraveled like a bad wound. Losing two men to those bikers was a blow I could stomach. Retaliation was part of the job. But finding out we’d been attacked from the inside made my stomach knot. There was a rat in the family. A traitor. The fingers of suspicion pointed in a dozen directions, but Lorenzo’s absence at Christmas and the fact he’d been assigned to watch Serena that afternoon put him high on the list.It was nearly midnight when I pulled into the drive, expecting the house to be quiet. Light from the living room spilled into the foyer. Stefan sat on the couch, bent over a small tablet, his brow knotted in concentration. “Why are you still up, amore?” I asked.“I can’t sleep. Uncle Lorenzo gave me this,” he mumbled, not even looking up.“Where is he?” I asked, listening for a sound.“Upstairs. They’re playing with Mom.” His voice was flat and distracted. The tablet’s little world was sucking him in. It was precisely why I never wanted those things ar

  • Married To Danger   CHAPTER 54

    VALENTINA Marco shook his head after Elia left the room, a crooked smirk tugging at his lips. “Adrian keeps you on a short leash.”I stiffened. I couldn’t discuss my marriage with him. Not with anyone, really. It would only prove Adrian right when he said trust was something I didn’t yet deserve.“How’s Mom doing in her new role as the rising star of our circles?” I asked, forcing a light tone.He snorted, but at least he took the bait. “She’s panicking. She thinks taking in Kiara will destroy her reputation.”I frowned. “Kiara did nothing wrong. Her father’s the traitor, not her.”Marco’s expression hardened. “You know how it is, Valentina . She’ll suffer for his sins anyway. The children always do.”I hesitated, trying to read his tone. Was he talking about himself? About how Dad’s lackluster standing still shadowed him? Or was he hinting at something darker? Like his biological parents' death? Adrian and Stefan flashed through my mind, but I pushed the thought away.“I’m going to

  • Married To Danger   CHAPTER 53

    VALENTINA The next day, I browsed party ideas for sixth birthdays. Stefan’s special day was in a week, and I wanted to surprise him with a cake and a themed birthday party. Clutching the edge of the sofa, Sofia pulled herself up to her legs beside me, grinning proudly.“Good,” I cooed while I kept an eye on Stefan and Milo. He was throwing her ball, and she dropped it in front of him every time. It was beautiful and I wished Adrian could see.My phone pinged with a message. Surprise rushed through me when I saw it was from Marco, telling me he was in the area and wanted to visit. I hadn’t seen him since the wedding. In the past, I would only see him every two months because we lived in different cities, but now that had changed, at least until he returned back to rule at Dad’s side— whenever that was going to be. I hurried into the kitchen to tell Sybil to prepare a few sandwiches and coffee.Fifteen minutes later, his car pulled up in front of the house. “Your uncle’s coming to v

  • Married To Danger   CHAPTER 52

    VALENTINA That afternoon, Stefan and I were on the floor of the living room. It had become our little ritual— quiet time together while Sofia took her nap upstairs. The soft hum of the baby monitor filled the background, and sunlight streamed through the wide windows, pooling in golden squares across the carpet.Milo trotted toward us with her tail wagging and a slobbery ball clamped proudly between her teeth. She always knew when I was about to sit down. Somehow, it had become her signal that playtime was about to start.I took the ball from her mouth and rolled it across the rug. She darted after it, nails clicking on the wood. Stefan’s eyes followed her every move, wide and fascinated.“See how fast she is?” I said softly.He nodded once, shy but curious.After a few more rounds, I offered the ball to him. He hesitated, then grabbed it and threw awkwardly, but with surprising force. The ball bounced off the wall, and Milo pounced after it. Stefan’s small but bright laugh filled th

  • Married To Danger   CHAPTER 51

    VALENTINA I tried to wait up for Adrian. I really did. The fire had burned low, throwing lazy shadows across the living room, and I’d curled up awkwardly in the armchair facing the fireplace. I told myself I’d close my eyes just for a minute, but exhaustion won out, and the warmth of the fire pulled me under. I woke to the ghost of a touch. Cold fingers brushed my arm, and I startled upright, disoriented and heavy with sleep. The room was dark except for the faint, flickering glow of dying embers. Adrian stood over me, a shadow among shadows, smelling of smoke, gunpowder, and whisky. “I told you not to wait for me,” he said quietly. His voice carried that tight, clipped edge he used when he didn’t want me asking questions. “What time is it?” I mumbled, my voice rough with sleep. “It’s late.” I blinked against the dim light, trying to make out his face, to read the tension I could hear but not see. Reaching for him, my fingers brushed his arm only to find the fabric stiff and

  • Married To Danger   CHAPTER 50

    VALENTINA After Adrian left, I sank onto the sofa with my phone still in hand, feeling the echo of our earlier conversation in my chest. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since he’d told me about my uncles. In our world, a fall from grace almost always meant a bullet to the head, and that was exactly what had happened. Sofia sat on the rug, fascinated by a noisy picture book that barked and mooed every time she touched it. Stefan was beside her, half focused on his game, half distracted by the sound effects. Every now and then, he’d steal a glance at his sister’s toy, and for a brief moment, there was peace between them— no tears, no tantrums. Just two children in their own small world. Milo hopped up beside me on the couch and curled into a soft ball of fur. I started to stroke her absently, letting the rhythmic motion ease the tension in my body, though not the heaviness in my chest. I should’ve felt grief for my uncles, but I didn’t. They’d been cruel men, even by mafia standards.

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