Married to a monster

MAFIA KING The room went dead silent the moment Don Carlo walked in. Kristen froze. She’d expected someone older. Maybe wrinkled, rough looking and scarred from violence. But the man in front of her was nothing like that. He was drop dead gorgeous. Tall, broad, sharp-jawed. His black suit fit like it was made just for him, and his blue eyes was cold and calculating. He moved through the room like he owned everything in it. Kristen’s skin crawled as his gaze swept over her, icy and full of power. No smile. No kindness. Just raw authority. She stood stiffly, trying not to shake. Carlo’s eyes paused on her. The white dress. Her red-painted lips. The way her hands trembled at her sides. But his face gave nothing away. Then he walked right past her like she wasn’t even there. “Welcome, Don Carlo,” her father said nervously. “Please, have a seat. The maid will bring your drink. Let’s talk about the deal” Carlo raised a hand, cutting him off. “No need for small talk, Mr

Shattered Ties Carlo stormed into the bedroom, his heart pounding in a way he wasn’t used to. The maid hadn’t been exaggerating, Kristen was crumpled on the cold marble floor, her skin pale and her breath shallow. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at her lifeless body, something unfamiliar squeezing in his chest. He dropped to his knees beside her. “Sophie?” he said, shaking her shoulder gently. No response. His jaw clenched. Without another second of hesitation, he scooped her into his arms like she weighed nothing, like she was fragile glass and he was terrified of breaking her. His fingers trembled as they wrapped around her, and he didn’t even try to understand why. He just knew he had to move. “Get the damn car,” he barked at the guards. At the hospital, the doctor ushered Carlo into a sterile office after examining her. He looked calm, professional but concerned. “You brought her in just in time,” the doctor said as he slid a chart onto the desk. Carlo le

UNBROKEN Kristen woke up to the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor beside her bed. The hospital room was cold and sterile as usual, yet somehow it felt more peaceful than the mansion she was forced to call home. Her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the soft light filtering through the blinds. Her body still ached, but the swelling on her ankle had drastically reduced. She tried to sit up, but pain shot up her leg and into her spine, forcing a strangled gasp from her lips. The door clicked open. A doctor in a white coat stepped inside, clipboard in hand. He looked calm and collected, clearly used to delivering updates to patients who didn’t want to be there. “Mrs. Moretti,” he said with a polite nod as if the name belonged to her. As if it had ever been hers to claim. Kristen’s jaw tensed at the title. She didn't correct him. “I’ve reviewed your scans and labs,” he continued. “Your vitals have stabilized, and with more rest and medication, your sprain should heal complet

Shadows and SecretsThe mansion slept, but Kristen couldn’t.Even though she lay in the softest bed money could buy, surrounded by silence and shadows, her mind was restless. The words Carlo had spat earlier still echoed in her head—sharp and cutting.Every breath she took reminded her of how trapped she was. Every pulse of pain from her ankle reminded her of hard she'd fallen. She wasn’t just angry. She wasn’t just afraid. She was curious.Something had changed in him. It wasn’t just hatred. It was deeper. Sharper. Personal. She had to know why.And somewhere in this house, the answer was waiting.Kristen sat up slowly, careful not to let the bed creak. The clock on the wall ticked past two in the morning. She reached for her crutches, her muscles tense as she placed her feet on the cool wooden floor.The hallway was dim. Only a few lamps were left on, casting a soft orange glow along the floorboards. The whole house was quiet, as if holding its secrets tight between its walls.Krist

NO ONE LEFT She rushed as fast as she could, forcing her body to move faster, her ankle throbbing with every step. When she finally reached her room, she closed the door and leaned against it, gasping. Her mind spun. Everything was clear now. Carlo hated her because of her step mother. He thought she was Sophie. He didn’t know the truth. He didn’t know she was the stepdaughter. That she had no idea what her step mother had done. That she, too, was a pawn. She needed to tell him. But she couldn’t. Not yet. Because to do that… she’d have to admit the truth. She’d have to confess that she’d lied. That she’d taken Sophie’s place. That she was pretending. And after what she’d read? She wasn’t sure he’d ever let her live long enough to explain. Kristen barely slept that night. The darkness outside her window matched the storm raging inside her. She was caught between two monsters. One with a cold gaze and vengeance in his blood, the other with poison on her tong