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Chapter 53

Penulis: Julia Davis
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-20 03:36:53

I decided to pick up the pieces of my life.

It was slow, achingly slow, but every morning, I got up. I tried. I brushed my hair, sat by the window, and breathed. That was something.

There wasn’t much to do, though. Sammie wouldn’t let me. He hovered constantly, wouldn't even let me cook for myself. He treated me like something delicate, something on the edge of breaking.

I knew he meant well, and part of me appreciated it. But another part, tired, restless, grew irritated. I wasn’t fragile, I had been through fire. I could handle my own life, and yet, here I was, tiptoeing around someone else's version of care.

One afternoon, Sammie came home looking lighter than I’d seen him in weeks.

“I’ve wrapped up the business with Gerrard,” he said, grinning as he loosened his tie. “We’ll be heading back to Germany soon.”

I forced a smile. “That’s good news.”

He walked over and kissed my forehead. “We’ve done everything we needed to here. It’s time to start fresh.”

But something in me re
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  • THE MAFIA CHEF   Chapter 53

    I decided to pick up the pieces of my life. It was slow, achingly slow, but every morning, I got up. I tried. I brushed my hair, sat by the window, and breathed. That was something. There wasn’t much to do, though. Sammie wouldn’t let me. He hovered constantly, wouldn't even let me cook for myself. He treated me like something delicate, something on the edge of breaking. I knew he meant well, and part of me appreciated it. But another part, tired, restless, grew irritated. I wasn’t fragile, I had been through fire. I could handle my own life, and yet, here I was, tiptoeing around someone else's version of care. One afternoon, Sammie came home looking lighter than I’d seen him in weeks. “I’ve wrapped up the business with Gerrard,” he said, grinning as he loosened his tie. “We’ll be heading back to Germany soon.” I forced a smile. “That’s good news.” He walked over and kissed my forehead. “We’ve done everything we needed to here. It’s time to start fresh.” But something in me re

  • THE MAFIA CHEF   Chapter 52

    I tried.Every day since that night, I tried to reach Gerrard.I called, I texted, I showed up. Nothing worked.Whenever Sammie wasn’t around, I would drive over to Gerrard’s estate. The guards didn’t even let me speak. They wouldn’t look me in the eye, just shook their heads and said, “You’re not allowed in, ma’am.”It felt unreal. This was the same house where I’d once been dragged in like a prisoner, trembling, furious, terrified of the man behind the empire. The same house where I fell in love with the man I was told to fear.Now, I stood outside like a stranger. An outsider. No longer needed, no longer wanted.And I hated myself for how badly I still wanted to be let in. For how much I still longed to see him, talk to him, just be near him. It didn’t matter what we’d been through, how broken we’d become, I would have taken anything: anger, silence, coldness, anything, as long as it meant he still felt something for me.But there was nothing.Just that gate. Always closed.Until o

  • THE MAFIA CHEF   Chapter 51

    I stood in the same spot for a long time after Gerrard left. I didn’t cry, not at first. There was only this terrible silence, heavy and loud in my chest, like the aftershock of an explosion. My legs gave way eventually, and I sank to the floor. The chandelier above flickered, casting long, broken shadows across the walls. When the tears finally came, they didn’t stop. They hit in waves, grief, fury, fear, and then quieted into a strange kind of numbness. I curled up on the marble, hugging my knees, letting the cold seep into my skin. It felt like the only thing keeping me from burning alive. Lola found me there. She didn’t speak at first. She just knelt beside me and wrapped her arms around me, grounding me in the warmth I couldn’t find for myself. “He told you to leave?” she asked softly. I nodded. She held me tighter. “He doesn’t really want you to go,” she whispered. “You know that, right?” “I think he meant it,” I choked. “He thinks I deserve better. That I’d be s

  • THE MAFIA CHEF   Chapter 50

    I met Gerrard the moment I walked in. He was waiting for me in the living room, standing by the window, half-lit by the soft glow of the chandelier. One hand in his pocket, the other holding a drink he hadn’t touched. He didn’t turn when I entered. Didn’t move. Just stood there, like he’d been waiting for hours and couldn’t bring himself to sit. My throat was dry. “I’m back,” I said softly. Silence. Then, his voice, flat and unreadable. “How did it go?” I stepped further into the room, dropped my purse quietly on the side table. “He still thinks I’m being manipulated. That you’re controlling me. He said I’ve been brainwashed… just like Bruno did.” Gerrard didn’t say anything. “He’s wrong,” I added quickly. “I told him, I’m not a prisoner. I’m not here because I have to be. I’m here because I want to be.” More silence. The air felt like it was tightening around my chest. I stepped closer. “Gerrard,” I said, trying to read him. “Say something.” He finally turned

  • THE MAFIA CHEF   Chapter 49

    The river had always been my place of peace. On days when grief took over, when the memory of my father sat heavy in my chest, I would come here. Just to sit. Just to breathe. The gentle sound of the water, the rustle of wind through trees, it reminded me that somewhere, life still moved. Gerrard found me there, seated on a low rock, staring at the rippling current. For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, quietly, he spoke. “You come here a lot.” I nodded, not looking at him. “He used to take me to a river just like this. Before he got sick.” He sat beside me, close but not touching. The silence stretched, soft and strange. “You should see Samuel,” he said at last. “Talk to him. Clear the air. Maybe it’ll help.” I turned to him, surprised. “Really?” He nodded. “I don’t like it. But I don't have a choice.” --- Sammie chose the place. A private lounge tucked into the top floor of an upscale hotel, far from the loud chaos of the city. The windows were tall a

  • THE MAFIA CHEF   Chapter 48

    My breath caught in my throat. I hadn’t seen him in years, but there he was, stepping out of the SUV like a ghost from a life I thought I’d buried. Sammie. My first love. My almost forever. His hair was shorter now, his suit sharper, his frame more filled out, confident, but those eyes, those kind eyes, hadn’t changed. For a moment, the world tilted. He froze when he saw me too. “Annabelle?” he said again, softer this time, like he didn’t believe what he was seeing. My heart thundered in my chest. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I hadn’t prepared for this. I wasn’t ready. Beside me, I felt Gerrard’s gaze narrow like a blade. “You two know each other?” I blinked, forcing myself to breathe. Then, without thinking, I grabbed Lola’s hand. “We were just... old friends,” I said quickly. “Come on, Lola, let’s go.” I didn’t wait for a reply. My fingers dug into Lola’s palm as we turned away. I could feel Gerrard’s stare scorching my back. But worse than that was S

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