CHAPTER FIVE: THE DEVIL'S BRIDE

"Oh, I forgot. There are no bullets left in this thing."

Bryan De Luca said those words so casually that, for a moment, I wondered if he was even human.

I stood frozen, staring at the gun in his hand.

No bullets?

Was he seriously telling me that after making me believe he had just killed my father?

I didn't know whether I had been breathing before, but at that moment, I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

My father collapsed against the couch, while my nanny placed a trembling hand over her chest.

We had all believed he was dead.

And this monster was smiling.

"Doll, I'm giving you another opportunity," Bryan said calmly. "This time, I won't miss."

I swallowed hard.

Another opportunity?

To do what?

Stop crying while my father lay bleeding on the floor?

I quickly wiped my cheeks, although anger continued burning inside me.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to hurt him the way he had hurt my father.

For the first time in my life, I understood why people sometimes wished terrible things upon others.

Because at that moment, I wanted Bryan De Luca to experience every bit of pain he had caused us.

He slipped the gun into his waistband and walked toward me.

I instinctively stepped backwards.

"Doll."

"Don't come near me."

He ignored my warning.

His fingers gently touched my cheek, wiping away the last trace of tears.

"I don't like seeing you cry," he murmured. "It hurts my heart when you cry in front of these people."

I stared at him in disbelief.

His heart?

Did he even have one?

"Don't touch me, you bastard!"

The guards immediately stiffened.

But I didn't care anymore.

"You made me cry! You shot my dad, threatened to kill him, and now you're standing here telling me it hurts your heart?"

Bryan watched me silently.

"What kind of man are you?" I yelled.

He tilted his head slightly.

"The kind of man who doesn't like seeing his Doll unhappy."

I almost laughed.

This man was unbelievable.

"Doll, you can yell all you want," he continued. "But make sure no more tears fall from those pretty eyes."

"You're the reason I'm crying, you psycho!"

I placed both hands against his chest and pushed him.

Or at least, I tried.

He didn't move.

Not even an inch.

Goodness gracious!

Was this man made of concrete?

I pushed again, but it felt like trying to move an entire building.

Bryan chuckled.

"Careful, Doll."

"Get away from me!"

Instead, he wrapped one arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

My heart jumped.

"Let me go!"

His other hand moved toward my hair.

He gently touched a sticky strand of my blonde hair, examining the dried red paint.

His expression changed.

The smile disappeared.

"Who did this to you?"

I froze.

"What?"

"Your hair, Doll."

His voice was dangerously quiet.

"Who ruined your beautiful blonde hair?"

I looked away.

"Nobody."

Bryan slowly lifted my chin.

"Look at me."

I reluctantly met his eyes.

"You look beautiful even like this," he whispered. "But whoever did this to you will lose their head."

My blood ran cold.

Lose their head?

Was he serious?

Of course he was.

This was Bryan De Luca.

A man who shot people without hesitation.

I immediately remembered Ella, Bella, and Rena.

They had humiliated me.

They had hurt me.

But I didn't want anyone murdered because of what happened at school.

"It was an accident," I said quickly.

Bryan studied my face.

"An accident?"

"Yes. Nobody did anything."

He remained silent for several seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Okay, Doll. I heard you."

Something about his calm response frightened me even more.

He didn't look convinced.

And somehow, I had a terrible feeling that Ella and her friends were about to face something far worse than school punishment.

"Mr. De Luca."

My father's weak voice interrupted us.

I immediately turned.

He was struggling to stand, using the couch for support.

His trousers were soaked with blood.

"Dad, please don't move!"

He ignored me.

"Mr. De Luca, I'm ready to sign the contract."

I stared at him.

The contract?

After everything that had happened, he was still thinking about business?

Bryan finally released my waist.

"Good, John."

He walked back toward the couch and sat down comfortably.

"Now, remind me. Why do you want me to sign this contract?"

My father swallowed nervously.

"Because... because..."

Bryan raised an eyebrow.

"Because what?"

"It's... it's for..."

"Cat got your tongue, John?"

My father lowered his head.

"Mr. De Luca, I thought we had already discussed this."

Bryan's expression hardened.

"I want you to remind me."

He leaned forward.

"Or have the bullets in your legs suddenly made you forget everything?"

My father trembled.

"No, Mr. De Luca."

"Then speak."

"It's for the company's interest."

Bryan stared at him.

"Why did it take you so long to answer such a simple question?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. De Luca."

I watched in silence.

My father, John Mayday, one of the richest and most influential businessmen in New York, was trembling before another man.

It was almost impossible to believe.

Growing up, I had always thought my father was untouchable.

He had money.

Power.

Connections.

People respected him wherever he went.

But now, I understood something.

No matter how powerful someone became, there was always something they feared.

For my father, that fear was losing me.

That was why he had hidden my identity from the public.

And now, standing before him was another fear.

Bryan De Luca.

But what about Bryan himself?

Did the most dangerous mafia boss in New York fear anyone?

Did he have a weakness?

A person he couldn't bear to lose?

I glanced at him.

He looked completely relaxed, as though he hadn't just turned our peaceful home into a nightmare.

Perhaps monsters like him didn't have weaknesses.

"Get me a pen," Bryan ordered.

"Here you go, Boss," one of his guards replied.

I noticed the man standing beside him.

He looked serious and disciplined, unlike the other guards who barely moved.

Bryan took the pen from him.

"Ace, make sure everything is in order."

"Yes, Boss."

So his name was Ace.

At least someone in this house still knew how to speak without threatening to kill people.

Bryan picked up the contract and flipped through the pages.

For a moment, the room was quiet except for my father's painful breathing.

Then Bryan signed.

Just like that.

After all the threats, blood, and humiliation, the contract was finally signed.

He handed the document to my father.

"There. You have what you wanted."

My father accepted it with trembling hands.

"Thank you, Mr. De Luca."

I couldn't believe my ears.

Thank you?

He was thanking the man who had shot him twice?

"Dad, you need a hospital," I whispered.

He nodded weakly.

But before I could help him, Bryan suddenly stood up.

He reached toward one of his guards and collected another gun.

My heart immediately began racing.

Not again.

Please, not again.

I watched him turn toward my nanny.

For a moment, I didn't understand what he was doing.

Then he raised the gun.

*BANG!*

"AAAAHHH!"

My nanny screamed and fell against the couch.

"NOOOOO!"

I rushed toward her.

"Nanny!"

She was clutching her wounded arm, her face twisted in pain.

Blood stained her clothes.

I dropped beside her, shaking uncontrollably.

"Please, Nanny, stay with me!"

She tried to speak, but her voice came out weak.

"Carla... I'm okay..."

"No, you're not!"

My eyes filled with tears.

Why?

Why was Bryan doing this?

My nanny hadn't offended him.

She hadn't lied to him.

She had done absolutely nothing wrong.

I opened my mouth to cry, but his deep voice stopped me.

"Not a single tear, Doll."

I froze.

Bryan stood behind me, watching with a faint smile.

"You need to learn how to stop crying and stand up for yourself."

I slowly turned toward him.

"Your father and nanny won't always be able to protect you," he continued.

His green eyes darkened.

"And they certainly won't be able to take you away from me."

My stomach twisted.

Take me away from him?

What was he talking about?

I didn't belong to him!

I stood up angrily.

"You monster!"

I marched toward him and raised my hand.

I was going to slap him again.

Harder this time.

But before my palm could touch his face, Bryan caught my wrist in midair.

"Let go of my hand, you psycho!"

He smiled.

"Not so fast, Doll."

I struggled against his grip.

"Let me go!"

He leaned closer.

"Do you remember what happened the first time you slapped me?"

I glared at him.

"Unfortunately."

His smile widened.

"Well, I made myself a promise."

I frowned.

"What promise?"

"That the second time you tried to slap me would be the moment I proposed to you."

My mouth fell open.

Proposed?

What was wrong with this man?

"You're joking."

Bryan shook his head.

"I don't joke about what belongs to me."

Before I could respond, he reached into his pocket.

My eyes widened when he brought out a small, elegant ring box.

No.

No, no, no!

This couldn't be happening.

He opened the box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring.

It sparkled beneath the chandelier.

Under normal circumstances, I might have admired its beauty.

But nothing about this situation was normal.

"Mr. De Luca, what are you doing?"

He ignored my question.

Still holding my wrist, he gently slipped the ring onto my finger.

I stared at it in complete shock.

"Take it off!"

Bryan raised my hand toward his lips and kissed the ring.

My entire body went stiff.

My father watched helplessly.

My nanny remained seated, struggling with her injury.

And the guards stood silently, witnessing what had to be the strangest proposal in human history.

"Bryan, I didn't agree to anything!"

He looked into my eyes.

His expression was filled with a frightening mixture of affection, possession, and obsession.

"You don't understand, Doll."

His thumb brushed across the diamond.

"I decided you were mine the moment I saw you."

I shook my head.

"I'm not marrying you!"

Bryan smiled as though my refusal meant nothing.

Then he leaned closer and whispered the words that made my entire world stop.

*"You are now my wife, Carla De Luca."*

I stared at him, unable to speak.

A few hours ago, I was just a lonely university student crying because my crush had humiliated me.

Now, the most dangerous mafia boss in New York had shot my father, wounded my nanny, and placed a wedding ring on my finger without my permission.

And somehow, he expected me to accept it.

I looked at the diamond shining on my trembling hand.

This wasn't a marriage.

It wasn't even a proposal.

It was a declaration.

And judging by the possessive look in Bryan's eyes, I feared he had no intention of ever letting me go.