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홈 / Mafia / The Debt Collectors Bride / Chapter 21

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Chapter 21

작가: Menah_writes
last update 최신 업데이트: 2025-12-16 16:11:55

I tried to paint away the ache.

My father’s words were still stuck in my head… broken, heavy things he couldn't bring himself to finish. I kept seeing the way he looked away when I asked about my mother, or the debt, or how our lives had fallen apart.

So I picked up a brush.

Paint was kinder than memory. Colors didn't lie to me, and they didn't stop halfway through the truth.

I sat by the window, my knees tucked under me as the afternoon sun spilled across the floor. My canvas was a blur of soft blues and pale golds. I didn’t really know what I was creating; I just knew my chest felt too tight to breathe, and this was the only way to find some air.

I was so lost in the movement of my hand that I didn't hear the door.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Damien’s voice was low… softer than usual. The sharp, commanding edge he usually carried was gone.

I started, turning my head to find him standing a few feet away. He’d pulled off his jacket, and his sleeves were rolled up. The sunlight caugh
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  • The Debt Collectors Bride   Chapter 29

    Damien’s POV: I stood outside Sera's bedroom door longer than I meant to. The hallway was very quiet, and that quiet made my thoughts feel even louder. I could hear the guards at the end of the hall and the distant sounds of the house, but none of it mattered. I only cared about the door in front of me. Sera had not really looked at me this morning. Her eyes avoided me as if I were something sharp and dangerous. She was polite and distant, which felt worse than her being afraid of me. I can handle her fear, but her coldness hurts much more. I raised my hand to knock on her door but then I stopped. I knew what I wanted. I wanted to go inside, sit near her, and tell her she was safe, reassure her with my presence like I always had. I wanted to remind her that I was there for her. But I also knew that doing those things would make her feel trapped. I had already made her feel like a prisoner for too long. So, I lowered my hand. I turned away and walked down the hall. Every step

  • The Debt Collectors Bride   Chapter 28

    Sera’s POV:Morning came softly, the way it always did in this part of the mansion. Light filtered through the tall curtains in pale ribbons, touching the edges of the room like it was afraid to wake me too roughly. For a moment, I lay still, staring at the ceiling, pretending that if I didn’t move, nothing from last night would move either.My chest tightened.I sat up slowly, the sheets sliding off my shoulders. My body felt heavy, like I hadn’t slept at all. Maybe I hadn’t. Maybe I’d just closed my eyes and replayed everything over and over until the sun rose.I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood. The floor was cool beneath my feet, grounding in a way my thoughts weren’t. Paint, I thought… I need to paint.That had always been the answer. Whenever my head got too loud, my chest too tight… art quieted the world. It gave me somewhere to pour things I couldn’t say.I crossed the room and went to the small table Damien had set up for me days ago. My art supplies were sti

  • The Debt Collectors Bride   Chapter 27

    Damien’s pov: I could not sleep. I lay in bed with my eyes wide open and stared at the ceiling while the night went by. My mind was busy and restless. I kept thinking about the events of the day over and over again. I remembered the art gallery first. I thought about how soft Sera’s face looked when she saw the paintings she loved. Her eyes lit up, and for a few moments, the world did not seem so cruel to her. I found myself watching her more than the art. I noticed how her fingers moved when she felt emotional. I saw how she leaned closer to the paintings and forgot everything else. In those moments, she looked truly happy. Then I thought about the kitchen. She stood very close to me. The warmth of her body brushing mine when she turned. The way her breath hitched when she realized how near we were. Her lips — soft, parted, unaware of the damage they could do to a man who had spent years teaching himself not to want. I closed my eyes for a moment I almost kissed her. But th

  • The Debt Collectors Bride   Chapter 26

    Sera’s POV: My mind is struggling to keep up with everything that happened today. It feels as if someone forced my brain open and poured too many memories into it all at once. Everything feels too fast, too heavy, and too painful to process.I think about the art gallery and how beautiful the paintings were. I remember the way Damien looked at me when I smiled. I can still feel how close his face was to mine when we were in the kitchen.But then, everything changed. Now, my father is missing. Someone has taken him away from me.I also can't forget the scary version of Damien I saw today. I remember the sound of the guard screaming. I remember how calm Damien’s voice sounded while another man begged for his life. I saw the terrifying violence in Damien's hands.My chest feels tight again, and it is hard for me to breathe. I do not even remember deciding to get up and walk, but my legs are moving on their own. The mansion feels like it goes on forever as I walk through hallways that h

  • The Debt Collectors Bride   Chapter 25

    Sera’s pov:I stay exactly where Damien left me.The air in the kitchen is still thick with him… the scent of cedar, the ghost of his heat, the static electricity of a moment that almost changed everything. My heart is still hammering against my ribs. I look at the sandwich sitting on the counter.We almost kissed. The thought hits me again. If Luca hadn’t walked in… If Damien hadn’t turned his head… If the moment hadn’t shattered… I imagine it without meaning to.His mouth finally closing the small distance between ours. His hand tightening at my waist instead of loosening. My fear dissolving into something warm and reckless and dangerous.My chest tightens painfully. I lift my hand to my lips, my breath still uneven. I can still feel how close he was. How his presence filled the space around me, how everything else faded.Then reality crashes back in. Luca’s face when he came in. He looked pale. What could have happened to my father? I knew it wasn’t good news.My stomach twists

  • The Debt Collectors Bride   Chapter 24

    Damien’s pov:The drive back was quiet.It wasn't the heavy, suffocating silence I was used to… the kind filled with maps and threats. It was softer. Sera sat next to me, her eyes on the passing city, a small, lingering smile on her face. She looked like she was still lost in the paintings.I didn't say a word. I didn't want to interrupt her thoughts. When we pulled up to the mansion, the world rushed back in. The guards snapped to attention as the doors were thrown open. Usually, Sera hesitated at the entrance, but today, she walked inside without pulling her hand away from mine.Progress. It felt like a victory I hadn’t earned.She kicked off her shoes and stood there for a second, looking toward the stairs, then toward the kitchen.“I’m hungry,” she said, her voice a little shy. “I think I want to make a sandwich.”The words were so normal, yet they stopped me cold.The kitchen was staff territory, it was controlled, watched, professional. But she wasn't asking me for permission

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