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Chapter 60: One Week Without Him
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-12 22:07:31
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The Mafia Debt Chapter 61: No
AriaViktor gestured for me to follow him down a long hallway that led to double doors I had never seen before."He's in here," Viktor said.The doors open, and there he was. Cassian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window as he barked orders into his phone. He was dressed in a white button-down and dark slacks. He didn't look anything like someone who had been shot a week ago. No, in fact, he looked quite well and capable—powerful, even.I froze in the doorway, my breath catching in my throat. How could he be so composed after everything that had happened? How could he look so... unaffected?He must have sensed our presence because he abruptly ended his call. "Listen, I've got to go. Someone just came in. I'll call you back," hCassian turned to face us, his eyes locking onto mine for a split second before quickly sliding away. For that brief moment, time seemed to stand still. I searched his face desperately for any sign of the man who had whispered "I love you" to me as he bled in my
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13The Mafia Debt Chapter 62: A Coward in Love
CASSIANStep one: Treat them like shit. Take a mile and in return give them nothing. Step two: To turn a good person into a weak person, treat them even shittier than you did before.That was what I just did. The most toxic shit ever. I stare at the amber liquid in my glass. Three fingers of whiskey, my fourth of the night.I run my finger over the scar on my chest. Still fresh and tender.The guilt is a living thing inside me, clawing at my insides every time I remember the look on her face when I told her I felt nothing. The absolute devastation in those eyes that once looked at me like I was something worth loving.She deserves someone who will treat her the way I want to—like a fucking queen. Her life would have been forever in danger with me, and I don't want that for her.It's been three weeks since I last saw her. Three weeks, two days, and approximately sixteen hours, but who's counting? Her calls stopped coming after the second week. The messages dried up shortly after.I gra
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-13The Mafia Debt Chapter 63: The Goodbye That Broke Us Both
ARIAMy nerves are unsettled at the thought of seeing him again. I need some courage. My feelings for him haven't changed. Call me stupid, but I still love him. What the heart desires, the heart wants. Hopefully, he hasn't moved on.I take another swig from the small flask I brought with me, the vodka burning down my throat. Liquid courage, isn't that what they call it? Three weeks of silence. Three weeks of crying myself to sleep. Three weeks of wondering what the hell went wrong.I'm done waiting for answers. I'm done with the voicemails that go unreturned and the texts that remain unread. Tonight, I'm getting answers, even if I have to break into his house to get them.The security is laughable—clearly, Cassian hasn't been thinking straight. The guard at the gate was easily distracted by a fake delivery call, and the side entrance was unlocked. Either he's gotten sloppy, or part of him wants me to find my way back to him.I stand at the edge of the property, staring up at the house
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14The Mafia Debt Chapter 64: Desperation Wears Heels
The next morning, I blinked awake, momentarily disoriented before remembering where I was—back in Cassian's safehouse.I rolled over, burying my face in the pillow. Three days had passed since I'd walked out of his house, left him standing there looking broken. Three days of numbness filled by moments of blinding rage and crushing sadness.My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Another email from my university about re-enrollment for the upcoming semester. The cursor hovered over "reply" for a full minute before I closed the app. What was the point? The Aria who had a future of school felt like a stranger now.I dragged myself into the shower, letting scalding water pound against my skin until it turned pink. The bathroom mirror revealed dark circles under my eyes that no amount of concealer could hide. I looked haunted. Maybe I was."Get your shit together," I muttered to my reflection. "You survived before him. You'll survive after him."Two hours later, I smoothed down the front of my
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14The Mafia Debt Chapter 65: The Rise of Ruby
I stepped onto the stage, immediately blinded by spotlights. For a terrifying moment, I froze, overwhelmed by the sea of faces turned toward me. A murmur rippled through the crowd—a new girl was always an event.Move, I commanded myself. Just move.The bass dropped, and something shifted inside me. My body responded before my mind could catch up—hips swaying, hands trailing over my skin. I closed my eyes, letting the music take over. The sequined outfit Vivienne had chosen caught the lights, throwing prisms across my skin.The song built, and so did my confidence. I made eye contact with an older man sitting alone in the front row with an expensive whiskey—watching me with unmasked desire. There was power in his gaze, but not his power—mine. He couldn't touch me. Could only watch, want, pay.I moved to the pole, remembering the basic turns Vivienne had shown me. My body flowed around it naturally, as if I'd been doing this for years instead of minutes. The crowd's response was immedia
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-14The Mafia Debt Chapter 66: Falling from Grace
One more week into my new life as Ruby, and I'd found my rhythm. The nerves that used to twist my stomach before each performance had transformed into a different kind of energy. I'd learned to turn off my thoughts, to become a body without a past or future.Tonight, the club was packed tighter than usual. Elysium thrummed with energy and smoke machines creating a foggy haze across the main floor."You're up, Ruby," Vivienne said, her hand cool against my bare shoulder. "Main stage. They've been asking for you all night."I nodded, adjusting the straps of my outfit—a black lace creation that revealed more than it concealed. The other girls had taught me how to apply body glitter that caught the lights, making my skin shimmer. I'd learned to paint my face into a mask of seduction—smoky eyes, blood-red lips, cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass."Give them something special," Vivienne winked. "Weeknight crowd this big means big money."I stepped onto the stage, and the crowd fell silent
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-15The Mafia Debt Chapter 67: Falling into Old Patterns
Twenty minutes later, I stood outside VIP room three, my hand trembling on the doorknob. I'd changed into a different outfit—a deep burgundy two-piece that made my skin look luminous. No body glitter this time. No mask of makeup. Just me, stripped down to the bare essentials.Taking a deep breath, I opened the door.The private room was filled with plush velvet couches arranged around a small center stage. A bottle of champagne chilled in an ice bucket, two crystal flutes waiting beside it. The music was softer here, just background to whatever would unfold.Cassian sat on the main couch. He'd removed his suit jacket, his white shirt rolled up at the sleeves to reveal powerful forearms. He looked like sin incarnate—dangerous and tempting."You're the client," I said flatly, letting the door close behind me.He said nothing."Fine," I muttered, crossing to the farthest corner of the room. I sat down, arms crossed tightly over my chest. "Your money. Your time. But I'm not dancing."Stil
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-15The Mafia Debt Chapter 68: Rooms Built for Ruin
The VIP room looked exactly as it had the night before. The same champagne chilling in its bucket. The same soft music creating an illusion of intimacy.And there he was—Cassian. Waiting. Watching. The most dangerous man I'd ever known, looking at me like I was both salvation and destruction wrapped in one package.I shut the door behind me with more force than necessary."Back for more silent staring?" I asked, injecting as much venom as I could into the words.His expression remained neutral, but something flickered in his eyes—amusement? Frustration? "If that's what you prefer.""What I'd prefer is for you to disappear," I snapped, choosing a chair as far from him as the small room allowed. "But apparently what I want doesn't matter anymore.""It's the only thing that matters." His voice was so low I almost didn't catch the words.I crossed my legs, aware of how the movement drew his eyes. My outfit tonight was white—innocent in color. The irony wasn't lost on me. "Why are you doin
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-15
Bab terbaru
The Mafia Debt Chapter 97: If I Could Trade My Pain
Cassian's POVThe antiseptic smell of Nikolai's private clinic clung to the air, sterile and suffocating. I couldn't help but feel the weight of it as I sat in the small, office, waiting for the doctor to finish his report. Nikolai, a man in his late forties with salt-and-pepper hair and a Russian accent, flipped through my chart, his brow furrowed in concentration. His expression was professional, but I could see the strain behind his eyes. This wasn't his first time patching me up, and it definitely wouldn't be the last."You're lucky with your shoulder," he finally said, closing the file and setting it on the desk between us. "The bullet went clean through, missing anything vital. The knife wound in your side, however—that's going to need close monitoring. You'll need to take it easy for a while, but with your stubbornness, I know you'll make a full recovery.""Thanks, Nikolai," I muttered, more out of habit than gratitude. My mind was elsewhere. "What about Aria? How is she?"Nik
The Mafia Debt Chapter 96: Enemies Among Us
AriaWe were standing at the outskirts of the warehouse, waiting for the car that Dom was supposed to bring.I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold in the unease that had settled deep in my bones. The night air was cold against my skin, making the dried blood on my temple feel tight and uncomfortable."Where the fuck is he?" Cassian muttered, pressing his phone to his ear. "Viktor, Dom's not answering. Get your ass here now."Cassian was barking orders with the urgency of a man who had never been fatally injured. It was hard to believe that only hours ago he had been on the brink of death, blood pooling beneath him as I desperately tried to keep him alive. Now, there was no trace of the vulnerability that had gripped him earlier—except for the way he occasionally winced when he moved too quickly, his hand instinctively going to his bandaged side.After ending the call, he turned to me. His expression softened, the hard lines of his face easing just a fraction. "You okay, babe
The Mafia Debt Chapter 95: Brother Against Brother
Viktor's POV"Shadow?"There he stood—the man we'd trusted with our secrets, with Aria's safety—smiling at me like we were meeting for the first time. A cold, calculating smile that had no place on the face of a brother-in-arms."Surprise," he said, spreading his arms in a mocking gesture. "Not who you expected, huh?"I kept my gun trained on his chest, struggling to make sense of what I was seeing. "What the fuck is this? Why would you—?""Turn on the almighty Romanos?" Shadow finished, his tone dripping with contempt. "Maybe I got tired of being the lapdog. Maybe I wanted more.""More what?" I growled, taking a cautious step forward, making sure to keep myself between him and Cassian's bleeding body. "Money? Power? We gave you everything."Shadow laughed. "You gave me scraps, Viktor. Scraps from your table while you and Cassian lived like kings."I stared at him, trying to reconcile this stranger with the man who'd fought beside us for years. "We trusted you. Cassian trusted you wit
The Mafia Debt Chapter 94: Left to Die
Aria's POVWhere am I?The question came in my mind as soon as my consciousness creeps back, my eyelids heavy like lead. The room swims into focus—dim light filtering through a single dirty window. My body screams with every tiny movement, and I taste copper on my cracked lips."Hello?" I call out, my voice barely a rasp. "Is anyone there?"I try to push myself upright, biting back a cry as pain lances through my ribs.That's when I see him.He's sprawled in the corner, one hand clutching his side, dark blood seeping between his fingers. His face is ghostly pale, eyes closed, chest barely moving."Cassian!" I gasp, scrambling toward him, ignoring how my own body protests.I don't remember moving, just suddenly being there beside him, my trembling hands hovering over his wound. His shirt is soaked through with blood, the fabric torn where a blade must have entered."Cassian," His skin is cold, clammy. "Baby, can you hear me?"His eyelids flutter, a small groan escaping his lips. Relief
The Mafia Debt Chapter 93: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Smoke hung thick in the air, mingling with the sharp scent of blood and gunpowder. Viktor moved through the debris his gun raised, eyes darting for any sign of movement. The blast had left Kaiser's men scattered and broken, but Viktor knew better than to let his guard down."Marcus, status?" Viktor murmured into his mouthpiece."Zone's almost clear," Marcus replied, the crackle of static distorting his voice slightly. "But I can't reach Cassian. Something's off, Vik."Viktor's jaw tightened. "Keep looking. I'm heading deeper in.""Copy that. Watch your six."Viktor pressed on, stepping over the bodies of fallen enemies. The only sound the faint groans of the dying. Cassian never went dark during operations. Not unless something had gone terribly wrong.As he rounded a corner, Viktor caught movement out of the corner of his eye. A man, one of Kaiser's cronies, was pinned beneath a chunk of concrete, struggling to free himself. His face was bloodied, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.
The Mafia Debt Chapter 92: Checkmate
Third person povBlood pounded in Cassian's ears as he crouched behind the rusted shipping container, the cold metal of his Glock pressing against his palm. The warehouse was soon to become Kaiser’s tomb. Rain slicked down Cassian's face, mingling with sweat as he checked his watch: 02:37. Three minutes to synchronize."East perimeter secured," Viktor's voice came through his earpiece. "Two down, silent.""Roof access clear," Dom confirmed, his breathing calm despite having just eliminated three guards.Cassian tapped his comm. "Hold positions. On my mark.""Moving to position alpha," The rain masked his footsteps as he approached the side entrance. Two guards huddled beneath a meager overhang, sharing a cigarette. Amateurs. They never saw him coming.The warehouse door opened to his electronic pass key—courtesy of Kaiser's late lieutenant, Chet, who had been all too eager to talk after Dom finished with him. Cassian entered the dark corridor, the acrid smell of chemicals and damp con
The Mafia Debt Chapter 91: Bait in a Cage
AriaWhen I regained consciousness, darkness enveloped me completely. My head throbbed and a dull ache pulsing behind my eyes. I tried to move, only to discover my wrists were bound above me, the metal biting into my skin painfully.I feel a surge of panic as my memory fragments returned—Shadow stepping outside to smoke, me going into the kitchen, a noise, a gloved hand over my mouth, the sickly-sweet scent of chloroform.The darkness wasn't just around me; something covered my eyes. It is a blindfold. The rough fabric scratched against my swollen eyelids as I blinked against it.I could hear footsteps somewhere nearby. I strained my ears listening to them grow closer. My breath caught in my throat as I strained more to listen, trying to gauge distance, direction—anything that might help me understand where I was.The air tasted stale and damp. Somewhere nearby, water dripped in a slow rhythm. I couldn't tell. I shivered, not just from the cold seeping through my thin clothing but fro
The Mafia Debt Chapter 90: Stolen from Under Their Noses
Cassian was a man of precision, and tonight, every move had been calculated to the last detail. Everything was set in motion.He pressed a button on his console. "Viktor, what's the status?"Viktor's voice came through the speaker. "The guys are in position, but they haven't started moving yet.""They've got ten minutes. After that, we proceed with or without them.""Understood,"Switching channels, Cassian connected to Xander. "Xander, what's your status?"Xander's response was immediate, almost eager. "I've got a clear shot, Cassian. Kaiser's right there with his goons, looks like they're sorting through shipments." A hint of excitement crept into his voice. "Been waiting all day for this. Something big is about to go down, I can feel it."Cassian's eyes narrowed as he visualized the scene. "Hold your fire. We need to time this perfectly. I'll let you know when to take the shot.""Roger that." Frustration bled into Xander's tone. "Just don't keep me waiting too long."Cassian switch
The Mafia Debt Chapter 89: Left Behind with Questions
Aria's POVA knock at the door interrupted us, and the spell was broken. He froze, his eyes narrowing in annoyance."Ignore it," I whispered, desperate to keep the moment alive, my fingers tangling in his hair.But the knock came again, more insistent this time, and Cassian sighed, his frustration evident. "Wait here," he said, and he turned to answer the door.I smoothed down my dress, trying to calm my racing heart as Cassian stalked to the door and yanked it open."This better be important," he growled, then stiffened when he saw who was standing there.It was Shadow. My heart leapt at the sight of him—It had been months since I'd last seen him."Shadow!" I exclaimed, rushing past Cassian and throwing my arms around him in a hug. "I've missed you so much! It's been ages."Shadow chuckled as he patted my back gently. "Missed you too, Aria. You look good."I pulled back to look at him, noticing the new scar along his jawline. "Where have you been hiding?""Working," he said simply, h
