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Chapter 66

Author: Philipa__
last update Last Updated: 2025-06-07 12:42:53

JOAN’S POV

The mansion always felt too big, too quiet… too cold.

I clutched the file in my hands, one of the many I’d been asked to review—wedding logistics, estate staff reports, updates on the interior renovations—but really, it was just an excuse. Another excuse. One of the many I’d been making just to see him.

Derrick.

Every time I walked these halls, it was hard for me not to hope I don’t run in to him. It didn’t help that he barely acknowledged me in public. I couldn’t deny that I was aching for the rare, glimpses of something soft in his eyes—something human.

Derrick was the most complicated man I had ever met.

He was hot and cold.

Just when I thought things were going well between us – like when I danced in the rain and he looked at me like I was the most precious thing in the world, like he was seeing the sun for the first time – he would ignore me the next day like nothing ever happened.

It took every self restraint in me not to go insane.

I stopped at the edge of the hallwa
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  • The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 68

    JOAN’S POVDinners in this household were always tense. Tonight was no different.Derrick sat beside me, cold and stiff. His shoulders were squared as if the very act of sharing the same chair space as me was some sort of punishment. His jaw was tight, clenched. I pretended not to notice, but I did—every twitch of his fingers, every shallow breath, the way his hand tightened around the stem of his glass until his knuckles turned white.And Irene? Oh, Irene noticed everything too. She leaned back in her seat. Her eyes were filled with wicked amusement. She poked and prodded with words that sounded light on the surface but sank deep. She did it on purpose. She always did.But then there was Kevin.He was seated across from me, charming and easygoing. His smile was warm in a way that felt like a breath of fresh air compared to Derrick’s cold silence. He leaned forward slightly, as if the other guests were merely background noise.“So, Joan,” Kevin began. His voice was smooth, “tell me… w

  • The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 67

    JOAN’S POVThe kiss never happened.At least, that’s what I kept telling myself over and over again.I had to. There was no time to dwell on Derrick's lips being just inches from mine… his breath mixing with mine… the way he looked at me like he was about to forget who we both were. No. I shoved the memory deep down and locked it away. I had more important things to focus on tonight.Dinner.A formal one, hosted in the grand dining hall of the mansion. The long table was dressed in cream linens and adorned with silver candleholders. Crystal glasses reflected under the chandelier, and every plate had been placed perfectly. Derrick invited some of his business partners and they hosted the dinner here.My heart pounded, not from nerves of the event, but from the pressure of making sure everything went smoothly. I was supposed to be the future lady of the house. All eyes would be on me. Every mistake would be remembered.I moved around the hall quietly, checking everything. Guests were mi

  • The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 66

    JOAN’S POVThe mansion always felt too big, too quiet… too cold.I clutched the file in my hands, one of the many I’d been asked to review—wedding logistics, estate staff reports, updates on the interior renovations—but really, it was just an excuse. Another excuse. One of the many I’d been making just to see him.Derrick.Every time I walked these halls, it was hard for me not to hope I don’t run in to him. It didn’t help that he barely acknowledged me in public. I couldn’t deny that I was aching for the rare, glimpses of something soft in his eyes—something human.Derrick was the most complicated man I had ever met.He was hot and cold.Just when I thought things were going well between us – like when I danced in the rain and he looked at me like I was the most precious thing in the world, like he was seeing the sun for the first time – he would ignore me the next day like nothing ever happened.It took every self restraint in me not to go insane.I stopped at the edge of the hallwa

  • The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 65

    JOAN’S POVIt’s strange how quickly you can go from a nobody to the headline.I used to wake up to the sound of my neighbor’s dog barking or the garbage truck rumbling down the alley. Now, it’s the flash of a camera outside my window or thousand of Instagram notifications. The paparazzi have no mercy. I once caught a man practically hanging from a tree just to get a picture of me sipping coffee in a cafe. The Billionaire’s Bride, they call me. As if my name—Joan—has evaporated into something shinier, more sellable.Inside this mansion, though, it doesn’t feel shiny. It feels... hollow.The chandelier in the entrance hall is worth more than everything I’ve ever owned. My reflection catches in polished marble floors and golden frames too often—I barely recognize myself. The woman with her hair always perfect, lips glossed, and waist cinched in designer fabric isn’t me. At least, not the me I remember.Irene tries. Bless her. She chatters as she helps me choose floral arrangements or tri

  • The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 64

    DERRICK’S POVThe car was filled with an unbearable tension. I could feel it pressing down on me, suffocating me. Joan sat beside me in the backseat. She didn’t look bothered about me at all. Instead, her eyes were fixed on the darkened city outside the window.She acted like everything was normal, like she didn’t just stand up to or subtly threaten a mafia boss. I knew Antonio wouldn’t take it lightly. Still, it was fun to watch. I didn’t know she had that kind of fire inside her.The streetlights highlighted her face. She looked even more beautiful at night. The lights sharpened the soft contours of her cheekbones, the curve of her lips. But what kept me staring at her wasn’t her beauty—it was the fire she had inside. A fire I had totally underestimated. Hell, I didn’t even know it existed.I never thought she had it in her. Not Joan. Not the meek quiet maid who barely spoke when I was in the room. She couldn’t even look me in the eye most times. But tonight… tonight she had proven

  • The Mafia's Contract    Chapter 63

    DERRICK’S POVThe moment I stepped off the ballroom floor, I could still feel the ghost of Joan’s touch on my skin. Her warmth, her softness—it lingered, and I hated it. I clenched my fists, shoving past the crowd as I stormed out of the ballroom.The air outside was cool, but it did nothing to stop the fire burning inside me. I needed to get away from her, from the way she made me feel—like I was on the edge of losing control.Damn it.I leaned against a pillar in the hallway, inhaling sharply. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything. I had vowed to never let another woman under my skin again. Love was a liability, a weakness I couldn't afford. Not in my world. Not as a mafia boss. If my enemies caught even a whiff of something—of someone—I cared about, they’d exploit it. They’d use her against me. And Joan... Joan was already too close.Besides, a woman had hurt me before and I’d be damned if I let it happen again.Women. They were all the same. They’d act

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