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279

Penulis: Western.R
last update Tanggal publikasi: 2026-06-13 16:27:59

The arrivals hall at Capodichino airport buzzed with the exact kind of chaos Alecia had grown used to after long-haul flights—families clustering with luggage carts, businessmen striding past in suits, the heavy drag of tired travelers pushing toward the exit. She adjusted her sunglasses, tugged the handle of her suitcase, and glanced back at Kennedy who looked just as exhausted as she felt. Both of them had the dull glaze of jetlag on their faces, but Alecia carried herself with the same sharp
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  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   Epilogue

    The second the front door clicked shut behind Val, the apartment atmosphere seemed to change. The lingering smoke from the earlier kitchen disaster still hung faintly in the air, and the silence was suddenly too loud. Why wouldn't it be.Liv sat back down on the edge of the couch, her eyes unfocused, and her lips pressed into a thin line.Kennedy asked her something about the food but Liv didn’t respond. Her sudden silence treatment continued, until it caught alecia's attention and she cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.“What happened?” Alecia aske, half teasing, half suspicious. “That food send you mute? Or did my sister’s princess speech poison your ears?”Liv didn’t move and refused to respond.Alecia frowned as Liv finally spoke but called out toward the kitchen. “Ken! Can you come here for a sec?”Kennedy emerged, wiping her hands on a dish towel, and dropped back onto the couch beside Liv. She then folded her arms, waiting, irritation already building.Liv finally drew in a

  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   285

    Alecia’s face shifted the second the name left Val’s mouth. A hot wave of anger seeping into her chest.She pushed her plate aside, the half-eaten pizza slice hanging crooked on the edge, and hissed, “I don’t want to discuss anything concerning that man. He should stay in the hospital forever.”Val leaned forward, eyebrows raised. “Hospital? Whatever took him there, he’s out now. Discharged. He showed up in front of me this morning. At first, I didn’t even recognize him. I only realized after he got a message from Dad and left.”The room dropped cold.Alecia gripped the arm of the couch like she might tear it apart. “You’re telling me he’s walking around? Here? He’s been standing in front of you?” Her voice cracked sharp, and then it dropped, lower and darker. “If he comes near me again, I’ll kill him. This time I won’t miss.”Kennedy stiffened in her seat, her knuckles white where she held the glass in her hand. Liv’s eyes darted from one sister to the other, tension crawling up her

  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   284

    Liv winced. “Sorry we didn’t offer you anything. We were trying to make something new for breakfast and Alecia burned it.”Alecia didn’t miss a beat. “She’s not here to eat. You said it was urgent, so say it and leave.”Val didn’t even look at her. She kept her eyes on Liv. “You haven’t eaten yet?”Liv shook her head. Kennedy shrugged like, obviously.“What were you trying to make?” Val asked.Liv glanced at the kitchen, embarrassed. “Aloo paratha. We watched three videos and somehow set off the alarm anyway.”Val stood, dropped her bag on the side table, and rolled up her sleeves. “I’m hungry too. Let’s fix it.”Kennedy blinked. “You actually know how to make that?”“Yes.” Val pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I used to volunteer at a gurdwara kitchen in Mumbai before I got married. It’s breakfast there most days. If you don’t learn it right, the aunties shame you into learning it right.”Kennedy laughed. Liv brightened. Alecia made a face and sank into the couch with a

  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   283

    Alecia leaned on the doorframe, eyes narrowing as though Val had materialized from thin air just to ruin her morning. Her gaze swept over her older sister like she was some street peddler who had knocked on the wrong door.“Did you lose your way?” she asked flatly, one eyebrow arched.Val didn’t answer immediately, her jaw tightening as she steadied her breathing. Alecia smirked at the silence and added with a dismissive flick of her wrist, “I think your destination is the next apartment.”Val exhaled, tired already. “We need to talk.”The eye-roll Alecia gave her was so sharp it could’ve cut glass. “We have nothing to talk about.”Ignoring the jab, Val extended the fruit basket toward Liv, who hovered uncertainly at Alecia’s side. For a second Liv looked between the sisters, frozen in the middle of their silent war. Alecia’s tone was ice. “Don’t take that.”But Liv’s hands were already reaching. She gave Val an awkward, sympathetic look, took the basket, and slipped back inside. The

  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   282

    Val’s chest was still tight from the confrontation inside the mansion, the taste of bitterness clinging to her tongue. By the time she reached the front steps, she was drained. She leaned against the car for a moment, catching her breath, then slid into the backseat.“Olive,” she said quietly, her voice steady despite the storm inside. “Get me Alecia’s number.”Olive glanced back in the mirror, uncertain, but didn’t argue. Within minutes the phone was in her hand, her thumb hovering over the screen. The number stared back at her like a dare. She inhaled, pressed dial.The line rang once. Twice. Then a voice she didn’t recognize answered, light and a little careless. “I think Lecia’s enemy is calling. She saved your name as bitch. So please, don’t call this line anymore.”Val blinked. “Uh… you must be her friend.” She cleared her throat. “It’s Valentina.”For a second, the girl on the other end froze, stunned into silence. “Uh—hi, Valentina,” she stammered, her tone suddenly cautious,

  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   281

    The ride back to the DeLuca mansion was fast and blurry. Val sat in the back seat, with Olive silent at the wheel, her hands curled into fists on her lap as the streets rolled by in streaks of color. The city’s noise barely reached her—only the disturbing sound of the name munchkin still echoing in her head.By the time the mansion gates came into view, her chest was tight with something she could hardly name—fear, anger, betrayal, maybe all three wound so tight they were indistinguishable.The gates creaked open, guards standing to attention as the car swept through the long drive. Olive glanced once through the rearview mirror as if to check on her, but said nothing. He didn’t need to. She was already leaning forward, her eyes hard on the mansion doors before the car had even stopped.The moment her heels touched the ground, Rebecca was there, gliding down the steps like a queen waiting for a subject. She carried herself with a smug air, arms folded lightly across her chest, and he

  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   41

    The next morning, I wasn’t entirely surprised when I heard a knock at the front door. Alphonse was right on time, but this time, Elizabeth wasn’t by his side. “She has her weekly antenatal appointment,” he had explained, stepping inside with an easy nod. I could sense a bit of disappointment at her

    last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2026-03-20

  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   36

    Dr. Daniel Whitman and I go way back—five years back, to be exact. He’s a few years older than me, but he’s one of those rare people who’s always seemed to have it together. The kind of person you can call when everything feels like it’s falling apart. Over the years, he’s saved me from a whole lot

    last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2026-03-20

  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   34

    I woke up to a loud thud from downstairs, heart racing, my body jolting upright in bed. For a moment, I couldn’t shake off the nightmare I was having—being chased by a mob of desperate women wielding pitchforks and torches. Their faces twisted in rage, like I’d stolen something precious from them.

    last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2026-03-20

  • The Mafia's Substitute Bride   39

    An hour later and his eyes fluttered open again, and this time he seemed a bit more present, his gaze sharper, though it still looked like it took effort just to keep them open. He glanced around before finally settling his eyes on me, a slight furrow of confusion crossing his brow. I barely gave h

    last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2026-03-20
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