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CHAPTER 55

Author: Swiwi
last update publish date: 2026-09-16 00:07:02

After the wedding.

ELIAN’S POV

We didn’t go anywhere fancy the next morning. There is no flight, no airport, no honeymoon somewhere across the world.

Instead, Salvatore drives us to a small house he owns along the coast.

I’d never heard of the place before.

“It’s been mine for years,” he says, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting over mine on the console. “I bought it before everything got complicated. Whenever the city became too much, I’d come here.”

He glances at me.

“I never br
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  • The mafia king’s substitute husband   CHAPTER 72

    THE FUNDSALVATORE’S POVI go over Matteo’s proposal myself later that week, after Elian asks me to.I read every page carefully. Anything connected to the family name or money deserves that much attention, even when I’m not the one putting up the funds.When I’m done, I place the papers on the desk.“It’s solid.”Elian looks at me. “Really?”“Really.” I tap the proposal with one finger. “He’s covered most of the ways people could take advantage of it. The structure is clear. The money has somewhere to go, and there’s accountability for where it ends up.”A small smile pulls at Elian’s mouth.“You sound surprised.”“I am.”“Why?”I lean back in my chair.“Because I didn’t think Matteo had this in him.”Elian raises an eyebrow.“The Matteo I met at your first wedding could barely sit through a conversation without trying to impress everyone in the room. I wouldn’t have trusted him to handle something like this back then.”“People change.”“Some do.”He gives me a look.I sigh. “Fine. A

  • The mafia king’s substitute husband   CHAPTER 71

    MATTEO SURPRISE.ELIAN’S POVMatteo calls one evening, and I can hear the excitement in his voice before he even tells me why.“I want you to see something,” he says. “Before I show anyone else. Can you come by tomorrow?”I agree.I bring Leo with me the next afternoon, partly because I don’t want to leave him behind and partly because I’m curious about what Matteo could possibly be this excited about.When we arrive at the Rossi townhouse, Matteo is already waiting for us.He looks different.For once, there’s none of that constant tension I’ve gotten used to seeing in him. He barely gives us time to take our coats off before he’s leading us toward his study.“You’re making me nervous,” I tell him.He laughs. “Just come on.”The moment we step inside, I understand.There are papers spread all over his desk. Financial projections. Plans. Notes written in the margins. It’s obvious he’s been working on this for a while.I picked up the first page.“What is this?”Matteo leans against t

  • The mafia king’s substitute husband   CHAPTER 70

    FIRST DAYELIAN’S POVThe morning Leo starts his new school, he stands in the front hall in his uniform, looking so stiff I almost smile.His backpack is hanging from one shoulder, and he’s holding onto the strap so tightly his knuckles have gone white.“You’ll be alright,” Salvatore tells him.He crouches in front of Leo and fixes his collar, even though it was only slightly crooked.“If anyone gives you trouble, tell your teacher. If your teacher doesn’t listen, you tell us. Understand?”Leo nods.Then he looks at me.“What if I don’t make friends?”I kneel beside Salvatore.“Then you come home and tell us about your day anyway.”Leo watches me.“Friends don’t always happen right away,” I tell him. “You don’t have to make one today. Just be yourself. Give people a chance to get to know you.”He thinks about that for a moment.Then he nods.We walk him into the school together.I notice a few parents looking at us. Some of them probably recognize Salvatore.But nobody says anything.

  • The mafia king’s substitute husband   CHAPTER 69

    NIGHTMARE ELIAN’S POVThe nightmares start on the fourth night.A small cry comes through the wall, muffled but loud enough to pull both of us out of sleep. I’m already out of bed before I’m fully awake.I reached Leo’s room first.He’s sitting up, tangled in his sheets, tears running down his cheeks. His little hands are gripping the blanket so tightly that his knuckles look pale.“Leo.”I sit on the edge of the bed but don’t reach for him. I’ve learned that sometimes the best thing I can do is give someone the choice.“I’m here,” I tell him quietly. “You’re safe.”He doesn’t answer.His breathing is fast, and his eyes keep moving around the room like he’s still trapped somewhere inside the dream.Salvatore appears behind me in the doorway.He doesn’t say anything. He just stays there, giving me room to handle it.“Bad dream,” Leo finally whispers.I shake my head.“Hey. You don’t have to be sorry for that.”His eyes drop to his lap.“Bad dreams happen,” I continue. “They don’t mea

  • The mafia king’s substitute husband   CHAPTER 68

    HOMECOMING ELIAN’S POVLeo’s hand feels small in mine as we walk through the front doors of the estate.He doesn’t say anything at first.His eyes move from one side of the entrance to the other, taking in the high ceilings, the wide staircase. He looks like he’s trying to understand how one house could possibly be this big.Then he quietly says, “This is a lot of houses.”I glance at Salvatore.“It is,” he says.He crouches in front of Leo, bringing himself down to the boy’s level.“But you don’t have to see all of it today. You don’t even have to see all of it this week. Take your time, okay?”Leo looks at him for a moment before nodding.Some of the tension leaves his shoulders.I think that might be the first time today someone has told him he doesn’t have to hurry.Rosa is waiting for us in the entryway.She’s clearly excited. I can see it in the way she keeps shifting her weight, like she’s fighting the urge to rush over and hug him.But when she sees Leo’s face, she reins hers

  • The mafia king’s substitute husband   CHAPTER 67

    PATIENCEELIAN’S POVThe final weeks move slowly.I swear, time has never moved this slowly.Every little delay feels bigger than it should, probably because we’re so close now. We’ve already allowed ourselves to imagine Leo here with us. We’ve talked about where he’ll sleep, what he’ll like, what we’ll do together. We’ve let ourselves want this.And wanting it makes the waiting harder.Salvatore handles it better than I do.He’s good at keeping himself calm when things matter. I’ve learned that about him over time. Still, I’ve caught him more than once sitting with the little wooden puzzle Leo gave me, turning it around in his hands without really doing anything with it.I know why.It’s the same reason I keep picking it up whenever my thoughts get too loud.One evening, he watches me pace around the bedroom for what must be the tenth time.“You’re anxious.”I stop and look at him.“I keep thinking something’s going to go wrong.”He doesn’t interrupt.“Like we’ll get this close, and

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