LOGINShare
CHAPTER 77
publish date:
2026-09-25 05:10:33
Latest chapter
The mafia king’s substitute husband CHAPTER 82
A THREATSALVATORE’S POVThe message comes from Nico just after breakfast.He doesn’t say much. He doesn’t need to.Someone from Dario’s old network has been asking questions around the docks. Nothing serious yet. Just questions about the house. The family’s routine. When the children leave for school. Who comes and goes.The kind of things Salvatore has learned never to ignore.“Probably nothing,” Nico says.He says it casually, but there’s no ease in his expression.Salvatore looks up from the papers on his desk.“Who?”“A minor name from Dario’s old circle. I thought you’d want to know before it became something.”Salvatore leans back.Years ago, he might have sent men immediately. He might have dealt with the problem before anyone else even knew there was one.Now there are other things to consider.Leo’s school.Elian.The house.The life they’ve built.“Double the watch on the school run,” he says. “And find out everything you can about him.”Nico nods.Salvatore doesn’t tell El
The mafia king’s substitute husband CHAPTER 81
OLD SCARSALVATORE’S POVThe scar on my shoulder aches when the weather changes.It isn’t a sharp pain. I usually ignore it.Elian doesn’t.He notices when I roll my shoulder in the morning, trying to loosen the stiffness.“It’s bothering you again.”I glance at him.He’s sitting against the headboard, watching me with that look he gets when he already knows the answer.“It’s nothing.”“You always say that.”“Because most of the time, it is.”He gives me a look.I sigh.“Old injuries ache sometimes. That’s all.”“Let me see.”“Elian—”“Let me see.”There’s no point arguing when he uses that tone.I sit on the edge of the bed and pull my shirt aside. Elian moves closer, his fingers brushing carefully over the old scar.His touch is gentle.He examines the wound like he’s looking for something I haven’t noticed. There isn’t anything wrong. Just an old scar, raised in places, faded in others.“It’s fine,” he says eventually.“I told you.”“That doesn’t mean I wasn’t checking.”His finge
The mafia king’s substitute husband CHAPTER 80
LEO’S BirthdayELIAN’S POVLeo turns seven that spring, and Rosa decides his birthday is going to be an event.I try to tell her we don’t need anything too big.She looks at me like I’ve said something ridiculous.“You didn’t have this growing up,” she says. Then she looks toward Salvatore. “Neither did he, I’m guessing.”Salvatore doesn’t argue.“So we’re doing it properly. Cake, balloons, presents. Everything.”And she does exactly that.The garden is covered in streamers, most of them in colors Leo picked himself. The combination is questionable at best, but he’s so pleased with it that nobody has the heart to complain.There are children running around everywhere, music playing, and enough food to feed twice the number of people Rosa invited.Matteo comes with Camille, my mother is there, and Nico spends most of the afternoon carrying Sofia around while she tries to grab anything within reach.Salvatore stays close to Leo.I notice it more than once.Whenever Leo gets nervous arou
The mafia king’s substitute husband CHAPTER 79
NAMING HERELIAN’S POVThey name her Sofia.Rosa chooses the name after her grandmother, and when the christening finally comes a few weeks later, the estate is fuller than it has been in a long time.Matteo arrives with Camille beside him. They aren’t saying much about whatever is happening between them, but they don’t really need to. The way they look at each other says enough.My mother comes too. She spends most of the afternoon with Leo, helping him with his shirt and listening patiently as he explains everything he thinks everyone needs to know about Sofia.Even Dante comes.He stays near the edge of things at first, as if he’s still getting used to being part of a family gathering. But when Rosa places Sofia in his arms, he doesn’t refuse her.He holds the baby carefully, almost awkwardly.For a moment, the hard expression on his face disappears.“I never held you like this,” he says quietly, looking at Salvatore. “I don’t think I knew how.”Salvatore looks at him for a long mo
The mafia king’s substitute husband CHAPTER 78
THE BABY ARRIVESELIAN’S POVRosa’s labor started sometime in the middle of the night.One moment, the house was completely quiet. The next, Nico’s voice came rushing through the hallway.“Rosa! Wait—”I had never heard him sound like that before.By the time Salvatore and I reached the room, Nico looked like he was about to lose his mind.“It’s too early,” he said.“The doctor said it’s not,” Salvatore reminded him.The doctor had already been called and was on his way. From what he had told us over the phone, Rosa wasn’t early at all. Everything was happening when it was supposed to.But Nico clearly wasn’t listening.“You need to calm down,” Salvatore said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Rosa needs you with her, not running around like this.”Nico stared at him for a second.Then he took a deep breath.Another one.“I’m fine.”Salvatore raised an eyebrow.“You don’t look fine.”“I’ll be fine.”He turned and hurried back into the room.I couldn’t help smiling.For someone who had
The mafia king’s substitute husband CHAPTER 77
THE INTERVIEWSALVATORE’S POVThe request for an interview lands on my desk on a Tuesday morning.I read it twice before putting the paper down.A journalist wants to profile me for a piece about the “changing face of old power” in the city.My first instinct is simple.No.For most of my life, I’ve avoided attention whenever I could. Attention brings questions, and questions bring people who want answers they have no business having.I’ve spent too many years learning that the less people know about you, the fewer things they can use against you.So I tell Nico to decline.He doesn’t even get the chance.Elian finds the letter on my desk that evening.“You said no?”“I was going to.”He picks it up and reads the request, then looks at me.“Why?”“Because I don’t need a journalist digging into my life.”“You don’t have to tell her everything.”I lean back in my chair. “That’s usually not how interviews work.”“Then don’t give her everything.”I watch him.He walks around the desk and
You May Also Like
Fated to My Brother in-law, The Lycan King
Del_ art38.0K viewsA Different Kind of Alpha: Blood Oath
Quinn Montclair22.0K viewsRUTHLESS TEMPTATION
authorchomzy14.9K viewsDesired by the Twins
TheVeeWriter20.2K viewsProfessor Hale's Taste
Dew's Quill 221 viewsThe Alpha heir becomes an Omega
Alison319 viewsFALLING FOR THE RIVAL CAPTAIN
Emma Stone327 viewsCrimson oath
Blissful 289 views
