บททั้งหมดของ Stolen by the Mafia King: บทที่ 131 - บทที่ 140

[Juliette’s POV] Routines were thrown out the window—that was the first major change in the Virtus household. Which felt strange. As soon as I passed through the iron gates that guard the Virtus grounds from outsiders, I felt like a soldier reporting for duty. Immediately (even though I was away for months), I remembered the exact timing for each meal and the chores I was supposed to do at each particular time of the day. However, this time, I was told that I had no schedule at all, just as my life had been all these years at the Lux mansion. Ralph took me to the ends of the plain field—which Margaret had already showed me. But I didn’t mind seeing it again; with Ralph, it was more fun—the way his thick brows knit whenever he saw the stretches of barren land beyond his property, it exuded the alluring charm of a man with great ambitions. That fierce gaze seemed to say: one day, every inch of this flat terrain will belong to the Virtus—just as every inch of the terrains surroun

[Ralph’s POV]Something happened at the meeting with Monsieur Kugerfield. I can see it on her face. I sighed as I continued chewing the roast chicken in my mouth. If I asked her about it, she would either give me an honest answer, or a sarcastic reply—the former means she wants to talk about it; the latter, she wants to whine about it and have me take her side. “How did it go?” I asked, trying to sound concerned for the business sake, but not too concerned because it’s about another woman.A brief pause, and then her face lifted with the brightest smile. “It went well!” Fuck. It didn’t. She caught the look on my face and the smile lessened as she added, “At least that’s what I think.” I swallowed the meat and asked, “What happened?” She stared at her plate of untouched roast chicken and muttered, “He rejected all of them.” Jesus Christ… I need to find something to help her take the steam off. “I see.” Her face jerked up again, this time with the worry and guilt of my men when

[Ralph’s POV] Fuck… I didn’t mean to tell her that… But it happened. Now I just have to go with the flow. Is this what love is? Is this what Ben means when he said he can’t help it, he just wants Jewel? The daughter of Lux stared at me, at a loss for words. The shine in her eyes flickered with the flame of the campfire, growing brighter with each passing second. Sucking me into a trance, enveloping me with something enticing… warmth? Fear? A connection? One that I’ve longed for, yearned for all these years but never truly found it anywhere… And now, I’ve finally found it. Or have I not? “Juliette….” I heard my voice calling out to her. And an array of purple shades wavered in her eyes. I saw my hand reaching out to her cheeks, wanting to feel that film of silk bathing her skin. “Ralph…?” Her voice breezed through the cold wind. I grabbed her hands and pressed her palms to my face, as though desperate for her warmth. “Life with me will be filled with darkness… so dark you ca

[Juliette’s POV] Shame crawled into the old housekeeper’s smile before she looked away. “Even though she shaved all her hair and eyebrows, she looked like an angel.” “Y-You’re in love with Ralph’s mother?” My shock came out in a whisper that slipped with the winds gushing through us. Margaret nodded. “I’m just amazed by her beauty…. There wasn’t a day when I wouldn’t look at her. But that’s all there is to it.” She chuckled lightly and said, “I’m just a friend to her. And that was quite enough for me.” She paused to turn back to me and continued, “I knew she was here to protect her son. I knew she shouldn’t be here. But I couldn’t say no to her. I had to help her. Because that was the only thing I could do for her.” I took the bony hand that once tried to claw me into my hand and squeezed it gently. “Thank you for helping Ralph’s mother, Margaret. Does Ralph know what you did for his mother?” She shook her head with a weak smile. “He burned all the photos of her after she die

[Juliette’s POV]Ralph. He’s at the door. I jumped off bed and dashed to the door. But as soon as my hand felt the door knob, his voice came through from the other side. “DON’T.” I paused. Don’t? Don’t what?As if reading my mind, he exhaled and said, “Don’t open the door.” And before I asked why, he added, “It’s my punishment. For hurting you. So don’t let me see you.” I sniffed and wiped my face with my fingertips and unlocked the door. “I SAID ‘DON’T’!” he barked, and I halted once more, tempting to ignore him and open the door, and flung myself into his arms—I’m sure they’re open, waiting for me. “Jesus Christ, Juliette….” He sounded tired. And wounded. Like that stray puppy I found at the pathside of the college campus. I remembered how it shivered with fear and cold, its brown fur dirty and dusty. And my heart fell ten storeys. I want to get to him. But I'm also afraid that my aggression will push him away. So I stayed put. Silence ensued between us. And then he asked,