Semua Bab Married to the Villain : Bab 31 - Bab 40

Jude POV“You could start by telling me what happened with Josephine, and why Daniele acts the way he does.”I shook my head. “That is the past, and it’s got nothing to do with us.” Isadora smiled sadly. She knew as well as I did that it had everything to do with us, but the past with Josephine wasn’t something I’d share with her. It wouldn’t serve any purpose but to destroy whatever tentative bond that was forming between Isadora and me. She was young. Maybe that was why I was willing to try at all. I didn’t want to be the one to destroy her loveliness.“Okay.” It wasn’t. Isadora’s body language made that clear.“What else?”“Spend time with the kids and me. Family time. Be home for dinner, be home on Sunday. I want to get to know you, what you like to do in your free time, what you enjoy doing.”I tried to remember the last time I’d done something I enjoyed doing that didn’t involve my line of work. I couldn’t.“Don’t tell me there’s nothing you like to do except work. There must b

JUDE POVIsadora leaned over the crib and lifted my adopted daughter up, cradling her to her chest. I was always the one who took her out of bed when she cried.Simona fell silent and was staring up at my young wife. I waited for the inevitable outburst—an even worse crying fit than before—but Simona only let out a small cry. “Shh. You’re the cutest little thing I’ve ever seen.” And then Isadora bent down and kissed my daughter’s left cheek, then her right. “With the cutest chubby cheeks that I can imagine.”My heart thudded in my chest, an uneven staccato I could feel in my ears. I couldn’t move. Simona reached for Isadora’s bangs and tugged, but my wife only laughed and blew out air, sending her hair flying up, causing Simona’s eyes to widen. Then she giggled.Simona giggled.Isadora looked up and smiled, unguarded, happy, and hopeful. I turned around and stalked out. “I’ll prepare the bottle,” I pressed. Even though I wished she wouldn’t, Isadora followed me downstairs. She watched

Jude POV I held the hat out to her, and she took it with a sweet smile. “Quick reflexes are required to survive if you have as many enemies as I do. But I don’t know why I caught this thing. It’s ugly.” Isadora had once again chosen an outfit I decidedly hadn’t chosen for her. Cowboy boots, black shorts with suspenders, a bright pink sweater, and an oversized coat would have fit me as well. It was a fashion nightmare.Worry tightened her face, her hand frozen on the door. “How many attempts at your life have you survived?”I tried to remember. It was difficult to say. There had been so many.Only a couple had gotten close.Isadora shook her head. “Never mind; if you have to think about it this long, I probably don’t want to know. Just promise to be careful, okay?”I walked around the car and opened the back door, then lifted Simona out. Isadora and I had already fallen into a sort of routine where my children were concerned. She handled Daniele, and I handled Simona. It made our live

Isadora POVAfter Jude was gone, I grabbed my phone and sank down on the sofa. Simona was busy with a picture book that simulated animal noises, and Daniele sat on the blanket beside her, only half focused on his game while he kept throwing glances toward his sister’s book.Cherry curled up beside me, and I began stroking her soft fur at once, hoping it would calm me. Since Jude had told me about my uncles, my heart had been beating faster than usual. In the mob, falling from grace usually meant your death. I wasn’t sad about the death of my uncles. They had been bad men, even by our very twisted standards, but I was worried what it meant for Jude, for us, and I couldn’t stop thinking about my poor cousin, Kiara, who was now an orphan.I called Dad’s number. He didn’t pick up after the first few rings, which was unusual for him. He always made time for me. What if Luca had decided to get rid of him too? It wasn’t a secret that Dad wasn’t his favorite. Marrying me off to Jude was suppo

ISADORA'S POV“Maybe you should let the past rest, Isadora.” The way he spoke, it was more of a warning than advice, and his worried expression only affirmed my suspicion.I set Simona down on the floor when her squirming got too much. She crawled off at once, heading for her blanket with her toys. “What do you know that you’re not telling me?”Christian’s mouth thinned. “I know that Jude doesn’t want people to rummage in his past, especially where Josephine is concerned, and I think you should respect his wish.”“To protect him or me?”Christian took a cookie and bit it, obviously biding his time. “Both… and those kids too.” He motioned at Simona, who squeezed a stuffed unicorn that laughed shrilly every time she did, causing her to giggle too. Her eyes flashed with joy as she gazed at me.“How can I help Daniele if I don’t know what happened?”“The boy will come around. He’s going to be Underboss one day. His mother’s death won’t be the last trauma he suffers.” My stomach tightened