Chapter 81 The Portraits

Melanie The east wing was old. Not old like my apartment before renovations, but like rich history kind of old. After the morning drama with Leonardo and his wife, I decided to explore the entire wing, just to see what my options were. So I walked. From one floor to another, maybe there might be a service door somewhere that was unmonitored.On the stairway, I trailed my fingers along the bannister; it was mahogany and cold, with carved lions at the base with their mouths open. They looked as if they were judging my presence then. I entered the rooms, no longer in a frenzy like before but this time deliberate and intentional about each room, and that's when I noticed minor features about the rooms; every room had a clock. But none of them matched. So every room had a ticking sound, one that I had never noticed before. Like the house couldn’t agree what time it was. The rugs. Persian. Threadbare paths where feet had walked before still looked good. The air smelled of lem

Chapter 82 A Funny thought

Olivia Breakfast was one of my favourite times of the day, not particularly because of the company, but because of the food. Rosa's cooking was still, by far, one of my favourites and, of course, there was the peace at the table when he was not around. That was exactly what I wished for after what happened this morning. Sometimes Leonardo joined me; sometimes he didn't, which was fine with me either way. And when he did, he had taken to reading the paper. This morning, however, he showed up with CeCe following close behind. They were having an animated conversation, CeCe relaying something funny about his adventures. Everyone knew there was nothing funny about what CeCe did for the family, but somehow, he always found the fun side of things. CeCe looked sheepish when he saw me at the breakfast table. “It's good to see you, Olivia,” he said, taking his seat. Leonardo said nothing, only giving me a smile that could melt ice, as though nothing had happened this morning, like he h

Chapter 83 Only Just Began

OliviaMelanie had left ten minutes ago but the tension she dragged into the room with her still lingered faintly in the air, clinging to the walls like cheap perfume after a party that no one enjoyed.CeCe had excused himself almost immediately after, suddenly very interested in a phone call that I knew didn’t exist.Coward.Now it was just me and Leonardo. Exactly how I preferred it.He sat at the head of the table with his coffee untouched, watching me carefully in that way men do when they realize too late that they have miscalculated a woman.I continued eating calmly.“You enjoyed that,” Leonardo said eventually.I cut into my fruit without looking up. “Not really.” “The girl is still young.” I smiled faintly. “And already exhausted. You should return her and ask for a refund.”His jaw tightened.Good.For the first time all morning, I finally looked at him properly. Really looked at him.There was something almost fascinating about Leonardo lately. The arrogance was still the

Chapter 84 A Sick Coincidence

MelanieAfter a month since the confrontation with the wife, I was convinced that everyone — the house included — hated me.The romance between Leo and me had also cooled down. The passion was no longer what it used to be; those burning flames that once threatened to consume us were dying out.Everything felt... domesticatedThere was something else as well. It was one morning that I first noticed Leo had a dog, and it had taken some sort of liking — or disliking — to me.His dog spent more time in the east wing than it did outside.This was no ordinary dog. Gosh, it was dirty and looked dusty as hell. It looked like a wolf that had given up on civilisation.The most striking thing about it was that it looked homeless. Not some cute kind of homeless or “rescued from the streets but secretly adorable” homeless.No.This creature looked like he actively fought raccoons behind restaurants for entertainment.His fur was uneven in places, thick and wild in others, with one ear slightly ben

Chapter 85 Watch Me Choke

Leonardo There was smoke in the mansion. Not real smoke. The house alarms were silent, the chandeliers untouched, the walls still standing in polished perfection. But I smelled it anyway. Being a leader of a crime family was both a blessing and a curse. I could smell danger from a mile, and I smelled it right now. I loosened my tie as I walked toward my home office, exhaustion dragging behind me like a chain. I had meetings after meetings all day, phone calls that never ended, men too incompetent to solve problems I paid them millions to handle. And through all of it, one person had sat at the back of my mind like a loaded weapon. Olivia. Ever since I woke up to find her staring at me and Melanie, she had been… different. She was calm for a woman who had just caught her husband red handed. Too damn calm and composed. Olivia was never quiet without a reason, not even when Anna was still around or when Rachel had tried to play a trick at the club. This was another level

Alle Kapitel von Contracted to the Mafia Boss Leonardo De Luca: Kapitel 81 – Kapitel 85

Chapter 81 The Portraits

Chapter 82 A Funny thought

Chapter 83 Only Just Began

Chapter 84 A Sick Coincidence

Chapter 85 Watch Me Choke