Lahat ng Kabanata ng Wanted By The Mafia Lord; Attracted to the Bad Boy Nextdoor : Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

OCTAVIA'S POV The sound of my fists hitting the heavy punching bag echoed through the gym, a rhythmic thud that somehow felt as satisfying as it was exhausting. My knuckles would probably have become bloody now if it had not been protected by the worn boxing gloves Aaron had handed me weeks ago; my hands stung slightly with each hit, but I had somewhat gotten used to the pain. My breaths came in steady bursts as I focused on my stance, my form, and the power behind each punch. I stepped back and wiped a bead of sweat off my forehead with the back of my gloved hand. The past six weeks had been grueling, to say the least. I had gone from barely knowing how to throw a punch to being able to confidently hold my own in a fight... I think. I had thought I was just going to learn self-defense, but for the past six weeks, Aaron has been thorough... maybe a bit too thorough. He taught me hand-to-hand combat, I learned knife-fighting techniques, and we sparred often, and he always makes it l

OCTAVIA'S POV “Octavia?” Bree’s voice pulled me out of my daze.“Huh?” I blinked, tearing my gaze away from the door, from him. “You okay?” Rose asked, her brow furrowed in concern.“Yeah,” I said quickly, forcing a smile. “I just thought I recognized someone.”They both glanced toward the door to look at him; he had started walking towards us, his piercing gaze on me, unmoving. “Who is that?” Bree asked, her curiosity piqued."Why is he looking at you like that? Wait, he is walking this way." Rose whispered loudly. "It is Axel," I said, my voice sounding breathless. Their eyes widened, and realization dawned on them at the same time he reached our table. “Fancy seeing you here,” he drawled, standing in front of me and looking down at me with that cocky smirk. At first I froze in place, my breath catching in my throat. Slowly, I raised my eyes to look up at him as I tried to calm my racing heart. I am not that girl anymore, I can most likely kick his ass in a fight right now, I

OCTAVIA'S POV I closed the front door behind me and headed straight for my room. I can't even explain what I am feeling right now; I am numb. I know that in the Mafia, gunfights happen; I know that people kill; hell, I learned how to shoot a gun for a reason, but I am still shaken when I have the urge to kill someone myself. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, and I didn’t have the energy to talk to anyone right now. I need some space, time to breathe, and somewhere to let my guard down. The moment I stepped into my room, I locked the door behind me and leaned against it, closing my eyes. My chest was tight, and my breaths felt shallow. Axel’s taunting words replayed in my mind like a broken record. Every syllable dripped with his disdain; I thought I had gotten over it, but he still unnerved me and brought back painful memories. I pushed off the door and began peeling off my clothes, letting them fall carelessly to the floor. My body felt heavy, as if the weight of t

OCTAVIA'S POV I was woken by the ping of my phone somewhere beside me. It was already morning, but it was still dark outside. I checked the digital clock on my nightstand; the time was six o'clock. I reached out blindly around me for my phone; I opened it and squinted at the screen. It was a message from Zion.Good morning, Octavia. Hope you slept well.I couldn’t help but smile; he is probably about to go on his daily fun Morning, Zion. I did.As an afterthought, I added, "I am guessing you did too."The reply came almost immediately."I always do," he replied with a smile emoji. I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling, feeling my heart tighten as I tried not to remember those times when we used to wake up together and take our usual morning runs around the block. I haven't told Bree or Rose that I have been talking to Zion, but we haven't even been talking that much yet; what's there to tell anyway?"I'm just checking in to make sure you’re okay. Have a great day, Octavia."

OCTAVIA'S POV I just finished dropping my coffee mug inside the dishwasher when I heard someone walk into the kitchen. I turned back to see Aaron walking casually into the kitchen. My eyes widened slightly at the sight of him. He was dressed in a crisp black suit; his broad shoulders filled it out even more perfectly than a mannequin would, and he completed the look with black shades. Even though I have seen him in suits before, something about him today was different. He looked more polished, intimidating, and, as much as I don't want to admit it, exceptionally handsome. “Are you ready?” he asked in his usual low, calm tone. I made to clean my hands over my pants before I remembered that it is leather, and I let it hang awkwardly on my side and gave him a small nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” “Good,” he said. “It’s time to go.” Without another word, he turned and headed for the door. I followed him outside, my heart pounding a little faster with each step. The sight that greet