All Chapters of The Mafia's Kidnapped Bride: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

ArynThe auction house stood at the end of a long, curving driveway, quiet and hidden by tall trees. It wasn’t flashy like the big mansions you saw in magazines. There were no gold gates or fancy water fountains. No huge statues or anything shouting for attention. Everything about the place looked expensive, but in a quiet, careful way—like it was meant to impress the right kind of people without saying too much.Still, something about it made my stomach turn. It's probably because of my nerves or because I had been here before albeit on my terms. Since I had been blindfolded both times when I was brought here and taken out of here, I couldn't recognize the place.Lorenzo didn’t knock when we got to the massive wooden doors. He didn’t have to. A butler in a crisp black uniform opened before we even reached the last step. His face was a mask of polite disinterest, but I could tell by the way his gaze flicked to Lorenzo and then to me that he knew exactly who we were.“Mr. DeLuca,” the

LorenzoI knew I was fucked the moment I saw her.There she was—in nothing but that stupid lace nightwear and those fucking green panties. Goddamn green. I don’t know what it is about that color, but it punched the breath out of me like a fist to the gut. It was the kind of green that should be illegal. Sinful. The kind of green that made a man forget his goddamn name.I leaned back on the couch, one arm thrown across the top like I was relaxed, but my whole body was on fire. My jaw clenched. My pants felt like hell. I couldn’t move without giving myself away, so I just sat there like a ticking fucking bomb.She’d landed on me like a damn angel with a death wish. Her skin was soft. Her robe had slipped. That lace left nothing to the imagination, and her thighs were bare against my leg. I didn’t dare look between them again or I’d combust. And fuck me—I already had.I shouldn’t have let her stay. Hell, I shouldn’t have even talked to her. But it was already too late. The second she str

ArynThe quiet thud of the front door closing reverberated through the house, a sound that made the air in my room feel heavy, almost suffocating. Lorenzo. Gone. Finally. A bitter, hollow victory. I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, the faint light from the moon filtering through the sheer curtains doing little to dispel the gloom that had settled over me.My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs, a wild drumbeat to the chaotic symphony of emotions raging inside me. Fury, hot and sharp, mingled with a bewildering confusion. What the fuck had just happened? One minute, I was spying on a maid, the next, I was pinned against a wall by Lorenzo DeLuca, his eyes burning into mine, his words ripping through my composure like a goddamn wildfire. And then, that… kiss. That infuriating, devastating, earth-shattering kiss.My lips still tingled, a ghostly phantom of his mouth on mine. I wanted to scrub them raw, to erase the memory, but a part of me, a small, traitorous part, clung

ArynThe mall was a blur of noise and bright lights. Marcus, being Marcus, had taken me to the fanciest parts, the shops with glass fronts and prices that almost gave me a heart attack. Ghost, our new fluffball, was snuggled happily in his special carrier that Marcus had bought. He seemed to like it, occasionally letting out a tiny whimper or a contented sigh. He was surprisingly quiet for a puppy, which was a huge plus."So, where do you get all this money, anyway?" I asked Marcus as he handed a sleek black credit card to the sales assistant. She was all smiles, her eyes sparkling at the sight of the expensive clothes he was buying me. I mean, they were nice, but I was still more of a jeans-and-t-shirt kind of girl.Marcus just shrugged, a casual movement that annoyed me. "I have my sources, Aryn. Don't worry about it.""Your sources?" I scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Is that what we're calling it these days? What, are you running some kind of underground illegal poker ring or somethi

Aryn The lingering sweetness of the chocolate cake hung in the air, a comforting smell after the everything that had happened today. Ghost, still curled up in his new bed, let out soft, contented snores. I sat on my own bed, cross-legged, a slice of the rich chocolate cake on a small plate in my lap. I dug in with a fork, savoring the taste. It was damn good. Whoever sent it knew my weakness. I felt… lighter. Even after all the drama, the fighting, the overwhelming surprise of Marcus and Ghost, this moment, right now, felt good. Maybe it was the sugar, maybe it was the puppy, or maybe it was just the strange feeling of finally celebrating my birthday without the usual dark cloud hanging over me. The guilt I felt from earlier had faded a bit, replaced by this quiet contentment. As I took another bite, lost in the simple pleasure of chocolate, my door burst open. I nearly jumped out of my skin, dropping my fork with a clatter. Cake crumbs flew everywhere. My head snapped up, my e