All Chapters of The Mafia Bride's 200 Days' To Justice : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The cold hit first. Not the gentle chill of winter, but the absolute absence of warmth that only death could bring. I tried to open my eyes, but darkness pressed against them like a heavy velvet curtain."Isabella Romano." The voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "Or should I say, Isabella Constantine?""Who's there?" My words came out as whispers in the void."You know who I am." Candlelight came to life around the edges, illuminating a towering figure clad in an ornate black dress. Where a face should have been, there was a skull that wore a grin at me; marigolds decorated their brow. "You prayed to me as you died.""Santa Muerte." The name dropped from my lips like a prayer. "Then I really am."Dead?" She lifted an antique pocket watch, its face aglow with eldritch light. "For precisely three minutes and twenty-seven seconds."The void stirred around us, memories drifting past like paper lanterns. I saw myself at my wedding, young and stupid in white. Then in Adrian's study, t

The mirror lies. My hands tremble as I trace Valentina's reflection, trying to match her signature stance. Too tall. Too stiff. My muscles fight against unfamiliar dimensions."The Chanel suits you better than the Versace."Nicolas's voice freezes me mid-reach. He leans against the doorframe, dark eyes studying my every move. Testing me."I thought you had meetings this morning." My voice comes out steadier than I feel."Watching my wife recover is more important." He steps closer. Too close. "You're holding yourself differently today.""The doctors said there might be..." I falter as his hand brushes my shoulder, adjusting the blazer's fit."Muscle memory issues?" His breath tickles my ear. "Or something else entirely?"Before I can respond, a cascade of silk hangers clatters to the floor. Damn these extra two inches of height. Nicolas's reflexes are faster—he catches the falling clothes while I'm still processing the noise."You never were clumsy before the accident." His tone carri

The music box smote against marble; its fragile air died in a cacophony of splintering wood and twisted metal. Outside, the rumble of thunder obscured my escape through the servant's passage. I pressed my back against cool stone, my heart hammering, as Adrian's voice boomed through the wall."Find her! Now!"With every step, my stilettos betrayed me. I yanked them off, the ancient stones cold against my bare feet. Father had shown these passages to me when I was a child, teaching me every means of escape in case our enemies ever breached the mansion. It was ironic, considering now I was using those very passageways to hide from him.Elena's voice came through the iron ventilation grate above. "The loose ends need handling tonight. Martinez first, then we find the real Valentina."My fingers found grooves carved into the wall decades ago-familiar initials. I traced the 'E' and 'I', memories of when Elena and I had played here as sisters, before legitimacy divided us, before she chose A

Cold sweat soaked my sheets as I jerked awake. The room spun violently, Valentina's memories crashing through my mind like shattered glass. "No, please, not again—" The screech of tires echoed in my ears, phantom rubber burning my nostrils. I stumbled to the bathroom, gripping the marble counter. The mirror betrayed me—Valentina's face flickered over mine, her steel-gray eyes accusatory. "Get out of my head!" My whisper turned to a sob. A child's laughter echoed down the hall. The twins. I forced myself upright, splashing cold water on my face. They needed their mother—whatever version of her I was now. The nursery door creaked open. Elena stood frozen, staring at the twins. Both children pointed at the darkened corner, perfectly still. "Tía Val says hello," they said in perfect unison. Elena's crucifix rattled against her chest as she crossed herself. "I need to make a call—" "No." My voice cracked like a whip. "You don't need to do anything." She fled, phone already in hand.

The fog came in thick off the canals and wrapped itself around my ankles like ghostly fingers. I stumbled against ancient stone, and Valentina's memories struck me like a blow. "Mama?" Sofia's small hand tightened in mine. "Your eyes look funny." "They're glowing," Luna whispered, pressing closer. The memory consumed me-Valentina racing these same streets, clutching papers that could destroy everything. My heart pounded with an echo of her desperation. "This way." The words came from somewhere deeper than thought. "Stay close." We turned down a narrow alley just as voices carried across the water. My blood went cold at the familiar cadence. "I could have sworn I saw her." Adrian Constantine's voice sliced through the fog. "With the children." I pressed the twins into a shadowed doorway, my body shielding them. Footsteps approached, measured and deliberate. "Valentina?" Adrian's tone was low, deadly familiar. "Out for an evening stroll?" I made myself turn, to face my killer we